Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Trade and the Effect of Public Investment on Regional Inequalities in Heterogeneously Integrated Areas

Regional integration, it is argued, challenges the distribution of economic activity among regions. However, the government role in shifting the patterns of regional inequalities is still under debate and has received small comprehensive empirical evidence. This paper examines the hypothesis of trade as channelling public investment and, thus, perpetuating regional inequalities. We argue that the interplay of public and private investment plays a key role in stimulating trade and economic activity. To avoid problems of cross-country heterogeneity and comparability this study examines data for two countries; Mexico and Spain, both followers of trade integration arrangements. Findings indicate that regional inequalities in Mexico are significantly explained by differences in export capacity serving to boost private investment whereas inequalities in Spain are appreciably driven by previous endowments and private capital formation.
Decreased differential activity in the amygdala in response to fearful expressions in Type D personality

In most cases authors are permitted to post their version of the article (e.g. in Word or Tex form) to their personal website or institutional repository. Authors requiring further information regarding Elsevier's archiving and manuscript policies are encouraged to visit: Decreased differential activity in the amygdala in response to fearful expressions in Type D personality Diminution de l'activité au sein de l'amygdale en réponse à des expressions de peur dans les personnalités de Type D Summary Recent advances in functional brain imaging offer unique opportunities to explore the neurofunctional basis of tools used to assess personality differences which have proven their clinical usefulness. In this functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) study, the focus was on the amygdala activation and we investigated whether individual differences in activity of the amygdala following presentation of emotional expressions in the face and the whole body may be systematically related to the presence of Type D (distressed) personality or to its constituting factors, Negative Affectivity (NA) and Social Inhibition (SI). Our results show that the observed difference in amygdala activity between fearful and neutral expressions was present in participants that did not meet the criteria for Type D personality, while this effect was absent in participants that could be classified as Type D personality. Our correlation analyses further showed that the activation in the left amygdala elicited by fearful versus neutral bodily 164 B. de Gelder et al. expressions correlated negatively with the Negative Affectivity score. The same pattern was observed for the right amygdala for fearful facial and bodily expressions when contrasted with neutral facial and bodily expressions. Résumé Les progrès récents en imagerie fonctionnelle cérébrale nous offrent un moyen privilégié d'étude des fondements neurofonctionnels d'outils utilisés pour évaluer les diffé-rences de personnalités et dont la valeur clinique est reconnue. Le but de cette étude en imagerie par résonance magnétique fonctionnelle (IRMf), qui portait sur l'amygdale, était de déterminer si les différences interindividuelles d'activité au sein de l'amygdale en réponse à l'observation d'expressions corporelles et faciales émotionnelles pouvait être expliquée par la présence d'une personnalité D (détresse) ou de l'un de ses facteurs constituants, mesurés par des scores d'affects négatifs ou d'inhibition sociale. Nos résultats montrent qu'une différence d'activité au sein de l'amygdale entre expressions de peur et expressions neutres est présente chez les individus qui ne répondent pas aux critères de personnalité D, cette différence dis-paraît chez les sujets répondant aux critères de …
Age-related Measurements and Indices of Normal Human Brain Fourth Ventricle: A Computed Tomography Study

Objectives: To detect average dimensions and indices of normal brain cerebral hemispheres and fourth ventricles in relation to age and gender. Subjects & Methods: 135 subjects; 70 males (M) and 65 females (F) were categorized into 4 age groups (G): GM1 & GF1 included subjects 60 years old. CT imaging was conducted according to Agapejev; using high resolution scanner for measuring the fourth ventricle; the fourth ventricular anteroposterior diameter (AP), laterolateral diameter and fourth ventricular indices. Results: As regard the measured parameter of the fourth ventricle, the anteroposterior diameter (AP) and the laterolateral diameter (LL) showed a significant increase after the age of forty in both sexes. The indices of the fourth ventricle (AP/CR) and (AP/ff) showed no significant changes with age and sex but these indices had some degree of changes during human life time. On the other hand the only index that does not suffer influence of age and sex at all, it was (AP/LL) index. Considering the sex difference in ventricular dilatation in the present work, AP/LL was the only parameters which showed no difference between males and females so considered as (sentinel index of the fourth ventricle). Conclusion: The dimensions of the normal brain ventricles increased gradually and steadily between the age of one and fifty years, however they increased markedly and significantly thereafter in both sexes. This may be due to a physiological brain atrophy that may be encountered in most elderly individuals. Ventricular system was larger in males than that of females of all age groups.
Are large auditors more accurate than small auditors

