Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A New Role for 5‐methoxytryptophol On Bone Cells Function in Vitro

The present study investigates the direct action of 5‐methoxytryptophol (5‐MTX) in both MC3T3‐E1 and RAW264.7 cells and compares it with melatonin (MEL), another 5‐methoxyindol known to play a significant role on bone metabolism. We first screened increasing doses of both 5‐MTX and MEL to determine their effect on metabolic activity and viability of preosteoblastic MC3T3‐E1 cells. The optimal dose was used to determine its effect on differentiation of MC3T3‐E1 cells and preosteoclastic RAW264.7 cells. Finally, we investigated the mechanism of action by adding the melatonin receptor antagonist luzindole (LUZ) and detecting the immunostaining of phospho‐ERK. In MC3T3‐E1 cells, most of the 5‐MTX doses reduced slightly the metabolic activity of osteoblasts compared with the control, while MEL only decreased it for the highest dose (2.5 mM). As regards to cytotoxicity, low doses (0.001–0.1 mM) of both indoles showed a protective effect on osteoblasts, while the highest dose of MEL showed a higher cytotoxicity than the 5‐MTX one. After 14 days of cell culture, Rankl mRNA levels were decreased, especially for 5‐MTX. 5‐MTX also induced a higher osteocalcin secretion and mineralization capacity than MEL. In RAW264.7 cells, 5‐MTX decreased the number of osteoclast formed and its activity whereas MEL did not affect significantly the number of multinucleated TRAP‐positive cells formed and showed a lower activity. Finally, MEL and 5‐MTX promoted activation of the ERK1/2 pathway through the phosphorylation of ERK, while LUZ addition suppressed this effect. In conclusion, the present study demonstrates a new role of 5‐MTX inhibiting osteoclastogenesis and promoting osteoblast differentiation. J. Cell. Biochem. 116: 551–558, 2015. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Superinfection by homotypic virus in hepatitis C virus carriers: Studies on patients with post‐transfusion hepatitis

Although heterotypic superinfection and mixed infections of hepatitis C virus (HCV) may be possible for hepatitis flares in chronic hepatitis C, the possibility of homotypic HCV superinfection in HCV carriers with post‐transfusion hepatitis has not been explored. Six HCV carriers with post‐transfusion non‐A, non‐B hepatitis found in a prospective study of post‐transfusion hepatitis were included. Serum samples before transfusion and during hepatitis were selected to determine genotypes of HCV and nucleotide sequences of the hypervariable region (HVR). The genotypes identified before and after transfusion were concordant in all. There were four with type 1b and one each with type 2a and type 2b. Amplified nucleotide sequences of the HVR before transfusion and during hepatitis were compared in four patients, and a, >95% homology was observed in three, suggesting persistence of original viruses. In contrast, only a 51% homogeneity was seen in a given patient, suggesting a homotypic HCV superinfection. Phylogenotic tree analysis validated further these findings. This study implies that HCV carriers can be reinfected by homotypic HCV, and this may contribute to hepatitis flares in chronic hepatitis C. These findings also confirm a weak or inadequate protective immunity in HCV infection and justify protection from reinfection of HCV of patients with chronic hepatitis C. © 1996 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Corporate Governance and Dividend Policy: Shareholders’ Protection or Expropriation?

We investigate the relationship between corporate governance quality and dividend policy in Canada. Based on the agency theory predictions, we consider the effect of two conflicting hypotheses about the effect of corporate governance on dividend payouts: the outcome and substitution hypotheses. The effectiveness of firm-level governance mechanisms is assessed through the "Globe" & "Mail" annual corporate governance index and four sub-categories scores (board composition, shareholding and compensation issues, shareholder rights issues and corporate governance disclosure policy). Using a sample of 714 firm-years listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange over the period 2002-2005, our results show that firms with stronger corporate governance have higher dividend payouts. Among the four components of the corporate governance index, we document that board composition and shareholder rights' policy are positively related to payout ratios. We also find a positive association between firm size, the level of free cash flows and dividend payouts. Finally, we document a negative relationship between firm risk, US cross-listing and dividend payouts. Taken together our results are consistent with the outcome model of dividend policy. Copyright (c) 2010 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.
Longitudinal studies of drug abuse in a fifteen‐year‐old population

