Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
High Glucose-induced Altered Basement Membrane Composition and Structure Increases Trans-endothelial Permeability: Implications for Diabetic Retinopathy

Purpose: The following study was designed to investigate early biosynthetic and ultrastructural changes that alter functional properties of the basement membrane (BM) and affect vascular permeability in diabetic retinopathy. Materials and Methods: To determine whether altered matrix synthesis affects cell monolayer permeability, rat retinal endothelial cells (RRECs) were grown for 4 days to confluency in normal (N, 5 mM) or high glucose (HG, 30 mM) medium on transwell inserts and subjected to an in vitro cell monolayer permeability assay. Inserts were cut out and viewed under a transmission electron microscope to assess extracellular matrix (ECM) accumulation and cell morphology. In parallel cell cultures, fibronectin and collagen IV protein expression were determined using Western Blot analysis. Results: Electron microscopic analysis of cells exposed to short-term HG showed no difference in inter-endothelial cell tight junctions (TJs) or in the number of vesicles or coated pits compared to those of normal cells. However, ECM accumulation underlying HG cells was significantly increased compared to that of cells grown in N medium (139 ± 7% of control, p = 0.04), with areas of focal thickening. Western blot analysis showed increased fibronectin and collagen IV expression (152 ± 24% of control, p = 0.01; 146 ± 16% of control, p = 0.02, respectively) in cells grown in HG compared to those grown in N medium. Cell monolayers grown in HG exhibited increased permeability to FITC-dextran compared to cells grown in N medium (134 ± 15% of control, p = 0.02). Conclusions: High glucose-induced excess ECM accumulation and altered composition underlies structural and functional changes that allow increased permeability. This finding provides evidence for the first time that the thickened vascular basement membrane contributes to the development of excess permeability seen in diabetic retinopathy.
The effect of local/topical analgesics on incisional pain in a pig model

Interest in the development of new topical/local drug administration for blocking pain at peripheral sites, with maximum drug activity and minimal systemic effects, is on the rise. In the review article by Kopsky and Stahl, four critical barriers in the process of research and development of topical analgesics were indicated. The active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) and the formulation are among the major challenges. The road to the development of such drugs passes through preclinical studies. These studies, if planned correctly, should serve as guidance for choosing the right API and formulation. Although rodent models for pain continue to provide valuable data on the mechanisms driving pain, their use in developing topical and localized treatment approaches is limited for technical (intraplate injection area is small) as well as mechanical reasons (non-similarity to human skin and innervation). It has been previously shown that pigs are comparable to humans in ways that make them a better choice for evaluating topical and local analgesics. The aim of this study was to summarize several experiments that used pigs for testing postoperative pain in an incisional pain model (skin incision [SI] and skin and muscle incision [SMI]). At the end of the surgery, the animals were treated with different doses of bupivacaine solution (Marcaine®), bupivacaine liposomal formulation (Exparel®) or ropivacaine solution (Naropin). Von Frey testing demonstrated a decrease in the animals’ sensitivity to mechanical stimulation expressed as an increase in the withdrawal force following local treatment. These changes reflect the clinical condition in the level as well as in the duration of the response. These data indicate a good resemblance between pig and human skin and suggest that use of these animals in the preclinical phase of developing topical analgesics can, to some extent, release the bottleneck.
GENDER EQUITY IN HEALTH CARE: THE CASE OF SWEDISH DIABETES CARE

To explore the issue of gender equity in diabetes care in Sweden and to develop strategies for monitoring gender equity in health care, population-based studies and statistics published since 1990 were reviewed that contained gender-specific data on health care utilization, glycemic control, patient satisfaction, health-related quality of life, and mortality from diabetes. The review shows that diabetic women in Sweden report more frequent outpatient contacts, less patient satisfaction, and a lower health-related quality of life than diabetic men. No gender differences were found in the level of glycemic control. Young and middle-aged men with diabetes have a high excess all-cause mortality as compared with nondiabetic men. A trend toward stronger social gradient in mortality among women than men with diabetes was observed in a large nationwide study. The reasons for the observed gender differences are uncertain but may constitute a combination of medical, psychological, and social factors. Monitoring the impact of gender should become an integrated part of quality management in diabetes care. As long as the relationship between use and outcomes of care is not fully understood, analyses of gender equity should address both health care utilization and outcomes of care.
Debt and the Effects of Fiscal Policy

