Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Consumer confusion and multiple equilibria

This paper focuses on consumer confusion when firms may choose between credible and non-credible certification systems for signalling quality. It is shown that the presence of confused consumers leads to the emergence of multiple stable equilibria, in which either all firms select the credible certification or all firms select the non-credible certification. A situation with numerous confused consumers is characterized by the complete absence of credible certification.
Asymmetry of Chromosome Replichores Renders the DNA Translocase Activity of FtsK Essential for Cell Division and Cell Shape Maintenance in Escherichia coli

Bacterial chromosomes are organised as two replichores of opposite polarity that coincide with the replication arms from the ori to the ter region. Here, we investigated the effects of asymmetry in replichore organisation in Escherichia coli. We show that large chromosome inversions from the terminal junction of the replichores disturb the ongoing post-replicative events, resulting in inhibition of both cell division and cell elongation. This is accompanied by alterations of the segregation pattern of loci located at the inversion endpoints, particularly of the new replichore junction. None of these defects is suppressed by restoration of termination of replication opposite oriC, indicating that they are more likely due to the asymmetry of replichore polarity than to asymmetric replication. Strikingly, DNA translocation by FtsK, which processes the terminal junction of the replichores during cell division, becomes essential in inversion-carrying strains. Inactivation of the FtsK translocation activity leads to aberrant cell morphology, strongly suggesting that it controls membrane synthesis at the division septum. Our results reveal that FtsK mediates a reciprocal control between processing of the replichore polarity junction and cell division.
Exchange rates, international trade and inflation: a developing economy perspective

The thesis focuses on empirical modelling and estimation of the role of exchange rate in international trade adjustment, trade prices and domestic inflation in the context of developing countries. Although the study's prime focus is to estimate empirically, using Bangladesh as the main case study, the theoretical assumptions about the effectiveness of exchange rates polices towards trade prices, domestic inflation and trade performance, we also examine the asymmetric behaviour of large exchange rate shocks‘ in trade flows of other South Asian countries such as India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. Estimated results demonstrate that the exchange rate has a significant positive impact on trade balance in the short- and long-run. However, the J-curve phenomenon can be explained as an appropriate response of trade balance to exchange rate shocks. Along with relative prices and domestic real income, the export demand is also found to be the significant determinant of import demand function. We find complete exchange rate pass-through to import price in both the short- and long-run. However, the second stage pass-through to consumer prices is found to be only partial in both the short- and long-run. Trade liberalization is a significant phenomenon for Bangladesh‘s trade and inflation. Hysteresis in international trade is found to be a commodity and country specific phenomenon. Sunk costs are not found to be significant for hysteresis.
Brain Injury Does Not Alter the Intrinsic Differentiation Potential of Adult Neuroblasts

Neuroblasts produced by the neural stem cells of the adult subventricular zone (SVZ) migrate into damaged brain areas after stroke or other brain injuries, and previous data have suggested that they generate regionally appropriate new neurons. To classify the types of neurons produced subsequent to ischemic injury, we combined BrdU or virus labeling with multiple neuronal markers to characterize new cells at different times after the induction of stroke. We show that SVZ neuroblasts give rise almost exclusively to calretinin-expressing cells in the damaged striatum, resulting in the accumulation of these cells during long term recovery after stroke. The vast majority of SVZ neuroblasts as well as newly born young and mature neurons in the damaged striatum constitutively express the transcription factor Sp8, but do not express transcription factors characteristic of medium-sized spiny neurons, the primary striatal projection neurons lost after stroke. Our results suggest that adult neuroblasts do not alter their intrinsic differentiation potential after brain injury.
miR-15b is Downregulated in Myasthenia Gravis Patients and Directly Regulates the Expression of Interleukin-15 (IL-15) in Experimental Myasthenia Gravis Mice

Background miR-15b is significantly and consistently downregulated in different clinical phenotypes of myasthenia gravis (MG). However, its role in pathogenesis of MG is still not clear. This study aimed to explore the function of miR-15b in MG. Material/Methods Blood samples from early-onset MG, late-onset MG, thymoma patients, and healthy participants were collected. The expression pattern of IL-15 and miR-15b was identified by qRT-PCR and ELISA in patient serum and mouse tissue samples. The regulative role of miR-15b on IL-15 expression was verified in an experimental autoimmune myasthenia gravis (EAMG) mice model. Results qRT-PCR and ELISA showed that miR-15b expression was significantly lower and IL-15 expression was significantly higher in all EMG, LMG, and thymoma cases compared to healthy controls. Based on mouse model, we confirmed that miR-15b knockdown could increase IL-15 expression in healthy mice, while miR-15b overexpression could inhibit IL-15 expression in EAMG mice. Through searching in bioinformatics databases, we identified a highly conserved consequential pairing between IL-15 and miR-15b. Subsequent dual luciferase assay further verified this match. Conclusions This study is the first to report the miR-15b-IL-15 axis can directly regulate IL15 expression, which helps to further explain the abnormal IL-15 expression in MG patients and the pathogenesis of MG.
The Formation and Structure of a Strongly Magnetized Corona above a Weakly Magnetized Accretion Disk