ABSTRACT A representative, stratified sample from a year cohort of ninth‐grade mostly 15 years of age, examined in 1968 with a questionnaire, was followed over a decade in official registers. After 5 and 8 years, subsamples were also interviewed. During the period in question there was a polydrug abuse pattern in the area of Gothenburg, the second city in Sweden with approx. 450,000 inhabitants. The sample comprised 1,047 individuals and the whole year cohort 5,367. The estimated proportions of registered drug abusers in the cohort were 9 % men and 8 % women. 3 % men and 5 % women had drug careers for 2 years or Jess, 1 % men and 0.2 % women for 10 years or more. Those who became registered had with few exceptions stated drug use in the school questionnaire or had attended special classes or dropped out of school prematurely. After 5 years 60–80 % of the registered abuse remained among the men in these groups and 30–40 % among the women. According to interviews abuse remained in 70–90 % of men who had admitted drug use in the school survey and in 50–60 % of the women from the same groups. According lo both registers and interviews intravenous abuse of central stimulants had increased among men but decreased among women. After 11 years, 20–60 % of the registered abuse remained in men and 5–60 % in the women.
Future estimates of tropospheric ozone radiative forcing and methane turnover — The impact of climate change

We present a range of estimates for future radiative forcings due to changes in tropospheric ozone (O3T). Ozone distributions were generated by the UKMO 3‐D chemistry‐transport model for 1990, 2030, 2060, and 2100, using four sets of boundary conditions. Anthropogenic emissions evolved following either the IPCC SRES “high” (A2) or “central” (B2) case. Each scenario was run with both a fixed (1990) climate, and with a changing climate, as generated by a coupled ocean‐atmosphere GCM, forced with IS92a emissions. Calculated global mean O3T radiative forcings for the A2 (B2) cases for 1990–2100 were +0.43 (+0.22) W m−2 when climate change was ignored; these fell to +0.27 (+0.09) W m−2 when climate change was included. Without climate change, CH4 lifetimes (τCH4) lengthened by 7–12% between 1990 and 2100; however, when climate change was included, τCH4 fell by 0–5%. Hence climate warming exerts a negative feedback on itself by enhancing O3T and CH4 destruction.
Sensitivity Analysis of the Newsboy Model

Sensitivity analysis is an integral part of inventory optimization models due to uncertainty associated with estimates of model parameters. Though the newsboy problem is one of the most researched inventory problems, very little is known about its robustness. We study sensitivity of expected demand-supply mismatch cost to sub-optimal ordering decisions in the newsboy model. Conditions for symmetry (skewness) of cost deviation have been identi ed and magnitude of cost deviation is demonstrated for normal demand distribution. We found the newsboy model to be sensitive to sub-optimal ordering decisions, much more sensitive than the economic order quantity model.
Comparison of the diagnostic utility of physician-diagnosed with algorithm-defined stroke-associated pneumonia

