Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Norm Bounds and a Homographic Approximation for the Wage–Profit Curve

This paper provides lower and upper norm bounds for the wage–profit curve in linear single-product systems. Thus, it also constructs an algebraically simple (i.e. homographic) and empirically powerful approximation to that curve. The results finally suggest that actual economies tend to behave as ‘corn-tractor’ systems with respect to the shape of the wage–profit curve and, at the same time, behave as three-industry systems with respect to the shape of the production price–profit rate curves.
A close structural analog of MPEP acts as a neutral allosteric site ligand on metabotropic glutamate receptor subtype 5 and blocks the effects of multiple allosteric modulators

The metabotropic glutamate receptor subtype 5 (mGlu5) activates calcium mobilization via binding of glutamate, the major excitatory neurotransmitter in the central nervous system. Allosteric modulation of the receptor has recently emerged as a promising alternative method of regulation to traditional regulation through orthosteric ligands. We now report three novel compounds that bind to the allosteric MPEP site on mGlu5 but have only partial inhibition or no functional effects on the mGlu5 response. Two of these compounds, 2-(2-(3-methoxyphenyl)ethynyl)-5-methylpyridine (M-5MPEP) and 2-(2-(5-bromopyridin-3-yl)ethynyl)-5-methylpyridine (Br-5MPEPy) act as partial antagonists of mGlu5 in that they only partially inhibit the response of this receptor to glutamate. The third compound, 5-methyl-6-(phenylethynyl)-pyridine (5MPEP), acts as a neutral allosteric site ligand that binds to the MPEP site and has no effects alone. However, 5MPEP blocks the effects of both the allosteric antagonist MPEP and potentiators DFB and CDPPB. This compound also blocks depolarization effects of both MPEP and CDPPB in neurons in the subthalamic nucleus. These novel compounds provide valuable new insights into the pharmacology of allosteric sites on GPCRs and provide valuable new tools for determining the effects of allosteric site ligands in native systems. patch-clamp MultiClamp of a and
REPORT RAPPORT

We consider a GI=G= 1 queue in which the service time distribution and/or the interarrival time distribution has a heavy tail, i.e., a tail behaviour like t (cid:0)(cid:23) with 1 < (cid:23) (cid:20) 2 , so that the mean is (cid:12)nite but the variance is in(cid:12)nite. We prove a heavy-tra(cid:14)c limit theorem for the distribution of the stationary waiting time W . If the tail of the service time distribution is heavier than that of the interarrival time distribution, and the tra(cid:14)c load a ! 1 , then W , multiplied by an appropriate ‘coe(cid:14)cient of contraction’ that is a function of a, converges in distribution to the Kovalenko distribution. If the tail of the interarrival time distribution is heavier than that of the service time distribution, and the tra(cid:14)c load a ! 1 , then W , multiplied by another appropriate ‘coe(cid:14)cient of contraction’ that is a function of a, converges in distribution to the negative exponential distribution.
Occult hepatitis C virus infection in Iranian hemodialysis patients

Background: Occult hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is defined as the presence of HCV-RNA in liver or peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) in the absence of detectable hepatitis C antibody (anti-HCV) or HCV-RNA in the serum. Low concentrations of HCV-RNA may be detected in PBMCs of hemodialysis (HD) patients and this could have a great impact on the management of HD patients. Objectives: The aim of this study was to detect the occult HCV infection in Iranian HD patients. Patients and Methods: A total of 70 anti-HCV negative HD patients from three dialysis units in Tehran, Iran were included in this study. In these cases, presence of HCV-RNA in plasma samples was tested by reverse transcriptase-nested polymerase chain reaction (RT-nested PCR). In cases with negative anti-HCV and plasma HCV-RNA, genomic HCV-RNA was checked in PBMC specimens by RT-nested PCR. Results: Seventy anti-HCV negative HD patients were enrolled in the study. 32.85% and 1.43% of cases had elevated levels of alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) respectively. 7.14% of patients had elevated levels of both ALT and AST. HCV-RNA was negative in plasma samples of all anti-HCV negative HD subjects. The genomic HCV-RNA was not detected in any PBMC samples of HD cases with negative anti-HCV and plasma HCV-RNA. Conclusions: Occult HCV infection was not detected in our HD patients despite of elevated levels of liver enzymes in some participants. Further studies involving larger number of HD patients are required to elucidate the rate of occult HCV infection in HD cases.
Profiling U.S. Metropolitan Regions by Their Social Research Networks and Regional Economic Performance

