Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Risk Management: Coordinating Corporate Investment and Financing Policies

This paper develops a general framework for analyzing corporate risk management policies. We begin by observing that if external sources of finance are more costly to corporations than internally generated funds, there will typically be a benefit to hedging: hedging adds value to the extent that it helps ensure that a corporation has sufficient internal funds available to take advantage of attractive investment opportunities. We then argue that this simple observation has wide-ranging implications for the design of risk management strategies. We delineate how these strategies should depend on such factors as shocks to investment and financing opportunities. We also discuss exchange-rate hedging strategies for multinationals. as well as strategies involving "nonlinear" instruments like options.
Striving for a Happier America: Lessons from Denmark

3 Chapter 1: Introduction 4 Understanding Happiness and Subjective Well-being 4 The Study of Subjective Well-Being 5 Individual and Cultural Predictors 7 Comparing Denmark and the United States 8 Importance of the Research 10 Chapter 2: Universal Individual Predictors of Well-being 11 Personality 14 Positive Emotions 16 Satisfaction 17 Social Relationships 18 Chapter 3: Universal Cultural Predictors of Well-being 20 History of the Nation 21 Climate and the Environment 23 Freedom 24 Social Equality 26 Wealth 27 Chapter 4: Further Explaining Higher SWB in Denmark 30 Historical Background Homogeneity Social Programs Danish Disposition Chapter 5: Further Explaining Lower SWB in the U.S 39 Historical Background Heterogeneity Lack of Social Programs Pressure Chapter 6: Discussion 46 Analysis of Differences 46 Limitations 50 Lessons for the U.S 51 Conclusions References 52 WELL-BEING IN THE U.S. AND DENMARK 3
Convergence in Per Capita Income and Migration Across the Swedish Counties 1906-1990

This paper finds strong and robust evidence of convergence in per capita income across the twenty-four Swedish counties 1906-1990. It is found that migration has a positive effect, albeit small, on the speed of convergence. Holding net migration constant, the estimated speed of convergence is around 3 percent per year, which is higher than estimates obtained by Barro and Sala-i-Martin (1991,1992) for other regional data sets. One likely explanation of this finding is that the current study, as opposed to previous studies, adjusts incomes to account for regional differences in cost of living.
A Core/Periphery Structure in a Corporate Budgeting Process

Many business organizations have adopted empowerment programs as a means of adapting to rapidly changing competitive environments. This paper examines the nature of ties among managers who participate in the budgeting process at a major apparel manufacturer. This case offers two primary contributions to social network analysis research. First, these data provide a concrete example of a context in which a core-periphery network structure can exist. Second, integrating the network data with ethnographic data to examine the structure of ties among managers is useful to help researchers to better understand the impact of corporate empowerment programs.
Hepatitis B Virus Infection and Immunopathogenesis in a Humanized Mouse Model: Induction of Human-Specific Liver Fibrosis and M2-Like Macrophages

The mechanisms of chronic HBV infection and immunopathogenesis are poorly understood due to a lack of a robust small animal model. Here we report the development of a humanized mouse model with both human immune system and human liver cells by reconstituting the immunodeficient A2/NSG (NOD.Cg-Prkdcscid Il2rgtm1Wjl/SzJ mice with human HLA-A2 transgene) with human hematopoietic stem cells and liver progenitor cells (A2/NSG-hu HSC/Hep mice). The A2/NSG-hu HSC/Hep mouse supported HBV infection and approximately 75% of HBV infected mice established persistent infection for at least 4 months. We detected human immune responses, albeit impaired in the liver, chronic liver inflammation and liver fibrosis in infected animals. An HBV neutralizing antibody efficiently inhibited HBV infection and associated liver diseases in humanized mice. In addition, we found that the HBV mediated liver disease was associated with high level of infiltrated human macrophages with M2-like activation phenotype. Importantly, similar M2-like macrophage accumulation was confirmed in chronic hepatitis B patients with liver diseases. Furthermore, gene expression analysis showed that induction of M2-like macrophage in the liver is associated with accelerated liver fibrosis and necrosis in patients with acute HBV-induced liver failure. Lastly, we demonstrate that HBV promotes M2-like activation in both M1 and M2 macrophages in cell culture studies. Our study demonstrates that the A2/NSG-hu HSC/Hep mouse model is valuable in studying HBV infection, human immune responses and associated liver diseases. Furthermore, results from this study suggest a critical role for macrophage polarization in hepatitis B virus-induced immune impairment and liver pathology.
The HVCN1 channel conducts protons into the phagocytic vacuole of neutrophils to produce a physiologically alkaline pH

