Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Thiopental-induced Apoptosis in Lymphocytes Is Independent of CD95 Activation

Background:Barbiturate coma is used in patients with traumatic brain injury whenever increases in intracranial pressure remain unresponsive to less aggressive therapeutic regimens. However, barbiturate-mediated neuroprotection correlates with lymphopenia, which increases the risk of infection. The mechanisms by which barbiturates lead to lymphopenia remain to be determined. Methods:Freshly isolated human lymphocytes and Jurkat cells were incubated with the barbiturate thiopental for 24 and 48 h. Apoptosis was measured by fluorescein isothiocyanate–Annexin and propidium iodide staining, rhodamine 123 staining, and the terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase–mediated dUTP nick end labeling method. Caspase-3 activity was detected by Western blot and substrate cleavage assay. Results:Thiopental dose-dependently (5–500 &mgr;g/ml) increased apoptosis in Jurkat cells from basal levels (4.4 ± 1.9%) to 29.7 ± 2.8% after 24 h and 39.7 ± 3.2% after 48 h, whereas in lymphocytes, thiopental-induced necrosis was observed. Parallel to apoptosis, thiopental dose-dependently increased caspase-3–like activity in Jurkat cells. However, the pan-caspase inhibitor z-VAD-fmk (20 &mgr;m) only marginally reduced thiopental-induced (250 &mgr;g/ml) apoptosis in Jurkat cells (20.2 ± 2.5 to 17.2 ± 2.5%) and necrosis in lymphocytes (39.2 ± 7.5 to 30.7 ± 14%). In contrast, anti-CD95–induced apoptosis in Jurkat cells (27.0 ± 2.0%) was completely blocked by z-VAD-fmk (8.1 ± 1.8%). Neither expression of CD95 on Jurkat cells nor pretreatment with a neutralizing anti-CD95 antibody influenced thiopental-induced apoptosis, indicating that thiopental induces apoptosis independently of the CD95 system. The nuclear factor &kgr;B inhibitor gliotoxin accelerated both thiopental- and CD95-mediated apoptosis, indicating a mutual control mechanism of thiopental- and CD95-induced apoptosis. Conclusions:Thiopental directly induces cell death in lymphocytes and Jurkat cells by a CD95-independent mechanism.
Insider Trading Rules and Price Formation in Securities Markets - an Entropy Analysis of Strategic Trading

This paper addresses the issue of how insider trading rules affect price formation in securities markets and suggests the application of information theory to market microstructure theory. We analyze a variant of the setting in [20] by simply introducing a more general criterion for informational efficiency borrowed from information theory — namely maximum information transmission. The analysis shows that both the insider's optimal trading strategy and the market price of the risky security depend on the insider trading restriction. Insider trading restrictions are reported to be detrimental to the liquidity of the securities market. We find that a unique insider trading rule exists which implements semi-strong form informational efficiency of the securities market. Alternative restrictions on insider trading give rise to either underreaction or overreaction in securities prices. Too strict insider trading rules are shown to account for excess volatility in securities prices. Contrary to common notion, the uninformed investors are shown to be hurt by too restrictive insider trading rules. We conclude that loose insider trading rules are preferred by the group of investors as a whole.
Long-Distance Trade under the Aztec Empire: The Archaeological Evidence

Abstract This article presents archaeological data on Late Postclassic long-distance trade in central and northern Mesoamerica. Aztec trade goods from the Basin of Mexico (ceramics and obsidian) are widespread, while imports from other areas are much less common, both in the Basin of Mexico and elsewhere. The artifactual data signal a high volume of exchange in the Late Postclassic, and while trade was spatially nucleated around the Basin of Mexico, most exchange activity was apparently not under strong political control. The archaeological findings are compared with ethnohistoric sources to further our knowledge of the mechanisms of exchange, the effect of elite consumption on trade, and the relationship between trade and imperialism.
Invisibility: An Unintended Consequence of Standards, Tests, and Mandates.

As elementary and middle school teachers and students face standards, high-stakes testing, accountability, and one-size-fits all curricula, concerns have arisen that these practices limit the relevance and efficacy of teaching and learning. In this paper, we argue that such practices exact personal costs on students and the teachers expected to implement them. With data from a series of studies implemented across several years, we show how such practices too often create an instructional climate that, in effect, renders teachers and students invisible and nonessential to the literacy instruction that occurs in the classroom. First, we discuss the research that grounds our thinking. Then, we describe three approaches that can overcome invisibility for both students and teachers: teaching with students’ hearts and heads in mind, promoting culturally responsive pedagogy, and creating a productive literacy environment. We conclude with portraits of three teachers, who in spite of external pressures create literacy instruction that makes their students’ capabilities visible in their classroom instruction.
Who makes marketing decisions in the multinational firm