A shift in taxes or in government spending (a "fiscal shock") at some point in time puts a constraint on the path of taxes and spending in the future, since the government intertemporal budget constraint will eventually have to be met. This simple fact is surprisingly overlooked in analyses of the effects of fiscal policy based on Vector AutoRegressive models. We study the effects of fiscal shocks keeping track of the debt dynamics that arises following a fiscal shock, and allowing for the possibility that taxes, spending and interest rates might respond to the level of the debt, as it evolves over time. We show that omitting a debt feedback can result in incorrect estimates of the dynamic effects of fiscal shocks. In particular, the absence of an effect of fiscal shocks on long-term interest rates -- a frequent finding in studies that omit a debt feedback -- can be explained by their mis-specification. Using data for the U.S. economy and two alternative identification assumptions we reconsider the effects of fiscal policy shocks correcting for these shortcomings.
Assessing the impact of domestic outsourcing and offshoring on productivity at the firm level

The purpose of this article is to investigate the effects of domestic and foreign sourcing on firm-level productivity. We develop a simple framework that permits the introduction of both domestic outsourcing and offshoring in a conventional production function. We find that the decision to outsource has a positive impact on the level of productivity as it permits the relocation of parts of the production process to external suppliers. Furthermore, there is a positive impact on output resulting from domestic outsourcing and offshoring like any other input.
Special Economic Zones – 20 Years Later

In this paper we undertake an ex-post evaluation of whether the special economic zones (SEZs) introduced in Poland in 994 have been successful in meeting regional development objectives. We evaluate the policy on as many of its objectives as possible: employment creation, business creation (which includes attracting foreign direct investment), income or wage effects, and environmental sustainability. We use different panel data methods to investigate this question at the powiat (nuts4 or something similar to a commune) and gmina (nuts5 or something similar to a village) levels in Poland during the 995-20 period. It is also possible to include numerous controls to reduce the problem of the omitted variables bias such as education level, dependency rates, state ownership, general subsidies and whether the area is urban or rural. Our results indicate that SEZs in Poland have been successful in a number of their objectives such as private business creation. The positive effect of the policy however mainly comes through foreign direct investment (FDI), whereas the effects on e.g. investment and employment are small or insignificant. In other areas, such as securing higher income levels and locking firms into the sustainability agenda through the adoption of green technologies and reduced air pollution, we find only a small positively moderating effect of the policy on what are traditionally economically disadvantaged areas in Poland that used to be dependent on the socialist production model. Hence, despite high levels of FDI, the zones policy has not managed to overcome the legacy of backwardness or lagging regions. The main policy implication of the paper is that SEZs may be successful in stimulating activity in the short run but the policy must be seen as one of necessary temporality and can therefore not stand alone. Before launching SEZs, policymakers must have plans in place for follow up measures to ensure the longer term competitiveness and sustainability implications of such an initiative. There is a need to understand the connection between the specific incentive schemes used (in this particular case tax incentives were used) and the kinds of firms and activities they attract, including the behavioral models that those incentives promote.
Early postnatal development of functional ocular dominance columns in cat primary visual cortex

During postnatal development of the visual cortex the thalamocortical afferents serving the two eyes segregate into alternating patches called ocular dominance (OD) columns. Interested in the dynamics of this segregation process we studied the appearance of functional OD columns in the primary visual cortex of normally raised and strabismic kittens aged 2–6 weeks using 2-deoxyglucose labelling in awake animals. In both experimental groups, OD columns covering the entire area 17 and spanning all cortical laminae are first visible at 3 weeks and appear already adult-like at 4 weeks, much earlier than thought on the basis of previous anatomical studies. We hypothesize that a small and anatomically undetectable imbalance between the afferents from the two eyes is amplified by intracortical interactions so that their activity patterns become different and may guide the segregation process of the afferents in cortical layer IV.
Explaining Climate Policy Variation in Developed States