Activation of the NADPH oxidase (NOX2) of the phagocytic vacuole of neutrophils is essential for innate immunity. Sustained activity of the oxidase requires that charge movements across the membrane are balanced. A role for the proton channel, HVCN1, has been proposed but not proven. Using the ratiometric pH indicator SNARF, introduced into the cytosol and separately into the vacuole coupled to Candida, we used confocal microscopy to measure changes in pH in these two compartments in human and mouse neutrophils. Shortly after phagocytosis by human cells, the vacuolar pH rose to ~9, at which it was maintained for ~20 minutes, while the cytosol showed a small acidification of ~0.25 pH unit. Alkalinisation has important consequences for the microbicidal and digestive functions of vacuolar enzymes. In HVCN1 knock out mouse neutrophils, the phagocytosis induced respiratory burst was halved to ~3 fmols per Candida, the vacuolar pH rose to >11 and the cytosol acidified excessively to pH ~6.75. These changes were prevented by the protonophore CCCP. The rate of extrusion of protons into the extracellular medium following phagocytosis was not significantly different from wild type neutrophils suggesting that cytoplasmic acidification resulted from the loss of the proton sink into the vacuole. HVCN1 phagocytic vacuoles showed considerable swelling, and this was blocked by CCCP and decreased by valinomycin. Stoichiometric considerations indicated that the HVCN1 channel compensates 90–95% of the oxidase-induced charge in normal cells, and in its absence, charge is carried by ions other than protons, including K+.
Psychological Inquiry: An International Journal for the Advancement of Psychological Theory

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Efficacy and Safety of Bevacizumab-Containing Therapy in Newly Diagnosed Ovarian Cancer

Objective The aim of this study was to assess the safety and efficacy of extending bevacizumab therapy beyond 15 months in nonprogressive ovarian cancer. Patients and Methods In this multinational prospective single-arm study (ClinicalTrials.gov NCT01239732), eligible patients had International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics stage IIB to IV or grade 3 stage I to IIA ovarian cancer without clinical signs or symptoms of gastrointestinal obstruction or history of abdominal fistula, gastrointestinal perforation, or intra-abdominal abscess within the preceding 6 months. Prior neoadjuvant chemotherapy was permitted. After debulking surgery, patients received bevacizumab 15 (or 7.5) mg/kg every 3 weeks (q3w) with 4 to 8 cycles of paclitaxel (investigator’s choice of 175 mg/m2 q3w or 80 mg/m2 weekly) plus carboplatin AUC 5 to 6 q3w. Single-agent bevacizumab was continued until progression or for up to 24 months. The primary end point was safety. Results Between December 2010 and May 2012, 1021 patients from 35 countries began study treatment. Bevacizumab was administered at 15 mg/kg in 89% of patients and for more than 15 months in 53%. Median follow-up duration was 32 months (range, 1–50 months). The most common all-grade adverse events were hypertension (55% of patients), neutropenia (49%), and alopecia (43%). The most common grade 3 or higher-grade adverse events were neutropenia (27%) and hypertension (25%). Bevacizumab was discontinued because of proteinuria in 5% of patients and hypertension in 3%. Median progression-free survival (PFS) was 25.5 months (95% confidence interval, 23.7–27.6 months). Conclusion Extended bevacizumab demonstrated increased incidences of proteinuria and hypertension compared with 12 or 15 months of bevacizumab in previous trials, but these rarely led to bevacizumab discontinuation. Median PFS is the longest reported for frontline bevacizumab-containing therapy. The longer bevacizumab duration beyond 15 months in this study may improve PFS without substantially compromising safety.
Stable denoising-enhancement of images by telegraph-diffusion operators

