Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Assessing the Homogeneity of the Elastic Properties and Composition of the Pig Aortic Media

Most previous studies of arterial wall elasticity and rheology have assumed that the properties of the wall are uniform across the thickness of the media and, therefore, that the relationship between stress and strain may be described by a constitutive equation based on a single strain energy function. The few studies where this assumption has been questioned, focussed on differences between the adventitia and the media rather than on differences within the media itself. Here, we report in vitro elasticity and residual strain measurements performed separately on the inner and outer half of the pig aortic media, together with a histomorphometric assessment of the radial distribution of elastin, collagen and smooth muscle cell numbers. Although we found that the pressure-diameter relationships of the two halves were dissimilar, when allowance was made for their different unloaded dimensions, their material properties agreed closely, a result in keeping with the observed uniform radial distribution of scleroprotein and vascular smooth muscle. We also found a difference in the opening angle (which is often taken as a measure of residual strain) between the inner and outer medial halves. However, strain analysis showed that the opening angle is an extremely sensitive measure of residual strain and that the difference in the actual magnitudes of residual strain between the two halves of the media was small. We conclude that the media of the porcine thoracic aorta has similar elastic properties throughout its thickness and that this uniformity is matched by a uniform distribution of matrix protein and vascular smooth muscle cells. Furthermore, the distribution of strain in the media can adequately be described by a single-layer model with uniform elastic properties throughout its thickness.
Natural Capital: From Metaphor to Measurement

Current efforts to value ecosystem services have contributed little to the valuation of natural capital, suggesting that in practice “nature is capital” primarily serves as a metaphor. We provide a theoretically motivated approach for recovering natural capital prices that expands beyond idealized management to encompass current, likely inefficient, management institutions. Theoretically consistent capital valuation requires adjusting for the net marginal productivity of the natural capital asset and price appreciation. We develop a numerical approach for approximating the value of capital that integrates estimates from ecology and economics. We employ the method to recover credible accounting prices for a pound of Gulf of Mexico reef fish as a capital asset under real-world management conditions. Our approach reveals the interdisciplinarity of natural capital valuation and the importance of understanding the feedbacks between the state of natural capital stocks, human behavior affecting these stocks, and the role of institutions in shaping that feedback.
NT113, a Pan-ERBB Inhibitor with High Brain Penetrance, Inhibits the Growth of Glioblastoma Xenografts with EGFR Amplification

This report describes results from our analysis of the activity and biodistribution of a novel pan-ERBB inhibitor, NT113, when used in treating mice with intracranial glioblastoma (GBM) xenografts. Approaches used in this investigation include: bioluminescence imaging (BLI) for monitoring intracranial tumor growth and response to therapy; determination of survival benefit from treatment; analysis of tumor IHC reactivity for indication of treatment effect on proliferation and apoptotic response; Western blot analysis for determination of effects of treatment on ERBB and ERBB signaling mediator activation; and high-performance liquid chromatography for determination of NT113 concentration in tissue extracts from animals receiving oral administration of inhibitor. Our results show that NT113 is active against GBM xenografts in which wild-type EGFR or EGFRvIII is highly expressed. In experiments including lapatinib and/or erlotinib, NT113 treatment was associated with the most substantial improvement in survival, as well as the most substantial tumor growth inhibition, as indicated by BLI and IHC results. Western blot analysis results indicated that NT113 has inhibitory activity, both in vivo and in vitro, on ERBB family member phosphorylation, as well as on the phosphorylation of downstream signaling mediator Akt. Results from the analysis of animal tissues revealed significantly higher NT113 normal brain-to-plasma and intracranial tumor-to-plasma ratios for NT113, relative to erlotinib, indicating superior NT113 partitioning to intracranial tissue compartments. These data provide a strong rationale for the clinical investigation of NT113, a novel ERBB inhibitor, in treating patients with GBM. Mol Cancer Ther; 13(12); 2919–29. ©2014 AACR.
Requirements and Incentives for Implementation of Pharmaceutical Strategic Purchasing in Iranian Health System: A Qualitative Study.

PURPOSE According to the importance of strategic purchasing as a prerequisite for overall access and universal health coverage, this study was conducted to explore requirements and incentives for implementation of pharmaceutical strategic purchasing in the Iranian health system. METHODS This was a qualitative study conducted through content analysis with an inductive approach applying a five-stage framework analysis. Data analysis was started right after transcribing each interview applying MAXQDA10. Data was saturated after 32 semi-structured interviews with experts. These key informants were selected purposefully and through snowball sampling. RESULTS The findings are categorized under three main themes: "Payment Mechanisms to Service Providers", "Insurance Reimbursement Mechanisms" and "Rules and Regulations", and eight related subthemes. CONCLUSIONS According to the importance of incentive interventions in pharmaceutical strategic purchasing, it is necessary to pay close attention to pharmaceutical price, realistic and fair premiums and appropriate contracts with suppliers, along with estimation a reasonable profit margin for pharmaceutical suppliers and the appropriate reimbursement mechanisms as the most significant incentives for increasing access to pharmaceuticals and implementing strategic purchasing.
Abundance, diversity, and patterns of distribution of primates on the Tapiche River in Amazonian Peru