Theoretical research suggests that large auditors have more incentive to issue accurate reports compared to small auditors (DeAngelo, 1981; Dye, 1993). Controlling for the client characteristics of large and small auditors, this paper shows that large auditors issue reports that are more accurate and more informative signals of financial distress. These findings are consistent with the theoretical prediction of a positive relationship between auditor size and auditor accuracy.
From Monocultural to Multicultural

Migration to a new country can be very difficult for adolescents as they are also experiencing a critical transition into adulthood. The current study investigates cross-cultural transition issues facing Iranian immigrant adolescents living in Malaysia. Data were gathered from individual interviews with 100 Iranian adolescents (ages 14-18 years), who have lived in Malaysia for between 2 months and 5 years. Descriptive phenomenology qualitative research was used to explore the impact of the migration process on Iranian adolescents. Analysis revealed five major themes regarding participants’ life experiences in Malaysia: (a) initial expectations; (b) differences in ethnicity, religion, and beliefs; (c) communication barriers; (d) differences in personal evaluations; and (e) psychological issues. The results of this study clearly show that migration for Iranian adolescents in Malaysia is a time of unexpected challenges that may not be experienced by other migrant adolescents in other countries. Our findings contribute to the literature on the unique experiences of Iranian adolescents living in Malaysia and also build on the current research on adolescents who have recently immigrated. In addition, our results further uncover the process of immigration for individuals who are moving from a monocultural society (such as Iran) to a multicultural context (such as Malaysia).
Type I collagenases in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid from preterm babies at risk of developing chronic lung disease

OBJECTIVE To assess whether increased collagenolysis precedes severe chronic lung disease (CLD). METHODS Matrix metalloproteinase-1 (MMP-1) and MMP-8 (enzymes that degrade type I collagen, the main structural protein of lung extracellular matrix) were measured by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay in 100 bronchoalveolar lavage samples taken during the first 6 postnatal days from 45 ventilated preterm babies < 33 weeks gestation. The median value for each baby was calculated. CLD was defined as an oxygen requirement after the 36th week after conception. RESULTS MMP-8 levels in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid were higher (median 13 ng/ml) in 20 babies who developed CLD than in 25 without CLD (median 2 ng/ml). No MMP-1 was detected in any sample. CONCLUSIONS MMP-8 can be detected in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid from preterm babies, and higher levels are found in those who later develop CLD. MMP-8 may contribute to lung injury that occurs as a prelude to CLD.
Attention, in and Out: Scalp-Level and Intracranial EEG Correlates of Interoception and Exteroception