Objective Diagnosing stroke-associated pneumonia (SAP) is challenging and may result in inappropriate antibiotic use or confound research outcomes. This study evaluates the diagnostic accuracy of algorithm-defined versus physician-diagnosed SAP in 1088 patients who had dysphagic acute stroke from 37 UK stroke units between 21 April 2008 and 17 May 2014. Methods SAP in the first 14 days was diagnosed by a criteria-based algorithm applied to blinded patient data and independently by treating physicians. Patients in whom diagnoses differed were reassigned following blinded adjudication of individual patient records. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV) and diagnostic OR of algorithmic and physician diagnosis of SAP were assessed using adjudicated SAP as the reference standard. Agreement was assessed using the κ statistic. Results Physicians diagnosed SAP in 176/1088 (16%) and the algorithm in 123/1088 (11.3%) patients. Diagnosis agreed in 885/1088 (81.3%) patients (κ 0.22 (95% CI 0.14 to 0.29)). On a blinded review, 129/1088 (11.8%) patients were adjudicated as patients with SAP. The algorithm and the physicians had high specificity (97% (95% CI 96% to 98%) and 90% (95% CI 88% to 92%), respectively) but only moderate sensitivity (72% (95% CI 64% to 80%) and 65% (95% CI 56% to 73%), respectively) in diagnosing SAP. The algorithm showed better PPV (76% (95% CI 67% to 83%) vs 48% (95% CI 40% to 55%)), diagnostic OR (80 (95% CI 42 to 136) vs 18 (95% CI 12 to 27)) and agreement (κ 0.70 (95% CI 0.63 to 0.78) vs 0.48 (95% CI 0.41 to 0.54)) than physician diagnosis with adjudicated SAP. Conclusions Algorithm-based approaches can standardise SAP diagnosis for clinical practice and research. Trial registration number ISRCTN37118456; Post-results.
Firm Performance and Mechanisms to Control Agency Problems between Managers and Shareholders

Abstract This paper examines the use of seven mechanisms to control agency problems between managers and shareholders. These mechanisms are: shareholdings of insiders, institutions, and large blockholders; use of outside directors; debt policy; the managerial labor market; and the market for corporate control. We present direct empirical evidence of interdependence among these mechanisms in a large sample of firms. This finding suggests that crosssectional OLS regressions of firm performance on single mechanisms may be misleading. Indeed, we find relationships between firm performance and four of the mechanisms when each is included in a separate OLS regression. These are insider shareholdings, outside directors, debt, and corporate control activity. Importantly, the effect of insider shareholdings disappears when all of the mechanisms are included in a single OLS regression, and the effects of debt and corporate control activity also disappear when estimations are made in a simultaneous systems framework. Together, these findings are consistent with optimal use of each control mechanism except outside directors.
Alcohol consumption and prostate cancer risk: a meta-analysis of the dose–risk relation

Inconsistent results on the relationship between alcohol drinking and prostate cancer have been found. In order to provide a definite quantification of the dose–risk relation, we investigated the risk of prostate cancer at different levels of alcohol consumption, by conducting a meta-analysis of epidemiological studies. We performed a literature search using PubMed of all case–control and cohort studies published as original articles in English up to December 2010. We identified 50 case–control and 22 cohort studies, including a total of 52 899 prostate cancer cases. We derived pooled meta-analytic estimates using random-effects models, taking into account the correlation between estimates. We performed a dose–risk analysis using nonlinear random-effects meta-regression models. The overall relative risk for any alcohol drinking compared with non/occasional drinking was 1.06 [95% confidence interval (CI), 1.01–1.10]. The relative risks were 1.05 (95% CI, 1.02–1.08), 1.06 (95% CI, 1.01–1.11), and 1.08 (95% CI, 0.97–1.20) for light (⩽1 drink/day), moderate (>1 to <4 drinks/day), and heavy alcohol drinking (≥4 drinks/day), respectively. This comprehensive meta-analysis provided no evidence of a material association between alcohol drinking and prostate cancer, even at high doses.
Altered small-world anatomical networks in Apolipoprotein-E4 (ApoE4) carriers using MRI