This work presents data on the relative diversity, abundance, and distribution patterns of primates in a 20 km2 area of the Tapiche River in the Peruvian Amazon. Population data were collected while the study area was both inundated and dry (March to September 1997) using conventional line‐transect census techniques. Survey results reflected the presence of 11 primate species, but population parameters on only eight of the species will be presented, including saddleback tamarins (Saguinus fuscicollis), Bolivian squirrel monkeys (Saimiri boliviensis), brown capuchins (Cebus apella), white‐fronted capuchins (Cebus albifrons), monk sakis (Pithecia monachus), red titi monkeys (Callicebus cupreus), red uakaris (Cacajao calvus), and red howler monkeys (Alouatta seniculus). Woolly monkeys (Lagothrix lagotricha), night monkeys (Aotus nancymaae), and pygmy marmosets (Callithrix pygmaea) were also seen in the area. The data for the smaller‐bodied primates is similar to that reported almost 18 years earlier, but the data for the larger‐bodied primates reflect a loss in the number of animals present in the area. Pressure from hunters and the timber industry may account for declining numbers of large‐bodied primates, while it appears that natural features peculiar to the conservation area contribute to the patchy pattern of distribution. Am. J. Primatol. 54:119–126, 2001. © 2001 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Acute phase responses after acute liver injury by parital hepatectomy in rats as indicators of cytokine release

The purpose of this study was to support the hypothesis that cytokines such as interleukin‐1, tumor necrosis factor and interleukin‐6 are released by macrophages or monocytes within 1 to 2 hr of phagocytosis of circulating, gut‐derived backterial lipopolysaccharide translocated by acute liver injury. Time courses of fever, neutrophilia and low blood‐zinc levels generally attributed to cytokines were quantified after partial (37%) hepatectomy of rats under ether anesthesia. These acute phase responses in hepatectomized rats were compared with those after intravenous injection of exogenous endotoxin and human natural interleukin‐1. Fever commenced 30 min after interleukin‐1 injection, 4 hr after exogenous lipopolysaccharide injection and 6 hr after 67% liver resection. Similarly, rectal temperatures were significantly elevated in recipient rats 30 min after intravenous administration of donor plasma from hepatectomized animals, indicating that cytokines, not lipopolysaccharide, elicited the febrile response. Neutrophilia was present 1, 2, and 4 hr after interleukin‐1 injection, lipopolysaccharide injection and hepatectomy, respectively. Furthermore, the reduction in plasma zinc, which depends on cellular metallothionein synthesis, occurred 4 hr after interleukin‐1 administration and 6 hr after lipopolysaccharide injection or partial hepatectomy. Donor plasma from hepatectomized rats also elicited neutrophilia at 1 hr and low blood‐zinc levels 4 hr after injection in recipient animals. The timing of these responses, just as for the fever, implies that cytokines and not lipopolysaccharide in the donated plasma elicited the neutrophilia and hypozincemia. Evidence was reviewed that interleukin‐1, tumor necrosis factor and interleukin‐6 function as hepatotrophic factors and have been identified in the circulation of humans with liver damage. This complements the conclusion of this study that unspecified cytokines are released after partial hepatectomy of rats. (HEPATOLOGY 1990;11:923‐931.).
Small retailer strategies for battling the big boxes: a “Goliath” victory?

Purpose – The past 25 years have witnessed a dramatic rise in the dominance of big‐box retailers in the global retail sector and the decline of small retailers. The purpose of this paper is to explore how the intensity of competition with big box retailers moderates the relationship of strategy choice to expected growth.Design/methodology/approach – This study uses cross‐sectional survey data from a group of 199 small retailers in the USA. Hypotheses are tested using linear regression of expected growth on the use of three growth‐oriented strategies. These relationships are subjected to tests of the moderating effect of direct competition with big box retailers.Findings – This study shows that small retailers pursue strategies of offering previously unavailable goods or services, high quality, and better service to pursue future growth. The interaction effect of strategy with directness of competition with big box retailers, however, has a negative and significant effect on expected growth.Research limita.
Governance, firm-level characteristics and their impact on the client’s voluntary sustainability disclosures and assurance decisions