Abstract The climate policies of developed states vary from small greenhouse gas emissions reduction targets to the formulation of highly ambitious, legally-binding objectives. As such, the research question of this thesis is ‘What explains variation amongst developed states’ climate policies? ’ This thesis seeks to explain variation in climate policy ambition in the twenty-three developed states of the UNFCCC Annex II between 2006 and 2010. This investigation employs a nested design approach. It commences with a critical evaluation of the existing literature on environmental and climate policy to identify potential independent variables. Fuzzy set Qualitative Comparative Analysis then tests four hypotheses, in order to find the patterns that influence climate policy in the twenty-three states and select case studies. Austria, Finland, Germany and Sweden are selected as case studies, as their climate policies are not explained by the medium-n analysis. The four states also share very similar scores for each of the conditions being tested, but differ regarding the outcome. From here, semi-structured elite interviews with forty policy-makers and analyses of primary sources are employed as part of a small-n analysis on the four case studies. The concept of ‘path dependence’ is employed to facilitate an understanding of the long-term processes involved in climate policy development. Three main arguments are made in this thesis. Firstly, the combination of left-wing government and membership of the European Union is sufficient to result in ambitious climate policy, while non-membership of the European Union is sufficient to result in ‘not ambitious’ climate policy. Secondly, states which developed renewable electricity policies according to the principles of Ecological Modernisation formulated pioneering climate policy. Thirdly, states that produced nuclear power, but also sought to phase out the energy source, formulated more ambitious climate policy than states that did not produce any nuclear power, or sought to expand the energy source. This thesis furthers the understanding of climate policy variation, adds to the burgeoning field of set theoretic methods, and provides more nuanced explanations of how Ecological Modernisation and nuclear energy can influence climate change policy.
Forensic Project Management: An Exploratory Examination of the Causal Behavior of Design-Induced Rework

The determination as to why projects fail to meet planned schedule, cost, and quality parameters is a leitmotiv within the construction, engineering, and project management literature. Yet, the interrelatedness and behavior of key factors that influence these project performance indicators, particularly regarding design-error-induced rework, have received limited academic examination. Design-induced rework has been reported to contribute more than 70% of the total amount of rework experienced in construction and engineering projects. To address this situation, a forensic management approach to determining how and why rework occurred in a commercial construction project is undertaken. Using findings from this case study along with knowledge from the literature, a systemic causal model for design-error-induced rework is developed. Underlying behavioral dynamics that contributed to design errors (principally related to the management of the design documentation process) were modeled and simulated using system dynamics. The results of such an analysis yield insights about architectural and engineering professionalspsila decision-making and work practices that can influence the occurrence of design errors. The mitigation of design-induced errors would significantly reduce the amount of rework that architectural and engineering firms experience. This would bring with it greater profitability for such firms and improved project performance parameters (schedule, cost, and quality).
Candida in Solid Organ Transplant Recipients

Infections due to Candida spp are the most common invasive fungal infections (IFIs) among solid organ transplant recipients, accounting for over half of all IFIs in this population (1). Invasive candidiasis occurs earlier than other invasive mycoses, generally within the first 3 months following transplantation, and is viewed as a classic nosocomial infection (2,3). However, a substantial number of cases of invasive candidiasis, especially among liver and small bowel transplant recipients, occur well beyond this traditional period of risk (1–3).
Rating Shopping and Rating Inflation in Israel

Firms may exploit the option of choosing among different rating agencies in order to pick the highest rating offered. This possibility, known as rating shopping, is relatively limited on the US corporate bond market because the two main rating agencies (S&P and Moody's) rate virtually all large bond issuers. In this study, we use the data on corporate bond ratings assigned by two Israeli rating agencies affiliated with S&P and Moody's during the period 2004–2012. We show that while one agency (Midroog) systematically assigned higher ratings, the ratings of the other agency (S&P-Maalot) were inflated due to rating shopping. However, despite the many features that encourage rating inflation, the resulting distortion was relatively small (one notch). This may be a fair price for maintaining a competitive rating industry.
Coalition Culls and Zoonotic Ontologies

Diseases which can pass between animals and humans (zoonoses) have been headline news several times in the last ten years. This paper looks at bovine tuberculosis (bTB) in the United Kingdom, which, although not a major health hazard for humans, has been problematic for farmers and the veterinary health institutions. At its current rate of spread, the disease will cost the authorities £1 billion in compensation to farmers for slaughtered animals and in administrative expenses over the next decade. The present Coalition government is planning to cull badgers in England because they are the principal wildlife reservoir of bTB and are said to pass infection to cattle. We argue in five stories that the heterogeneities of bTB help explain the difficulties in dealing with it. In our opinion, the present reductive set of policies would be improved by taking this ontological multiplicity into account.
CEO Tenure in Taiwanese Family and Nonfamily Firms: An Agency Theory Perspective

This study investigated the tenure of CEOs in a sample of 304 listed companies in Taiwan; 63 firms were family controlled, 241 were not. The results show that CEO turnover is significantly lower in family firms and its relationship to corporate performance is negative. CEO ownership and board ownership are not significant in explaining the length of family CEO tenure. These findings imply that family boards can still effectively replace the CEO despite relatively low ownership. From the ownership structure perspective, this study suggested that the agency theory is applicable for nonfamily firms in Taiwan, but unsuitable for family firms.
Changes in hardness and resilience of i‐gelTM cuffs with temperature: a benchtop study