The recently-proposed family of Telegraph-Diffusion (TeD) operators is analyzed in the context of image enhancement. Stability of such schemes in terms of energy convergence is investigated and compared with that of the widely-used diffusion-based schemes, thereby resolving the Perona-Malik paradox. The results indicating stability are further generalized in the context of the Forward-and-Backward (FAB) TeD enhancement operator. An approximated version of the enhancement operator that offers an increased stability is proposed and examined. This scheme is implemented in both stable and unstable regimes of the original FAB-TeD operator and shown to yield results similar to those obtained by the latter, without losing stability. The theoretical conclusions regarding stability of the approximated FAB-TeD are reinforced by simulations, exhibiting enhanced images with sharpened edges and yet very limited compromise on the quality of other image details.
Religious reflection in Pakistan: further evidence of integration between Muslim faith and intellect

Abstract Religious groups outside the West have displayed a positive correlation between faith and intellect-oriented reflection in contrast to the negative relationship found with American Christians. This study extended the analysis to Pakistani Muslims. University students (N = 180) responded to religious reflection scales along with measures of religious orientation and satisfaction with life. Faith- and intellect-oriented reflection correlated positively, and both displayed direct relationships with religious orientations and satisfaction with life. In multiple regression analyses, both combined to predict the intrinsic religious orientation, but faith-oriented reflection was the only significant predicter of other measures. These data further documented a compatibility between Muslim faith and intellect and supplemented other cross-cultural findings in suggesting that understandings of more conservative religious beliefs may require sensitivity not only to their content, but also to their cultural context.
Reduction of smoking in Dutch adolescents over the past decade and its health gains: a repeated cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND Smoking is the main preventable lifestyle-related risk factor threatening human health. In this study, time trends in smoking behaviour between 1996 and 2005 among adolescents enrolled in secondary school were assessed. METHODS In 1996, 2001 and 2005, a survey was conducted in the south-eastern region of the Netherlands. All students in second and fourth year of secondary education (1996: n = 20 000; 2001: n = 27 500; 2005: n = 24 000) were asked to complete a questionnaire about their smoking behaviour. A simulation model was used to estimate lifetime health gains related to the observed trends. RESULTS In 1996, 2001 and 2005, the number of questionnaires analysed were 13 554 (68%), 20 767 (76%) and 17 896 (75%), respectively. The results show a decrease in 'ever smoking' as well as 'current smoking' between 1996 and 2005. Among second year high school students, current smoking prevalence decreased from 22.2% in 1996 to 8.0% in 2005 (P(trend) < 0.001). Among fourth year students, current smoking declined from 37.5% in 1996 to 22.0% in 2005 (P(trend) < 0.001). Time trends were not influenced by gender or educational level. Model projections show that if these students not take up smoking later in life, 11 500 new cases of COPD, 3400 new cases of lung cancer and 1800 new cases of myocardial infarction could be prevented for the Dutch 13-year-olds. CONCLUSION This study found that, in the past decade, smoking prevalence among adolescents has declined by almost 50%, potentially resulting in a considerable reduction in new cases of COPD or lung cancer.
VLT K-band spectroscopy of massive stars deeply embedded in IRAS sources with UCHII colours