Purpose – The purpose of this study is to consider three distinct bodies of literature and uses stakeholder theory as the premise of this study. The first deals with corporate sustainability reporting and voluntary disclosure behaviour, and corporate governance at the firm level, the second deals with the decision to utilize assurance services (voluntary adoption) and the third relates to the choice of auditor/assurance provider. Design/methodology/approach – This study investigates these issues using archival data from some of the Top 200 listed companies in 2010 from the countries Australia and the UK. The final matched-pair sample consists of 220 listed companies. Findings – The study finds that audit client size and the strength of corporate governance structures are significant in explaining the decision to produce a standalone sustainability report. Whereas few of these variables provide any explanatory value on the voluntary decision to assure the sustainability report, the existence of an active a.
The Size—Age—Growth Relationship in Not-for-Profit Tourist Attractions: Evidence from UK Museums

The size–age–growth relationship in private-sector firms has been very widely studied. This paper examines the same relationship in not-for-profit tourist attractions, focusing attention on UK museums. The current scale and structure of the UK museums sector, including the extent of entry and exit, are described. The author then briefly discusses the nature of the size–age–growth relationship in the for-profit sector, and assesses the relevance of this relationship for museums. He then presents empirical findings for UK museums. The evidence suggests that, outside the government sector, both the mean growth and the standard deviation of growth tend to decline with size, a finding consistent with evidence for the for-profit sector. No significant effect of age was detected. Finally, there is evidence – again, outside the government sector – that the net impact of charging is negative. The closing section of the paper concludes the study and suggests avenues for further work.
The Expanded Criteria Donor Policy: An Evaluation of Program Objectives and Indirect Ramifications

The expanded criteria donor (ECD) policy was formalized in 2002, which defined higher‐risk deceased donor kidneys recovered for transplantation. There has not been a comprehensive examination of the impact of policy on the allocation of ECD kidneys, waiting times for transplant, center listing patterns or human leukocyte antigen (HLA) matching.
Board Independence and Compensation Policies in Large Bank Holding Companies

We use a sample of large bank holding companies to empirically examine the association between financial performance and organizational structure. We regress firm accounting performance on measures of board independence, CEO pay-performance sensitivity, the product of board independence and CEO pay-performance sensitivity, and other organizational features and control variables. We find that both CEO pay-performance sensitivity and the relative tenure of independent outside directors have a positive effect on accounting performance. Their interactive effect tends to be negative. Thus, the marginal value of each mechanism for accounting performance declines as the use of the other mechanism increases. These results are robust in a simultaneous equations framework that accounts for endogeneity issues. We also find a positive relation between the percentage of independent outside directors and CEO pay-performance sensitivity.
Human entorhinal gamma and theta oscillations selective for remote autobiographical memory

Current source densities in different layers of the human entorhinal cortex (ER) were recorded using a linear array of 24 microelectrodes during three memory conditions: a remote autobiographical condition eliciting recollections of events that occurred 10 or more years ago in the participant's past, a semantic icon condition invoking the mental image of a well‐known object, and a semantic knowledge condition asking about general information. Our data demonstrate theta, gamma, and delta oscillations in left ER particularly for remote autobiographical memory. Gamma is predominant in hippocampally projecting layers during presentation of the memory cue, whereas theta is prolonged and dominant in cortically projecting layers during memory retrieval. Gamma interactions between ER and hippocampal formation (HF) may elicit an HF contribution to recall under influences relayed from the association cortex (AC). This contribution may then be relayed back to AC during retrieval of the memory orchestrated by theta interactions with ER. Accordingly, theta oscillations were recorded simultaneously in frontal and temporal cortices. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
The relationship between Oxide charge and device degradation: A comparative study of n- and p- channel MOSFET's

We present a comparative study of device degradation for conventional n- and p-channel MOSFET's. The experimentally determined features of degradation are investigated with a 2-D simulation including fast and slow interface states as well as channel mobility degradation due to Coulomb scattering off these charges. Three different models concerning kind and spatial distribution are studied. We present a model that self-consistently describes the observed experimental features in the pentode and subthreshold regimes of the device. Furthermore, the substrate current is included in this analysis.
Ghrelin, leptin and IGF‐I levels in breast‐fed and formula‐fed infants in the first years of life

Aim: To establish ghrelin, leptin and IGF‐I serum levels in breastfed (BF) and formula‐fed (FF) infants during the first period of life. Methods: A cross‐sectional study was conducted on fasting blood venous samples obtained from exclusively BF (n=106) and FF (n=100) infants to measure total ghrelin (RIA test), leptin (RIA test) and IGF‐I (chemiluminescence). Anthropometrical measurements of weight, length and cranial circumference were performed. Results: During the first 4 mo of life, FF infants compared to BF ones showed higher ghrelin levels (2654.86 vs 2132.96 pg/ml; p<0.032), higher IGF‐I levels (3.73 vs 3.15 ng/ml; p=0.00) and lower leptin levels (0.68 vs 1.16 ng/ml; p<0.04). Leptin values were higher in females than in males (0.80 vs 0.47 ng/ml; p<0.03), while no gender‐related difference was found for ghrelin and IGF‐I. No differences were found in anthropometrical measurements comparing the two groups of infants. A multiple regression analysis showed an inverse correlation between ghrelin and leptin values (p<0.04) and between IGF‐I and leptin levels (p=0.00).
Performance of Candlestick Analysis on Intraday Futures Data