On the premise that knowledge creation defines contemporary metropolitan regions, we profile them by their inventive networks, as measured by a variety of complementary social network, technology, and patenting metrics that distinguish scalar and structural aspects. Using a comprehensive, multiyear database of patent applications, we investigate whether the knowledge creation network profiles are discriminating characteristics of metropolitan regions by establishing a new urban taxonomy for metropolitan areas in the United States. The four‐class taxonomy is not only statistically significant, but it is also economically meaningful in terms of economic performance of metropolitan areas. We find that metropolitan areas benefit from a higher density of inventors in the population, and that there is a positive correlation between economic performance and metropolitan areas with inventor teams working in similar or complementary areas of technology. In fact, the structure of knowledge creation networks are fundamental to economic performance and extends to metropolitan growth rates in jobs and income.
Memory Strength and Criterion Shift in the False Memory Paradigm: A Learning Case of Hamdard University, Karachi, Pakistan

The attempt has been made to investigate the criterion shift hypothesis once again by intruding a confidence measurement, which possibly clarify the role that criterion shifts play in the false memory phenomenon. Literature Review: Literature review shows that this hypothesis still needs research upon the same topic. Methods: This study is experimental in which students of Hamdard University were selected as subjects. Subjects were 40 students from BBA and MBA program. Both male/female and left/right handed subjects participated. All subjects were not native English speakers. The experiment was conducted using a computer program to collect the data. Generally, the experiment had two parts, firstly a study/recall phase and secondly a test/recognition phase. The scale we introduced to allow participants to assess their own certainty about the classification of recognition items is more detailed than that used in the Roediger and McDermott study. Our hypothesis was that a shift in decision criterion would become evident by means of a lower certainty measure for lure words as compared to target words from the lists. Conclusion: This difference was found in our data. The mean certainty measure we found for the critical lures is significantly lower than the mean certainty for the targets. Classification-D83; I21; O31;
miR-34 – a microRNA replacement therapy is headed to the clinic

MicroRNA-34 (miR-34) is a master regulator of tumor suppression. It is downregulated in numerous cancers and inhibits malignant growth by repressing genes involved in various oncogenic signaling pathways. Consequently, miR-34 antagonizes processes that are necessary for basic cancer cell viability as well as cancer stemness, metastasis, and chemoresistance. This broad anti-oncogenic activity holds the prospect of creating a new remedy that is effective against tumor heterogeneity. This review focuses on the molecular mechanisms of miR-34-mediated tumor suppression, pharmacologies in animal models of cancer, and a status update of a miR-34 therapy that may be among the first miRNA mimics to reach the clinic.
A general data fusion architecture

Data fusion is an important component of applications for systems that use correlated data from multiple sources to determine the state ofa system. As the state of the system being monitored and available resources change, the general data fusion famework should change dynamically based on the current environment and available resources in the system. To achieve this goal, we have proposed a general Data Fusion Architecture (DFA) based on the Unfled Modeling Language (UML) and using a taxonomy based on the definitions of raw data and variables or tasks. The DFA can be reconfigured according to the measured environment and availability of the sensing units or data sources, providing a graceful degradation in the view of the environment as resources change. We have shown that we can apply the DFA to dflerent domains and applications. including a test bed health monitoring application.
HIV-Related Behaviors, Social Support and Health-Related Quality of Life among Men Who Have Sex with Men and Women (MSMW): A Cross-Sectional Study in Chongqing, China

