Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A Novel Resting Strategy for Improving Islet Engraftment in the Liver

Background Several studies have revealed that posttransplant insulin treatment is beneficial to rest the islet grafts. However, insulin infusion per se is not enough to completely suppress the heavy workload arising caused by postprandial hyperglycemia. Therefore, the present study examined whether short-term fasting combined with insulin treatment could effectively prevent graft exhaustion after intraportal islet transplantation. Methods A marginal dose of syngeneic rat islet grafts were transplanted intraportally into the control, insulin-treated, and insulin+rest groups of streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats. The control group fed freely without insulin treatment, and the other groups were continuously treated with an optimal amount of insulin to maintain normoglycemia. In addition, the insulin+rest group fasted and received total parenteral nutrition during the 2 weeks after transplantation. Results The curative rate was significantly higher in both the insulin and insulin+rest groups than the control group (P<0.0001). The glucose tolerance, residual graft mass, and graft function were significantly ameliorated in the insulin+rest group, but not in the insulin group, compared to the control group (P<0.01, P=0.03, P=0.001). Conclusions These data suggest that short-term fasting combined with insulin treatment, especially during the avascular period of the grafts, could therefore be a promising regimen for improving pancreatic islet engraftment in the liver.
On the Determinants of Firm Leverage: Evidence from a Structural Estimation

Purpose - – The purpose of this paper is to investigate the phenomena of convergence and stability of leverage reported by Lemmon Design/methodology/approach - – A dynamic trade-off model of the firm was used to simulate investment, leverage, and payout decisions for different types of firms. From an econometric standpoint, the Efficient Method of Moments was used to recover the structural parameters. Findings - – The structural model generates a leverage ratio that oscillates around a long-run, time-invariant level and consistently reproduces the convergence and stability of leverage reported by Lemmon Practical implications - – Determining the optimal capital structure of a firm is a complex problem that has challenged academics and practitioners for a long time. Understanding leverage decisions is of great importance not only for financial managers, but also for investors, such as banks, debt-holders, equity-holders, and other capital providers, who need to understand how firms make capital structure decisions in order to achieve an efficient allocation of funds. Originality/value - – The author shows that the firm-specific fixed effects in leverage regressions are not related to the usual determinants (e.g. profitability, market-to-book ratio), but to the primitive characteristics of the firm (e.g. elasticity of capital in the production function, the volatility of profits, the capital depreciation rate, the income tax rate, etc.)
Capacity Market Fundamentals

Electricity capacity markets work in tandem with electricity energy markets to ensure that investors build adequate capacity in line with consumer preferences for reliability. The need for a capacity market stems from several market failures. One particularly notorious problem of electricity markets is low demand flexibility. Most customers are unaware of the real time prices of electricity, have no reason to respond to them, or cannot respond quickly to them, leading to highly price-inelastic demand. This contributes to blackouts in times of scarcity and to the inability of the market to determine the market-clearing prices needed to attract an efficient level and mix of generation capacity. Moreover, the problems caused by this market failure can result in considerable price volatility and market power that would be insignificant if the demand-side of the market were fully functional. Capacity markets are a means to ensure resource adequacy while mitigating other problems caused by the demand side flaws. Our paper describes the basic economics behind the adequacy problem and addresses important challenges and misunderstandings in the process of actually designing capacity markets.
Measurement of the thickness of the corium and subcutaneous tissue of the hind claws of dairy cattle by ultrasound

The thickness of the subsolar soft tissue layer (dermis and subcutaneous tissue) of the hind lateral and medial claws of 23 Holstein dairy cattle was measured by ultrasound imaging. The results showed that on average the subsolar soft tissue layer of the lateral hind claw was significantly thicker (4.29 mm) than that of the medial hind claw (3.92 mm).
Evaluation of physiological changes in coffee seedlings intercropped with maize, cassava and plantain in Nigeria

Field experiments were carried out at three locations with different vegetation in Nigeria between 1996 and 1998 to determine the physiological changes in coffee intercropped with maize, cassava and plantain. There were four intercropping treatments comprising coffee/maize, coffee/cassava, coffee/plantain and coffee/maize/cassava/plantain while coffee sole was used as the control. Spacing of 3.1m was used for coffee and plantain, 1m apart for cassava while it was 0.75m [inter row] and 0.30m [intra row] apart for maize. The treatments were replicated four times under randomized complete block design. Data were collected at 3-monthly intervals for 36 months on net assimilation rate [NAR], leaf area ratio [LAR] and relative growth rate [RGR]. Land equivalent ratio (LER) of the trial was also determined. Result showed that NAR decreased as coffee seedlings aged and coffee/plantain gave the highest value while coffee/cassava showed the least NAR value. Same trend above was recorded for the LAR values. Coffee sole had the least RGR value and it was highest in coffee/plantain. This indicates that intercropping coffee with plantain will improve its physiological growth than when grown as sole crop. The land equivalent ratio was recorded for coffee/plantain intercrop in all the locations. Consequently, coffee/plantain intercrop is recommended for coffee farmers in the first three years after transplanting to the field. Key words: Physiological changes; coffee seedlings; intercropped Moor Journal of Agricultural Research Vol.4(2) 2003: 218-224
Should DDT continue to be recommended for malaria vector control?