Apolipoprotein E (ApoE) gene and primarily its allele e4 have been identified as a risk factor for Alzheimer's disease (AD). The prevalence of the gene in 25-30% in the population makes it essential to estimate its role in neuroregulation and its impact on distributed brain networks. In this study, we provide computational neuroanatomy based interpretation of large-scale and small-world cortical networks in cognitive normal (CN) subjects with differing Apolipoprotein-E4 (ApoE4) gene expression. We estimated large-scale anatomical networks from cortical thickness measurements derived from magnetic resonance imaging in 147 CN subjects explored in relation to ApoE4 genotype (e4+ carriers (n=41) versus e4- non-carriers (n=106)). Brain networks were constructed by thresholding cortical thickness correlation matrices of 68 bilateral regions of the brain analyzed using well-established graph theoretical approaches. Compared to ApoE4 non-carriers, carriers showed increased interregional correlation coefficients in regions like precentral, superior frontal and inferior temporal regions. Interestingly most of the altered connections were intra-hemispheric limited primarily to the right hemisphere. Furthermore, ApoE4 carriers demonstrated abnormal small-world architecture in the cortical networks with increased clustering coefficient and path lengths as compared to non-carrier, suggesting a less optimal topological organization. Additionally non-carriers demonstrated higher betweenness in regions such as middle temporal, para-hippocampal gyrus, posterior cingulate and insula of the default mode network (DMN), also seen in subjects with AD and mild cognitive impairment (MCI). The results suggest that the complex morphological cortical connectivity patterns are altered in ApoE4 carriers as compared to non-carriers, providing evidence for disruption of integrity in large-scale anatomical brain networks.
Expression of ghrelin and its receptors in ovarian endometrioma

Endometriosis is a common gynaecological disorder manifesting by implantation and growth of endometrial tissue outside the uterine cavity. The evidence accumulates that endometriosis may be associated with abrogated regulation of energy balance. Ghrelin is one of the most important orexigenic factor which may also play a role in regulation of inflammatory and angiogenic reactions. The present study was aimed at investigating expression profile of ghrelin and its receptors (GHSR1α and GHSR1β) in endometriotic lesions. The study included ovarian cysts and peritoneal fluid specimens obtained laparoscopically from 20 women with revised American Fertility Society stage III or IV endometriosis. Expression of specific mRNAs was assessed by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction. Expression of ghrelin and GHSR1α protein was studied by immunohistochemical staining with specific antibodies. Ghrelin and its receptors mRNA expression was found in all tested specimens. Specific mRNAs for these factors were also expressed in the peritoneal leukocytes. Immunohistochemical staining revealed expression of ghrelin and GHSR1α both in glandular endometrioid epithelium and in some stromal cells, particularly in some fibroblasts, blood vessels and infiltrating leukocytes. Co-localization of ghrelin and its receptors strongly suggests that this neuropeptide may affect development and growth of endometriotic lesions and may influence local inflammatory and angiogenic response.
Gender-Based Wage and Occupational Inequality in the New Millenium in Egypt

Abstract This paper adds to the existing literature on the Egyptian labor market by examining the extent to which the treatment of women in the Egyptian private labor market has evolved, and if occupational segregation has affected gender wage gaps in the newly transformed Egyptian economy. The paper tracks the current trend of gender based wage gaps, and evaluates the role of occupational segregation in explaining these gaps in the Egyptian private labor market. Comparing the years 2000 and 2004, and arranging occupations in three broad categories, findings of this study point to a wider occupational segregation and increased crowding of women in few jobs, which are becoming a more serious issue in pay differences than pure pay discrimination for both professional and blue collar women. Pay discrimination for white collar workers is not as severe as in professional and blue collar jobs. Therefore, policies that target inter-occupational components to close the wage gap may have far-reaching effects on professional and blue-collar workers, whereas policies targeting equal pay for equal jobs will have a greater success for white-collar workers.
Reverse-Share-Tenancy and Agricultural Efficiency: Farm-Level Evidence from Ethiopia

Using a unique tenant–landlord matched dataset from the Tigray region of Ethiopia, we are able to show how the tenants' strategic response to the varying economic and tenure-security status of the landlords helps explain sharecroppers' productivity differentials. The study reveals that sharecroppers' yields are significantly lower on plots leased from landlords who are non-kin and landlords with weaker economic and tenure-security status (such as female) than on plots leased from landlords with the contrasting characteristics. While, on aggregate, the results show no significant efficiency loss on kin-operated sharecropped plots, more decomposed analyses indicate strong evidence of Marshallian inefficiency on kin-operated plots leased from landlords with weaker bargaining power and higher tenure insecurity. This study thus shows how failure to control for the heterogeneity of landowners' characteristics can explain the lack of clarity in the existing empirical literature on the extent of moral hazard problems in sharecropping contracts.
Feeding the Rural Tourism Strategy? Food and Notions of Place and Identity