Interoception, the monitoring of visceral signals, is often presumed to engage attentional mechanisms specifically devoted to inner bodily sensing. In fact, most standardized interoceptive tasks require directing attention to internal signals. However, most studies in the field have failed to compare attentional modulations between internally- and externally-driven processes, thus probing blind to the specificity of the former. Here we address this issue through a multidimensional approach combining behavioral measures, analyses of event-related potentials and functional connectivity via high-density electroencephalography, and intracranial recordings. In Study 1, 50 healthy volunteers performed a heartbeat detection task as we recorded modulations of the heartbeat-evoked potential (HEP) in three conditions: exteroception, basal interoception (also termed interoceptive accuracy), and post-feedback interoception (sometimes called interoceptive learning). In Study 2, to evaluate whether key interoceptive areas (posterior insula, inferior frontal gyrus, amygdala, and somatosensory cortex) were differentially modulated by externally- and internally-driven processes, we analyzed human intracranial recordings with depth electrodes in these regions. This unique technique provides a very fine grained spatio-temporal resolution compared to other techniques, such as EEG or fMRI. We found that both interoceptive conditions in Study 1 yielded greater HEP amplitudes than the exteroceptive one. In addition, connectivity analysis showed that post-feedback interoception, relative to basal interoception, involved enhanced long-distance connections linking frontal and posterior regions. Moreover, results from Study 2 showed a differentiation between oscillations during basal interoception (broadband: 35–110 Hz) and exteroception (1–35 Hz) in the insula, the amygdala, the somatosensory cortex, and the inferior frontal gyrus. In sum, this work provides convergent evidence for the specificity and dynamics of attentional mechanisms involved in interoception.
In vitro cultivation and developmental cycle in culture of a parasitic dinoflagellate (Hematodinium sp.) associated with mortality of the Norway lobster (Nephrops norvegicus) in British waters

Dinoflagellates are common and often important parasites of aquatic organisms, but their developmental cycles are poorly known and have not been established in in vitro culture. The parasitic dinoflagellate (Hematodinium sp.) associated with mortality of the Norway lobster (Nephrops norvegicus) in British waters has been cultivated in vitro in 10% foetal calf serum in a balanced Nephrops saline. In culture the parasite undergoes a characteristic cycle of development. Circulating sporoblasts from the host's haemolymph in vitro generate 2 kinds of flagellated uninucleate dinospore, macrospores and microspores, either of which will, after 5 weeks in fresh medium, germinate to produce multinucleate unattached filamentous trophonts. These trophonts multiply by fragmentation and growth and may be serially subcultured in this form, at 2 week intervals, indefinitely. If not subcultured, the filamentous trophonts give rise to colonies of radiating filaments (‘gorgonlocks’) which subsequently attach to the substratum to form flattened web-like ‘arachnoid’ multi-nucleate trophonts. Arachnoid trophonts become arachnoid sporonts when they synthesize trichocysts and flagellar hairs and may give rise to secondary arachnoid sporonts or to dinospores which initiate a new cycle.
Parental Involvement in the Musical Education of Violin Students: Suzuki and 'Traditional' Approaches Compared

This article investigates parental involvement in the musical education of violin students and the changing role of the parents' across the learning process. Two contexts were compared, one emphasising the Suzuki methodology and the other a 'traditional' approach. Students learning 'traditionally' are typically taught note reading from the beginning of instruction, and sit independent music examinations. Two case studies were carried out involving a student and parent from each approach, with recollections spanning up to fifteen years. Despite parental involvement in 'traditional' approaches not being defined, the parents interviewed undertook a very similar role regardless of approach. Results appear to indicate that across all approaches, students and their parents may benefit from proactive parental involvement in musical learning.
Prenatal Exposure to DEHP Induces Neuronal Degeneration and Neurobehavioral Abnormalities in Adult Male Mice

Phthalates are a family of synthetic chemicals that are used in producing a variety of consumer products. Di-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) is an widely used phthalate and poses a public health concern. Prenatal exposure to DEHP has been shown to induce premature reproductive senescence in animal studies. In this study, we tested the hypothesis that prenatal exposure to DEHP impairs neurobehavior and recognition memory in her male offspring and we investigated one possible mechanism-oxidative damage in the hippocampus. Pregnant CD-1 female mice were orally administered 200 μg, 500 mg, or 750 mg/kg/day DEHP or vehicle from gestational day 11 until birth. The neurobehavioral impact of the prenatal DEHP exposure was assessed at the ages of 16-22 months. Elevated plus maze and open field tests were used to measure anxiety levels. Y-maze and novel object recognition tests were employed to measure memory function. The oxidative damage in the hippocampus was measured by the levels of oxidative DNA damage and by Spatial light interference microscopic counting of hippocampal neurons. Adult male mice that were prenatally exposed to DEHP exhibited anxious behaviors and impaired spatial and short-term recognition memory. The number of hippocampal pyramidal neurons was significantly decreased in the DEHP mice. Furthermore, DEHP mice expressed remarkably high levels of cyclooxygenase-2, 8-hydroxyguanine, and thymidine glycol in their hippocampal neurons. DEHP mice also had lower circulating testosterone concentrations and displayed a weaker immunoreactivity than the control mice to androgen receptor expression in the brain. This study found that prenatal exposure to DEHP caused elevated anxiety behavior and impaired recognition memory. These behavioral changes may originate from neurodegeneration caused by oxidative damage and inflammation in the hippocampus. Decreased circulating testosterone concentrations and decreased expression of androgen receptor in the brain also may be factors contributing to the impaired neurobehavior in the DEHP mice.
Strategic Delegation in Price Competition

