Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Effects of Conversation Fillers and Communication Mode on Investor Judgments

Conference calls are a common way for firms to disseminate information to investors and analysts. We use controlled experiments to examine, in the context of the question and answer segment of conference calls, whether investors’ investment judgments are jointly influenced by a CEO’s use of conversation fillers and the communication mode of these calls. We find that conversation fillers have a smaller negative influence on investment judgments when conference calls are transmitted via transcripts than audio recordings. We further find that the effects of conversation fillers on investors’ investment judgments are sequentially mediated by investors’ perceptions of managerial traits and argument strength. We also provide evidence that hedges have more negative effects on investor judgments than hesitations.
Diagnostic Value of EBUS-TBNA for Lung Cancer with Non-Enlarged Lymph Nodes: A Study in a Tuberculosis-Endemic Country

Background In tuberculosis (TB)-endemic areas, contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CT) and positron emission tomography (PET) findings of lung cancer patients with non-enlarged lymph nodes are frequently discrepant. Endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial aspiration (EBUS-TBNA) enables real-time nodal sampling, and thereby improves nodal diagnosis accuracy. This study aimed to compare the accuracy of nodal diagnosis by using EBUS-TBNA, and PET. Methods We studied 43 lung cancer patients with CT-defined non-enlarged mediastinal and hilar lymph nodes and examined 78 lymph nodes using EBUS-TBNA. Results The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value of EBUS-TBNA were 80.6%, 100%, 100%, and 85.7%, respectively. PET had low specificity (18.9%) and a low positive predictive value (44.4%). The diagnostic accuracy of EBUS-TBNA was higher than that of PET (91% vs. 47.4%; p<0.001). Compared to CT-based nodal assessment, PET yielded a positive diagnostic impact in 36.9% nodes, a negative diagnostic impact in 46.2% nodes, and no diagnostic impact in 16.9% nodes. Patients with lymph nodes showing negative PET diagnostic impact had a high incidence of previous pulmonary TB. Multivariate analysis indicated that detection of hilar nodes on PET was an independent predictor of negative diagnostic impact of PET. Conclusion In a TB-endemic area with a condition of CT-defined non-enlarged lymph node, the negative diagnostic impact of PET limits its clinical usefulness for nodal staging; therefore, EBUS-TBNA, which facilitates direct diagnosis, is preferred.
Mapping memory binding onto the connectome's temporal dynamics: toward a combined biomarker for Alzheimer's disease

The classical amyloid cascade hypothesis of Alzheimer's disease (AD) has driven research and clinical practice for several decades. It states that the deposition of the amyloid-β peptide in the brain parenchyma initiates a sequence of events that ultimately lead to atrophy and AD dementia. This proposal stimulated the study of specific brain regions mapped along the neurodegeneration sequence (e.g., hippocampus) and their associated impaired functions (e.g., episodic memory). Although anticipated by Mesulam more than 20 years ago (e.g., Mesulam and Asuncion Moran, 1987), it was not until recently that this view has started to change, largely due to the disappointing results of trials relying on the beta-amyloid cascade hypothesis and its variants, e.g., the synaptic beta-amyloid hypothesis.
Dissociating aberrant properties of recognition memory in the TC1 mouse model of Trisomy-21

