Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Dihydropyridine‐sensitive low‐threshold calcium channels in isolated rat hypothalamic neurones.

1. Low‐voltage‐activated Ca2+ channels which produce a transient inward current were studied in neurones freshly isolated from the ventromedial hypothalamic region of the rat. Membrane currents were recorded using a suction‐pipette technique which allows for internal perfusion under a single‐electrode voltage clamp. A concentration‐jump technique was also used for rapid drug application. 2. In most cells superfused with 10 mM‐Ca2+, a transient inward Ca2+ current was evoked by a step depolarization to potentials more positive than ‐65 mV from a holding potential of ‐100 mV. Such a low‐threshold Ca2+ current could easily be separated from a high‐threshold, steady type of Ca2+ current by selecting the holding and test potential levels, as well as by resistance to the wash‐out during cell dialysis. 3. Activation and inactivation processes of the low‐threshold Ca2+ current were highly potential dependent at 20‐22 degrees C. For a test potential change from ‐60 to +20 mV, the time to peak of the current decreased from 45 to 9 ms, and the time constant of the current decay decreased from 90 to 40 ms. The steady‐state inactivation occurred at very negative potentials, reaching a 50% level at ‐93 mV. Recovery from inactivation showed a time constant between 2.63 and 0.94 s for a potential change from ‐80 to ‐120 mV. 4. The amplitude of the low‐threshold Ca2+ current depended on the external Ca2+ concentration [( Ca2+]o), approaching saturation at 100 mM [Ca2+]o. Ba2+ substituted for Ca2+ reduced the current amplitude by 30‐50% while Sr2+ produced no definite changes in the current amplitude. 5. The low‐threshold Ca2+ current was blocked by various di‐ or trivalent cations in the sequence of La3+ greater than Zn2+ greater than Cd2+ greater than Ni2+ greater than Co2+. The corresponding apparent dissociation constants (KD) were 7 x 10(‐7), 1 x 10(‐4), 3 x 10(‐4), 6 x 10(‐4) and 3 x 10(‐3) M. 6. Various organic Ca2+ antagonists were effective in blocking the low‐threshold Ca2+ current in the following sequence: flunarizine greater than nicardipine greater than nifedipine greater than nimodipine greater than D600 (methoxyverapamil) greater than diltiazem. The corresponding KDs were 7 x 10(‐7), 3.5 x 10(‐6), 5 x 10(‐6), 7 x 10(‐6), 5 x 10(‐5) and 7 x 10(‐5) M. These Ca2+ antagonists induced a use‐dependent decrease in the current amplitude. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
Hybrid Activism: Social Movement Mobilization in a Multimovement Environment1

Social movement organizations often struggle to mobilize supporters from allied movements in their efforts to achieve critical mass. The authors argue that organizations with hybrid identities—those whose organizational identities span the boundaries of two or more social movements, issues, or identities—are vital to mobilizing these constituencies. They use original data from their study of the post-9/11 U.S. antiwar movement to show that individuals with past involvement in nonantiwar movements are more likely to join hybrid organizations than are individuals without involvement in nonantiwar movements. In addition, they show that organizations with hybrid identities occupy relatively more central positions in interorganizational cocontact networks within the antiwar movement and thus recruit significantly more participants in demonstrations than do nonhybrid organizations. Contrary to earlier research, they do not find that hybrid organizations are subject to an illegitimacy discount; instead, they find that hybridization can augment the ability of social movement organizations to mobilize their supporters in multimovement environments.
Building China's Telecommunications Network: Industrial Policy and the Role of Chinese State-Owned, Foreign and Private Domestic Enterprises*

Abstract This article uses theories of industrial policy to analyse the growth of China's telecommunications equipment industry over the past 20 years. It highlights the role of the Chinese government in shaping the sector, by first utilizing imported equipment, then promoting Sino-foreign joint ventures and finally fostering domestic companies. Significantly, the government encouraged market competition, and avoided the pitfall of monopoly state control. Today, key telecommunications players include joint ventures, state-owned companies and even a major Chinese private corporation. The article concludes that the government's fiscal and regulatory industrial polices were successful, in that they rapidly built a modern communications network while promoting a vibrant free-market competitive environment.
Induction of nephroblastoma by myeloblastosis-associated virus type 1: state of proviral DNAs in tumor cells

Myeloblastosis-associated virus type 1 (MAV1) derived from a molecular clone of infectious proviral DNA (B. Perbal, J. S. Lipsick, J. Svoboda, R. F. Silva, and M. A. Baluda, J. Virol. 56:240-244, 1985) was shown to specifically induce nephroblastoma in chickens and therefore belongs to the MAV-N class. We show that nephroblastomas are polyclonal tumors containing rearranged proviral genomes. Rearrangements occur preferentially in the gag-pol region of the MAV1 proviral genome, and similar rearrangements can be detected in well-developed independent tumors.
The Effects of IFRS 7 Adoption on Bank Disclosure in Europe