Attention seldom is paid to the location of authority for marketing decisions within a particular multinational firm when problems of marketing on a multinational scale are considered. The extent of local management's autonomy for marketing decisions and certain organization forces within the firm, which appeared to affect this autonomy, are examined in this article. The field research is based upon the Western European operations of nine major U.S.-based consumer durable goods manufacturers. T HE problems of mounting marketing programs on a multinational scale have begun to command more of management's attention, as international markets have assumed a more important overall role in the multinational firm's future and as national markets have become more interdependent. Generally such attention is centered on the pros and cons of standardizing marketing decisions across national markets, given various environmental forces.1 Less attention seems to be devoted to locating authority for these decisions within a particular firm. Normally, marketing is considered an "operating" rather than a "planning" function, and primary authority for marketing decisions is decentralized to local management in each country.2 Yet, to a large extent the ability to transfer, coordinate, or otherwise standardize marketing decisions among national markets may be linked to the location of authority adopted for these decisions. It would seem worthwhile, therefore, to examine more closely who makes marketing decisions in the multinational firm. The following analysis reports such behavior, as observed for the Western European operations of nine U.S.-based manufacturers from October, 1966 to June, 1967. First, the extent of local management's autonomy for marketing decisions is determined. Then, certain internal forces are identified which in part appeared to lead the firm to adopt its particular patterns for the location of authority. Each analysis is carried out for several different decisions, reflecting the variety of elements in a typical marketing "mix. " With the exception of automobiles, the nine firms include almost all major U.S.-based manufacturers of consumer durable goods with manufacturing investments in Western Europe at the time of field research. Eight different products are represented, ranging from refrigerators and toasters to movie cameras and electric razors. Twenty-six local affiliates are represented, an average of about three affiliates per firm. These affiliates are located
Explaining Exchange Rate Movements in New Member States of the European Union: Nominal and Real Convergence

This paper uses the univariate and bivariate structural VAR variance framework to quantify real and nominal exchange rate volatility in the selective New Member States of the European Union, and identify factors responsible for movements of those rates. The scale and the nature of nominal and real exchange rate volatility are tightly linked to fulfilment of Maastricht criteria, real convergence, and the effectiveness of the nominal exchange rate in absorbing asymmetric real shocks. Given that there is no consensus on the appropriate definition of real convergence, and since the degree of real exchange rate volatility reflects the scale of idiosyncratic shocks, as well as overall flexibility of the economy to adjust to these shocks, this paper measures the degree of real convergence by the degree of real exchange rate variability. The results indicate that (i) real asymmetric shocks are not insignificant when compared with the poorer Old Member States of the European Union (ii) the nominal exchange rates, in general, do play a stabilising role, and that (iii) nominal shocks, on average, do not move real exchange rates. Therefore, based on the analysis conducted in this paper, it appears that among the New Member States, only Estonia and Slovenia are ready to give up monetary and exchange rate independence
A Balanced News Diet, Not Selective Exposure: Evidence from a Direct Measure of Media Exposure

This study provides the first direct assessment of the extent to which citizens encounter news and opinion challenging their political views via mass media. The widely accepted conjecture that people refuse to hear the other side is based upon self-reports of media exposure, rather than direct observation of it. In light of this long-acknowledged limitation, I leverage unique data tracking partisanship as well as actual exposure to media collected 24/7 via passive tracking devices. Contrary to previous understandings, the vast majority of citizens consume predominately centrist information, while frequently encountering ideological programming challenging their views. In fact, the best predictor of how much conservative news you watch is how much liberal news you watch, regardless of partisanship. The demonstration of widespread exposure to diverse viewpoints challenges claims asserting that resistance to political influence occurs at the exposure stage of the persuasion process.
Akt, MAPK (Erk1/2), and p38 Act in Concert to Promote Apoptosis in Response to ErbB Receptor Family Inhibition*

The ErbB receptor family is implicated in the malignant transformation of several tumor types and is overexpressed frequently in breast, ovarian, and other tumors. The mechanism by which CI-1033 and gemcitabine, either singly or in combination, kill tumor cells was examined in two breast lines, MDA-MB-453 and BT474; both overexpress the ErbB-2 receptor. CI-1033, a potent inhibitor of the ErbB family of receptor tyrosine kinases, reduced levels of activated Akt in MDA-MB-453 cells. This effect alone, however, did not induce apoptosis in these cells. Gemcitabine treatment resulted in a moderate increase in the percentage of apoptotic cells that was accompanied by activation of p38 and MAPK (ERK1/2). CI-1033 given 24 h after gemcitabine produced a significant increase in the apoptotic fraction over treatment with either drug alone. During the combined treatment p38 remained activated, whereas Akt and activated MAPK were suppressed. Substitution of CI-1033 with the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase inhibitor LY294002 and the MAPK/ERK kinase inhibitor PD 098059 in combination with gemcitabine produced the same results as the combination of CI-1033 and gemcitabine. p38 suppression by SB203580 prevented the enhanced cell kill by CI-1033. In contrast to MDA-MB-453, BT474 cells exhibited activated p38 under unstressed conditions as well as activated Akt and MAPK. Treatment of BT474 cells with CI-1033 inhibited both the phosphorylation of Akt and MAPK and resulted in a 47% apoptotic fraction. Gemcitabine did not cause apoptosis in the BT474 cells. These data indicate that suppression of Akt and MAPK in the presence of activated p38 results in cell death and a possible mechanism for the enhanced apoptosis produced by the combination of CI-1033 and gemcitabine in MDA-MB-453 cells. Furthermore, tumors that depend on ErbB receptor signaling for survival and exhibit activated p38 in the basal state may be susceptible to apoptosis by CI-1033 as a single agent.
Effects of fenoterol and ipratropium on respiratory resistance of asthmatics after tracheal intubation.