We study price competition in heterogeneous markets where price decisions are delegated to agents. Principals implement a revenue sharing scheme to which agents react by commonly charging a sales price. The results of our model exemplify the importance of both intra- and interfirm interactions of principals and agents in competition. We show that price delegation can increase or decrease the firms’ surplus depending on the heterogeneity of the market and the number of agents employed by the firms.
Global Inflation Dynamics in the Post-Crisis Period : What Explains the Twin Puzzle ?

Inflation dynamics in advanced countries have produced two puzzles during the years following the global financial crisis. The first puzzle emerged when inflation rates between 2009 and 2011 were consistently higher than expected. The second puzzle appeared from 2012 onwards, when inflation rates were weakening rapidly despite the ongoing economic recovery. This paper specifies a global Phillips curve for headline inflation using a measure of economic slack and inflation expectations by professional forecasters. Examining a broad set of additional explanatory variables regarding their ability to improve the in-sample fit of the specification suggests: i) the two standard determinants are still important; ii) household inflation expectations significantly improve the in-sample fit and are a good addition to the global Phillips curve; iii) also the fiscal policy stance has contributed, at least temporarily, to explain global inflation dynamics during both the crisis and the post-crisis period.
Viability of human periodontal ligament fibroblasts after time in tooth storage media

VIABILITY OF HUMAN PERIODONTAL LIGAMENT FIBROBLASTS AFTER TIME IN TOOTH STORAGE MEDIA Scott A. MacDonald, DDS Marquette University, 2017 Objective: Periodontal ligament cell viability at the time of tooth replantation is of utmost importance for proper repair of the damaged tissues (1). Multiple different options are currently available for storage of an avulsed tooth. The goal of this study was to investigate new storage media and evaluate their ability to maintain cell viability over time. Materials and Methods: Cultured human periodontal ligament fibroblasts (hPDLF) were seeded on 96well plates. These cells were exposed to different storage media including: Hank’s Balanced Salt Solution (HBSS), EMT Toothsaver (EMT), Save-A-Tooth (SAT), trehalose (T300), cell culture media, water, and different formulations of HBSS combined with trehalose (HBSST150, HBSST50) and cell culture media with trehalose (mediaT150, mediaT50). Experimental groups were tested at both room temperature (22°C) and refrigeration (4C). Cell viability results were read at 1, 2, 6, 12, 24, and 48 hours. Results: At room temperature, mediaT150, mediaT50, and media performed the best out of all the experimental groups but only mediaT150 was significantly better than the next best storage media, HBSS. T300 performed better than SAT, EMT and water but was only significantly better than water. SAT and EMT were not significantly different from water. At refrigerated temperature the best performing storage media included mediaT150, HBSST150, mediaT50, media, and HBSST50. The next highest performing group included T300 and HBSS which were not significantly different from HBSST50 and media. SAT was found not significantly different from EMT but was better than water. EMT was the worst performing experimental group and had no significant difference from water. Conclusion: Cell culture media in combination with 150mM trehalose had a significantly better performance than HBSS as a storage media, especially over the first 12 hours. The current commercially available storage media (SAT and EMT) were not significantly different from water at room temperature. Room temperature storage is superior to refrigerated storage for PDL cells. Trehalose has promising results as a storage media alone or in combination with HBSS or cell culture media.
West Nile Virus and Wildlife