With the endorsement of IFRS 7, which became effective in 2007, the European regulation of bank disclosures has substantially changed. Using a sample of 171 banks from 28 European countries, I analyze the effect of the standard's first-time adoption on disclosure quality. I find that disclosure quality has generally increased both in financial statements and in risk reports but that the focus of disclosures has shifted from market risk exposures to credit risk exposures. The effect of the first-time adoption strongly varies across countries. These variations can be explained by differences in the enforcement and interpretation of IFRS 7 by national banking supervision. Using supervisory practices in Denmark, Italy and the UK as representative examples, I distinguish between an interventionist and a non-interventionist approach. The findings suggest that it is not only the content of IFRS 7 but also the enforcement of the standard that accounts for the increase in disclosure quality. With respect to the enforcement of bank disclosures, the results therefore support recent proposals by the De Laroisière High Level Expert Group to harmonize financial supervision within the EU.
Corruption, debt financing and corporate ownership

Purpose - – The purpose of this paper is to examine the influence of perceived corruption on debt financing and ownership structure decisions of firms within the context of ten African countries. Design/methodology/approach - – The paper analyses 15-year (1996-2010) data pertaining to 556 non-financial firms drawn from ten African countries using models that link firm financing, ownership structure, and perceived corruption. It uses robust procedures including system-generalized method of moments, general least square, and Logistic (LOGIT) regression. Findings - – The study finds evidence that perceived corruption is important in shaping debt financing and ownership structure decisions of firms in Africa. Particularly, it finds that: first, higher levels of perceived corruption lead to firms using higher levels of short-term leverage, lower levels of long-term leverage and debts with shorter maturities and second, firms in countries with higher levels of perceived corruption respond to weaknesses in the law enforcement institutions through higher ownership concentration and controlling block shareholding. Research limitations/implications - – As in most empirical studies, this study focused on listed firms. Nonetheless, future studies that focus on non-listed firms could add additional insights to the extant literature. Practical implications - – The study provides empirical support for the argument that perceived corruption in a country distorts corporate governance. The policy implication of the findings is that governments, by taking steps that curb corruption, could enhance corporate governance by inducing firms into optimal debt financing and ownership structure decisions. Originality/value - – The study focuses on firms in African countries for which studies such as this are non-existent.
AMSR2 soil moisture product validation

The Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer 2 (AMSR2) is part of the Global Change Observation Mission-Water (GCOM-W) mission. AMSR2 fills the void left by the loss of the Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer-Earth Observing System (AMSR-E) after almost 10 years. Both missions provide brightness temperature observations that are used to retrieve soil moisture. Merging AMSR-E and AMSR2 will help build a consistent long-term dataset. Before tackling the integration of AMSR-E and AMSR2 it is necessary to conduct a thorough validation and assessment of the AMSR2 soil moisture products. This study focuses on validation of the AMSR2 soil moisture products by comparison with in situ reference data from a set of core validation sites. Three products that rely on different algorithms were evaluated; the JAXA Soil Moisture Algorithm (JAXA), the Land Parameter Retrieval Model (LPRM), and the Single Channel Algorithm (SCA). Results indicate that overall the SCA has the best performance based upon the metrics considered.
THE SPATIAL DIVISION OF TALENT IN CITY REGIONS: LOCATION DYNAMICS OF BUSINESS SERVICES IN COPENHAGEN

The paper focuses on the location dynamics and spatial distribution of talent by workplace to provide evidence of the multiplicity of economic geographies of city regions. City regions are not just homogenous growth machines but complex urban landscapes. The economic growth and revitalisation of the city region and the rise of the knowledge economy, including the growth of advanced business services, have produced new location dynamics that have changed the spatial division of labour. The rise of the knowledge economy has lead to an increasing focus on labour and labour qualification as an important location factor, including the recent focus on the creative class and human capital. Based on an analysis of Copenhagen, we examine the spatial division of talent within industries to provide evidence that new uneven economic geographies of city regions are currently being produced as a result of the new location dynamics of the knowledge economy. Further, it is argued that the intraregional division of talent differs considerably even within knowledge intensive industries.
Assessing the psychosocial consequences of epilepsy: a community-based study.