In the early 1970s the use of DDT was banned in the U.S.A. and some European countries except for certain emergency pest control situations. The ban was based on the toxicity of DDT to fish, its persistence in the environment and evidence that it could be passed up food chains. Very high doses of DDT applied against the beetle vectors of Dutch elm disease led to concentration of residues in earthworms and hence killing of American robins which ate the worms (data reviewed by Cooper, 1991). There is much literature on the passage of DDT through food chains causing thinning of the egg shells of certain raptorial birds and hence interference with their reproduction (Cooke, 1973; Cooper, 1991). As pointed out by Jukes (1983), some of this evidence is now realized not to have been conclusive because of the earlier failure to distinguish analytically between DDT (or its derivatives such as DDE) and polychlorinated bi-phenyls (PCBs) which are also persistent organochlorines and which were used as electrical insulators between the 1930s and 1970s. Another complication, pointed out by Cooper (1991), is that in some cases the timing of the declines of bird populations, the onset of egg shell thinning and of large-scale DDT usage do not coincide, and some of the more sensational bird kills in the 1950s and 1960s are attributable to cyclodiene insecticides such as dieldrin. Though the evidence against DDT was not altogether scientific at the time of its banning, the recovery of populations of the sparrow hawk and peregrine falcon since the banning of DDT and cyclodienes in the U.S.A. and Europe are circumstantial evidence that the use of organochlorines on field crops was harmful to some wild life. At the time of the hearings in the U.S.A. leading to the banning of DDT, much emphasis was given to the detection of DDT in human breast milk. Its detection has been reported in well over 100 papers (see tabulation by Smith, 1991). DDT is concentrated in breast milk because it is lipophilic and the secretion of stored DDT into milk is the main route for excretion of DDT in lactating women.
The Trade-Off Between Financial Resources and Agency Costs in the Family Business: An Exploratory Study

This exploratory study is intended to analyze how a combination of the resources-based view and agency theory can provide a better understanding of the internal dynamic of the family business and its evolution. Our evidence seems to suggest that the desire to keep family control produces specific sources of value and conditions the firm's financial capacity to acquire resources. These peculiarities change between first and following generations. During the first generation, we find that less severe agency costs balance the negative effect of scarce financial structure on the family firm's value. After descendants join the firm, the increasing agency costs are compensated by the enlargement of the firm's financial structure.
Does caring for your spouse harm one's health? Evidence from a United States nationally-representative sample of older adults

ABSTRACT The purpose of this article is to investigate the relationship between spousal care-giving and declines in functioning and self-rated health among older care-givers. The authors used data from the 2000 and 2002 waves of the United States Health and Retirement Study, a biennial longitudinal survey of a nationally representative cohort of adults aged 50 or more years. Two outcomes were examined, declines in functioning and declines in self-rated health. Care-givers were classified into three groups: no care-giving, less than 14 hours of care-giving per week, and 14 or more hours care-giving per week. To assess declines in functioning, two summary scores were created of limitations in basic and instrumental Activities of Daily Living. To assess declines in self-rated health, we compared responses from 2000 and 2002. In the fully adjusted models, care-giving hours did not have an independent effect on declines in functioning or self-rated health. The relationship between care-giving hours and declines in functioning and self-rated health is probably attributable to socio-demographic characteristics, mainly age. The findings suggest that spousal care-giving does not of itself harm functional health or perceived health among older adult care-givers. Understanding the differential effects of these socio-economic characteristics with care-giving hours on health will be useful in promoting the health of older adult care-givers and treating their disorders.
Differences in the Information Environment Prior to Seasoned Equity Offerings under Relaxed Disclosure Regulation

The SEC promulgated the Securities Offering Reform (SOR) in 2005 to ease disclosure restrictions prior to seasoned equity offerings (SEOs). The SEC argued that SOR would improve the information environment, but critics claimed it would allow firms to hype their stock. This paper is the first to examine the information environment at the time of capital formation under SOR. We find more frequent and accurate management earnings forecasts, more 8-K filings, greater absolute market-adjusted returns, and more positive stock returns leading up to the SEO issue date indicating a richer pre-SEO information environment with capital formation benefits after SOR.
Interdependence of Nordic and Baltic Stock Markets