Abstract West Nile virus (WNV) has spread rapidly across North America, resulting in human deaths and in the deaths of untold numbers of birds, mammals, and reptiles. The virus has reached Central America and the Caribbean and may spread to Hawaii and South America. Although tens of thousands of birds have died, and studies of some bird species show local declines, few regionwide declines can be attributed to WNV. Predicting future impacts of WNV on wildlife, and pinpointing what drives epidemics, will require substantial additional research into host susceptibility, reservoir competency, and linkages between climate, mosquitoes, and disease. Such work will entail a collaborative effort between scientists in governmental research groups, in surveillance and control programs, and in nongovernmental organizations. West Nile virus was not the first, and it will not be the last, exotic disease to be introduced to the New World. Its spread in North America highlights the need to strengthen animal monitoring programs and to integrate them with research on disease ecology.
Germination Physiology and Autecology of Centaurea kilaea Boiss. from Turkey (Autekologi dan Fisiologi Percambahan Centaurea kilaea Boiss. dari Turki)

In this study germination requirements, plant-soil interactions and population biology of Centaurea kilaea was studied. The plant and soil samples were collected from Sofular Village (Şile District) and shore of Catalca District (Istanbul) in Turkey by using standard methods. Methods like Scheibler, Wetdigestion, Kjeldahl and Olsen were employed for measurement of soil texture, structure and other physical and chemical characteristics (pH, total protein and electrical conductivity) using spectrophotometer, flame photometer, calcimeter and ICP. The results showed that ranges of different elements in the soil were 0.007-0.2% for N, 0.0007-0.001% for P, 0.001-0.01% for K, 0.0001-0.0002 % for Na. N, P, K and Na values in the plants were 2.17, 0.005, 0.1 and 0.006%, respectively. The data revealed that germination success of the seeds was influenced by the environmental factors such as pH, germination season and temperature.
Altered growth and fine root chemistry of Betula papyrifera and Acer saccharum under elevated CO2

We investigated the effects of CO2 enrichment on fine root chemical composition of two tree species common to northern hardwood forests. Two-year-old Betula papyrifera and 3-year-old Acer saccharum saplings were grown under ambient (400 µmol·mol1) and elevated (700 µmol·mol1) CO2 in a glasshouse experiment. In both species, root/shoot ratios and fine root percentages (of total biomass) were unaltered by CO2 enrichment. Tissue nitrogen concentrations decreased in the fine roots, and consequently, C/N ratios increased with elevated CO2. In birch, only condensed tannins increased with CO2 enrichment, while root starch levels were conserved. In maple, neither condensed tannins nor hydrolysable tannins were positively influenced by elevated CO2. Both fine root biomass and chemistry responses of the tree saplings may be related to their successional status.
Fecundity and Reproductive Output in Nine Species of Cancer crabs (Crustacea, Brachyura, Cancridae)

The major variables of reproductive output and fecundity were compared among brooding females of nine species of Cancer from the North Pacific and North Atlantic: C. oregonensis, C. gracilis, C. irroratus, C. antennarius, C. productus, C. borealis, C. anthonyi, C. magister, and C. pagurus. Female body size is the principal determinant of reproductive output, with dry body weights spanning two orders of magnitude from 1.2 to 199.5 g among species and often one order of magnitude within species. Mean dry brood weights ranged from 0.21 to 26.7 g among species, with relative brood size varying from 11 to 19% of female weight. The brood mass is partitioned into eggs ranging among species from 311 to 442 μm, resulting in mean fecundities ranging among species from 18 200 to 2 208 000 eggs per brood. Most species produce one or two broods per year over the winter–spring season over a reproductive span averaging 6.6 yr (range 4–10 yr). Cumulative reproductive output and cumulative fecundity over the maximum estim.