Abstract The humble rural cuisine has now been thrust at the forefront of economic development strategies. This conceptual paper is a contribution to a growing critical awareness of the operations of the food industry and helps to foster a critical understanding of how, if at all, local food and its associated culture can help sustain rural tourism particularly and rural communities generally. It is inspired by literature about the international political economy of food and the many experiences of local food development, and is aware of the contrast between the structure of the industry and the hopes associated with its practice on the ground. The paper thus argues that, beyond the glamour and hype, there are those who gain, as well as those who lose, from the current food fad. While it explains the causes of the contemporary craze with food, the paper also interrogates the naïve expectations often placed in food as a motor of rural development, and as the panacea for struggling rural communities. The empirical data on which this chapter is based are drawn from 18 short chapters explaining the history of various “traditional dishes” from the islands of the broad North Atlantic that feature in a recent food publication.
New Evidence on the Relation between the Enterprise Multiple and Average Stock Returns

Abstract Practitioners increasingly use the enterprise multiple (EM) as a valuation measure. EM is (equity value + debt + preferred stock – cash) / (EBITDA). We document that EM is a strong determinant of stock returns. Following Fama and French (1993) and Chen, Novy-Marx, and Zhang (2010), we create an EM factor that generates a return premium of 5.28% per year. We interpret EM as a proxy for the discount rate. Firms with low EM values appear to have higher discount rates and higher subsequent stock returns than firms with high EM values.
Effects of Financial Constraints on Corporate Policies in Australia

We jointly study the impact of financial constraints on Australian companies' investment decisions and demand for liquidity. By examining a large sample of Australian firms over the period 1990-2003, we find that financial constraints not only reduce the sensitivity of investment to the availability of internal funds, but also increase the responsiveness of cash holdings to internally generated cash flows. Further analysis shows that the impact of financial constraints varies across different cash flow states; that is, financial constraints have a small effect on corporate investment and cash policies when cash flows are positive. In contrast, the severity of constraints is high in negative cash flow years in which the cost disadvantage of external finance coincides with deteriorating operating performance. Copyright (c) The Authors Journal compilation (c) 2007 AFAANZ.
Tracing human oligodendroglial development in vitro

Human neural precursor cell cultures (neurospheres) were established from fetal brain tissues of 15–20 gestation weeks and propagated for over a year in the presence of epidermal growth factor, basic fibroblast growth factor and leukemia inhibitory factor. Neurospheres were differentiated without the presence of above growth factors to follow the development of oligodendroglia. Oligodendroglial progenitors, identified by their bipolar morphology and expression of platelet‐derived growth factor receptor‐α (PDGFRα), emerged from spheres as early as 1 DIV; O4+ cells with bipolar to multipolar processes were observed at 3 DIV whereas O1+ multiprocess‐bearing oligodendroglia did not appear until 5–7 DIV. They further differentiated to myelin basic protein‐expressing oligodendrocytes after 2–3 weeks in culture. Thus, human oligodendroglial maturation in vitro follows the same pathway as rat cells but takes twice as long as their rodent counterparts. Bromodeoxyuridine incorporation indicated that PDGFRα–expressing cells but not O4+ oligodendroglia proliferated. More oligodendroglial progenitors incorporated BrdU and more O4+ cells survived when they were in contact with neurons and astrocytes than when they developed beyond the astrocyte layer. In addition, oligodendroglia on astrocytes had a complex process branching whereas those growing beyond astrocyte layer often formed membrane sheaths. Thus the survival, proliferation and maturation of oligodendroglia are influenced by other cell types. J. Neurosci. Res. 59:421–429, 2000 © 2000 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.