We have studied the effects of a beta-agonist, fenoterol, and a cholinergic antagonist, ipratropium, on post-intubation total respiratory system resistance (Rrs) in asthmatics who developed increased Rrs after tracheal intubation. Sixteen stable asthmatics in whom Rrs increased after intubation were allocated randomly to receive either 10 puffs of fenoterol (group F) or 10 puffs of ipratropium (group IB) via a metered dose inhaler 5 min after intubation. Anaesthesia was induced and maintained with propofol i.v. Rrs was recorded before treatment and again 5, 15 and 30 min after treatment. Rrs decreased significantly from pretreatment values by mean 53 (SD 8)%, 53 (7)% and 58 (6)% at 5, 15 and 30 min, respectively, in group F, but declined by only 12 (6)%, 15 (4)% and 17 (5)% in group IB. At all times after treatment, patients in the fenoterol group had significantly lower Rrs values than those in the ipratropium group. We conclude that increased Rrs after tracheal intubation in asthmatics can be reduced effectively by treatment with fenoterol. A secondary finding of our study was that even after induction of anaesthesia with propofol, patients with a history of asthma may develop high Rrs.
Seeking (and not seeking) to leverage mega-sport events in non-host destinations: The case of Shanghai and the Beijing Olympics

It has been argued that event benefits can be optimised if strategic planning and implementation are employed to leverage the opportunities that events enable. Research has demonstrated that events are not typically leveraged, but leveraging can enhance their effect. Leveraging can enable benefits for non-host cities, as well as host destinations. This study examines failed efforts to transfer knowledge about non-host city leverage of the Olympic Games from Australia to Shanghai. It is shown that social, cultural, and political conditions in China and Shanghai made the Australian knowledge incompatible with local systems, values, and tourism development vision. It is suggested that in order to be transferable, knowledge must first be localised. That, in turn, requires that efforts to transfer knowledge across cultural and political borders should be undertaken iteratively, and should consequently begin earlier than is typically the case.
The Service Role of Outside Boards in High Tech Start‐Ups: A Resource Dependency Perspective

Despite growing interest in the board of directors of entrepreneurial firms, the role of outside board members in high tech start-ups has been largely neglected. This dearth of research is surprising since the high level of resource dependency these ventures face is likely to heighten the potential contribution outside board members can make. We argue that, for high tech start-ups, the service role the board plays will be crucial in overcoming resource dependencies. In contrast to existing studies that tie the outside boards’ servicing role to board characteristics, we propose that greater attention needs to be paid to the resource profile of the venture. Building on resource dependency theory, we find that the extent to which the outside board members fulfil a service role is dependent on the initial human, financial and technological resource base of the entrepreneurial venture. Specifically, we find that ventures with less diversified teams, teams with lower levels of R&D experience and higher levels of financial experience and ventures earlier in the technological development process receive higher levels of support from the outside board.
Seeing speech and seeing sign: Insights from a fMRI study

In a single study, silent speechreading and signed language processing were investigated using fMRI. Deaf native signers of British sign language (BSL) who were also proficient speechreaders of English were the focus of the research. Separate analyses contrasted different aspects of the data. In the first place, we found that the left superior temporal cortex, including auditory regions, was strongly activated in the brains of deaf compared with hearing participants when processing silently spoken (speechread) word lists. In the second place, we found that within the signed language, cortical activation patterns reflected the presence and type of mouth action that accompanied the manual sign. Signed items that incorporated oral as well as manual actions were distinguished from signs using only manual actions. Signs that used speechlike oral actions could be differentiated from those that did not. Thus, whether in speechreading or in sign language processing, speechlike mouth actions differentially activated regions of the superior temporal lobe that are accounted auditory association cortex in hearing people. One inference is that oral actions that are speechlike may have preferential access to ‘auditory speech’ parts of the left superior temporal cortex in deaf people. This could occur not only when deaf people were reading speech, but also when they were processing a signed language. For the deaf child, it is likely that observation of speech helps to construct and to constrain the parameters of spoken language acquisition. This has implications for programmes of intervention and therapy for cochlear implantation.
In vitro recombinants of ground squirrel and woodchuck hepatitis viral DNAs produce infectious virus in squirrels

