Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Calcium inward current and related charge movements in the membrane of snail neurones.

1. Isolated and intracellularly perfused neurones from the snail Helix pomatia have been investigated under voltage‐clamp conditions. Calcium inward current and asymmetric displacement current were examined. 2. Two components of the asymmetric displacement current have been distinguished. One of them was irreversibly blocked by intracellular fluoride together with the calcium inward current. Another component (about 20%) was not affected. The relation of the fluoride‐sensitive asymmetric displacement current to the activity of calcium channels was investigated. 3. The amounts of charge displaced by the on‐ and off‐responses of the asymmetric current were similar. The maximum charge displacement was between 1500 and 2000 electron charges/micrometers 2. 4. The normalized steady‐state voltage distribution curve of the displaced charge coincided with the square root of the normalized calcium conductance. The slope was 4 mV per e‐fold change for the calcium conductance and 8 mV for te charge distribution. Thus, the effective valencies were close to 6 (for the calcium conductance) and 3 (for the charge distribution), suggesting two gating particles per calcium channel. 5. The on‐process of the calcium inward current fitted m2 kinetics. The time constant tau m corresponded to the time constant tau ason of the asymmetric current in a wide range of tested voltages. This correspondence failed only at small depolarizations where tau m exceeded tau ason. 6. The ‘off’ time constants of the calcium inward current (tau Caoff) and the asymmetric current (tau asoff) examined at ‐40 mV did not depend significantly on the test pulse height. The ratio tau asoff/tau Caoff varied between 1.7 and 2.5. 7. Calcium inward‐current relaxation kinetics were measured for small shifts of membrane potential (Vtest = ‐2 mV) applied at the peaks of the current. The time constants were smaller than tau m and depended only weakly on voltage. 8. It is concluded that the fluoride‐sensitive asymmetric displacement current is related to the activation of calcium channels.
The link between central bank independence and inflation in Central and Eastern Europe: are the results sensitive to endogeneity issue omitted dynamics and subjectivity bias?

This paper provides an empirical analysis of the association between central bank independence (CBI) and inflation for 17 Central and Eastern European economies from 1990 to 2009. We employ a dynamic panel data model estimated with a "system" generalized method of moments, which incorporates several control variables as well as accounts for the subjectivity bias in the construction and interpretation of CBI indexes. The main finding of our empirical research is that, after introducing dynamics in the empirical model and controlling for the effects of other macroeconomic and institutional variables, the usual significant and negative relationship between CBI and inflation disappears.
Optimal Trade and Privatization Policies in an International Duopoly with Cost Asymmetry

This paper examines optimal trade and privatization policies in a mixed duopoly in which a pubic home firm competes with a more efficient foreign firm. The home firm is a Cournot competitor or a Stackelberg leader. The home government chooses the degree of privatization and import tariff to maximize national welfare. The paper examines the policy effects on industry equilibrium with general demand and cost structures and shows that the optimal level of privatization depends crucially upon the strategic substitutability-complementarity assumption. It further shows that if both policies are used under linear demand and quadratic costs, the equilibrium prices, firms' outputs, welfare and tariff rates are the same under Cournot and Stackelberg competition, and price equals the home firm's marginal cost. Neither full nationalization nor full privatization is optimal under Cournot, but full nationalization is always optimal under Stackelberg competition. If only one policy is used, a reduction in government's ownership of the public firm under Cournot competition and constant marginal costs calls for a higher optimal tariff rate. This result does not carry over to the case of increasing marginal costs, although the optimal tariff is lower under full nationalization than under full privatization.
The Tone of Financial News and the Perceptions of Stock and CDS Traders

This paper applies novel sentiment analyses to Reuters news to study stock and CDS traders' differential interpretations of financial news. We construct sentiment measures to identify which news content influences investors' behavior and create dynamic word lists that reflect the divergent viewpoints of CDS and equity investors. We find that (1) equity and CDS traders focus on different content within the same news; (2) traders particularly disagree with respect to news concerning debt topics, especially regarding MA (3) the Great Recession impacted debt news content and altered the typical inverse relationship between equity and CDS markets on news days.
Identification of Variable-Number Tandem-Repeat Loci in Leptospira interrogans Sensu Stricto

