Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Detection of Anti-PLA2R Autoantibodies and IgG Subclasses in Post-allogeneic Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation Membranous Nephropathy

Background:Membranous nephropathy (MN) is the most common glomerular disease of post–allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). Although this condition is now considered a renal complication of chronic graft-versus-host disease (cGVHD), the pathogenesis of this disease is not well established. Methods:Five patients with post-HSCT MN diagnosed by renal biopsy were selected for this study. The clinical and renal pathological data of these patients were analyzed, and anti-PLA2R (M-type phospholipase A2 receptor) autoantibodies and IgG subclasses were detected in the serum samples from the patients. Results:None of the 5 patients had a history of kidney disease. All the patients had a combination of cGVHD and proteinuria, which was in remission after an effective anti–graft-versus-host disease treatment. The immunofluorescent detection showed that IgG4 was the predominant IgG subclass, and the distribution of IgG4 was the same as that of nephrin. The anti-PLA2R autoantibodies were negative in 4 patients and positive in 1 patient. The levels of IgG2, IgG3 and IgG4 increased in the majority of the patients. Conclusions:Our data showed that the clinical course of post-HSCT MN patients was closely related to that of cGVHD. Although the renal pathology was similar to idiopathic MN, the negative result for the anti-PLA2R autoantibodies in the majority of the patients suggested that the formation of an immune complex occurs differently between these 2 diseases.
Analyzing Time-Frequency Relationship between Interest Rate, Stock Price and Exchange Rate Through Continuous Wavelet

In this study we investigate and identify the patterns of co-movement of interest rate, stock price and exchange rate in India in the period between July 1997 and December 2010 using the cross-wavelet power, the cross-wavelet coherency, and the phase difference methodologies. Our empirical findings suggest that stock prices, exchange rates and interest rates are linked. The cross wavelet results show that stock price movements are lagging both to the exchange rate and interest rate fluctuations. The interest rate lead over the stock price movements is even clearer, especially after 2006, and it suggests that the stock market follows the interest rate signals. Comparing results of WTC and XWT, we find very clear results of phase difference of lead–lag relationship between stock prices, exchange rates and interest rates.
PVLife: An integrated model for predicting PV performance degradation over 25+ years

We report results of an integrated model called PVLife that predicts the performance and degradation of a PV system over its entire lifetime. The model solves the coupled electro-thermal equations to calculate PV panel performance for a given set of weather conditions. Based on this calculated operating point and a series of physical sub-models for key degradation and failure modes, the progressive degradation of the panel performance is simulated, creating a second level of coupling. The sub-models describing the different degradation modes are developed based on data from the field and accelerated laboratory tests. To close the loop, the overall model is compared with both laboratory and field data. Coupled degradation modes, including possible feedback loops, are investigated.
Understanding and Mitigating Direct Investment Risk in the Indian Real Estate Market

This paper seeks to extend the findings regarding factors that affect Canadian propensity to undertake direct investment abroad by examining the perception of risk factors that may hinder direct investment in the Indian real estate market. This study utilized survey research (a non-experimental field study design). 226 Canadian investors were surveyed and reported their perceptions of various risk factors regarding investing in the Indian real estate market. The findings suggest that perceptions of political and legal nature, corruption, confiscation, and economic risk can hinder investments and may lead to capital losses on investments in the Indian real estate market. We also found that investors’ foreign direct investment behavior does not differ based on their age and the level of education. This paper discusses several techniques by which investors can mitigate foreign direct investment risk in India. It also points out how real estate investors can implement these techniques and the challenges that they might face through this implementation process. Finally, some suggestions to overcome these challenges are provided.
Taxonomic revision of the Agaraceae with a description of Neoagarum gen. nov. and reinstatement of Thalassiophyllum

We confirmed the monophyly of the Agaraceae based on phylogenetic analyses of six mitochondrial and six chloroplast gene sequences from Agarum, Costaria, Dictyoneurum, and Thalassiophyllum species, as well as representative species from other laminarialean families. However, the genus Agarum was paraphyletic, comprising two independent clades, A. clathratum/A. turneri and A. fimbriatum/A. oharaense. The latter clade was genetically most closely related to Dictyoneurum spp. , and morphologically, the species shared a flattened stipe bearing fimbriae (potential secondary haptera) in the mid‐ to upper portion. The phylogenetic position of Thalassiophyllum differed between the two datasets: in the chloroplast gene phylogeny, Thalassiophyllum was included in the A. clathratum/A. turneri clade, but in the mitochondrial gene phylogeny, it formed an independent clade at the base of the Agaraceae, the same position it took in the phylogeny when the data from both genomes were combined despite a larger number of bp being contributed by the chloroplast gene sequences. Considering the remarkable morphological differences between Thalassiophyllum and other Agaraceae, and the molecular support, we conclude that Thalassiophyllum should be reinstated as an independent genus. Dictyoneurum reticulatum was morphologically distinguishable from D. californicum due to its midrib, but because of their close genetic relationship, further investigations are needed to clarify species‐level taxonomy. In summary, we propose the establishment of a new genus Neoagarum to accommodate A. fimbriatum and A. oharanese and the reinstatement of the genus Thalassiophyllum.
Evaluation of accessibility for knowledge-based cities

