Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Information Control, Career Concerns and Corporate Governance

We examine corporate governance effectiveness when the CEO generates project ideas and the board of directors screens these ideas for approval. However, the precision of the board's screening information is controlled by the CEO. Moreover, both the CEO and the board have career concerns that interact. The board's career concerns cause it to distort its investment recommendation procyclically, whereas the CEO's career concerns cause her to sometimes reduce the precision of the board's information. Moreover, the CEO sometimes prefers a less able board, and this happens only during economic upturns, suggesting that corporate governance will be weaker during economic upturns.
The Role of Analogy and Metaphor in the Framing and Legitimization of Strategic Change

Strategic change initiatives disrupt established categories of stakeholder understanding and typically present a problem of justifying and legitimizing the change to stakeholders in order to gain their buy-in and support. While it has been suggested that the analogical or metaphorical framing of strategic changes is crucial in that it fosters understanding and creates legitimacy for the change, we set out to specify the conditions and uses of analogical and metaphorical framing in effecting support for strategic changes. Specifically, we argue that (a) analogies are more effective in the context of additive changes, whereas metaphors are more apt for substitutive changes, and that (b) relational analogies and metaphors are generally more effective in securing support for strategic changes, as opposed to analogies or metaphors that highlight common attributes. We also argue that the overall effectiveness of analogies and metaphors in the framing of a change is furthermore dependent on (c) the degree to which these frames are culturally familiar to stakeholders and (d) the extent to which they connect with the prior motivations of stakeholders.
Circadian variations in anaerobic threshold

This study aimed to determine whether certain respiratory and cardiovascular parameters associated with anaerobic threshold (AT), measured during graded exercise testing, occur at lower intensities in the morning than in the evening. Ten healthy Japanese men volunteered to participate in this study, which involved two conditions that were performed at different times of day: morning (M) exercise was performed between 9:00 and 10:00 a.m., and afternoon (A) exercise was performed between 4:00–6:00 p.m. After resting supine for 30 minutes, each subject performed graded cycle ergometer exercise testing comprising 90-second stages. Exercise intensity was initially 10 W and was increased by 10 W for each stage. Heart rate (HR), blood pressure (BP), absolute double product (DP), cardiac autonomic nervous system modulation, and ventilatory volume (VE) were measured during each exercise stage. Ventilatory threshold (VT), the double product breaking point (DPBP), and breaking point of the natural log of high frequency (ln HF) (HFBP) were reached at a lower exercise intensity in the M condition than in the A condition (p<.05). Values for VE at VT intensity, DP, HR, and systolic blood pressure (SBP) at DPBP were significantly lower in the M condition than in the A condition (p<.05). These data suggest that AT is reached at a lower intensity in the morning than in the afternoon, and that relative burden, as indicated by HR and SBP, is greater in the morning than in the afternoon. Exercise prescriptions that incorporate awareness of the circadian rhythms may prevent cardiac or cerebrovascular accidents during exercise.
Gene polymorphisms in folate metabolizing enzymes in adult acute lymphoblastic leukemia: effects on methotrexate-related toxicity and survival

