Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Effect of thyroxine administration on the IGF/IGF binding protein system in neonatal and adult thyroidectomized rats.

The effects of different doses of thyroxine (T(4)) delivered by injection or s.c. pellet implantation on alterations of the IGF/IGF binding protein (IGFBP) system were studied in neonatal and adult thyroidectomized (Tx) rats. Body weight, blood glucose, plasma insulin, TSH and GH and pituitary GH content, as well as serum IGF-I, IGF-II, IGFBP-1, -2 and -3 and their liver mRNA expression were assayed. Pellet implantation with the smaller dose of T(4) (1.5 microg/100 g body weight (b.w.) per day) in Tx neonatal rats decreased serum IGF-I, -II and the 30 kDa complex of IGFBPs (IGFBP-1 and -2), and increased serum IGFBP-3. Only the larger dose of T(4) (3 microg/100 g b.w. per day) recovered liver mRNA expression of IGF-I and ensured euthyroid status as shown by the normalized levels of plasma TSH. The rapid increase of body weight and serum GH after T(4) administration indicated a high sensitivity to T(4) during the neonatal period. Serum and liver mRNA expression of IGFs and plasma insulin and GH recovered in adult Tx rats after pellet implantation of 1.75 microg/100 g b.w. per day throughout 10 days. The continuous replacement of T(4) by pellet seems to be the most suitable method for thyroid rehabilitation. A very good correlation was found between insulin and IGF-II in Tx neonates treated with T(4) but not between insulin and IGF-I in Tx adults. IGFBP-2 seems to be up-regulated by T(4) deprivation in neonatal and adult rats. Finally, a good correlation as well as a partial correlation were found between IGFs and thyroid hormones in both neonatal and adult Tx populations, suggesting a direct effect in vivo of T(4) on the hepatic secretion of IGFs, as previously suggested in vitro.
Hybrid Attribute- and Re-Encryption-Based Key Management for Secure and Scalable Mobile Applications in Clouds

Outsourcing data to the cloud are beneficial for reasons of economy, scalability, and accessibility, but significant technical challenges remain. Sensitive data stored in the cloud must be protected from being read in the clear by a cloud provider that is honest-but-curious. Additionally, cloud-based data are increasingly being accessed by resource-constrained mobile devices for which the processing and communication cost must be minimized. Novel modifications to attribute-based encryption are proposed to allow authorized users access to cloud data based on the satisfaction of required attributes such that the higher computational load from cryptographic operations is assigned to the cloud provider and the total communication cost is lowered for the mobile user. Furthermore, data re-encryption may be optionally performed by the cloud provider to reduce the expense of user revocation in a mobile user environment while preserving the privacy of user data stored in the cloud. The proposed protocol has been realized on commercially popular mobile and cloud platforms to demonstrate real-world benchmarks that show the efficacy of the scheme. A simulation calibrated with the benchmark results shows the scalability potential of the scheme in the context of a realistic workload in a mobile cloud computing system.
Is the Harrison , Ruzzo , Ullman Undecidable Proof Flawed ?

This paper is a follow-up report to a reading assignment and questionable flaw of the HRU Model and proof of its reachability. A special instance of a Turing machine is considered by a challenge made to the correctness of the original proof. The inspection of this challenge concludes with the discovery of no such flaws rendering the original proof incorrect or incomplete. Keywords— HRU, Challenge, Protection, Protection Systems, Decidability, Turing machine.
Direct association of occludin with ZO-1 and its possible involvement in the localization of occludin at tight junctions

Occludin is an integral membrane protein localizing at tight junctions (TJ) with four transmembrane domains and a long COOH-terminal cytoplasmic domain (domain E) consisting of 255 amino acids. Immunofluorescence and laser scan microscopy revealed that chick full- length occludin introduced into human and bovine epithelial cells was correctly delivered to and incorporated into preexisting TJ. Further transfection studies with various deletion mutants showed that the domain E, especially its COOH-terminal approximately 150 amino acids (domain E358/504), was necessary for the localization of occludin at TJ. Secondly, domain E was expressed in Escherichia coli as a fusion protein with glutathione-S-transferase, and this fusion protein was shown to be specifically bound to a complex of ZO-1 (220 kD) and ZO-2 (160 kD) among various membrane peripheral proteins. In vitro binding analyses using glutathione-S-transferase fusion proteins of various deletion mutants of domain E narrowed down the sequence necessary for the ZO-1/ZO-2 association into the domain E358/504. Furthermore, this region directly associated with the recombinant ZO-1 produced in E. coli. We concluded that occludin itself can localize at TJ and directly associate with ZO-1. The coincidence of the sequence necessary for the ZO-1 association with that for the TJ localization suggests that the association with underlying cytoskeletons through ZO-1 is required for occludin to be localized at TJ.
The Bridge Program: Recasting Blackness, Fostering Resilience and Transformative Resistance through Narratives of Success