BACKGROUND Few studies have measured, using validated scales, the psychosocial handicap of epilepsy in a general practice setting. AIM To assess the prevalence of psychosocial problems associated with epilepsy. METHOD A survey was undertaken of 309 subjects, with one or more non-febrile epileptic seizures, drawn from two general practices in the United Kingdom (UK). The outcome measures were the Subjective Handicap of Epilepsy Scale (SHE), the SF-36, and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression scale (HAD). RESULTS One-third of persons with active epilepsy were significantly handicapped by their condition. The severity of subjective handicap was related to seizure frequency and to the duration of remission of seizures. Between one-third and one-half of subjects scored as 'cases' on the HAD scale and on the mental health subscale of the SF-36. Only one-third of the psychiatric morbidity revealed by the questionnaires had been recognized by the general practitioner (GP). Scores on the SF-36 indicated that people with active seizures perceived themselves as significantly less healthy than those in remission, and that, for persons in remission, drug treatment had a detrimental effect on certain aspects of well-being. CONCLUSIONS The occurrence of seizures, even at low frequencies, is associated with psychosocial handicap, and this may remain covert in general practice.
New insights into the metastatic behavior after breast cancer surgery, according to well-established clinicopathological variables and molecular subtypes

Despite advances in treatment, up to 30% of patients with early breast cancer (BC) experience distant disease relapse. However, a comprehensive understanding of tumor spread and site-specific recurrence patterns remains lacking. This retrospective case-control study included 103 consecutive patients with metastatic BC admitted to our institution (2000–2013). Cases were matched according to age, tumor biology, and clinicopathological features to 221 patients with non-metastatic BC (control group). The median follow-up period among the 324 eligible patients was 7.3 years. While relatively low values for sensitivity (71%) and specificity (56%) were found for axillary lymph node (ALN) involvement as an indicator of risk and pattern of distant relapse, nodal status remained the most powerful predictor of metastases (OR: 3.294; CL: 1.9–5.5). Rates of dissemination and metastatic efficiency differed according to molecular subtype. HER2-positive subtypes showed a stronger association with systemic spread (OR: 2.127; CL: 1.2–3.8) than other subgroups. Classification as Luminal or Non-Luminal showed an increased risk of lung and distant nodal recurrence, and a decreased risk in bone metastases in the Non-Luminal group (OR: 2.9, 3.345, and 0.2, respectively). Tumors with HER2 overexpression had a significantly high risk for distant relapse (OR: 2.127) compared with HER2-negative tumors and also showed higher central nervous system (CNS) and lung metastatic potential (OR: 5.6 and 2.65, respectively) and low risk of bone disease progression (OR: 0.294). Furthermore, we found significant associations between biological profiles and sites of recurrence. A new process of clinical/diagnostic staging, including molecular subtypes, could better predict the likelihood of distant relapses and their anatomical location. Recognition and appreciation of clinically distinct molecular subtypes may assist in evaluation of the probability of distant relapses and their sites. Our analysis provides new insights into management of metastatic disease behavior, to lead to an optimal disease-tailored approach and appropriate follow-up.
Significant proportion of breast and/or ovarian cancer families of French Canadian descent harbor 1 of 5 BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations

In 1998, we reported that a significant proportion of breast and/or ovarian cancer families of French Canadian descent harbor specific germline mutations in BRCA1 or BRCA2 attributed to common founders. Here we report the frequency of previously described mutations (n = 7) and 13 mutations identified in French Canadian families since 1998, in a new group of families (n = 88). Four of the previously described mutations, 4446C>T, 2953delGTAinsC, 8765delAG and 6085C>T, account for 72% and 69% of mutation‐positive families in previously (n = 81) and recently ascertained groups, respectively. Only 2 of 13 recently identified mutations were found in more than 1 family: 3875delGTCT (n = 2) and 3398delAAAAG (n = 4). The 2 groups (ascertained pre‐ and post‐gene discovery) did not differ significantly when distribution of mutations based on cancer syndrome phenotype and age of diagnosis or number of breast cancer cases were compared. Five common mutations accounted for a significant proportion (84%) of all mutation‐positive families. The age of diagnosis of female breast cancer in mutation‐negative families was significantly higher than that of the mutation‐positive families (p<0.0001). The total number of cases of cancer per family was significantly lower in mutation‐negative than mutation‐positive families (p<0.001). Our results define a new mutation panel for screening BRCA1/2 mutations and the phenotype of mutation‐positive families harboring the common mutations in the French Canadian population. © 2004 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Quality Management and HRM in the Service Industry: Some Case Study Evidence

Considers management views on the operation of quality management (QM) strategies in two service sector organizations, financial services and hotel and catering – based on open‐ended interviews with managerial staff. Considers some of the soft/HRM aspects of quality management. Finds that there have been moves towards the more quantifiable measurement of outcomes and tighter management control. Employee empowerment is conceived of as the major defining feature of QM in the two organizations. Both companies have also sought greater flexibility through delayering and through efforts to break down demar‐ cations. QM does not necessarily involve these latter trends. However, a thoroughgoing management commitment to empowering employees to take greater responsibility for problem solving and decision making will tend to go together with at least some reduction in organizational hierarchy.
Structural Equation Modeling