Individual variations in response and/or toxicity to anti-cancer agents is common. The antifolate agent methotrexate is frequently used in maintenace therapy of acute lymphoblastic leukemia. The findings of this study suggest that genotyping of folate polymorphisms might be useful in adult acute lymphoblastic leukemia to optimize methotrexate therapy, reducing the associated toxicity with possible effects on survival. Background The antifolate agent methotrexate is an important component of maintenance therapy in acute lymphoblastic leukemia, although methotrexate-related toxicity is often a reason for interruption of chemotherapy. Prediction of toxicity is difficult because of inter-individual variability susceptibility to antileukemic agents. Methotrexate interferes with folate metabolism leading to depletion of reduced folates. Design and Methods The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of polymorphisms for folate metabolizing enzymes with respect to toxicity and survival in adult patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia treated with methotrexate maintenance therapy. To this purpose, we evaluated possible associations between genotype and hematologic and non-hematologic toxicity and effects on survival at 2 years of follow-up in patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Results Polymorphisms in the genes encoding for methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR 677C>T) and in dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR 19 bp deletion) significantly increased the risk of hepatotoxicity in single (odds ratio 5.23, 95% confidence interval 1.13–21.95 and odds ratio 4.57, 95% confidence interval 1.01–20.77, respectively) and in combined analysis (odds ratio 6.82, 95% confidence interval 1.38–33.59). MTHFR 677C>T also increased the risk of leukopenia and gastrointestinal toxicity, whilst thymidylate synthase 28 bp repeat polymorphism increased the risk of anemia (odds ratio 8.48, 95% confidence interval 2.00–36.09). Finally, patients with MTHFR 677TT had a decreased overall survival rate (hazard ratio 2.37, 95% confidence interval 1.46–8.45). Conclusions Genotyping of folate polymorphisms might be useful in adult acute lymphoblastic leukemia to optimize methotrexate therapy, reducing the associated toxicity with possible effects on survival.
Elevation of cAMP Levels Inhibits Doxorubicin-Induced Apoptosis in Pre- B ALL NALM- 6 Cells Through Induction of BAD Phosphorylation and Inhibition of P53 Accumulation

Recognition of the molecular mechanisms of cAMP action against DNA damage-induced apoptosis can be useful to improve the efficacy of DNA damaging therapeutic agents. Considering the critical role of bcl-2-associated death promoter (BAD) and p53 proteins in DNA damage -induced apoptosis, the aim of this study was to assess the effect of cAMP-elevating agents on these proteins in doxorubicin-treated pre-B acute lymphoblastic leukemia (pre-B ALL) NALM-6 cells.The pre-B ALL cell line NALM-6 was cultured and treated with doxorubicin in combination with or without cAMP-elevating agents forskolin and 3-isobutyl-1-methylxanthine (IBMX). Cell viability was measured by trypan blue staining and MTT assay. For evaluation of apoptosis, annexin-V staining by flow cytometry and caspase-3 activity assay were used. Protein expression of p53, BAD and phoshorylated BAD was detected by western blotting analysis.cAMP-increasing agents diminished the doxorubicin-mediated cytotoxicity in NALM-6 cells as indicated by the viability assays. Annexin-V apoptosis assay showed that the cAMP-elevating agents decreased doxorubicin-induced apoptosis. Moreover, doxorubicin-induced caspase-3 activity was attenuated in the presence of cAMP-increasing agents. Western blot results revealed the reduced expression of p53 protein in cells treated with combination of cAMP-elevating agents and doxorubicin in contrast to cells treated with doxorubicin alone. Expression of total BAD protein was not affected by doxorubicin and cAMP-elevating agents. However, phosphorylation of BAD protein was induced in the presence of cAMP-elevating agents. Our study suggests that elevated cAMP levels inhibit doxorubicin-induced apoptosis in pre-B ALL cells through induction of BAD phosphorylation and abrogation of p53 accumulation.
Influence of FSH and hCG on the resumption of meiosis of bovine oocytes surrounded by cumulus cells connected to membrana granulosa

Cumulus oocyte complexes (COCs) and cumulus oocyte complexes connected to a piece of the membrane granulosa (COCGs) were isolated from bovine antral follicles with a diameter of 2 to 8 mm. After culture of COCGs without gonadotrophic hormones for 22 hr approximately 50% of the oocytes were still in the germinal vesicle (GV) stage Histology of the COCGs showed that the pieces of the membrana granulosa were free of thecal cells and parts of the basal membrane. This indicates that the membrana granulosa solely inhibits the progression of meiosis. To investigate the effect of gonadotropins on the resumption of meiosis of oocytes from small and medium sized antral follicles, COCs and COCGs were cultured with or without rec‐hFSH or hCG. Addition of 0.05 IU rec‐hFSH to the culture medium of COCGs resulted in germinal vesicle breakdown in 97.8% of the oocytes compared to 46% in the control group, and an increase of the diameter of the COCs (479 μm vs. 240 μm in the control group). Addition of 0.05 IU hCG to the culture medium had no effect on nuclear maturation (47.2% GV vs. 48.5% GV in the control group nor on cumulus expansion (246 μm vs. 240 μm in the control group). RT‐PCR on cDNA of the follicular wall, cumulus cells, granulosa cells, COCs, and oocytes revealed that mRNA for FSH receptor was present in all cell types except oocytes. mRNA of the LH receptor was detected exclusively in thecal cells. Nucleotide sequence analysis and alignment of the cloned PCR products showed the presence of two isoforms of the FSH receptor mRNA and two isoforms of the LH receptor mRNA. It is concluded that, in vitro, resumption of meiosis of oocytes, originating from small and medium sized antral follicles and meiotically arrested by the membrana granulosa, is triggered by FSH and not by LH. This is supported by the fact that receptors for FSH, but not for LH, are transcribed in the cumulus and granulosa cells of these follicles. © 1996 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
The sea urchin immune system