Abstract The interdependence of the Nordic and Baltic stock markets is explored in light of increased merger activity of stock exchanges over the sample period, 1996–2006. The results show surprisingly little interdependence between the Nordic and Baltic stock indices. In the short run, the response of each market to a shock in another is insignificant. In the longer term there is limited evidence of integration and only weak indication of convergence within the sample period. The stock markets seem no more integrated than they were at the outset of recent merger activity, suggesting that the levels of cooperation between the Nordic and Baltic exchanges have not been deep enough to produce increased interdependence.
Disclosure Quality and the Mispricing of Accruals and Cash Flow

In this paper, we investigate the role that disclosure quality plays in the accurate valuation of accruals and cash flow. We predict that stock prices of firms with higher-quality disclosures more accurately reflect the persistence of accruals and cash flow. We test our predictions using analyst ratings of disclosure published in the annual Association for Investment Management and Research (AIMR) Corporate Information Committee Reports for the years 1982 through 1996. The results provide strong evidence of mispricing for the subset of firms with lower-quality disclosures and of a significant reduction in mispricing for the subset of firms with higher-quality disclosures. We confirm the results of our Mishkin tests using returns regressions that also control for investor sophistication, analyst following, and firm life-cycle stage. Overall, our results demonstrate the mitigating effect that higher-quality disclosure has on mispricing.
Technological Extinctions of Industrial Firms: An Inquiry into Their Nature and Causes

After a buildup in the number of firms, new industries commonly experience a "shakeout" in which the number of firms declines sharply. Three theoretical perspectives on how technological change contributes to industry shakeouts are analyzed. The theories are used to synthesize predictions concerning technological change and industry evolution. The predictions inform an analysis of four US industries that experienced sharp shakeouts: automobiles, tires, televisions and penicillin. Using data on firm participation and innovation from the commercial inception of the four products through their formative eras, we uncover regularities in how the products evolved. The regularities suggest that shakeouts are not triggered by particular technological innovations nor by dominant designs, but by an evolutionary process in which technological innovation contributes to a mounting dominance by some early-entering firms. Copyright 1997 by Oxford University Press.
Two Decades of Russian Business and Management Research: An Institutional Theory Perspective

Executive Overview Business and management in Russia have undergone substantial change during the past two decades as the country has transitioned from the centrally planned Soviet system to a more market-oriented economy. Russia has not been given as much attention as BRIC nations such as India and China in either academic research or the popular business press, despite its being a global energy giant and major natural resource player as well as a member of the G8 economic powers. We analyze research on Russian business and management published over the past two decades, draw implications for Russia's future in the global economic community, and offer directions for future research. Our basic conclusion is that Russian managers have relied excessively on informal institutions, including personal networks, to conduct business due to the void created by the weak legitimacy of the country's formal institutions. A major implication is that by continuing to rely on informal institutions in the context of a fo.
Genetic basis of heterosis and inbreeding depression in rice (Oryza sativa L.)

The genetic basis of heterosis was studied through mid-parent, standard variety and better parent for 11 quantitative traits in 17 parental lines and their 10 selected hybrids in rice (Oryza sativa L.). The characters were plant height. days to flag leaf initiation, days to first panicle initiation, days to 100% flowering, panicle length, flag leaf length. days to maturity, number of fertile spikelet/panicle, number of effective tillers/hill, grain yield/10-hill, and 1000-grain weight. In general the hybrids performed significantly better than the respective parents. Significant heterosis was observed for most of the studied characters. Among the 10 hybrids, four hybrids viz., 17A×45R, 25A×37R, 27A×39R, 31A×47R, and 35A×47R showed highest heterosis in 10-hill grain yield/10-hill. Inbreeding depression of F2 progeny was also studied for 11 characters of 10 hybrids. Both positive and negative inbreeding depression were found in many crosses for the studied characters, but none was found significant. Selection of good parents was found to be the most important for developing high yielding hybrid rice varieties.
Alexithymia, not Autism Spectrum Disorders, is the consequence of interoceptive failure

It has been proposed that Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is associated with difficulties perceiving the internal state of one's body (i.e., impaired interoception), causing the socio-emotional deficits which are a diagnostic feature of the condition. However, research indicates that alexithymia – characterized by difficulties in recognizing emotions from internal bodily sensations – is also linked to atypical interoception. Elevated rates of alexithymia in the autistic population have been shown to underpin several socio-emotional impairments thought to be symptomatic of ASD, raising the possibility that interoceptive difficulties in ASD are also due to co-occurring alexithymia. Following this line of inquiry, the present study examined the relative impact of alexithymia and autism on interoceptive accuracy (IA). Across two experiments, it was found that alexithymia, not autism, was associated with atypical interoception. Results indicate that interoceptive impairments should not be considered a feature of ASD, but instead due to co-occurring alexithymia.
The Industrialisation and Span of Retail Banks' Delivery Systems