ABSTRACT Leptospira interrogans sensu stricto is responsible for the most frequent and severe cases of human leptospirosis. The epidemiology and clinical features of leptospirosis are usually associated with the serovars and serogroups of Leptospira. Because of the difficulties associated with serological identification of Leptospira strains, we evaluated a novel PCR-based method for typing L. interrogans serovars. Based upon the genome sequence of L. interrogans serovar Lai type strain 5660, 44 loci were analyzed by PCR for their variability in size due to the presence of variable-number tandem repeats (VNTR). Seven VNTR loci were found to be powerful markers for serovar identification, epidemiology, and phylogenetic studies of L. interrogans. This rapid and easy method should greatly contribute to a better knowledge of the epidemiology of Leptospira.
Empowering Women: Self, Autonomy, and Responsibility

iberal feminism is under attack from socialist, radical, and t essentialist feminists, who argue that liberal feminism cannot advance the feminist cause &dquo;save in a very limited sense&dquo; (Evans 1986: 103). As feminists who believe we must struggle against the systemic subordination of women in public and domestic spheres, and as supporters of a liberal civic order structured by the rule of law, constitutionally limited government, private property, and the legal and moral tradition of individualism, we argue that there is a great need for a revitalized liberal feminism. In this article, we redefine a concept central to liberal feminist theory-the concept of empowerment. We explore the foundations of women’s powerlessness in the domestic sphere, suggesting that women can move from powerlessness to empowerment by reclaiming the stories of their lives. We argue that this enlarged understanding of empowerment leads us to rethink the core liberal
Labor Unions and Income Smoothing

We study labor unions, an important stakeholder group that has not been a focus of the earnings smoothing literature. We posit that managers strike a balance between sheltering resources from employees’ profit sharing demands and catering to employees’ aversion to downside risk by smoothing earnings. We then hypothesize that a strong labor union would intensify managerial incentives to smooth earnings. Consistent with our hypothesis, we find that union strength is positively associated with earnings smoothing activities through management of both accruals and R&D expenditures. Les auteurs etudient les syndicats, un groupe important de parties prenantes auquel ne se sont pas attardes les chercheurs interesses par la question du lissage des resultats. Ils avancent que, grâce au lissage des resultats, les gestionnaires parviennent a un equilibre dans leurs efforts pour mettre les ressources a l'abri des demandes de participation aux resultats des employes et remedier a l'aversion de ces derniers a l’egard du risque de perte. Les auteurs font ensuite l'hypothese qu'un syndicat fort intensifiera la propension des gestionnaires a lisser les resultats. Conformement a cette hypothese, ils constatent que la force du syndicat affiche un lien positif avec les activites de lissage des resultats au moyen de la gestion des regularisations aussi bien que des depenses de R&D.
A back-wafer contacted silicon-on-glass integrated bipolar process. Part II. A novel analysis of thermal breakdown

Analytical expressions for the electrothermal parameters governing thermal instability in bipolar transistors, i.e., thermal resistance R/sub TH/, critical temperature T/sub crit/ and critical current J/sub C,crit/, are established and verified by measurements on silicon-on-glass bipolar NPNs. A minimum junction temperature increase above ambient due to selfheating that can cause thermal breakdown is identified and verified to be as low as 10-20/spl deg/C. The influence of internal and external series resistances and the thermal resistance explicitly included in the expressions for T/sub crit/ and J/sub C,crit/ becomes clear. The use of the derived expressions for determining the safe operating area of a device and for extracting the thermal resistance is demonstrated.
Human TNF Can Induce Nonspecific Inflammatory and Human Immune-Mediated Microvascular Injury of Pig Skin Xenografts in Immunodeficient Mouse Hosts1