We have obtained high resolution (R = 10 000) K-band spectra of candidate young massive stars deeply embedded in (ultra-) compact H  regions (UCHIIs). These objects were selected from a near-infrared survey of 44 fields centered on IRAS sources with UCHII colours. Often, the near-infrared counterpart of the IRAS source is a young embedded cluster hosting massive stars. In these clusters, three types of objects are identified. The first type (38 objects) consists of "naked" OB stars whose K-band spectra are dominated by photospheric emission. We classify the K-band spectra of the OB-type cluster members using near-infrared classification criteria. A few of them have a very early (O3-O4 V) spectral type, consistent with a young age of the embedded clusters. The spectral classification provides an important constraint on the distance to the embedded cluster. The ionising power of the population thus derived is compared to the information obtained from the infrared and radio flux of these sources. In most cases these two different determinations of the ionising flux are consistent, from which we conclude that we have identified the ionising star(s) in about 50% of the embedded clusters. The second type (7 objects) are point sources associated with UCHII radio emission, that exhibit nebular emission lines in the near-infrared. Six of the objects in this group produce He  emission indicative of an embedded O-type star. These objects are more embedded than the OB stars and probably do not dominate the infrared flux as measured by IRAS. They may emit the bulk of their reprocessed UV radiation at mm wavelengths. The third type (20 objects) is characterised by broad (100−200 km s −1 )B rγ emission and no photospheric absorption profiles. Bik et al. (2005, A&A, submitted) show that these objects are massive YSO candidates surrounded by dense circumstellar disks.
TAPIR, a web server for the prediction of plant microRNA targets, including target mimics

UNLABELLED We present a new web server called TAPIR, designed for the prediction of plant microRNA targets. The server offers the possibility to search for plant miRNA targets using a fast and a precise algorithm. The precise option is much slower but guarantees to find less perfectly paired miRNA-target duplexes. Furthermore, the precise option allows the prediction of target mimics, which are characterized by a miRNA-target duplex having a large loop, making them undetectable by traditional tools. AVAILABILITY The TAPIR web server can be accessed at: http://bioinformatics.psb. ugent.be/webtools/tapir. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
cAMP/PKA-dependent increases in Ca Sparks, oscillations and SR Ca stores in retinal arteriolar myocytes after exposure to vasopressin.

PURPOSE To investigate the effects of arginine vasopressin (AVP) on Ca(2+) sparks and oscillations and on sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) Ca(2+) content in retinal arteriolar myocytes. METHODS Fluo-4-loaded smooth muscle in intact segments of freshly isolated porcine retinal arteriole was imaged by confocal laser microscopy. SR Ca(2+) store content was assessed by recording caffeine-induced Ca(2+) transients with microfluorimetry and fura-2. RESULTS The frequencies of Ca(2+) sparks and oscillations were increased both during exposure to, and 10 minutes after washout of AVP (10 nM). Caffeine transients were increased in amplitude 10 and 90 minutes after a 3-minute application of AVP. Both AVP-induced Ca(2+) transients and the enhancement of caffeine responses after AVP washout were inhibited by SR 49059, a V(1a) receptor blocker. Forskolin, an activator of adenylyl cyclase, also persistently enhanced caffeine transients. Rp-8-HA-cAMPS, a membrane-permeant PKA inhibitor, prevented enhancement of caffeine transients by both AVP and forskolin. Forskolin, but not AVP, produced a reversible, Rp-8-HA-cAMPS insensitive reduction in basal [Ca(2+)](i). CONCLUSIONS AVP activates a cAMP/PKA-dependent pathway via V(1a) receptors in retinal arteriolar smooth muscle. This effect persistently increases SR Ca(2+) loading, upregulating Ca(2+) sparks and oscillations, and may favor prolonged agonist activity despite receptor desensitization.
Proprotein Convertase Subtilisin/Kexin Type 9: From the Discovery to the Development of New Therapies for Cardiovascular Diseases