Purpose: The purpose of the paper is to develop a framework for evaluation of accessibility for knowledge based cities. ----- ----- Design/methodology/approach: This approach notifies common mistakes and problems in accessibility assessment for knowledge cities. ----- ----- Originality/value: Accessibility plays a key role in transport sustainability and recognizes the crucial links between transport and sustainable goals like air quality, environmental resource consumption & social equity. In knowledge cities, accessibility has significant effects on quality of life and social equity by improving the mobility of people and goods. Accessibility also influences patterns of growth and economic health by providing access to land. Accessibility is not only one of the components of knowledge cities but also affects other elements of knowledge cities directly or indirectly. ----- ----- Practical implications: The outcomes of the application will be helpful for developing particular methodologies for evaluating knowledge cities. On other words, this methodology attempts to develop an assessment procedure for examining accessibility of knowledge-based cities.
Expectation horizon and the Phillips Curve: the solution to an empirical puzzle

Estimates of the slope of the Phillips curve reported in the literature cover a range from roughly − 0.6 to zero depending on specification. Forward-looking specifications, favored by theory, produce the smallest slope estimates. This paper addresses this puzzle by studying the bivariate process of inflation and unemployment in a fairly general unobserved components framework allowing for stochastic trends and related cycles. Analysis reveals that the slope of the implied Phillips curve will depend critically on the horizon of the forward-looking inflation expectation provided the cyclical component of unemployment is highly persistent. Empirical analysis results show that is the case, suggesting that the choice of expectation horizon, generally set at one quarter in the New Keynesian literature, may play an important role in this debate. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Attitudes toward capital punishment among Indiana legislators: Diminished support in light of alternative sentencing options

State legislators play a fundamental role in establishing public policy relating to the death penalty. Indeed, the Supreme Court has looked to state legislatures as a gauge of society's “evolving standards of decency. ” Despite this central role, little is known about state legislators' beliefs regarding capital punishment and alternatives to the death penalty. This article, which follows the previous studies of state legislators' attitudes on crime and justice, presents the results of a survey of Indiana legislators on these issues. Among the key findings is that the majority of lawmakers, despite high general support for the death penalty, state a preference for life without parole coupled with work and restitution to victims' families. Indeed, only a relatively small minority of legislators express support for current death penalty policy. In addition to examining patterns of support for the death penalty and its alternatives, this study presents the results of analyses of personal, political, and const.
Water-in-oil microemulsions for effective transdermal delivery of proteins

Introduction: A water-in-oil microemulsion is a thermodynamically stable emulsion that has the capacity to ‘hide’ water-soluble molecules within a continuous oil phase. The very small size of the water droplets within the microemulsion means that these types of formulation can be applied topically to the skin, with the result that peptides and proteins can be delivered effectively into the dermal layer. Areas covered: This review discusses the general problems of peptide and protein delivery following topical application, and compares the possible routes of peptide and protein clearance and distribution within the body following topical administration. Several examples of successful peptide and protein delivery using microemulsions are discussed, in addition to the possible alterations in biological profiles following administration via this route. Expert opinion: Water-in-oil microemulsions present themselves as an effective means of topical delivery of peptides and proteins of all sizes, and in high doses. These formulations are a cheap, stable, pain-free means of delivery of peptides and proteins to the skin. An exciting area of potential development is the area of weight control management. The results using insulin, IGF-I and GHRP-6 given topically are particularly intriguing. Whether these results can be replicated in humans and whether the use of these drugs for potential treatment of obesity will be commercially viable will be particularly interesting.
Turning toward death together: Conversation in mortal time