Metchnikoff’s use of sea star larvae to observe encapsulation and phagocytosis, which was followed much later by allograft rejection kinetics, revealed that echinoderms had an innate immune system that was lacking of adaptive attributes. Larval sea urchins mount defenses in response to contact with microbes, which are mediated by phagocytic blastocoelar cells and pigment cells. In the adult, the coelomocytes mediate immune responses through phagocytosis and encapsulation of foreign particles in addition to degranulation of antimicrobial molecules. Molecular analysis of immune functions in the sea urchin has demonstrated a complement system that appears to have multiple alternative pathways and several activators of the lectin pathway, but may be missing the terminal pathway. Other genes and proteins involved in the sea urchin immunity include expanded sets of lectins, proteins with scavenger receptor cysteine-rich repeats, Toll-like receptors and associated signalling proteins. A vas t array of proteins belonging to the 185/333 family are expressed in coelomocytes in response to lipopolysaccharide and show a surprising level of diversity. The sea urchin innate immune system has a number of large gene families with unexpected complexities and elevated levels of diversification.
Glycoprotein Synthesis in Plants

Theenzymic processes involved inglycoprotein synthesis havebeen studied using crudeextracts obtained fromdeveloping cotyledons of Phaseolus vulgaris harvested atthetimeofactive deposition ofvidin. Radioactivity fromGDP-['4CJmannose canbeincorporated bycrude extracts intoasingle chloroform-methanol-soluble product aswellas into insoluble product(s). Mannoseisthesole'4C-labeled constituent of thelipid. Thekinetics ofincorporation of14C, asdetermined bypulse andpulse-chase experiments using GDP-['4Cjmannose, asweUasdirect incorporation fromadded['4CImannolipid, shows that themannolipid is anintermediate inthesynthesis oftheinsoluble product(s). Thecharacteristics ofthemannolipid areconsistent withitbeing a mannosyl phosphoryl polyprenol. Themannoseisapparently attached tothelipid viaa monophosphate linkage. Oftheradioactivity intheinsoluble product(s), about20%ispronase-digestible during a "pulse experiment. "Aftera chasewithunlabeled GDP-mannose, about40% is pronase-digestible; theother 60%isasyetuncharacterized. A radioactive product soluble inamixture ofchloroform-methanol-H20 canbe extracted fromtheinsoluble residue obtained during apulse, butisno longer present after achase. This product maybealipid oligosaccharide, thefinal intermediate inglycoprotein synthesis. Dataarepresented on incorporation fromUDP-N-[14Cjacetylglucosamine intobothchloroform-methanol-soluble and-insoluble product(s). Theresults areconsistent withaninvolvement oflipid intermediates intheglycosylation of protein inthis system, andsupport theconcept thatthemechanisms of glycoprotein synthesis inhigher plants aresimilar tothose whichhave beenreported formammalian systems.
The Thrill-Kill Zone: Some Thoughts on the Psychodynamics of Addictive Behaviors