Background Health-related quality of life (HRQOL) has become commonly used both as a concept and as a field of research. However, little is known about the HRQOL of men who have sex with men and women (MSMW). The aim of this study was to examine HIV-related behaviors, social support, and HRQOL status and explore its predictors among MSMW. Methods An anonymous cross-sectional study was conducted by snowball sampling method in 2013. A total of 563 Chinese MSM completed a structured questionnaire. The HRQOL and social support were measured with the Chinese version of the World Health Organization Quality of Life Scale (WHOQOL-BRFE) and the Social Support Rating Scale (SSRS), respectively. Results Of the 563 MSM analyzed, 77 (13.68%) were MSMW who had a higher proportion of in-marriage and preference for an insertive role as compared with the men who have sex with men only (MSMO) (P<0.05). As high as 70.13% of MSMW had no regular sex partners and 72.73% of MSMW reported engaging in unprotected anal sex in the last six months. 36.36% had tested for HIV, while only 12.99% had accepted HIV voluntary counseling and testing (VCT) services. The scores of objective support and subjective support in MSMW were significantly higher than that of MSMO (P<0.05). No statistically significant difference was found in scores of all the four domains of the HRQOL between MSMW and MSMO. When comparing the HRQOL scores of MSMW with the Chinese general population reference group, the scores of MSMW were significantly lower in physical health domain. In a multivariate regression model, age, monthly income, sexual role, VCT acceptability, subjective support were associated with variability in HRQOL. Conclusions To improve the HRQOL among MSMW, more attention needs to be paid to those with low social support, low-income, the old and those prefer a receptive role during anal sex populations.
Anti-Inflammatory Effect of Angelica gigas via Heme Oxygenase (HO)-1 Expression

Angelica gigas (AG) is effective against various medical conditions such as bacterial infection, inflammation, and cancer. It contains a number of coumarin compounds and the group of interest is the pyranocoumarin, which comprises decursin and decursinol angelate. This group has an effect on controlling inflammation, which is caused by excessive nitric oxide (NO) production. Heme oxygenases (HOs), particularly HO-1, play a role in regulating the production of NO. Thus, this study aimed to investigate the anti-inflammatory effects of AG by measuring HO-1 expression. Treatments with CH2Cl2 layer and Angelica gigas extract (AGE) showed the highest NO inhibition effects. Decursin, decursinol angelate, and nodakenin were isolated from the CH2Cl2 layer of AGE. Decursin also demonstrated the highest anti-oxidative effect among the coumarins. Although decursin had the best NO inhibition and anti-oxidative effects, the effects of AGE treatment far surpassed that of decursin. This is owing to the combination effect of the coumarins present within AGE, which is a solvent extract of AG. The expression of HO-1 is an effective indicator of the anti-inflammatory effects of AG. Based on the results of the coumarin compounds, HO-1 expression was found to be dose dependent and specific to decursin.
Whole Brain and Localized Magnetization Transfer Measurements Are Associated with Cognitive Impairment in Patients Infected with Human Immunodeficiency Virus

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Patients infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) are susceptible to cognitive deterioration. This study investigated the utility of magnetization transfer (MT) imaging for quantification of brain tissue alterations associated with cognitive deficits in patients with HIV. MATERIALS AND METHODS: MT ratios (MTR) were derived for whole brain and for regions of interest (ROIs) in the basal ganglia and white matter in 11 HIV and 12 control subjects. Relationships with severity of cognitive impairment and specific neuropsychological deficits were also evaluated. RESULTS: MTR values for normalized whole brain histogram peak height, whole brain histogram mean, and all examined ROIs were reduced in the HIV subjects. Normalized histogram peak height and mean for whole brain, as well as means for the corpus callosum, basal ganglia, and frontal white matter (FWM), were significantly correlated with severity of cognitive impairment. MTR values for white matter regions (corpus callosum, FWM, and centrum semiovale) were correlated with specific cognitive deficits. CONCLUSION: Quantitative MTR measurements, determined for the whole brain and for vulnerable ROIs, are sensitive to neuropathologic changes associated with cognitive impairment in HIV-infected patients.
Influence of Fatty Acid Composition of Soybean Oil Vs. Beef Tallow on Egg Yolk Fatty Acid Profiles of Laying Hens