Down’s syndrome is a complex genetic condition arising from trisomy of chromosome 21; it is characterised by alterations in behaviour and synaptic plasticity, leading to deficits in learning and memory. The Tc1 mouse is a transchromosomic mouse model of trisomy-21 which carries a freely segregating and almost complete human chromosome 21. The main aim of this thesis was to explore recognition memory processes in the Tc1 mouse model of trisomy-21. The initial goal was to provide insight into the learning and memory changes associated with triplication of genes on human chromosome 21 in mice. The Tc1 mouse had previously been shown to display a deficit in object recognition memory following a delay of 10-min, but not following a 24-h delay. This thesis aimed to confirm and extend these findings, by testing Tc1 mice on an array of novelty based recognition tasks. This thesis also aimed to explore some of the biological systems underpinning the pattern of learning and memory changes demonstrated by the Tc1 mouse. The expression of c- fos was used as a marker of neuronal activity, allowing for the assessment of regional activity, and in addition, the expression profile of the GluR1 subunit of the AMPA receptor and the GluK1 and GluK5 subunits of the Kainate receptor were examined. Finally, this thesis investigated the impact of the administration of a novel AMPAkine, drug 9A, on the cognitive phenotype of the Tc1 mouse. The behavioural and biochemical analyses provided evidence that the Tc1 mouse model showed a selective deficit in short-term recognition memory while sparing longterm memory for the same type of information, and that a near complete copy of human chromosome 21 in Tc1 mice did not impair place recognition. In addition, c-fos expression studies provided evidence for aberrant perirhinal cortex activity in response to familiarity. Further to this, there was a significant reduction in expression of the GluR1 AMPA receptor subunit in the hippocampus, and a significant reduction of the GluK5 kainate receptor subunit expression in the perirhinal cortex. Finally, this thesis provides some preliminary evidence that a novel positive allosteric modulator, drug 9a, had a positive cognitive enhancing effect in the Tc1 mouse.
Distribution of human papillomavirus (HPV) genotypes detected by routine pap smear in uyghur‐muslim women from Karasay Township Hotan (Xinjiang, China)

HPV infection is an important public health problem in developing countries. We investigated HPV genotypes in the Uyghur female population of Karasay Township, Hotan region. A population‐based cervical cancer screening was conducted for 4,500 women in Karasay Township, Xinjiang Hotan, China. A total of 900 women were selected by systematic sampling with a 5:1 proportion (ages 20–69). The subjects completed a questionnaire and consented to HPV typing and Pap smear examination. Colposcopic biopsies were performed for patients with cytological abnormalities (≥ASCUS). A total of 117 of the 900 women (13%) assessed were infected with HPV. The most common subtype was HPV‐16, and other common high‐risk types included HPV‐58 and HPV‐39. A total of 40 women (4.44%) were identified with abnormal cytology (≥ASCUS) by Pap smear. A significant link was found between HPV prevalence and cytological diagnosis. The HPV infection rates for the patients with cervical inflammation, CIN, and cancer were 18.18%, 64.71%, and 100%, respectively. Significant differences in HPV infection rates were found among the patients with the three groups of pathological results. In Karasay, the HPV infection rate in Uyghur women is lower than previously reported; however, the proportion infected with HR‐HPV is higher. HPV‐16, HPV‐58, and HPV‐39 are the most prevalent genotypes. J. Med. Virol. 87:1960–1965, 2015. © 2015 The Authors. Journal of Medical Virology Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Influenza-related hospitalization of adults associated with low census tract socioeconomic status and female sex in New Haven County, Connecticut, 2007-2011

To help guide universal influenza vaccination efforts in the United States, it is important to know which demographic groups are currently at highest risk of costly complications of influenza infection. Few studies have examined the relationship between hospitalization with influenza and either socioeconomic status (SES) or sex. We examined associations between census tract‐level SES and sex and incidence of influenza‐related hospitalizations among adults.
Kinesins Have a Dual Function in Organizing Microtubules during Both Tip Growth and Cytokinesis in Physcomitrella patens[W][OPEN]

Microtubules (MTs) have been implicated in regulating the directionality and expansion of polarized growth. Using the moss Physcomitrella patens, this work describes how dynamic MT bundles form cyclically in the polarized expansion zone through the coalescence of growing MT plus ends and how plant-specific kinesins regulate the turnover of the MT bundles as well as the directionality and rate of cell growth. Microtubules (MTs) play a crucial role in the anisotropic deposition of cell wall material, thereby affecting the direction of growth. A wide range of tip-growing cells display highly polarized cell growth, and MTs have been implicated in regulating directionality and expansion. However, the molecular machinery underlying MT dynamics in tip-growing plant cells remains unclear. Here, we show that highly dynamic MT bundles form cyclically in the polarized expansion zone of the moss Physcomitrella patens caulonemal cells through the coalescence of growing MT plus ends. Furthermore, the plant-specific kinesins (KINID1) that are is essential for the proper MT organization at cytokinesis also regulate the turnover of the tip MT bundles as well as the directionality and rate of cell growth. The plus ends of MTs grow toward the expansion zone, and KINID1 is necessary for the stability of a single coherent focus of MTs in the center of the zone, whose formation coincides with the accumulation of KINID1. We propose that KINID-dependent MT bundling is essential for the correct directionality of growth as well as for promoting growth per se. Our findings indicate that two localized cell wall deposition processes, tip growth and cytokinesis, previously believed to be functionally and evolutionarily distinct, share common and plant-specific MT regulatory components.
Stimuli of Sensory-Motor Nerves Terminate Arterial Contractile Effects of Endothelin-1 by CGRP and Dissociation of ET-1/ETA-Receptor Complexes