Copyright: © 2012 Sweet AD. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited. Approaching the subject of addiction from a psychoanalytical perspective remains, in many senses, a highly controversial issue. The forces that direct themselves against the clinician who chooses such an approach emanate not only from the fairly obvious opponents of psychoanalysis-organic psychiatry, behaviorists, cognitive theorists etc., but also, more directly, from within the broader psychoanalytical fraternity. The historical antecedents of this resistance towards psychoanalytically exploring or treating the addictions has been well rehearsed within the literature and emphasis is, understandably, directed towards Freud’s own early enthusiasm for cocaine and his lifelong addiction to tobacco. In addition, with some notable exceptions [1-3], the first generation of analysts tended to avoid the addictions, given the unpredictability of these patients, their propensity to acting out and the apparent chronic instability of transference dynamics.
Cross-Continental Reflections on Evaluation Practice

The evaluation theory tree typology reflects the following three components of evaluation practice: (a) methods, (b) use, and (c) valuing. The purpose of this study was to explore how evaluation practice is conceived as reflected in articles published in the American Journal of Evaluation (AJE) and Evaluation, a journal supported by the European Evaluation Society. A key finding from this international comparison suggests that evaluation practice as reflected in AJE and Evaluation both emphasize methods, in comparison to use and valuing. This article concludes using Peter Dahler-Larsen’s discussion on evaluation societies, among other sources, to examine the audit society, which might account for the trends in our findings. EvalPartners, a global community of evaluators, has declared 2015 as the international year of evaluation. These findings regarding cross-continental trends in evaluation are relevant for engaging in a global dialogue on evaluation practice.
Statistical Comparison of Regional Atmospheric Modeling System Forecast Meteorology with Observations

A statistical comparison of observations and forecasts using the Regional Atmospheric Modeling System (RAMS) for operations at the Savannah River Site (SRS) is discussed. Simulated and observed values of wind direction, wind speed, and temperature, collected twice daily for a two-year period from April 1998 through March 2000, are compared in a variety of ways for 5 different locations in the southeast United States. Turbulence quantities are also compared for a one-year period beginning in February 1999 for the SRS. Results are presented in the form of scatter plots and histograms, as well as time-based line plots for the different locations within the modeling domain. Both surface and upper-level model predictions are compared with observations taken from both the National Weather Service and local SRS tower locations (surface measures only). Variability based on the time of year, the forecast hour, the location of the observations, and the height above ground for each of these variables is discussed. Statistics of accuracy used for comparison include absolute mean bias, relative bias, root-mean-square error, standard deviation, and the index of agreement. The most severe degradation in results occurs during the transition periods of early evening (approximately 19 to 20 LST) and late morningmore » (approximately 07 to 08 LST), especially for temperature. « less
China ’ s Grain for Green Program has reduced soil erosion in the upper reaches of the Yangtze River and the middle reaches of the Yellow River

River and the middle reaches of the Yellow River Z.C. Zhou*, Z.T. Gan, Z.P. Shangguan and Z.B Dong Department of Tourism and Environmental Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi’an, China; State Key Laboratory of Soil Erosion and Dryland Farming on the Loess Plateau, Institute of Soil and Water Conservation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Yangling, China; Key Laboratory of Disaster Survey and Mechanism Simulation of Shaanxi Province, Baoji University of Arts and Sciences, Baoji, Shaanxi, China
A randomized trial of a low-carbohydrate diet for obesity.

BACKGROUND Despite the popularity of the low-carbohydrate, high-protein, high-fat (Atkins) diet, no randomized, controlled trials have evaluated its efficacy. METHODS We conducted a one-year, multicenter, controlled trial involving 63 obese men and women who were randomly assigned to either a low-carbohydrate, high-protein, high-fat diet or a low-calorie, high-carbohydrate, low-fat (conventional) diet. Professional contact was minimal to replicate the approach used by most dieters. RESULTS Subjects on the low-carbohydrate diet had lost more weight than subjects on the conventional diet at 3 months (mean [+/-SD], -6.8+/-5.0 vs. -2.7+/-3.7 percent of body weight; P=0.001) and 6 months (-7.0+/-6.5 vs. -3.2+/-5.6 percent of body weight, P=0.02), but the difference at 12 months was not significant (-4.4+/-6.7 vs. -2.5+/-6.3 percent of body weight, P=0.26). After three months, no significant differences were found between the groups in total or low-density lipoprotein cholesterol concentrations. The increase in high-density lipoprotein cholesterol concentrations and the decrease in triglyceride concentrations were greater among subjects on the low-carbohydrate diet than among those on the conventional diet throughout most of the study. Both diets significantly decreased diastolic blood pressure and the insulin response to an oral glucose load. CONCLUSIONS The low-carbohydrate diet produced a greater weight loss (absolute difference, approximately 4 percent) than did the conventional diet for the first six months, but the differences were not significant at one year. The low-carbohydrate diet was associated with a greater improvement in some risk factors for coronary heart disease. Adherence was poor and attrition was high in both groups. Longer and larger studies are required to determine the long-term safety and efficacy of low-carbohydrate, high-protein, high-fat diets.
Predicting and setting conservation priorities for Bolivian mammals based on biological correlates of the risk of decline