TNF activates endothelial cells to express cell surface molecules that are necessary to recruit a local infiltrate of leukocytes. Because the actions of this proinflammatory cytokine are not species restricted, we investigated whether human TNF can up-regulate porcine endothelial adhesion molecules to elicit human T cell infiltration and damage of pig skin xenografts in a chimeric immunodeficient mouse model. We have previously demonstrated the vigorous rejection of human skin allografts and the absence of injury to porcine skin xenografts in human PBMC-SCID/beige mice. Intradermal administration of human TNF at high doses (600 or 2000 ng) caused nonspecific inflammatory damage of pig skin grafts, whereas low concentrations of TNF (60 or 200 ng) resulted in human PBMC-dependent injury of porcine endothelial cells. There was a strong correlation among pig skin xenograft damage, human T cell infiltration, and the TNF-induced up-regulation of swine MHC class I and class II molecules, VCAM-1, and, in particular, the de novo expression of porcine E-selectin. The microvascular damage and leukocytic infiltration elicited by TNF were enhanced by porcine IFN-γ, suggesting that xenografts may be less prone to cytokine-mediated injury due to the species-restricted effects of recipient IFN-γ. Our results indicate that maintenance of a quiescent endothelium, which does not express E-selectin or other activation-dependent adhesion molecules, is important in preventing human anti-porcine T cell xenoresponses in vivo and that TNF signaling molecules and TNF-responsive gene products are appropriate therapeutic targets to protect against human T cell-mediated rejection of pig xenografts.
Stock Market Manipulations

We present theory and evidence of stock price manipulation. Manipulators trade in the presence of other traders seeking information about the stock's true value. More information seekers imply greater competition for shares, making it easier for manipulators to trade and potentially worsening market efficiency. Data from SEC enforcement actions show that manipulators typically are plausibly informed parties (insiders, brokers, etc.). Manipulation increases volatility, liquidity, and returns. Prices rise throughout the manipulation period and fall postmanipulation. Prices and liquidity are higher when manipulators sell than when they buy. When manipulators sell, prices are higher when liquidity and volatility are greater.
Flight Performance of the Soybean Aphid, Aphis glycines (Hemiptera: Aphididae) Under Different Temperature and Humidity Regimens

Abstract The soybean aphid, Aphis glycines (Matsumura), is native to eastern Asia and has recently invaded North America, where it is currently the most important insect pest of soybeans. The soybean aphid has spread rapidly within North America, presumably through a combination of active and passive (wind-aided) flight. Here, we studied the active flight potential of A. glycines under a range of environmental conditions using an aphid flight mill. Winged (alate) A. glycines were tested on a specially designed 32-channel, computer-monitored flight mill system. Aphids that were 12–24 h old exhibited the strongest flight behavior, with average flight durations of 3.3–4.1 h, which represented flight distances of 4.6–5.1 km. After the age of 72 h, A. glycines flight performance rapidly declined. The optimum temperature range for flight was 16–28°C, whereas optimum relative humidity was 75%. Our findings show that A. glycines posseses a fairly strong active flight aptitude (ability and inclination) and point to the possibility of flight initiation under a broad range of environmental conditions. These results have the potential to aid forecasting and management protocols for A. glycines at the landscape level.
New approaches to developing antidepressants by enhancing monoaminergic neurotransmission

Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a serious illness with far reaching societal and economic ramifications. The monoamine-deficiency hypothesis that depressive symptoms are associated with reductions in monoamine neurotransmission, particularly serotonin and noradrenaline, is supported by both neurochemical findings and the successful treatment of MDD with compounds that enhance monoaminergic neurotransmission. This review focuses on novel compounds in different stages of development for the treatment of MDD that enhance monoaminergic neurotransmission via a number of different mechanisms, including re-uptake inhibition of one or more monoamines, monoamine oxidase inhibitors, the combination of monoamine antagonists with re-uptake inhibitors and monoamine receptor subtype agonists. Compounds that enhance individual monoamines have antidepressant properties and compounds that enhance multiple monoamines appear to have a synergistic antidepressant effect and potentially faster onset of action. The differing mechanisms of action possessed by these novel monoamine-enhancing compounds will offer greater treatment flexibility in the therapeutic management of MDD.
Identification of Endopeptidase Genes from the Genomic Sequence of Lactobacillus helveticus CNRZ32 and the Role of These Genes in Hydrolysis of Model Bitter Peptides

