Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Parathyroid glands of amphibians. I. Parathyroid structure and function in the amphibian, with emphasis on regulation of mineral ions in body fluids.

Parathyroid glands of amphibians develop from the pharyngeal pouches and are located adjacent to the external jugular vein and hypoglossal nerve. They are composed of whorls of compact epithelial cells covered by a vascular capsule of connective tissue. Possibly two cell types are present: (a) peripheral clear cells, which are implicated in elaboration of hormone and contain secretory granules, and (b) dense reserve cells. During winter, the parathyroids undergo degeneration, characterized by morphological details which vary with the species; this is followed by regeneration in the spring. Parathyroidectomy may cause hyperexcitability, but rarely does tetanic death occur. Parathyroidectomized amphibians, like mammals, become hypocalcemic and hyperphosphatemic. In contrast to higher vertebrates, however, parathyroprivic anurans show an elevated urine phosphorus, which is presently interpreted as a reflection of the increased plasma load due to absence of a hormonally-induced, soft-tissue accumulation of phosphate. Further, parathyroidectomized frogs are hypercalciuric, possibly because of the lack of hormone-mediated mesonephric reabsorption. In both mammals and amphibians, treatment with exogenous parathormone induces hypercalcemia, hypercalciuria, and hypophosphatemia. The absence of change in the urine phosphorus content of hormone-treated frogs, associated with its decline in plasma, may be a consequence of metabolic variations based upon the heterothermic nature of the Amphibia.
The effect of police paramilitary unit raids on crime at micro-places in Buffalo, New York

This study examines the deterrent effect of the short-term application of police paramilitary units. The police in Buffalo conducted 39 police paramilitary unit raids during a two-day period in 2012. It is hypothesized that if police paramilitary units are used then there will be a reduction in calls for service, Part 1 crimes and drug arrests. The effect of the police paramilitary unit raids at micro-place street units was estimated by drawing a comparable sample of control units via propensity score modeling. A fixed effects negative binomial panel model was estimated for counts 35 weeks before and 35 weeks after the intervention. Calls for service and drug arrests increased in the treated areas compared with controls. There is slight evidence of a deterrent effect for Part 1 crimes in the two weeks after the intervention. The null findings suggest that, at best, police paramilitary unit raids have a short-term deterrent effect on crime.
Valence-Specific Modulation in the Accumulation of Perceptual Evidence Prior to Visual Scene Recognition

Visual scene recognition is a dynamic process through which incoming sensory information is iteratively compared with predictions regarding the most likely identity of the input stimulus. In this study, we used a novel progressive unfolding task to characterize the accumulation of perceptual evidence prior to scene recognition, and its potential modulation by the emotional valence of these scenes. Our results show that emotional (pleasant and unpleasant) scenes led to slower accumulation of evidence compared to neutral scenes. In addition, when controlling for the potential contribution of non-emotional factors (i.e., familiarity and complexity of the pictures), our results confirm a reliable shift in the accumulation of evidence for pleasant relative to neutral and unpleasant scenes, suggesting a valence-specific effect. These findings indicate that proactive iterations between sensory processing and top-down predictions during scene recognition are reliably influenced by the rapidly extracted (positive) emotional valence of the visual stimuli. We interpret these findings in accordance with the notion of a genuine positivity offset during emotional scene recognition.
An Electronic Publication Dedicated to Early Stellar Evolution and Molecular Clouds Evidence for a Turnover in the Initial Mass Function of Low–mass Stars and Substellar Objects: Analysis from an Ensemble of Young Clusters