Background Endothelin-1 (ET-1), a long-acting paracrine mediator, is implicated in cardiovascular diseases but clinical trials with ET-receptor antagonists were not successful in some areas. We tested whether the quasi-irreversible receptor-binding of ET-1 (i) limits reversing effects of the antagonists and (ii) can be selectively dissociated by an endogenous counterbalancing mechanism. Methodology/Principal findings In isolated rat mesenteric resistance arteries, ETA-antagonists, endothelium-derived relaxing factors and synthetic vasodilators transiently reduced contractile effects of ET-1 but did not prevent persistent effects of the peptide. Stimuli of peri-vascular vasodilator sensory-motor nerves such as capsaicin not only reduced but also terminated long-lasting effects of ET-1. This was prevented by CGRP-receptor antagonists and was mimicked by exogenous calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP). Using 2-photon laser scanning microscopy in vital intact arteries, capsaicin and CGRP, but not ETA-antagonism, were observed to promote dissociation of pre-existing ET-1/ETA-receptor complexes. Conclusions Irreversible binding and activation of ETA-receptors by ET-1 (i) occur at an antagonist-insensitive site of the receptor and (ii) are selectively terminated by endogenously released CGRP. Hence, natural stimuli of sensory-motor nerves that stimulate release of endogenous CGRP can be considered for therapy of diseases involving ET-1.
Fixed and Growth Mindset in Undergraduate Students: Impacts on Academic Achievement and Resilient Behaviors

The study of mindset is relevant to various outcomes that occur across the span of a college student’s career. There are two different mindsets that all students view themselves through the lens of, a fixed mindset and a growth mindset. The fixed mindset implies that traits are unchangeable, whereas the growth mindset implies that traits are malleable (Dweck 2015). The current study sets out to examine the relationship between mindset and academic achievement, mindset and resilient behaviors, and the potential meditational variables between mindset and academic achievement, in an undergraduate population. Participants completed a Federal Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) release form for their official semester GPA and measures assessing mindset, procrastination, study habits, self- handicapping habits, depressive symptoms, and intrinsic versus extrinsic motivation. Participants completed questionnaires in a lab in the Psychology department for research credit. Mediational analyses were not run due to a lack of variability in the data that produced a negative relationship between growth mindset and GPA in participants. The predicted relationship between emotion growth mindset and lower levels of depressive symptoms was found. Further research on this topic is necessary to explore results that are inconsistent with the present literature on the topic.
Long-range fractal correlations in literary corpora

In this paper, we analyze the fractal structure of long human language records by mapping large samples of texts onto time series. The particular mapping set up in this work is inspired on linguistic basis in the sense that is retains the word as the fundamental unit of communication. The results confirm that beyond the short-range correlations resulting from syntactic rules acting at sentence level, long-range structures emerge in large written language samples that give rise to long-range correlations in the use of words.
How Do Tsetse Recognise Their Hosts? The Role of Shape in the Responses of Tsetse (Glossina fuscipes and G. palpalis) to Artificial Hosts