We investigated the effect of dietary soybean oil (SBO) vs. beef tallow (TAL) on egg yolk fatty acid composition in laying hens. Four laying hens (Hi-Sex brown chickens), 40 weeks of age, were given experimental diet and recorded data between day 7 and 42. The hens were fed cassava starch-soybean meal with 10% SBO or TAL. Fatty acid composition was determined for (a) soybean oil and beef tallow samples, (b) yolk lipids and (c) 5 yolks per hen on day 32 and 35. Feed intake of SBO treatment trended to be depressed (as low as 95.32 g/h/d) compared with the TAL treatment (105.55 g/h/d), albeit the difference was not significant (p>0.05). SFAs accumulation in egg yolks was between 1,141.84-1,509.42 mg/yolk mass, irrespective of SFA intake (i.e., 2,099.56 mg/h/d on the SBO diet or 8,878.16 mg/h/d on the TAL diet). The main residue of SFAs from the intake (stearic acid; 18:0) results in an increase in oleic acid (18:1n-9) or omega-9 fatty acid accumulation in the egg yolk. The linoleic acid (18:2n-6) in the yolk (i.e., 1,337.28 mg/yolk mass in the SBO treatment vs. 312.39 mg/yolk mass in TAL treatment) is directly related to dietar y consumption (p<0.05) (i.e., 6,872.47 mg/h/d in the SBO diet and 1,010.40 mg/h/d in the TAL diet). The addition of TAL in diet strongly affects oleic acid (47.03% of 18:1n:9) accumulation in the yolk, while the addition of SBO to the diet resulted in PUFA (39.08%) accumulation in the yolk (mainly as omega-6 PUFAs).
An Analysis of Market Efficiency in Response to Short Sale Information

We investigate the effect of expected short sales and short sales surprises on abnormal securities returns. We then examine the impact of short sales constraints on the informational efficiency of the equity market based on a major hypothesis of Diamond and Verrecchia (1987). We conduct a series of tests using data from a natural experiment created by an SEC-initiated pilot program under the Regulation SHO reform. We have four major fi ndings: (1) unexpected bad news, speci fically, unexpected short sales, cause signifi cant price adjustment when those unexpected short sales are revealed, (2) surprisingly, expected short sales demand also causes price adjustments after short sales information revelation, (3) short sales surprises have a linear relationship with subsequent abnormal returns, i.e., investors react to different levels of short sales surprises with equal sensitivity, and (4) price tests do not increase short sales constraints in the markets.
The Relevance of Web Traffic for Stock Prices of Internet Firms

This study shows that web traffic is an important non-financial indicator of the market values of Business to Consumer (B2C) Internet firms. We add three important insights to the literature on the value-relevance of traffic. We show that traffic is a summary measure of the strategies that firms use to attract visitors to their websites. The value-relevance of traffic disappears once the exogenous determinants of traffic (e.g., setting up an alliance with America Online, creating affiliate referral programs, generating media visibility, incurring marketing expenditure and constraints imposed by cash availability) are accounted for in the value-relevance model. We also demonstrate that traffic contains no predictive information about future revenues once past revenues are accounted for. The value-relevance of traffic does not stem merely from its role as a predictor of future sales. Finally, we show that the stock market appears to use traffic as a measure of the web businesses' ability to create network effects. Network effects occur when the value of a website to a visitor may depend on how many others visit that site. Consistent with Metcalfe's law of network economics, we find that market values of web businesses increase non-linearly with traffic.
Academic Performance and Part-Time Employment among High School Seniors

Abstract This study estimates the effect of hours worked at a part time job on GPA among 12th grade respondents to the annual 19912004 Monitoring the Future surveys. I use two stage least squares (2SLS) with indicators for various levels of unearned income, which are strong predictors of hours worked, as instruments. Results show that GPA increases with additional work hours up to 15 per week and then declines. 2SLS estimates are substantially larger than those from ordinary least squares and robust to exclusion restrictions variations. Working has a small negative impact on educational time, but a much larger quadratic impact, which is negative up to 1520 hours per week, on time spent watching television and in social activities. Effects are stable across the sample period, larger for females, non-whites and metropolitan area residents, and linearly positive but substantially smaller for students with high future discount rates.
Firm size and corporate financial‐leverage choice in a developing economy: Evidence from Nigeria