We use three-dimensional magnetohydrodynmic (MHD) simulations to study the formation of a corona above an initially weakly magnetized, isothermal accretion disk. The simulations are local in the plane of the disk but extend up to 5 vertical scale heights above and below it. We describe a modification to time-explicit numerical algorithms for MHD that enables us to evolve such highly stratified disks for many orbital times. We find that for an initially toroidal field or a poloidal fields with a vanishing mean MHD turbulence driven by the magnetorotational instability (MRI) produces strong amplification of weak fields within 2 scale heights of the disk midplane in a few orbital times. Although the primary saturation mechanism of the MRI is local dissipation, about 25% of the magnetic energy generated by the MRI within 2 scale heights escapes because of buoyancy, producing a strongly magnetized corona above the disk. Most of the buoyantly rising magnetic energy is dissipated between 3 and 5 scale heights, suggesting that the corona will also be hot. Strong shocks with Mach numbers ≳2 are continuously produced in the corona in response to mass motions deeper in the disk. Only a very weak mass outflow is produced through the outer boundary at 5 scale heights, although this is probably a reflection of our use of the local approximation in the plane of the disk. On long timescales the average vertical disk structure consists of a weakly magnetized (β ~ 50) turbulent core below 2 scale heights and a strongly magnetized (β ≲ 10-1) corona that is stable to the MRI above. The large-scale field structure in both the disk and the coronal regions is predominately toroidal. Equating the volume averaged heating rate to optically thin cooling curves, we estimate the temperature in the corona will be of order 104 K for protostellar disks and 108 K for disks around neutron stars. The functional form of the stress with vertical height is best described as flat within ±2Hz but proportional to the density above ±2Hz. For initially weak uniform vertical fields, we find the exponential growth of magnetic field via axisymmetric vertical modes of the MRI produces strongly buoyant sheets of magnetic energy that break the disk apart into horizontal channels. These channels rise several scale heights vertically before the onset of the Parker instability distorts the sheets and allows matter to flow back toward the midplane and reform a disk. Thereafter the entire disk is magnetically dominated and not well modeled by the local approximation. We suggest that this evolution may be relevant to the dynamical processes that disrupt the inner regions of a disk when it interacts with a strongly magnetized central object.
Peritumoral Lymphatic Vessel Density and Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor C Expression in Early-Stage Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Uterine Cervix

Purpose: Lymphatic invasion and nodal metastasis plays a major role in the spread of cervical cancer; however, little is known about the mechanisms whereby tumor cells enter the lymphatic system. Experimental Design: We examined the intra- and peritumoral lymphatic vessel density (LVD) using D2-40 immunohistochemistry in 111 cervical squamous cell carcinomas and correlated them with vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)-C expression, clinicopathologic tumor features, and outcome. Results: Compared with benign cervix, intratumoral and peritumoral LVD was significantly increased (P < 0.0001). Peritumoral LVD was significantly higher than intratumoral LVD (P = 0.009). High peritumoral, but not intratumoral, LVD showed significant correlation with high tumor stage, lymphatic invasion, and nodal metastasis. VEGF-C showed increased expression at the invasive edge compared with the center of tumors (P < 0.0001) and correlated with high peritumoral LVD, lymphatic invasion, and nodal metastasis. High peritumoral LVD and VEGF-C expression at the invasive edge of tumors were associated with poor overall and recurrence-free survival in univariate analysis. In multivariate analysis, peritumoral LVD was the only independent term predictive of overall survival. Conclusions: Our findings suggest a potential role for VEGF-C in tumor-induced lymphangiogenesis represented by high peritumoral LVD, which may be one of the mechanisms leading to lymphatic invasion and metastatic spread. High peritumoral LVD may be an independent prognostic factor in early-stage cervical cancer.
Lack of entrepreneurial management leads to failure of social enterprise governed by an institutional partnership