s of recently accepted papers Optical polarimetry toward the Pipe nebula: revealing the importance of the magnetic field Magnetic fields are proposed to play an important role in the formation and support of self-gravitating clouds and the formation and evolution of protostars in such clouds. We use R-band linear polarimetry collected for about 12000 stars in 46 fields with lines of sight toward the Pipe nebula to investigate the properties of the polarization across this dark cloud complex. Mean polarization vectors show that the magnetic field is locally perpendicular to the large filamentary structure of the Pipe nebula (the 'stem'), indicating that the global collapse may have been driven by ambipolar diffusion. The polarization properties clearly change along the Pipe nebula. The northwestern end of the nebula (B59 region) is found to have a low degree of polarization and high dispersion in polarization position angle, while at the other extreme of the cloud (the 'bowl') we found mean degrees of polarization as high as ≈15% and a low dispersion in polarization position angle. The plane of the sky magnetic field strength was estimated to vary from about 17 µG in the B59 region to about 65 µG in the bowl. We propose that three distinct regions exist, which may be related to different evolutionary stages of the cloud; this idea is supported by both the polarization properties across the Pipe and the estimated mass-to-flux ratio that varies between approximately super-critical toward the B59 region and sub-critical inside the bowl. The three regions that we identify are: the B59 region, which is currently forming stars; the stem, which appears to be at an earlier stage of star formation where material has been through a collapsing phase but not yet given birth to stars; and the bowl, which represents the earliest stage of the cloud in which the collapsing phase and cloud fragmentation has already started. We present a combined analysis of the low-mass initial mass function (IMF) for seven star-forming regions. We first demonstrate that the ratios of stars to brown dwarfs are consistent with a single underlying IMF. By assuming that the underlying IMF is the same for all seven clusters and by combining the ratio of stars to brown dwarfs from each cluster we constrain the shape of the brown dwarf IMF and find it to be consistent with a lognormal IMF. This provides the strongest constraint yet that …
MYCT1-TV, A Novel MYCT1 Transcript, Is Regulated by c-Myc and May Participate in Laryngeal Carcinogenesis

Background MYCT1, a putative target of c-Myc, is a novel candidate tumor suppressor gene cloned from laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma (LSCC). Its transcriptional regulation and biological effects on LSCC have not been clarified. Methodology/Principal Findings Using RACE assay, we cloned a 1106 bp transcript named Myc target 1 transcript variant 1 (MYCT1-TV) and confirmed its transcriptional start site was located at 140 bp upstream of the ATG start codon of MYCT1-TV. Luciferase, electrophoretic mobility shift and chromatin immunoprecipitation assays confirmed c-Myc could regulate the promoter activity of MYCT1-TV by specifically binding to the E-box elements within −886 to −655 bp region. These results were further verified by site-directed mutagenesis and RNA interference (RNAi) assays. MYCT1-TV and MYCT1 expressed lower in LSCC than those in paired adjacent normal laryngeal tissues, and overexpression of MYCT1-TV and MYCT1 could inhibit cell proliferation and invasion and promote apoptosis in LSCC cells. Conclusions/Significance Our data indicate that MYCT1-TV, a novel MYCT1 transcript, is regulated by c-Myc and down-regulation of MYCT1-TV/MYCT1 could contribute to LSCC development and function.
Survival of Atlantic salmon Salmo salar smolts through a hydropower complex.

This study evaluated Atlantic salmon Salmo salar smolt survival through the lower Penobscot River, Maine, U.S.A. , and characterized relative differences in proportional use and survival through the main-stem of the river and an alternative migration route, the Stillwater Branch. The work was conducted prior to removal of two main-stem dams and operational changes in hydropower facilities in the Stillwater Branch. Survival and proportional use of migration routes in the lower Penobscot were estimated from multistate (MS) models based on 6 years of acoustic telemetry data from 1669 smolts and 2 years of radio-telemetry data from 190 fish. A small proportion (0·12, 95% c.i. = 0·06-0·25) of smolts used the Stillwater Branch, and mean survival through the two operational dams in this part of the river was relatively high (1·00 and 0·97). Survival at Milford Dam, the dam that will remain in the main-stem of the Penobscot River, was relatively low (0·91), whereas survival through two dams that were removed was relatively high (0·99 and 0·98). Smolt survival could decrease in the Stillwater Branch with the addition of two new powerhouses while continuing to meet fish passage standards. The effects of removing two dams in the main-stem are expected to be negligible for smolt survival based on high survival observed from 2005 to 2012 at those locations. Survival through Milford Dam was been well below current regulatory standards, and thus improvement of passage at this location offers the best opportunity for improving overall smolt survival in the lower river.
Rural Secondary Educators' Perceptions of Their Efficacy in the Inclusive Classroom