Technologies for the delivery of financial services, such as ATMs, home banking and other self‐service media, are having a profound impact on the design of retail banks' delivery systems. The results of an empirical study based on a probability sample survey of 117 US retail banks, in which the channels of delivery for typical banking products are investigated, are presented. Several of the basic assumptions of a conceptual framework depicting the relationships between service contents characteristics and service delivery channels are tested. Specifically, this article considers how banking services (transactions and enquiries) generally vary according to the type of delivery channel emphasised by the bank for its target market (industrialisation level) and according to the number (span) of delivery channels available to the customer. It also shows the relationship between these two key factors in delivery system design, industrialisation and span.
HRM and Project Intensification in R&D-Based Companies: A Study of Volvo Car Corporation and AstraZeneca

Projects have become the standard mode of organising R&D activities. The main focus of this paper is to analyse the relationship between the project operations of the R&D-based firm and its Human Resource Management (HRM). This paper draws on a comparative case study of AstraZeneca and Volvo Car Corporation. It is argued that the project intensification currently under way has some important structural and content effects on the HRM practice of the firms. As to the content effects, we identify five critical areas within the HRM practice where special attention is needed due to project intensification. As to the structural effects, we identify two separate logics for HR specialists: the HR-based logic and the task-based logic. These logics give new knowledge about the design of the HR organisation and how the HR departmental structures should be adapted in a project-intensive setting. The case studies also illustrate three alternative roles for line managers when they assume increased HR responsibility.
IL‐4 blocks M‐CSF‐dependent macrophage proliferation by inducing p21Waf1 in a STAT6‐dependent way

Macrophages are recruited from the blood stream to the inflammatory loci to carry out their functional activities. In an early phase of the cell cycle, macrophages become activated by Th1‐type cytokines (i.e. IFN‐γ), thereby producing several factors (cytokines, NO, etc.) and developing pro‐inflammatory activities. When bacteria and apoptotic bodies are removed, through the interaction with Th2‐type cytokines (i.e. IL‐4), macrophages become anti‐inflammatory and repair damaged tissues. Incubation of bone‐marrow‐derived macrophages with IFN‐γ or IL‐4 blocked their proliferation. While M‐CSF withdrawal caused cell cycle arrest at the early G1 phase, treatment of macrophages with IFN‐γ or IL‐4 caused this arrest later, at the G1/S boundary. Proliferation arrest was not due to an induction of apoptosis. IFN‐γ and IL‐4 induced the expression of the cyclin‐dependent kinase (Cdk) inhibitor p21Waf1. Using KO mice and iRNA experiments, we found that p21Waf1is required for IL‐4‐ but not for IFN‐γ‐dependent inhibition of macrophage proliferation. IL‐4 inhibited M‐CSF‐dependent Cdk‐2 and Cdk‐4 activities, which are necessary for entry and passage through the S phase of the cell cycle. The signal transduction used to induce the expression of p21Waf1after interaction of IL‐4 with the corresponding receptor was mediated by STAT6. Thus, IL‐4 and IFN‐γ blocked M‐CSF‐induced macrophage proliferation through distinct mechanisms.
Why hedge? Rationales for corporate hedging and value implications

Purpose - In the presence of capital market imperfections, risk management at the enterprise level is apt to increase the firm's value to shareholders by reducing costs associated with agency conflicts, external financing, financial distress, and taxes. The purpose of this paper is to provide an accessible and comprehensive account of these rationales for corporate risk management and to give a short overview of the empirical support found in the literature. Design/methodology/approach - The paper outlines the main theories suggesting that corporate risk management can enhance shareholder value and briefly reviews the empirical evidence on these theories. Findings - When there are imperfections in capital markets, corporate hedging can enhance shareholder value through its impact on agency costs, costly external financing, direct and indirect costs of bankruptcy, as well as taxes. More specifically, corporate hedging can alleviate underinvestment and asset substitution problems by reducing the volatility of cash flows, and it can accommodate the risk aversion of undiversified managers and increase the effectiveness of managerial incentive structures through eliminating unsystematic risk. Lower volatility of cash flows also leads to lower bankruptcy costs. Moreover, corporate hedging can also align the availability of internal resources with the need for investment funds, helping firms to avoid costly external financing. Finally, corporate risk management can reduce the corporate tax burden in the presence of convex tax schedules. While there is empirical support for these rationales of hedging at the firm level, the evidence is only modestly supportive, suggesting alternative explanations. Originality/value - The discussed theories and the empirical evidence are described in an accessible way, in part by using numerical examples.