Death has a different meaning for everyone it touches, and these meanings have serious impact on how each person communicates with others as they deal with it together. This paper is a reflection on clinical experience in dealing with the dying and their caregivers in a comprehensive cancer center. By “mortal time,” we mean the psychological state human beings enter when confronted with the prospect of death. Our focus is on a particular and powerful instance of the entry into mortal time—the diagnosis of a terminal illness. The experience of mortal time is profoundly subjective. Authentic conversation has the power not only to enhance how people cope practically with dying, but to illuminate and enrich the very meaning of life for patients and caregivers alike, as they enter the sacred moment of mortal time together.
Quench Protection of YBCO Coils: Co-Winding Detection Method and Limits to Hot-Spot Temperature

A quench detection method of a high-temperature superconducting (HTS) coil using a cowinding method is studied. It is experimentally shown using a small YBCO test coil that the cowinding method is highly effective in canceling the inductive voltage component and can detect a quench occurring in an HTS coil with high sensitivity, compared with a commonly used bridge-balance method. An HTS coil is damaged by a quench when hot-spot temperature exceeds a certain threshold. The authors also experimentally investigated conditions to keep the hot-spot temperature of coils wound of YBCO tapes below a safe level, using the highly sensitive cowinding quench detection method.
Technological-knowledge dynamics in lab-equipment models of quality ladders

The Perpetual Inventory Model (PIM) assumes that, in each period, an arbitrary constant fraction of technological-knowledge stock is lost. We give a theoretical background to the PIM by showing that the technological-knowledge accumulation follows a dynamic process with an endogenous depreciation rate, which remains stable in steady state.
Pine and Gilmore's Concept of Experience Economy and Its Dimensions: An Empirical Examination in Tourism

The growing attention placed on experiences can be regarded as a mega-trend, and has given currency to the proposition that experiences function as a personal source of information for the stories people tell about their lives and are important for their self-perception. This view implies the significance of experiences of individual satisfaction with a given product or visit. To assess this assumption, we have made use of Pine and Gilmore's widely known model, and in so doing have empirically examined the applicability of their concept of an “experience economy” and its four dimensions (education, escapism, esthetics, and entertainment). The necessary data were collected from two tourism contexts, the Ice Music Festival and the Maihaugen Museum. The results indicate that Pine and Gilmore's model can further our understanding of the experience market. However, the findings show that different experiential dimensions influence the visitors' overall satisfaction in different contexts. For instance, while the dimension of escapism has a significant effect on the visitors' overall satisfaction in the case of the Ice Music Festival, the dimension of education significantly influences the visitors' satisfaction at the Maihaugen Museum. The theoretical and practical implications of this study are also discussed.
Community Institutions and Initial Diffusion of Corporate Social Responsibility Practices in China's Banking Industry

ABSTRACT The existing literature does not provide adequate insight into the initial diffusion of new management practices, especially those that yield no immediate economic benefits, and have not yet gained legitimacy. We study how firms’ local institutional environments influence early adoption behavior, examining the spread of corporate social responsibility (CSR) reports in China's banking industry from 2006 to 2011. We find that banks are more likely to be first movers of CSR reporting if they operate in communities where more companies publish CSR reports or where there are guidelines encouraging CSR reporting, and the impacts of these two institutional factors are further moderated by the length of time that banks have operated in communities. Our study highlights the usefulness of institutional theory in understanding the initial adoption of new management practices, when the organizational field is defined as a geographic community instead of an industry sector and its supply chain.
Draft Genome Sequence of Acetobacterium bakii DSM 8239, a Potential Psychrophilic Chemical Producer through Syngas Fermentation

ABSTRACT Acetobacterium bakii DSM 8239 is an anaerobic, psychrophilic, and chemolithoautotrophic bacterium that is a potential platform for producing commodity chemicals from syngas fermentation. We report here the draft genome sequence of A. bakii DSM 8239 (4.14 Mb) to elucidate its physiological and metabolic properties related to syngas fermentation.
‘Internal Marketing’ As an Approach to Human Resource Management: A New Perspective Or A Metaphor Too Far?

Colin Hales, who is a Lecturer in Management Studies at the University of Surrey, reviews the different meanings of the term ‘internal marketing’ and develops a critique of its application to the management of human resources. He argues that, while the concept has certain merits, it also has significant limitations. As a re-statement of normative HRM, it merely re-labels a questionable concept, while as a concept in its own right, it is ambiguous and highly rhetorical. As a metaphor, it seriously distorts the process of HRM and, as a broad approach and set of techniques, it is essentially manipulative, spuriously ‘scientific’ and riven with contradictions.
Public leisure provision and the good citizen

In the last decade Britain has witnessed a cultural transformation from the municipal socialism enshrined in the post-war development of the Welfare State to the Thatcherite urban entrepreneurialism of the 1980s. One of the consequent effects has been a change in the way in which government services and resources are allocated. This has involved the competitive tendering of most local government services, including leisure provision, to the private sector. The result, in terms of the management of facilities, has been a shift from the values of social equity to those of the free market. Paradoxically, while the primary function of this transformation was a transfer of power from the state to individuals, through the market, the effect has been a transfer of power from local to central government, with a consequential shift in the type, rather than amount, of people able to benefit from government services. Indeed, it can be seen that there has been a significant shift in policy, away from local democracy .
Abnormal effective connectivity and psychopathological symptoms in the psychosis high-risk state.