ABSTRACT Genes encoding three putative endopeptidases were identified from a draft-quality genome sequence of Lactobacillus helveticus CNRZ32 and designated pepO3, pepF, and pepE2. The ability of cell extracts from Escherichia coli DH5α derivatives expressing CNRZ32 endopeptidases PepE, PepE2, PepF, PepO, PepO2, and PepO3 to hydrolyze the model bitter peptides, β-casein (β-CN) (f193-209) and αS1-casein (αS1-CN) (f1-9), under cheese-ripening conditions (pH 5.1, 4% NaCl, and 10°C) was examined. CNRZ32 PepO3 was determined to be a functional paralog of PepO2 and hydrolyzed both peptides, while PepE and PepF had unique specificities towards αS1-CN (f1-9) and β-CN (f193-209), respectively. CNRZ32 PepE2 and PepO did not hydrolyze either peptide under these conditions. To demonstrate the utility of these peptidases in cheese, PepE, PepO2, and PepO3 were expressed in Lactococcus lactis, a common cheese starter, using a high-copy vector pTRKH2 and under the control of the pepO3 promoter. Cell extracts of L. lactis derivatives expressing these peptidases were used to hydrolyze β-CN (f193-209) and αS1-CN (f1-9) under cheese-ripening conditions in single-peptide reactions, in a defined peptide mix, and in Cheddar cheese serum. Peptides αS1-CN (f1-9), αS1-CN (f1-13), and αS1-CN (f1-16) were identified from Cheddar cheese serum and included in the defined peptide mix. Our results demonstrate that in all systems examined, PepO2 and PepO3 had the highest activity with β-CN (f193-209) and αS1-CN (f1-9). Cheese-derived peptides were observed to affect the activity of some of the enzymes examined, underscoring the importance of incorporating such peptides in model systems. These data indicate that L. helveticus CNRZ32 endopeptidases PepO2 and PepO3 are likely to play a key role in this strain's ability to reduce bitterness in cheese.
Work hour congruence: the effect on job satisfaction and absenteeism

This study examines the effect of work hour congruence on employee job satisfaction and absenteeism using a large, longitudinal sample from the Canadian Workplace and Employee Survey (WES). An employee is said to have work hour congruence when they actually work the number of hours that they desire. Results indicate a difference between employees who desire more hours and those who desire fewer hours: employee desire for and receipt of more hours was related to positive changes in job satisfaction, while employee desire for and receipt of fewer hours was related to reduced absenteeism. In addition, the results suggest that employees respond to employers who at least try to meet their needs, those who desired more hours and received some, but not all of these additional hours showed a positive increase in job satisfaction. This study contributes to the literature by using of a precise measure of work hour preference and change, differentiating employees who desire fewer hours from those who desire more and examining both full and partial work hour congruence.
Operation principle and electromagnetic performance of novel variable-flux reluctance machines with segmented rotors

This paper proposes a type of novel variable-flux reluctance machines (VFRMs) with segmented rotors. Their operation principles and electromagnetic performance, including flux linkage, back-EMF, torque and unbalanced radial magnetic force, etc, are thoroughly investigated. Compared with the traditional partitioned-stator variable-flux reluctance machines (PS-VFRMs), the proposed VFRMs can significantly alleviate the unbalanced force on the rotor while maintaining a very low torque ripple.
Production of heparin-binding angiogenic factor(s) by bovine corpora lutea during pregnancy.

Effects of luteal-conditioned media (LCM) on proliferation and migration of endothelial cells were used to assess angiogenic activity of corpora lutea (CL) obtained from cows on d 100 (n = 5), 150 (n = 6), 200 (n = 6), and 250 (n = 6) of gestation. Explants of CL (200 mg) were incubated for 6 h in 3 mL of serum-free media containing no hormone, LH (1 microgram/mL), prostaglandin F2 alpha (PGF2 alpha; 3 microM), or both hormones. Media from the four stages of gestation were subjected to the following procedures: 1) ultrafiltration, 2) high-salt (3.0 M NaCl) treatment and then ultrafiltration, 3) heat treatment, 4) heparin-Sepharose affinity chromatography, 5) immunoneutralization with specific antibodies against heparin-binding growth factor (HBGF)-1 and against HBGF-2, and 6) dot immunoblot assay for HBGF-2. Fractions from the first five procedures were evaluated in the endothelial cell proliferation bioassay. In addition, progesterone concentration of LCM was determined by RIA. Across all days of gestation and hormone treatments, LCM stimulated (P less than .05) proliferation and migration of endothelial cells, but activities did not differ among stages of gestation or hormone treatments. Both mitogenic and migration-stimulating fractions seemed to have Mr greater than 100,000. The mitogenic activity fraction had an apparent Mr greater than 100,000 even after treatment with high salt and was heat-labile. This endothelial mitogen was retained on heparin-Sepharose columns and was eluted with 2.0 M NaCl. Mitogenic activity was partly neutralized (P less than .05) by antibodies against HBGF-2 but not HBGF-1. Presence of HBGF-2 in LCM was detected by dot immunoblot assay. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Voltage‐generated torque drives the motor of the ATP synthase