This paper reports an on-going research study that is investigating the application of a model of team-based philosophy to test the efficacy of an ‘institutional partnership’ between a UK university (UNI) and a regional social enterprise development agency (SEDA) as they seek to set-up and develop a work-integration social enterprise (WISE). The research design is longitudinal, conducted over a period of 18 months and has three data collection phases ‘early’, ‘middle’ and ‘late’. This paper reports the analysis of data gathered during the ‘late’ phase of this research. Individual semi-structured interviews were conducted with 10 participants involved in the partnership organisations and the WISE programme delivery staff. Qualitative analysis of the interview data revealed five emergent themes, which were subsequently interpreted by the researchers as: ‘Reasons’, ‘Positives’, ‘Company structure’, ‘The Partnership’ and ‘Negatives’. The theme ‘Reasons’ revealed the participant’s perceptions of why the Partnership and the company failed to achieve their original aspirations. The theme ‘Positives’ was characterised by the notion that the funded project was an ‘experiment’, which produced a learning outcome. The ‘experiment’ was to test the viability of a funding body supporting the creation of an institutional partnership to set-up and develop a WISE. It was interesting to note an important distinction made by one of the participants who proposed that what was tested was the ability of the individuals representing the organisations rather than the organisations per se. The theme ‘Company structure’ highlighted the negative effects on the Partnership created by the volatile nature of the company structure during this ‘late’ phase. Changes in personnel, roles and responsibilities at all levels created an unstable environment and context, which impacted negatively on the Partnership and the company. The theme ‘The Partnership’ revealed the impact of a dispute between the partners that was rooted in a change of CEO at one of the partnership organisations. The theme ‘Negatives’ highlighted personal feelings of failure and responsibility for that failure. Failure was perceived as a failure of the ‘experiment’ by some participants others perceived failure in a more personal sense. The results of the analysis of the data from this ‘late’ phase, when compared to criteria from the adopted team-based model, suggests that the partnership and WISE staff failed to metamorphose into an ‘effective team’
Polymicrobial Peritonitis with Lactococcus lactis in a Peritoneal Dialysis Patient

Lactococcus lactis (L. lactis) is an important gram-positive bacterium in dairy products. It is a rare cause of opportunistic infections with only four cases of Lactococcus peritoneal dialysis (PD) peritonitis reported in the literature. In Korea, L. lactis infection was first reported in a liver abscess patient in 2010; however, PD peritonitis with Lactococcus has not been reported in Korea. Recently, we experienced a case of Lactococcus-associated polymicrobial PD peritonitis. The patient was initially managed with broad-coverage antibiotics; however, owing to a poor response, the PD catheter was removed and the patient was switched to hemodialysis. We discuss this case and review the literature.
Embodied Choice: How Action Influences Perceptual Decision Making

Embodied Choice considers action performance as a proper part of the decision making process rather than merely as a means to report the decision. The central statement of embodied choice is the existence of bidirectional influences between action and decisions. This implies that for a decision expressed by an action, the action dynamics and its constraints (e.g. current trajectory and kinematics) influence the decision making process. Here we use a perceptual decision making task to compare three types of model: a serial decision-then-action model, a parallel decision-and-action model, and an embodied choice model where the action feeds back into the decision making. The embodied model incorporates two key mechanisms that together are lacking in the other models: action preparation and commitment. First, action preparation strategies alleviate delays in enacting a choice but also modify decision termination. Second, action dynamics change the prospects and create a commitment effect to the initially preferred choice. Our results show that these two mechanisms make embodied choice models better suited to combine decision and action appropriately to achieve suitably fast and accurate responses, as usually required in ecologically valid situations. Moreover, embodied choice models with these mechanisms give a better account of trajectory tracking experiments during decision making. In conclusion, the embodied choice framework offers a combined theory of decision and action that gives a clear case that embodied phenomena such as the dynamics of actions can have a causal influence on central cognition.
Peer support work on an inpatient unit for adults experiencing psychosis

ABSTRACT Peer support work is now recognized as a valuable component of mental health services. Although a number of studies have been published, the evidence base is inconsistent. There is relatively little literature on peer support work in an inpatient context, and even less about peer support specifically for adults experiencing psychosis in an inpatient setting. Barriers to peer work in this environment may be significant, yet these potential obstacles make inpatient peer work all the more important. Indeed, some of the earliest examples of peer support derive from supporting individuals experiencing psychosis in residential settings. This first-person peer account and discussion give voice to a peer’s experience of such work, demonstrating not only that it is possible, but that its impact can be wide-reaching for both consumers and multidisciplinary teams. This peer author’s work impacts the experience of hospitalization and recovery journeys of individuals, as well as staff’s capacity to relate to consumers and provide therapeutic care. More qualitative research is needed to understand and expand on these influences.
CEO Stock-Based Compensation: An Empirical Analysis of Incentive-Intensity, Relative Mix, and Economic Determinants

The use of stock-based compensation for U.S. CEOs has increased significantly throughout the 1990s. Research interest, in particular on stock option compensation, has similarly increased, yet contradictory results create questions about the theoretical underpinnings. Therefore, we revisit the controversy surrounding stock option awards, and we further the understanding of restricted stock grants, which have escaped similar research focus. Using a recent data set, we obtain convincing empirical support for most theoretical predictions about stock option awards. We also find that restricted stock, due to its linear payoffs, is relatively inefficient in inducing risk-averse CEOs to accept risky, value-increasing investment projects. Copyright 2000 by University of Chicago Press.
The Superluminal Source GRS 1915+105: A High-Mass X-Ray Binary?