BACKGROUND Recent evidence has revealed abnormal functional connectivity between the frontal and parietal brain regions during working memory processing in patients with schizophrenia and first-episode psychosis. However, it still remains unclear whether abnormal frontoparietal connectivity during working memory processing is already evident in the psychosis high-risk state and whether the connection strengths are related to psychopathological outcomes. METHODS Healthy controls and antipsychotic-naive individuals with an at-risk mental state (ARMS) performed an n-back working memory task while undergoing functional magnetic resonance imaging. Effective connectivity between frontal and parietal brain regions during working memory processing were characterized using dynamic causal modelling. RESULTS Our study included 19 controls and 27 individuals with an ARMS. In individuals with an ARMS, we found significantly lower task performances and reduced activity in the right superior parietal lobule and middle frontal gyrus than in controls. Furthermore, the working memory-induced modulation of the connectivity from the right middle frontal gyrus to the right superior parietal lobule was significantly reduced in individuals with an ARMS, while the extent of this connectivity was negatively related to the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale total score. LIMITATIONS The modest sample size precludes a meaningful subgroup analysis for participants with a later transition to psychosis. CONCLUSION This study demonstrates that abnormal frontoparietal connectivity during working memory processing is already evident in individuals with an ARMS and is related to psychiatric symptoms. Thus, our results provide further insight into the pathophysiological mechanisms of the psychosis high-risk state by linking functional brain imaging, computational modelling and psychopathology.
MANAGERIAL ACCOUNTING SKILLS FOR LODGING MANAGERS

This article presents the findings of a research study involving lodging managers and controllers. Both groups were asked to rate the importance of a list of 18 managerial accounting skills in terms of how important these skills are to managers. A ranking of the skills by both groups is provided along with the results of T-tests done on the differences in the ratings between the two groups. The study indicates that both groups consider managerial accounting to be important to managers. Results indicate good agreement between the groups as to which skills are most important.
Governance and Payout Precommitment

We examine how firms structure payout and debt commitments to address governance weaknesses. Firms with severe agency conflicts precommit through a combination of dividends and debt or through dividends rather than debt alone. Such firms also shift their shareholder payouts towards regular quarterly dividends—a stronger commitment than special dividends or repurchases. Although dividend commitments are implicit, event study evidence supports their credibility and value relevance for firms with weak governance. Despite harsher penalties, debt alone cannot replace shareholder payouts as a means of addressing managerial agency conflicts.
Distributed optimization design for high-order multi-agent systems

In this paper, the distributed optimization problem for a continuous-time multi-agent systems is investigated. Different from most of the distributed optimization, we consider the dynamics of the agents, which are described in the high-order integrator form. Then we propose a distributed protocol design based on the gradient algorithm and integral feedback for the considered agent-network under a connected communication topology. A sufficient condition for the control parameters is given to make all the agents converge to optimal solution of the distributed optimization problem. Moreover, we also provide an example to illustrate the theoretical results.
Demand or supply for schooling in rural India

Is the poor human capital investment of rural India n families primarily a supply side or a demand side issue? Can time use data help analyze some of the hidden dimen sions of development? We examine school attendance and total human capital investment time (time in school plus travel time plus in-home instructional time) using the Indian Time Use Survey of 1998-1999 and the 7th All India School Education Survey (AISES). Probit and sample selection bias regression estimates indicate th at the influence of supply side factors (school qua lity and availability) is large relative to the impact of househo ld characteristics (e.g. low income). We discuss th e policy implications and illustrate the advantages of time us e data in analysis of development. JEL-Codes: I2, I24, I25, O15
Financial development and manufactured exports: the african experience

Using a sample of 29 African countries for which adequate time series data are available this paper explores the nexus between financial development and manufactured exports. This particular relationship is especially important in the context of Africa since export diversification away from resources and agriculture is an important part of Africa's growth strategy. Our results show that in 11 countries financial development causes manufactured exports and manufactured exports causes financial development in seven countries. We then explore reasons for these findings and find that a rich and surprising set of factors explain our findings.