Abstract This article focuses on a variety of research issues related to structural equation modelling. Methodological and analytical issues when applying SEM techniques are discussed. Guidelines on how to present and report SEM results in academic publications are provided, and the most common SEM computer software identified. The goal is to promote improved usage of SEM in tourism research.
Consumer Value: A Framework for Analysis and Research

As shoppers, what factors influence our decision to purchase an object or service? Why do we chose one product over another? How do we attribute value as part of the shopping experience? The theme of 'serving' the customer and customer satisfaction is central to every formulation of the marketing concept, yet few books attenpt to define and analyse exactly what it is that consumers want. In this provocative collection of essays, Morris Holbrook brings together a team of the top US and European scholars to discuss an issue of great importance to the study of marketing and consumer behaviour. This ground-breaking, interdisciplinary book provides an innovative framework for the study of consumer value which is used to critically examine the nature and type of value that consumers derive from the consumption experience - effiency, excellence, status, esteem, play, aesthetics, ethics, spirituality. Guaranteed to provoke debate and controversy, this is a courageous, individualistic and idiosyncratic book which should appeal to students of marketing, consumer behaviour, cultural studies and consumption studies.
Adaptive institutional design in agri-environmental programs

Purpose – This paper aims to explore how and in what context adaptive governance might work in practice in relation to climate variability through the study of two successful agri-environmental programs. Design/methodology/approach – Data were obtained through semi-structured qualitative interviews with key policy informants as well as rural agricultural producers. The adaptive attributes of two successful agri-environmental programs with a proven track record in reducing vulnerability and increasing adaptive capacity of rural producers were studied, including program responsiveness, program framing, stakeholder engagement mechanisms, and the respective roles of key actors. Findings – The adaptive governance practices of program delivery through localized government personnel and organizations increased perceived responsiveness. Mechanisms of program delivery and stakeholder participation and review changed over time as well as the framing of programs. Producers and key policy informants agreed that produ.
How does state ownership affect pollution control? Evidence from the Chinese iron and steel industry

Little is known about how state ownership affects firms' environmental activities. Building on corporate governance literature, we examine the two strategies that Chinese state-owned iron and steel companies may adopt: they can invest in environmental projects, but can also pay an environmental fee and keep polluting. With longitudinal data collected from public Chinese steel firms from 2001-2008, we found that in any given year, the percentage of state ownership does not significantly affect environmental investment; however, a higher percentage of state ownership can decrease environmental fees. As time goes by, firms with a higher state ownership can pay even fewer environmental fees than they used to.
Gap between Willingness‐to‐Pay (WTP) and Willingness‐to‐Accept (WTA) Measures of Value of Travel Time: Evidence from Norway and Sweden

Abstract A main purpose of this paper is to stress the existence of the gap between willingness‐to‐pay (WTP) and willingness‐to‐accept (WTA) measures of value of time that is larger than could be explained in a Hicksian framework. The explanation of the gap is of great importance in welfare analysis. This is a subject that has not been paid much attention to in value‐of‐time studies and there is great need for further research on the subject. This paper relies on the evidence from Norwegian and Swedish value‐of‐time studies to examine the gap between WTP and WTA measures of value of time. These studies use different techniques for data collection. The evidence from both studies suggests that the observed WTA measure of value of time is about 1.5–2.0 times larger than WTP measure. Alternative model formulations in the Swedish study to address ‘inertia factors’ for WTP and WTA, or the exclusion of zero values for WTP and WTA measures in the Norwegian study, reduce the gaps. The reductions of the observed gaps in the WTP and WTA measures are analysed in the framework suggested by Zhao and Kling in 2001. They put forward ‘commitment cost’ as an explanation for WTP and WTA gap. An agent forms a commitment cost, in a similar manner to a ‘real option’, due to a lack of information, knowledge and uncertainty about his own valuations and also because a decision about a transaction has to be made rather swiftly. The theoretical framework suggested by Zhao and Kling is in line with additive utility functions underpinning the neo‐classical economics. If indeed ‘commitment costs’ is the explanation for the observed WTP and WTA gaps, the observed small values of small time savings should be interpreted as short‐term valuations. The long‐term values of small time savings should be quite higher than the short‐term values.
Rural Poverty and Relative Prices in India

This paper begins with the observation that there has been a trend decline, albeit small, in rural poverty during 1956-83, but this is obscured by the substantial short-run fluctuations around the trend. It argues that while the trend is attributable to redistributive policies, the short-run fluctuations are adequately explained by the fluctuations in agricultural output and in relative prices of agricultural products vis-a-vis manufactures. In view of the finding that rising relative agricultural prices increase rural poverty, the paper goes on to analyze the process of determination of relative prices. This analysis highlights the characteristics of the inflationary process and the role of agricultural price policy in the Indian economy. Copyright 1989 by Oxford University Press.