The purpose of this study was to compare the differences in rural secondary special and general education teachers' perceptions of their efficacy in teaching students in an inclusive classroom. The sample consisted of 148 rural secondary general education and 32 special education teachers. The researchers used an independent-samples t test to determine if there was a difference in the efficacy of student engagement for general and special education teachers. Results indicated there was a significant difference in the efficacy of student engagement for general and special education teachers. The researchers completed further examination using stepwise multiple regression analysis to determine the extent to which teacher characteristics predict efficacy in student engagement. Implications of the findings for policy and practice in rural schools are also discussed.
Innocenti Occasional Papers Economic and Social Policy Series no . 71 Child Poverty across Industrialized Nations

While child poverty is everywhere seen as an important social problem, there is considerable variation in both anti-poverty policies and poverty outcomes across the industrialized nations. In this paper we present new estimates of patterns of child income poverty in 25 nations using data from the Luxembourg Income Study. These estimates are presented using a range of alternative income poverty definitions and describe the correlations of outcomes with different demographic patterns and labour market and social transfer incomes. The paper also tests the robustness of these results to different poverty definitions and to more comprehensive measurements of child living standards. Evidence on cross-national patterns of non-cash income receipt suggests that more comprehensive measures, which include non-cash benefits would be unlikely to change the overall pattern of poverty. We then examine the impact of household savings patterns (particularly via house purchase) on child consumption and conclude that this also does not change the picture provided by income measures alone. The paper concludes with an analysis of the sources of the variation in child poverty across nations. Much of the previous literature has focused on the differences in welfare state institutions and social transfer outcomes. Our results, on the other hand, suggest that variations in the market incomes received by the families of disadvantaged children are more important.
Demystifying the information reconciliation protocol cascade

Cascade is an information reconciliation protocol proposed in the context of secret key agreement in quantum cryptography. This protocol allows removing discrepancies in two partially correlated sequences that belong to distant parties, connected through a public noiseless channel. It is highly interactive, thus requiring a large number of channel communications between the parties to proceed and, although its efficiency is not optimal, it has become the de-facto standard for practical implementations of information reconciliation in quantum key distribution. The aim of this work is to analyze the performance of Cascade, to discuss its strengths, weaknesses and optimization possibilities, comparing with some of the modified versions that have been proposed in the literature. When looking at all design trade-offs, a new view emerges that allows to put forward a number of guidelines and propose near optimal parameters for the practical implementation of Cascade improving performance significantly in comparison with all previous proposals.
Surface appearance of dynamo-generated large-scale fields

Aims. Twisted magnetic fields are frequently seen to emerge above the visible surface of the Sun. This emergence is usually associated with the rise of buoyant magnetic flux structures. Here we ask how magnetic fields from a turbulent large-scale dynamo appear above the surface if there is no magnetic buoyancy. Methods. The computational domain is split into two parts. In the lower part, which we refer to as the turbulence zone, the flow is driven by an assumed helical forcing function leading to dynamo action. Above this region, which we refer to as the exterior, a nearly force-free magnetic field is computed at each time step using the stress-and-relax method. Results. Twisted arcade-like field structures are found to emerge in the exterior above the turbulence zone. Strong current sheets tend to form above the neutral line, where the vertical field component vanishes. Time series of the magnetic field structure show recurrent plasmoid ejections. The degree to which the exterior field is force free is estimated as the ratio of the dot product of current density and magnetic field strength to their respective rms values. This ratio reaches values of up to 95% in the exterior. A weak outward flow is driven by the residual Lorentz force.
Re-Tweet Count Matters: Social Influences on Sharing of Disaster-Related Tweets