This article presents the results of data based on individual interviews and focus groups conducted with Black students who participated in a post-secondary student retention program called The Bridge. The program was specifically designed to address the needs of Black students and to identify the types of support programming that would enhance their engagement and graduation rates. Three of the themes that emerged from the interviews and focus groups identified the importance of developing differing frames of Blackness, engaging in transformative resistance, and the importance of providing spaces for the students to engage with and explore multiple conceptions of Blackness and narratives of success.
Stochastic Ratio Matching of RBMs for Sparse High-Dimensional Inputs

Sparse high-dimensional data vectors are common in many application domains where a very large number of rarely non-zero features can be devised. Unfortunately, this creates a computational bottleneck for unsupervised feature learning algorithms such as those based on auto-encoders and RBMs, because they involve a reconstruction step where the whole input vector is predicted from the current feature values. An algorithm was recently developed to successfully handle the case of auto-encoders, based on an importance sampling scheme stochastically selecting which input elements to actually reconstruct during training for each particular example. To generalize this idea to RBMs, we propose a stochastic ratio-matching algorithm that inherits all the computational advantages and unbiasedness of the importance sampling scheme. We show that stochastic ratio matching is a good estimator, allowing the approach to beat the state-of-the-art on two bag-of-word text classification benchmarks (20 Newsgroups and RCV1), while keeping computational cost linear in the number of non-zeros.
Intracellular survival of Candida glabrata in macrophages: immune evasion and persistence.

Candida glabrata is a successful human opportunistic pathogen which causes superficial but also life-threatening systemic infections. During infection, C. glabrata has to cope with cells of the innate immune system such as macrophages, which belong to the first line of defense against invading pathogens. Candida glabrata is able to survive and even replicate inside macrophages while causing surprisingly low damage and cytokine release. Here, we present an overview of recent studies dealing with the interaction of C. glabrata with macrophages, from phagocytosis to intracellular growth and escape. We review the strategies of C. glabrata that permit intracellular survival and replication, including poor host cell activation, modification of phagosome maturation and phagosome pH, adaptation to antimicrobial activities, and mechanisms to overcome the nutrient limitations within the phagosome. In summary, these studies suggest that survival within macrophages may be an immune evasion and persistence strategy of C. glabrata during infection.
Market Integration and Contagion in Asian Emerging Stock and Foreign Exchange Markets

This paper examines whether Asian emerging stock markets have become integrated into world capital markets since their official liberalization dates by estimating and testing a dynamic international asset pricing model (ICAPM) in the absence of purchasing power parity (PPP) using an asymmetric multivariate GARCH-in-Mean (MGARCH-M) approach. Also examined in this paper is whether there are pure contagion effects between stock and foreign exchange markets for each Asian country during the 1997-98 Asian crisis. The empirical results show that first, both currency and world market risks are priced, suggesting that omitting currency risk in pricing international assets might give rise to model misspecification. Second, the stock markets for India, Korea, Malaysia, Philippines, and Thailand are segmented from the world capital markets before their liberalization dates, but have become fully integrated since then. Third, the market liberalization has reduced the cost of capital and price volatility for most of the markets. Finally, as for the contagion effects, data from Korea, Malaysia, and Philippines indicate strong feedback relations between stock prices and exchange rates. This feedback relation is consistent with the predictions of both the stockand flow-oriented exchange rate models. Data from India and Taiwan show that exchange rates led stock prices, whereas that of Thailand fails to reveal any recognizable pattern during the crisis. JEL Classifications: C32, G12, G15
And Then There Were Four: A Study of UK Audit Market Concentration - Causes, Consequences and the Scope for Market Adjustment