The identification of the HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors, statins, has represented a dramatic innovation of the pharmacological modulation of hypercholesterolemia and associated cardiovascular diseases. However, not all patients receiving statins achieve guideline-recommended low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol goals, particularly those at high risk. There remains, therefore, an unmet medical need to develop additional well-tolerated and effective agents to lower LDL cholesterol levels. The discovery of proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9), a secretory protein that posttranscriptionally regulates levels of low density lipoprotein receptor (LDLR) by inducing its degradation, has opened a new era of pharmacological modulation of cholesterol homeostasis. This paper summarizes the current knowledge of the basic molecular mechanism underlying the regulatory effect of LDLR expression by PCSK9 obtained from in vitro cell-cultured studies and the analysis of the crystal structure of PCSK9. It also describes the epidemiological and experimental evidences of the regulatory effect of PCSK9 on LDL cholesterol levels and cardiovascular diseases and summarizes the different pharmacological approaches under development for inhibiting PCSK9 expression, processing, and the interaction with LDLR.
The effect of organizational socialization on organizational commitment: Mediation role of psychological empowerment

The purpose of this study is to explore the relationship between organizational socialization and organizational commitment and the mediation role of psychological empowerment. For this aim the survey applied to 150 employees operating in the 3rd Organized Industrial Zone in Konya. SPSS 22 was used to analyze the results. According to results, it has been found that the level of organizational socialization of employees has a positive and significant effect on organizational commitment and a partially mediation role of psychological empowerment in this relationship. It was also determined that employees’ psychological empowerment perceptions has a positive and significant effect on organizational commitment.
Class III antiarrhythmic methanesulfonanilides inhibit leukocyte recruitment in zebrafish

Understanding fundamental molecular mechanisms that govern the transmigration and interstitial migration of leukocytes to sites of tissue damage and infection is of potential significance in identifying novel therapeutic targets for the management of chronic inflammatory disorders. CD31 is a mammalian cell adhesion molecule that regulates the recruitment of leukocytes from the circulation. Our recent unpublished work has suggested that homophilic ligation of CD31 can negatively regulate the ether‐à‐go‐go‐related gene (ERG) current within leukocytes to regulate cell‐cell adhesion. To validate and probe the functional significance of ERG in leukocytes, we developed an infected wound model of inflammation in zebrafish and assessed the efficacy of two ERG‐specific inhibitors, dofetilide and E4031, as well as an ERG‐specific antisense RNA morpholino on neutrophil recruitment. Our data confirm a hitherto undescribed role for ERG in leukocytes, where inhibition or translational knockdown of ERG resulted in significant attenuation of the inflammatory response to an infectious stimulus. Inhibition of ERG was verified independently by a decrease in the ventricular heart rate, where ERG also functions in the repolarization of the cardiac action potential. Our results suggest that ERG‐specific Class III antiarrhythmic drugs can modulate inflammatory responses to infection.
Three Essays in Game Theory

This thesis applies game theoretic methods to problems of individual choice and business strategy. It consists of three self-contained chapters. Chapters 2 and 3 explore strategic interaction between agents who are concerned about the social consequences of their actions, while Chapter 4 considers information use by firms who can spy on their competitors. By investigating these diverse topics, the thesis shows how Game Theory can be used to explain and predict outcomes in a variety of real-life scenarios of economic interest. Chapter 2 explores the effect of “other-regarding” preferences on the outcomes of repeated social interactions, modelled as a Prisoner’s Dilemma game. The models of inequality aversion and guilt aversion are identified as compatible with the existing laboratory evidence on the game, and a novel experiment is run to test them against each other. The experiment provided support for the inequality aversion model, which shows that fairness is an important consideration in repeated social interaction. Chapter 3 develops a formal theory of moral choice by proving a representation theorem for guilt-averse preferences. In the chapter, an axiomatic approach is used to deduce a utility function which explains how people trade off material and moral incentives. A novel logarithmic utility is proposed, which is grounded in realistic psychological assumptions and accounts well for the existing body of laboratory evidence. Chapter 4 investigates the welfare consequences of industrial espionage by modelling it as an information acquisition game played by duopolists. In the model, firms can acquire information about unobservable demand either by conducting market research, or by spying on their competitors. The chapter shows how the two information sources affect price and quantity decisions taken by firms. It also shows that aggregate profit and social welfare grow with the precision of the intelligence technology in most environments.