Abstract Communication during and after disasters increasingly relies on social media technologies. For example, victims, emergency responders, and others took to Twitter to share information about conditions, aid, resources and the like in the aftermath of the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake. The current paper concerns how a re-tweet count, or the number of others who have already forwarded a message, influences people’s spreading of disaster-related tweets. The results of a human-subjects experiment revealed that, when the re-tweet count of a tweet increased, the likelihood that people would share the tweet increased when it came from an individual’s account, but the likelihood decreased when it came from a news agency’s account. These social influences disappeared when the re-tweet counts were over 1000 people. These findings extend the understanding of how disaster-related information spreads on social media, which is essential for improving social media during disaster management.
Exports and Credit Constraints under Incomplete Information: Theory and Evidence from China

Abstract This paper examines why credit constraints for domestic and exporting firms arise in a setting where banks do not observe firms' productivities. To maintain incentive compatibility, banks lend below the amount that firms need for optimal production. The longer time needed for export shipments induces a tighter credit constraint on exporters than on purely domestic firms. In our application to Chinese firms, we find that the credit constraint is more stringent as a firm's export share grows, as the time to ship for exports is lengthened, and as there is greater dispersion of firms' productivities, reflecting more incomplete information.
An experimental study to identify the potential role of pharmacogenomics in determining the occurrence of oxaliplatin-induced liver injury

Background Oxaliplatin-based chemotherapy has been linked to the development of sinusoidal obstruction syndrome (SOS), which is detrimental to outcome after liver resection for colorectal liver metastases (CLM). The aim of this study was to determine how the expression of genes involved in the transport and metabolism of FOLFOX chemotherapy impacts on tissue injury in a murine model of CLM. Methods Experimental CLM was established in C57/B16 mice and treated with FOLFOX chemotherapy. After 3 weeks, the animals were killed and RNA extracted from liver, spleen and tumour tissue. DNA damage was assessed by immunohistochemistry for γH2AX. Gene expression was determined by reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction. Results FOLFOX treatment was associated with an increase in the number of γH2AX-positive cells in both the spleen (P < 0.01) and tumour tissue (P < 0.01), but not the liver. Tissue resistance to injury following FOLFOX was associated with high expression of the copper transporter ATP7B. Differences in the expression of genes related to 5-fluorouracil metabolism or DNA repair did not correlate with the severity of tissue injury. Conclusions High levels of expression of ATP7B are associated with resistance to tissue injury following FOLFOX chemotherapy. Polymorphisms in the ATP7B gene may explain varying susceptibility to SOS among patients following oxaliplatin-based chemotherapy.
Winner's Curse in Discriminatory Price Auctions: Evidence from Norwegian Treasury Bill Auctions

This paper studies bidder behavior using a detailed data set consisting of actual bid distributions in Norwegian Treasury bill auctions held during 1993-1998. The empirical results presented suggest that observed bidder behavior is consistent with an adjustment for the winner’s curse. Bidders shade and disperse their bids more, and reduce quantity demanded, when the number of competing bidders increases. Tests suggest that there are some differences between the individual bidders. For instance, the most frequent bidders tend to disperse their bids more than other bidders, on average. Differences in bid shading and bidder profits can not be explained by bidder frequency or bidder size.
Internet Addiction: The Emergence of a New Clinical Disorder

Anecdotal reports indicated that some on-line users were becoming addicted to the Internet in much the same way that others became addicted to drugs or alcohol, which resulted in academic, social, and occupational impairment. However, research among sociologists, psychologists, or psychiatrists has not formally identified addictive use of the Internet as a problematic behavior. This study investigated the existence of Internet addiction and the extent of problems caused by such potential misuse. Of all the diagnoses referenced in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders—Fourth Edition (DSM-IV; American Psychiatric Association, 1995), Pathological Gambling was viewed as most akin to the pathological nature of Internet use. By using Pathological Gambling as a model, addictive Internet use can be defined as an impulse-control disorder that does not involve an intoxicant. Therefore, this study developed a brief eight-item questionnaire referred to as a Diagnostic Questionnaire (DQ), which mod.
PREVALENCE OF IXODID TICKS IN POST ACARICIDE TREATED CATTLE AND BUFFALOES AT SINNER DISTRICT NASHIK (M.S) INDIA.