While concentration measures are a good indicator of market structure, the link with competitiveness is more complex than often assumed. In particular, the modern theory of industrial organisation makes no clear statement regarding the impact of concentration on competition - the focus of this paper is concentration and no inferences are made about competitive aspects of the market. The extent and nature of concentration within the UK listed company audit market as at April, 2002 and, pro forma, after the collapse of Andersen is documented and analysed in detail (by firm, market segment and industry sector). The largest four firms held 90 per cent of the market (based on audit fees) in 2002, rising to 96 per cent with the demise of Andersen. A single firm, Pricewaterhouse-Coopers, held 70 per cent or more of the share of six out of 38 industry sectors, with a share of 50 per cent up to 70 per cent in a further seven sectors. The provision of non-audit services (NAS) by incumbent auditors is also considered. As at April 2002, the average ratio of non-audit fees (paid to auditor) to audit fees was 208 per cent, and exceeded 300 per cent in seven sectors. It is likely, however, that disposals by firms of their management consultancy and outsource firms, combined with the impact of the Smith Report on audit committees will serve to reduce these ratios. Another finding is that audit firms with expertise in a particular sector appeared to earn significantly higher nonaudit fees from their audit clients in that sector. The paper thus provides a solid empirical basis for debate. The subsequent discussion considers the implications for companies and audit firms of the high level of concentration in the current regulatory climate, where no direct regulatory intervention is planned.
School Evaluation: A Change in Perspective.

This paper shows the shift in emphasis in school evaluation that has occurred in the Dallas Public Schools, Texas, in recent years. The primary emphasis is now on accountability in measuring, using, and learning from teacher and school effectiveness. Both value-added and unadjusted measures are needed for these evaluations, and traditional program evaluation has been repositioned to provide light on teacher and school effectiveness whenever possible. Traditional activities are still responsible for many compliance areas, but they are increasingly focused on effectiveness information. As a concomitant of the effectiveness studies, training and service activities have taken a major place in the school system's Department of Research and Evaluation. They were once nearly perfunctory, but now they are used to expand knowledge of the accountability system and effective practices and to help administrators make better decisions. (Contains 26 references.) (SLD) Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original document. U . DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION Offi of Educational Research and Improvement ED ATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC) his document has been reproduced as received from the person or organization originating it. Minor changes have been made to improve reproduction quality. Points of view or opinions stated in this document do not necessarily represent official OERI position or policy. School Evaluation: A Change in Perspective Robert Mendro Karen Bembry Dallas Public Schools 1 INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC) Introduction School evaluation has changed considerably in the last decade in the Dallas Public PERMISSION TO REPRODUCE AND DISSEMINATE THIS MATERIAL HAS BEEN GRANTED BY
Employment Protection, Threat and Incentive Effects on Worker Effort

This paper provides new evidence on the effect of changes in employment protection on worker effort. We use novel multi-organization data to examine changes in worker absence as workers move from temporary to permanent employment contracts. Earlier research has demonstrated very large negative effects of employment protection on effort. We find that the magnitudes of these effects are substantially smaller than those identified in previous studies. It has been suggested that the negative effect on effort is due to a fear of dismissal. We demonstrate that the absence behaviour of temporary workers is also influenced by incentives to attain jobs with protection that are unrelated to threat of dismissal, this has not been considered in earlier research. This channel of employment protection effects has important policy implications.
Olfactory Dysfunction Is Associated with the Intake of Macronutrients in Korean Adults

Background Olfactory function can impact food selection. However, few large population-based studies have investigated this effect across different age groups. The objective of this study was to assess the association between subjective olfactory dysfunction (anosmia or hyposmia) and macronutrient intake. Methods A total of 24,990 participants aged 20 to 98 years were evaluated based on data collected through the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey from 2008 through 2012. Olfactory dysfunction was surveyed using a self-reported questionnaire, and the nutritional status was assessed through a validated 24-hour recall method. Simple and multiple linear regression analyses with complex sampling were performed to evaluate the relationships between olfactory dysfunction and protein intake (daily protein intake/recommended protein intake [%]), carbohydrate intake (daily carbohydrate intake/total calories [%]), and fat intake (daily fat intake/total calories [%]) after adjusting for age, sex, body mass index, income, smoking history, alcohol consumption, and stress level. Results Olfactory dysfunction was reported by 5.4% of Korean adults and was found to be associated with decreased fat consumption (estimated value [EV] of fat intake [%] = -0.57, 95% confidence interval [CI] = -1.13 to -0.13, P = 0.045). A subgroup analysis according to age and sex revealed that among young females, olfactory dysfunction was associated with reduced fat consumption (EV = -2.30, 95% CI = -4.16 to -0.43, P = 0.016) and increased carbohydrate intake (EV = 2.80, 95% CI = 0.55 to 5.05, P = 0.015), and that among middle-aged females, olfactory dysfunction was also associated with reduced fat intake (EV = -1.26, 95% CI = -2.37 to -0.16, P = 0.025). In contrast, among young males, olfactory dysfunction was associated with reduced protein intake (EV = -26.41 95% CI = -45.14 to -7.69, P = 0.006). Conclusion Olfactory dysfunction was associated with reduced fat intake. Moreover, olfactory dysfunction exerted differential effects on eating behavior depending on age and sex.
Sexual Selection Determines Parental Care Patterns in Cichlid Fishes