We obtained K-band (2.0-2.5 μm) infrared spectra of the visually obscured superluminal source GRS 1915+105 at three different epochs of 1995, at times when it was detected as a hard X-ray source. The three spectra exhibit H I Brγ (2.167 μm) and He I (2.058 μm) emission lines. The spectral morphology, absolute magnitude, and time variability of the infrared counterpart are consistent with the class of high-mass X-ray binaries that contain late Oe and early Be stars as mass donors. In GRS 1915+105 we have not detected the Doppler-shifted emission lines observed in the classic stellar source of relativistic jets, SS 433. We discuss why it may be more difficult in GRS 1915+105 than in SS 433 to detect emission lines from the jets.
Can’t Quite Commit: Rumination and Uncertainty

Why do some individuals persist in self-destructive rumination? Two studies investigated the relation between a ruminative response style and the reluctance to initiate instrumental behavior. In Study 1, ruminators were compared to nonruminators regarding their evaluation of a self-generated plan to revise their university housing system and, in Study 2, concerning their plan to redesign the undergraduate curriculum. In both studies, on relevant composite measures, ruminators expressed less satisfaction and confidence with regard to their plans than did nonruminators. They were also less likely to commit to the plans they generated. The findings suggest that in addition to its documented detrimental effects on thinking and problem solving, self-focused rumination may inhibit instrumental behavior by increasing uncertainty, resulting in further rumination and behavioral paralysis.
Do Conglomerates Stifle Innovation?

Using patent-based metrics, this paper examines the impact that the conglomerate form may have on the scale and novelty of corporate R&D activity. It shows that firms that are more reliant on internal capital markets to reallocate resources across divisions produce both a lesser number of innovations and also less novel innovations. Conglomerates producing more novel innovations have higher market values and appropriate organizational design helps in enhancing the novelty of innovations. Evidence gathered from a quasi-experiment strongly suggests a causal link between organizational form and R&D productivity, that is, conglomerates do stifle innovation.
Student Self-Reported Gains Attributed to College Attendance: Comparing Two-Year and Four-Year Students. IR Applications, Volume 17, January 15, 2009.

As more students enroll at community colleges, questions are raised about whether learning is the same in the twoand fouryear sectors, both overall and for sub-groups, and whether effects of student backgrounds and college experiences on learning are similar. This study used structural equation modeling with CCSSE and NSSE data from a sample of firstand secondyear students at 18 institutions and concluded that mean selfreported academic and personal– social gains attributed to college attendance were significantly less for students at two-year colleges. These results were the same for demographic sub-groups, and also for two additional samples, including one with NSSE data only for students who reported their age as between 18 and 24 and CCSSE data only for students who reported their age as 18–24, their highest current educational credential as a high school diploma or GED, and their educational goal as transfer to a four-year institution; and a second additional sample with all two-year students and fouryear students who attended a university with a large percentage of transfer students. key words: learning, involvement, educational environment, NSSE, CCSSE, structural equation modeling, 2-year institutions, 4-year institutions Student Self-Reported Gains Attributed to College Attendance: Comparing Two-Year and Four-Year Institutions An increasingly large share of post-secondary enrollments is in two-year colleges (Cohen & Brawer, 2003). There is some evidence that an increasingly large portion of traditional college-age students are Enhancing knowledge.
H∞ and positive-real control for linear neutral delay systems

This note is concerned with the H/sub /spl infin// and positive-real control problems for linear neutral delay systems. The purpose of H/sub /spl infin// control is the design of a memoryless state feedback controller which stabilizes the neutral delay system and reduces the H/sub /spl infin// norm of the closed-loop transfer function from the disturbance to the controlled output to a prescribed level, while the purpose of positive-real control is to design a memoryless state feedback controller such that the resulting closed-loop system is stable and the closed-loop transfer function is extended strictly positive real. Sufficient conditions for the existence of the desired controllers are given in terms of a linear matrix inequality (LMI). When this LMI is feasible, the expected memoryless state feedback controllers can be easily constructed via convex optimization.