A survey was carried out to investigate the prevalence of hard tick species (Acari: Ixodidae) on cattle in Sinner Diary farms at Nashik district, India. A total of 1364 (958 caw and 305 buffaloes) post acaricide treated animals were selected and examined for the prevalence of tick infestation. The effect of host, breed, health status, sex, age, coat colour on tick infestation was recorded. Prominently Boophilus, Amblyomma and Hyalomma spp were found on caw and buffalo. Where age and sex of host play non-significant role in prevalence of tick infestation, while breed of the host and health status are important parameters found to be significantly affecting tick prevalence. The routine acaricide treatment at local level is found ineffective in controlling tick infestation. This may be due to use of unspecific acaricide, wrong method of application and increased resistance in tick. This research focuses on necessity of integrated tick management Programme and awareness at national level.
1 Corporate Governance and Stakeholder Management : an Islamic Perspective

Sound corporate governance practices have become essential for efficient, viable and sustainable growth of Islamic financial institutions. Accordingly, there is a shift from the traditional shareholder value centred view of corporate governance in favour of a corporate governance structure that looks after the interest of a wider circle of stakeholder. Extant literature suggests that a good corporate governance practices depends on how well companies manage the diverse expectations and interests of various stakeholder groups. Nevertheless Western scholars have noted that constructing a model to devise a principle for making trade-offs among diverse stakeholders is the toughest problem of ethics that usually emerged. For Islamic financial institutions, this issue becomes more acute especially when corporate governance objectives would include reassuring stakeholders that they are likely to receive a fair return on their investments and equally important, that the business practices are in conformity with Shari’ah. This paper, therefore attempts to address this issue by providing Shari’ah prescription that provides a framework for managers to resolve problems arising from potential conflicting responsibilities towards various stakeholders. In particular, the pyramid of maslahah may serve as a viable and effective model to devise a decision framework for managing conflicts and interest of various stakeholder groups.
Approximate inference in generalized linear mixed models

Statistical approaches to overdispersion, correlated errors, shrinkage estimation, and smoothing of regression relationships may be encompassed within the framework of the generalized linear mixed model (GLMM). Given an unobserved vector of random effects, observations are assumed to be conditionally independent with means that depend on the linear predictor through a specified link function and conditional variances that are specified by a variance function, known prior weights and a scale factor. The random effects are assumed to be normally distributed with mean zero and dispersion matrix depending on unknown variance components. For problems involving time series, spatial aggregation and smoothing, the dispersion may be specified in terms of a rank deficient inverse covariance matrix. Approximation of the marginal quasi-likelihood using Laplace's method leads eventually to estimating equations based on penalized quasilikelihood or PQL for the mean parameters and pseudo-likelihood for the variances. Im.
Children for Families: An Ethnography of Illegal Intercountry Adoption from Ethiopia

ABSTRACT The article is an ethnographic description of processes involved in illegal intercountry adoption of children from Ethiopia. It is based primarily on interviews with 54 key informants having firsthand knowledge and experience in the adoption system in Ethiopia. The interviews were transcribed, coded, and categorized, which identified three analytically convenient stages leading to intercountry adoption from Ethiopia. A succinct description of the legal processes precedes and frames subsequent detailed description of illegal processes in each of the three stages. Finally, root causes that facilitated illegal intercountry adoption are discussed together with recommendations to address the identified causes.