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to investigate, from an undeveloped market perspective, the nature and significance of firm size as a determinant of corporate financial leverage. Design/methodology/approach - A panel data fixed-effects regression model is used to estimate the relationship between financial leverage and firm size, while controlling also for the effects of other acclaimed determinants like asset tangibility, profitability and firm age. The dataset used covers 71 firms quoted in the Nigerian stock markets over a 17-year period (1990-2006). Findings - The study reveals that as much as 91.4 percent of the total finances of Nigerian-quoted firms is of short-term liabilities, with just 8.6 percent constituting long-term liabilities. It finds that firm size is negatively and significantly related to financial leverage. Controlling for some other determinants, the arising results tend to confirm an over-bearing influence of the pecking order theory in the financing patterns of Nigerian-quoted firms – by revealing that the relationship between profitability and financial leverage is highly significant and negative; and that firm-age is positively and significantly related to financial leverage. Originality/value - Using data from a country with undeveloped and inefficient financial markets, this paper provides an important insight on the international debate on the effects of size on corporate decisions.
Erosion of ATH and silica filled silicone rubber in the DC inclined plane test

In this paper erosion of silicone rubber loaded with 30 wt% ATH and silica is investigated in the DC inclined plane tracking/erosion test as per ASTM D 2303. Reduced equivalent DC voltages have been applied in order to compare with the erosion under AC. Hot spot temperatures are used for comparative analysis of dry-band arcing severity on the tested materials. Also, depending on the type of filler, initiation of stable and intense dry-band arcing is discussed. Based on the results it is proposed that the existing material formulation used for AC insulators are not suitable for DC insulators as the erosion is more severe and different.
Relation of Growth Rate from Birth to Three Months and Four to Six Months to Body Mass Index at Ages Four to Six Years

Background. While rapid early weight gain are common in children who become obese later in life, so is growth faltering in the first 3 months of life. Objective. We seek to determine what relationship weight gain in the first six months of age, separated into two 3-month periods, have with the BMI of children ages 4 to 6 years in an inner-city community. Subjects. A convenience sample cohort of 154 children attending an inner-city clinic. Methods. Consecutive charts were reviewed retrospectively. Age, gender, birth weight and weight change in the first and second 3 months of life were introduced as fixed factors using mixed linear models with BMI in years 4 to 6 as the dependent variable. Results. Weight change quartile in the first 3 months of life did not predict of BMI in years 4 to 6; however, weight changes quartiles during months 4 to 6 were significant predictors for subsequent overweight. Conclusion. The data presented herein suggest that, for this specific population, weight gain can be promoted when it is most essential. It is necessary, however, to identify intermediary variables that could affect outcomes in this and other communities.
Investigating the Genetic and Environmental Structure of Cloninger's Personality Dimensions in Adolescence

Abstract In this study we examined the genetic and environmental structure of four dimensions from Cloninger's personality system: novelty-seeking (NS), harm-avoidance (HA), reward-dependence (RD), and persistence (PS). Although adult twin studies suggest that these personality dimensions are moderately heritable, this is the first twin study of Cloninger's personality dimensions in adolescence — a period marked by significant physiological and social changes. Study participants included 1851 adolescent twins between the ages of 11 and 18 years; 878 complete twin pairs and 95 singleton-responding twins. Subjects were participants in two community-based samples of twins residing in the state of Colorado. Results indicated that cross-sectional mean levels for NS, HA and RD tended to show modest increases across the adolescent years, while PS showed modest mean decreases. Consistent sex differences in means were found only for RD. Univariate biometrical twin models were used to decompose trait variance into genetic and environmental sources. Results indicated that for NS, HA and RD additive genetic influences and unique environmental effects were sufficient to explain the data. PS, however, could be explained by unique and common environmental effects only, with different patterns of common environmental effects for males and females. We found moderate heritability estimates for NS, HA and RD ranging from . 28 to . 36 — with no evidence for sex-limitation in those influences.