Abstract Despite a massive research effort, our understanding of why, in most vertebrates, males compete for mates and females care for offspring remains incomplete. Two alternative hypotheses have been proposed to explain the direction of causality between parental care and sexual selection. Traditionally, sexual selection has been explained as a consequence of relative parental investment, where the sex investing less will compete for the sex investing more. However, a more recent model suggests that parental care patterns result from sexual selection acting on one sex favoring mating competition and lower parental investment. Using species-level comparative analyses on Tanganyikan cichlid fishes we tested these alternative hypotheses employing a proxy of sexual selection based on mating system, sexual dichromatism, and dimorphism data. First, while controlling for female reproductive investment, we found that species with intense sexual selection were associated with female-only care whereas species with moderate sexual selection were associated with biparental care. Second, using contingency analyses, we found that, contrary to the traditional view, evolutionary changes in parental care type are dependent on the intensity of sexual selection. Hence, our results support the hypothesis that sexual selection determines parental care patterns in Tanganyikan cichlid fishes.
The political economy of imprisonment : an analysis of local areas in the United States

Between the 1970s and 2000, the imprisonment rate in the United States increased by 700% (e.g., Beck and Harrison 2001). During the same time period, technological advancements and the decline of manufacturing production in urban areas eliminated many of the higher-paying blue collar job opportunities previously available to workers without college educations (e.g., Morris and Western 1999). The simultaneous large changes in imprisonment and labor markets are striking and the co-occurrence of these events suggests a possible connection between increasingly insecure employment conditions and rising imprisonment rates. Further, policies targeting the poor population (including criminal justice policies) became more punitive beginning in the 1970s. This is associated with a resurgence of Republican Party popularity and subsequent increase in imprisonment rates (e.g., Beckett and Sasson 2004). Furthermore, understanding the association between labor market conditions and imprisonment may be especially important for the criminal justice experiences of historically disadvantaged minority groups. Research has yet to consider how specific labor market shifts (e.g., restricted blue collar opportunities) may influence imprisonment rates. It is unknown whether such labor market dynamics may better explain the exposure of historically disadvantaged racial minorities to criminal justice system control. The current project examines the issues raised in the foregoing discussion using a unique dataset created for this purpose. Data at the local-level are compiled from two primary sources: the National Corrections Reporting Program (NCRP) (U.S. Bureau of Justice Statistics1989 and 1999), and Integrated Public Use Micro Sample (IPUMS) data (1990 and 2000) (Ruggles, Alexander, Genadek, Goeken, Schroeder, and Sobek 2010). In addition, this project
The United States Disability System and Programs to Promote Employment for People with Disabilities. Revue franÃ§aise des Affaires sociales (Paris, France) Health Policies, Disability, and Social Assistance, Canada and the USA, no. 4

Abstract This paper examines the role of employment-focused policies within the US disability system and summarizes findings from several rigorous evaluations of return-to-work supports targeted to people with disabilities. Several empirically validated approaches to providing return-to-work services to people with disabilities in the United States offer lessons on promising practices. The use of rigorous evaluation methods, and in particular random assignment designs, have been influential in convincing policy makers and practitioners of the effectiveness of alternatives to traditional approaches. However, more work still needs to be done if policy makers are truly interested in promoting employment, particularly given that many employment interventions have gone untested and most US disability programs include major work disincentives. Systematic tests of broader rehabilitation and disability support approaches could be potentially helpful in addressing some of the limitations in the current system.
Ascribing Moral Value and the Embodied Turing Test

What would it take for an artificial agent to be treated as having moral value? As a first step toward answering this question, we ask what it would take for an artificial agent to be capable of the sort of autonomous, adaptive social behavior that is characteristic of the animals that humans interact with. We propose that this sort of capacity is best measured by what we call the Embodied Turing Test. The Embodied Turing test is a test in which intelligence is operationally defined in terms of autonomous, adaptive interaction with the environment and with other animals. Three versions of the Embodied Turing test were performed with a SONY AIBO robot. Human participants were asked to differentiate between AIBO in a human-controlled mode and AIBO in a software-controlled mode. Our results indicate that the human participants were guessing at how AIBO was controlled. Our data reveals that people do not have enough experience with robots to accurately evaluate its behavior. This indicates that today’s humans do not have enough experience with artificial agents to treat them as morally valuable.