The mechanism by which ion‐flux through the membrane‐bound motor module (F0) induces rotational torque, driving the rotation of the γ subunit, was probed with a Na+‐translocating hybrid ATP synthase. The ATP‐dependent occlusion of 1 22Na+ per ATP synthase persisted after modification of the c subunit ring with dicyclohexylcarbodiimide (DCCD), when 22Na+ was added first and ATP second, but not if the order of addition was reversed. These results support the model of ATP‐driven rotation of the c subunit oligomer (rotor) versus subunit a (stator) that stops when either a 22Na+‐loaded or a DCCD‐modified rotor subunit reaches the Na+‐impermeable stator. The ATP synthase with a Na+‐permeable stator catalyzed 22Na+out/Na+in‐exchange after reconstitution into proteoliposomes, which was not significantly affected by DCCD modification of the c subunit oligomer, but was abolished by the additional presence of ATP or by a membrane potential (ΔΨ) of 90 mV. We propose that in the idling mode of the motor, Na+ ions are shuttled across the membrane by limited back and forth movements of the rotor against the stator. This motional flexibility is arrested if either ATP or ΔΨ induces the switch from idling into a directed rotation. The Propionigenium modestum ATP synthase catalyzed ATP formation with ΔΨ of 60–125 mV but not with ΔpNa+ of 195 mV. These results demonstrate that electric forces are essential for ATP synthesis and lead to a new concept of rotary‐torque generation in the ATP synthase motor.
Binding Mode Selection Determines the Action of Ecstasy Homologs at Monoamine Transporters

Determining the structural elements that define substrates and inhibitors at the monoamine transporters is critical to elucidating the mechanisms underlying these disparate functions. In this study, we addressed this question directly by generating a series of N-substituted 3,4-methylenedioxyamphetamine analogs that differ only in the number of methyl substituents on the terminal amine group. Starting with 3,4-methylenedioxy-N-methylamphetamine, 3,4-methylenedioxy-N,N-dimethylamphetamine (MDDMA) and 3,4-methylenedioxy-N,N,N-trimethylamphetamine (MDTMA) were prepared. We evaluated the functional activities of the compounds at all three monoamine transporters in native brain tissue and cells expressing the transporters. In addition, we used ligand docking to generate models of the respective protein-ligand complexes, which allowed us to relate the experimental findings to available structural information. Our results suggest that the 3,4-methylenedioxyamphetamine analogs bind at the monoamine transporter orthosteric binding site by adopting one of two mutually exclusive binding modes. 3,4-methylenedioxyamphetamine and 3,4-methylenedioxy-N-methylamphetamine adopt a high-affinity binding mode consistent with a transportable substrate, whereas MDDMA and MDTMA adopt a low-affinity binding mode consistent with an inhibitor, in which the ligand orientation is inverted. Importantly, MDDMA can alternate between both binding modes, whereas MDTMA exclusively binds to the low-affinity mode. Our experimental results are consistent with the idea that the initial orientation of bound ligands is critical for subsequent interactions that lead to transporter conformational changes and substrate translocation.
Innovation and Learning: The Two Faces of R&D

The authors assume that firms invest in R&D not only to generate innovations, but also to learn from competitors and extraindustry knowledge sources (e.g., university and government labs). This argument suggests that the ease of learning within an industry will both affect R&D spending, and condition the influence of appropriability and technological opportunity conditions on R&D. For example, they show that, contrary to the traditional result, intraindustry spillovers may encourage equilibrium industry R&D investment. Regression results confirm that the impact of appropriability and technological opportunity conditions on R&D is influenced by the ease and character of learning. Copyright 1989 by Royal Economic Society.