The recognition that growing proportions of species worldwide are endangered has led to the development of comparative analyses to elucidate why some species are more prone to extinction than others. Understanding factors and patterns of species vulnerability might provide an opportunity to develop proactive conservation strategies. Such comparative analyses are of special concern at national scales because this is the scale at which most conservation initiatives take place. We applied powerful ensemble learning models to test for biological correlates of the risk of decline among the Bolivian mammals to understand species vulnerability at a national scale and to predict the population trend for poorly known species. Risk of decline was nonrandomly distributed: higher proportions of large‐sized taxa were under decline, whereas small‐sized taxa were less vulnerable. Body mass, mode of life (i.e., aquatic, terrestrial, volant), geographic range size, litter size, home range, niche specialization, and reproductive potential were strongly associated with species vulnerability. Moreover, we found interacting and nonlinear effects of key traits on the risk of decline of mammals at a national scale. Our model predicted 35 data‐deficient species in decline on the basis of their biological vulnerability, which should receive more attention in order to prevent their decline. Our results highlight the relevance of comparative analysis at relatively narrow geographical scales, reveal previously unknown factors related to species vulnerability, and offer species‐by‐species outcomes that can be used to identify targets for conservation, especially for insufficiently known species.
Reinforcement Learning in a Neurally Controlled Robot Using Dopamine Modulated STDP

Recent work has shown that dopamine-modulated STDP can solve many of the issues associated with reinforcement learning, such as the distal reward problem. Spiking neural networks provide a useful technique in implementing reinforcement learning in an embodied context as they can deal with continuous parameter spaces and as such are better at generalizing the correct behaviour to perform in a given context. In this project we implement a version of DA-modulated STDP in an embodied robot on a food foraging task. Through simulated dopaminergic neurons we show how the robot is able to learn a sequence of behaviours in order to achieve a food reward. In tests the robot was able to learn food-attraction behaviour, and subsequently unlearn this behaviour when the environment changed, in all 50 trials. Moreover we show that the robot is able to operate in an environment whereby the optimal behaviour changes rapidly and so the agent must constantly relearn. In a more complex environment, consisting of food-containers, the robot was able to learn food-container attraction in 95% of trials, despite the large temporal distance between the correct behaviour and the reward. This is achieved by shifting the dopamine response from the primary stimulus (food) to the secondary stimulus (food-container). Our work provides insights into the reasons behind some observed biological phenomena, such as the bursting behaviour observed in dopaminergic neurons. As well as demonstrating how spiking neural network controlled robots are able to solve a range of reinforcement learning tasks.
Capitalist normativity: Value and values

In this paper I locate values within a uniquely capitalist confrontation between freedom and nonagency. Freedom marks individual’s freedom to buy and sell work and commodities according to their own capacities and preferences. Nonagency marks their dependence on market exchange for the goods and services they need, and lack of control over their production. I call this confrontation between freedom and nonagency value, and I consider this the social relation that defines the capitalist mode of production. People partaking in this relation who nevertheless exert a measure of influence over their immediate surroundings often use their influence to try and reconcile their freedom with their nonagency. I argue here that values are their means of doing so, because values extend freedom to meet necessity on more morally palatable terms. Values are therefore most prevalent among middle classes and under welfare regimes, where the requisite influence is provided. In the absence of such influence, mediation between freedom and nonagency is no longer possible. Values then give way to different forms of normativity such as pragmatism, duty, or virtue, all of which are presently gaining ground.