Palpalis-group tsetse, particularly the subspecies of Glossina palpalis and G. fuscipes, are the most important transmitters of human African trypanomiasis (HAT), transmitting >95% of cases. Traps and insecticide-treated targets are used to control tsetse but more cost-effective baits might be developed through a better understanding of the fly's host-seeking behaviour. Electrocuting grids were used to assess the numbers of G. palpalis palpalis and G. fuscipes quanzensis attracted to and landing on square or oblong targets of black cloth varying in size from 0.01 m2 to 1.0 m2. For both species, increasing the size of a square target from 0.01 m2 (dimensions = 0.1×0.1 m) to 1.0 m2 (1.0×1.0 m) increased the catch ∼4x however the numbers of tsetse killed per unit area of target declined with target size suggesting that the most cost efficient targets are not the largest. For G. f. quanzensis, horizontal oblongs, (1 m wide×0.5 m high) caught ∼1.8x more tsetse than vertical ones (0.5 m wide×1.0 m high) but the opposite applied for G. p. palpalis. Shape preference was consistent over the range of target sizes. For G. p. palpalis square targets caught as many tsetse as the oblong; while the evidence is less strong the same appears to apply to G. f. quanzensis. The results suggest that targets used to control G. p. palpalis and G. f. quanzensis should be square, and that the most cost-effective designs, as judged by the numbers of tsetse caught per area of target, are likely to be in the region of 0.25×0.25 m2. The preference of G. p. palpalis for vertical oblongs is unique amongst tsetse species, and it is suggested that this response might be related to its anthropophagic behaviour and hence importance as a vector of HAT.
New holostean fishes (Actinopterygii: Neopterygii) from the Middle Triassic of the Monte San Giorgio (Canton Ticino, Switzerland)

The new neopterygian genus Ticinolepis, including two new species T. longaeva and T. crassidens is described from Middle Triassic carbonate platform deposits of the Monte San Giorgio. The anatomy of this fish shows a mosaic of halecomorph and ginglymodian characters and, thus, the new taxon probably represents a basal holostean. During the latest Anisian to earliest Ladinian the two new species coexisted in the intraplatform basin represented by the uppermost Besano Formation, but only T. longaeva sp. nov. inhabited the more restricted basin represented by the Ladinian Meride Limestone (except for the Kalkschieferzone). The more widely distributed type species shows interesting patterns of intraspecific variation including ontogenetic changes and morphological variation over time. The second species presents anatomical features that strongly indicate a strictly durophagous diet. The different distribution of the species is interpreted as a result of habitat partitioning and different adaptability to palaeoenvironmental changes.
Anticipatory and Stimulus-Evoked Blood Oxygenation Level-Dependent Modulations Related to Spatial Attention Reflect a Common Additive Signal

Covert attention is associated with prestimulus blood oxygenation level-dependent (BOLD) modulations in visual cortex. In some situations, this preparatory activity can predict how well human subjects will perceive upcoming visual objects. Preparatory activity may mediate this behavioral effect by affecting the stimulus-evoked response, but the relationship between preparatory and stimulus-evoked BOLD modulations is unclear. Here, we examine this relationship by comparing the effects of spatial attention on anticipatory and stimulus-evoked signals and by measuring the trial-to-trial correlation between prestimulus and poststimulus modulations. We find that in extrastriate visual cortex (V4), modulations related to spatial attention are relatively large, extend from prestimulus through the peak of the evoked response, and are slightly larger in the evoked response compared with the prestimulus response. In striate cortex (V1), the frontal eye fields (FEF), and the intraparietal sulcus (IPS), modulations related to spatial attention are relatively small, are confined primarily to the prestimulus period, and are slightly larger in preparatory versus stimulus-evoked activity. Importantly, across visual cortex, the attentional biases (activity for attended versus unattended locations) in preparatory and evoked activity are more positively correlated, trial-by-trial, than would be expected on the basis of activity measured in subjects at rest. We argue that this pattern of results suggests that the same mechanisms underlie preparatory and stimulus-evoked BOLD modulations related to spatial attention and that incoming sensory signals add to preexistent biases in preparatory activity to generate the stimulus-evoked response.
Targeting a unique EGFR epitope with monoclonal antibody 806 activates NF-κB and initiates tumour vascular normalization

Monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) and tyrosine kinase inhibitors targeting the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), which is often pathogenetically overexpressed or mutated in epithelial malignancies and glioma, have been modestly successful, with some approved for human use. MAb 806 was raised against de2–7EGFR (or EGFRvIII), a constitutively active mutation expressed in gliomas, but also recognizes a subset (<10%) of wild‐type (wt) EGFR when it is activated by autocrine loop, overexpression or mutation. It does not bind inactive EGFR in normal tissues like liver. Glioma xenografts expressing the de2–7EGFR treated with mAb 806 show reduced receptor autophosphorylation, increased p27KIP1 and reduced cell proliferation. Xenografts expressing the wtEGFR activated by overexpression or autocrine ligand are also inhibited by mAb 806, but the mechanism of inhibition has been difficult to elucidate, especially because mAb 806 does not prevent wtEGFR phosphorylation or downstream signalling in vitro. Thus, we examined the effects of mAb 806 on A431 xenograft angiogenesis. MAb 806 increases vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and interleukin‐8 production by activating NF‐κB and normalizes tumour vasculature. Pharmacological inhibition of NF‐κB completely abrogated mAb 806 activity, demonstrating that NF‐κB activation is necessary for its anti‐tumour function in xenografts. Given the increase in VEGF, we combined mAb 806 with bevacizumab in vivo, resulting in additive activity.
Functional assignment of KEOPS/EKC complex subunits in the biosynthesis of the universal t6A tRNA modification

N6-threonylcarbamoyladenosine (t6A) is a universal tRNA modification essential for normal cell growth and accurate translation. In Archaea and Eukarya, the universal protein Sua5 and the conserved KEOPS/EKC complex together catalyze t6A biosynthesis. The KEOPS/EKC complex is composed of Kae1, a universal metalloprotein belonging to the ASHKA superfamily of ATPases; Bud32, an atypical protein kinase and two small proteins, Cgi121 and Pcc1. In this study, we investigated the requirement and functional role of KEOPS/EKC subunits for biosynthesis of t6A. We demonstrated that Pcc1, Kae1 and Bud32 form a minimal functional unit, whereas Cgi121 acts as an allosteric regulator. We confirmed that Pcc1 promotes dimerization of the KEOPS/EKC complex and uncovered that together with Kae1, it forms the tRNA binding core of the complex. Kae1 binds l-threonyl-carbamoyl-AMP intermediate in a metal-dependent fashion and transfers the l-threonyl-carbamoyl moiety to substrate tRNA. Surprisingly, we found that Bud32 is regulated by Kae1 and does not function as a protein kinase but as a P-loop ATPase possibly involved in tRNA dissociation. Overall, our data support a mechanistic model in which the final step in the biosynthesis of t6A relies on a strictly catalytic component, Kae1, and three partner proteins necessary for dimerization, tRNA binding and regulation.
Effects of peripheral neuropathy on exercise capacity and quality of life in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases

Introduction Chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases (COPD) have some systemic effects including systemic inflammation, nutritional abnormalities, skeletal muscle dysfunction, and cardiovascular, skeletal and neurological disorders. Some studies have reported the presence of peripheral neuropathy (PNP) at an incidence of 28-94% in patients with COPD. Our study aimed to identify whether PNP affects exercise performance and quality of life in COPD patients. Material and methods Thirty mild-very severe patients with COPD (male/female = 29/1, mean age = 64 ±10 years) and 14 normal subjects (male/female = 11/5, mean age = 61 ±8 years) were included in the present study. All subjects underwent pulmonary function testing (PFT), cardiopulmonary exercise testing, electroneuromyography and short form 36 (SF-36). Results Peak oxygen uptake (PeakVO2) was lower in COPD patients (1.15 ±0.53 l/min) than healthy subjects (2.02 ±0.46 l/min) (p = 0.0001). There was no PNP in healthy subjects while 16 (53%) of the COPD patients had PNP. Forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1) and PeakVO2 were significantly different between patients with PNP and those without (p = 0.009, p = 0.03 respectively). Quality of life of patients with PNP was lower than that of patients without PNP (p < 0.05). Conclusions The present study demonstrates the exercise limitation in COPD patients with PNP. Thus, presence of PNP has a poor effect on exercise capacity and quality of life in patients with COPD. Furthermore, treatment modalities for PNP can be recommended to these patients in order to improve exercise capacity and quality of life.