Hepatitis B viruses of humans, woodchucks, ground squirrels, and ducks are similar biochemically but differ with respect to host range and pathogenicity. To pursue the genetic basis of these properties in the absence of a cell culture system for virus growth, we exploited the demonstrated infectivity of cloned hepatitis B virus DNA in whole animals. We constructed several recombinant molecules in vitro between cloned infectious genomes of woodchuck hepatitis virus (WHV) and ground squirrel hepatitis virus (GSHV) and assayed the recombinants for infectivity after intrahepatic injection in ground squirrels, which support growth of GSHV but not WHV. Two of the recombinants molecules initiated productive infection; in one recombinant genome, 76% of the coding region for the major surface glycoprotein of GSHV and for the overlapping portion of the presumptive gene for DNA polymerase was replaced by WHV DNA; in the other, 29% of the same coding domain was replaced by WHV DNA. These findings demonstrate the feasibility of generating viable recombinants of hepatitis B viruses from different animal species and suggest that the major host range determinants are not encoded within the surface antigen gene of these viruses.
Isokinetic Muscle Strength in Long-Term IDDM Patients in Relation to Diabetic Complications

The isokinetic muscle strength in 56 IDDM patients with > 20 years of diabetes duration and in their individually sex-, age-, weight-, and height-matched control subjects was assessed. Peak torque of foot dorsal and plantar flexion and knee and wrist extension and flexion was measured. The neuropathic condition was assessed by a neurological disability score, a neuropathy symptom score, nerve conduction studies, and quantitative sensory examination. All results were summed to obtain a neuropathy rank-sum score for each patient. According to their renal albumin excretion, the patients were classified to have normo-, micro-, or macroalbuminuria. In addition, according to their retinal status, patients were classified as having no, simple, or proliferative retinopathy. The IDDM patients had a 21% reduction of muscle strength of both ankle dorsal (P < 1 × 10™4) and plantar flexors (P < 0.01), compared with control subjects. A 16% reduction of knee extensors (P < 0.005) and a 17% reduction of knee flexors (P < 0.01) was found. In contrast, muscle strength in wrist flexors and extensors was not significantly reduced (10 and 11%, respectively [NS]). In patients with the most severe weakness, muscle strength of the calf muscles was only 50% of the expected performance. Correlations were found between the neuropathy rank-sum score and the muscle strength of ankle dorsal (r = −0.66, P < 1 × 10™7) and plantar flexors (r = −0.51, P < 0.0005), knee extensors (r = −0.51, P < 0.0005) and flexors (r = −0.44, P < 0.005), and wrist flexors (r = −0.41, P < 0.005). No correlation was found for wrist extensors (r = 0). Neither were there any relationships between muscle strength at the ankle and knee and the degree of albuminuria or retinopathy. In conclusion, motor performance is substantially impaired in long-term IDDM patients, and the weakness is related to the presence of neuropathy but not to albuminuria or retinopathy per se.
Comorbidity of DSM–III–R Major Depressive Disorder in the General Population: Results from the US National Comorbidity Survey

General population data are presented on the prevalence and correlates of comorbidity between DSM–III–R major depressive disorder (MDD) and other DSM–III–R disorders. The data come from the US National Comorbidity Survey, a large general population survey of persons aged 15–54 years in the non-institutionalised civilian population. Diagnoses are based on a modified version of the Composite International Diagnostic Interview (CIDI). The analysis shows that most cases of lifetime MDD are secondary, in the sense that they occur in people with a prior history of another DSM–III–R disorder. Anxiety disorders are the most common primary disorders. The time-lagged effects of most primary disorders on the risk of subsequent MDD continue for many years without change in magnitude. Secondary MDD is, in general, more persistent and severe than pure or primary MDD. This has special public health significance because lifetime prevalence of secondary MDD has increased in recent cohorts, while the prevalence of pure and primary depression has remained unchanged.
An extended DeLone and McLean's information system model for examining success of online public grievance redressal system in Indian context

The purpose of this paper is to examine the success factors of the online public grievance redressal systems (OPGRSs) in the Indian context. This e-government initiative is based on the government's long-term strategic policy that aims to reform and renovate the Indian bureaucracy. The model developed includes the constructs such as system quality, information quality, social influence, self-efficacy, perceived trust, user satisfaction, and intention to use. The empirical outcomes provided the positive significant connections between all 13 hypothesised relationships among seven constructs. The empirical evidence and discussion presented in the study can help the Indian Government to improve upon and fully utilise the potential of OPGRS as a useful tool for transparent and corruption free country.