The i‐gelTM is a supraglottic airway with a gel‐like thermoplastic cuff. It has been suggested that the seal around the larynx improves following insertion. Perhaps the most intuitive hypothesis proposed for this is that cuff softening occurs during warming from ambient to body temperature. We investigated this using a food industry texture analyser over a wide temperature range. Size 2 and 3 i‐gels were secured to a platform within a temperature‐controlled water bath, which was in turn mounted on a texture analyser test stand. Both water and i‐gel cuff temperatures were recorded. A spherical probe was advanced 4 mm into the surface of each i‐gel at a rate of 1 mm.s−1, then retracted at the same rate while the upward pressure on the probe was recorded. Three runs made at each of the 11 temperatures (10 °C to 60 °C, 5 °C increments) gave 105,864 data points, from which values for hardness (the peak force on the probe at maximum indentation), and resilience (the rate at which the material recovers its original shape) were calculated. Over 10 to 60 °C, the smallest hardness value expressed as a proportion of the largest was 88.2% and 89.8% for size 2 and 3 i‐gels, respectively, and for resilience these were 92.8% and 86.2%, respectively. Over room temperature to body temperature range (21–37.4 °C), hardness decreased by 3.15% and increased by 0.47% for i‐gel sizes 2 and 3, respectively, whereas resilience values decreased by 1.85% and 2.68%, respectively. Cuff hardness and resilience did generally reduce with warming, but the effect was minimal over temperature ranges that may be encountered during clinical use.
The Dynamics of the Management-Shareholder Conflict

This paper investigates the distribution of equity ownership between entrenched corporate insiders and dispersed outsiders when management has the ability to divert or manipulate the cash flows and when it is costly for equity holders to verify or prove any managerial wrongdoing for a third party such as a court. Management chooses the distribution of equity ownership so as to maximize private benefits against the risk of potential control challenges. When shareholders are long term oriented, then outside shares trade at a premium over their value to management, and management is inclined to sell of its equity stake to dispersed outsiders. When shareholders are short-term oriented, then outside share trade at a discount below their value to management, and disciplinary pressure can be substantially reduced via strategic share purchases.
Finite Element Analysis of Descemet’s Stripping Automated Endothelial Keratoplasty (DSAEK) Surgery Allograft to Predict Endothelial Cell Loss

ABSTRACT Purpose: To develop high fidelity finite element (FE) models of the Descemet’s stripping automated endothelial keratoplasty (DSAEK) allograft to estimate the stress distributions generated on the allograft during its deformed state in popular allograft insertion configurations and qualitatively correlate the stress distributions to postsurgical endothelial cell (EC) loss. Materials and Methods: Corneal allograft simulation was performed using ANSYS (Canonsburg, PA, USA) utilizing isotropic nonlinear hyperelastic corneal material properties to evaluate the stress distributions generated on the DSAEK allograft during popular allograft insertion configurations, namely forceps, taco, and double-coil insertion configurations. The gathered FE simulation results were qualitatively compared with published clinical studies to verify the simulation results. Results: The FE simulation results demonstrate that high stress regions predicted by FE model results correctly predict the areas of postsurgical EC loss as published in the studies available in open literature. The FE simulation stress magnitude results suggest that highest EC loss due to mechanical bending trauma occurs in double-coil configuration followed by forceps and then taco configuration. Conclusions: The results of the presented FE simulation study highlight that allograft regions with high stress distribution demonstrate postsurgical EC loss in clinical studies. The modeling procedures presented in this research can be utilized to develop novel surgical devices/techniques that can modulate the postsurgical EC loss due to mechanical bending trauma and facilitate allograft unfolding inside the AC, thereby improving the results of the DSAEK surgical procedure.
Leadership styles and financial services performance

This paper seeks to explore the relationship between leadership practices and organisational performance of financial leaders in Malaysia. It aims to investigate the existence of contemporary leadership styles such as transformational, transactional and leader-member exchange (LMX) in enhancing organisational performance particularly in financial services sector. Data was collected from financial services companies, comprising commercial banks, investment banks, unit trust management companies and insurance companies. SmartPLS 2.0 (M3) was applied to test the hypotheses that comprised both transformational and transactional leadership styles and also LMX on organisational performance and subsequently bootstrapping was conducted to investigate the standard error of the estimate and t-values. This research highlights the importance of leadership awareness as well as recognition of LMX as a valuable approach in achieving a better organisational performance. This study attempts to blend various leadership styles and organisational performance of financial services sector in Malaysia.