Many practitioners use technical trading in derivatives markets, especially futures. Academic researchers, by contrast, consider “charting” to be without merit because it would violate the principle of market efficiency with respect to publicly available information, in particular, the history of past prices. In truth, however, this opinion is based more on conviction than on extensive research, the excuse being that analyzing chart patterns is too subjective to be amenable to rigorous statistical analysis. In this article, Fock, Klein, and Zwergel put one very popular charting technique, the “candlestick” method, to the test. They start by developing specific criteria for a set of basic candlestick patterns, and then measure predictive performance with intraday data from two major futures, the DAX stock index contract, and the Bund interest rate future. And guess what? The academics are right! The authors find no evidence of predictive ability from candlestick patterns alone, or in combination with other common technical indicators, like momentum.
Production Economics and Farm Management: A Century of Contributions

This article is a reflection on the path taken by production economics and farm management over the last century, and the progress made in understanding the economics of the farm. The accumulated knowledge has helped refine our assessment of the efficiency of farm management decisions and the evolving role of agriculture in modern society. Copyright 2010, Oxford University Press.
Biological Variation of Oxidative Stress Biomarkers and Lactic Dehydrogenase in Mice

This is the first report, we aimed to determine the biological variations, analytical quality specifications of oxidative stress biomarkers such as glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD), catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione S-transferase (GST), reduced glutathione (GSH), malondialdehyde (MDA), and also lactic dehydrogenase (LDH) in mice. In the our study, Mus musculus albino mice, forty-one adult (female 20, male 21), weighing between 23 and 40 g were enrolled for biological variation study during 30-day period. Samples were stored and then tested at the same time. Results were assessed in duplicate and coefficients of variation for each analyte which were isolated to distinguish variation such as within-, and between-individual variations. From these results, an index of individuality were determined for each analyte. The analytical, within-individual, between-individual variations were assessed in apparently healthy mice and were found to be; 1.19%, 22.51% and 7.38% for G6PD, 14.09%, 23.03% and 29.42% for CAT, 6.18%, 11.12% and 21.14% for SOD, 9.13%, 12.00% and 12.58% for GST, 4.12%, 23.40% and 11.20% for GSH, 2.11%, 16.45% and 11.27% for LDH, 4.75%, 9.03% and 31.55% for MDA, respectively. As a result, while population-based reference intervals for G6PD, GSH and LDH were appropriate, Subject-based reference intervals for SOD and MDA were more appropriate. CAT and GST had intermediate individuality so population-based reference intervals should be used with caution.
Fighting irrelevance: an economic community ‘with ASEAN characteristics’ 1

Abstract Contrary to expectations at the time, the financial crises of 1997–98 may have strengthened ASEAN. The backlash against a perceived unsympathetic Western response put ASEAN at center stage in new regional cooperative arrangements. Moreover, the rivalry between China and Japan for regional leadership has led them both to seek to negotiate regional partnerships with ASEAN as a whole. ASEAN, however, faces new challenges – particularly from rapid economic growth in China and India, and from the proliferation of preferential trade agreements (PTAs). ASEAN has made only slow progress in economic cooperation, which has fallen further behind schedule. The private sector makes little use of ASEAN's preferential arrangements because they afford little advantage over most-favored-nation tariffs. ASEAN has failed to address ‘deeper integration’ issues – the removal of ‘beyond border’ barriers to trade. Some of the bilateral PTAs that ASEAN countries have negotiated with extra-regional partners go further in removing barriers than ASEAN's own arrangements. ASEAN members continue to eschew binding commitments. Liberalization under ASEAN's auspices has not been sufficiently significant to encourage business groups to invest substantial resources in lobbying for deeper integration.
Swedish and Norwegian Tourism Websites: The Importance of Reservation Services and Value-added Services

Owing to their intangible and digital character, tourism products in the future are likely to be traded on the electronic marketplace. Travel agencies and tour operators may no longer be needed because tourists will communicate directly with hotels and airlines electronically. To attract customers to the electronic marketplace, tourism business websites will have to offer reservation facilities and value-added services, and to attain disintermediation in the electronic marketplace, tourism businesses, e.g. hotels and airlines, will have to offer services similar to those offered by intermediaries such as travel agencies and tour operators if they are to reduce what customers perceive as risks. In this article, a theoretical framework related to on-line reservations and on-line value-added services in the tourism industry is developed and on this basis six propositions are presented. Results from a content analysis of Swedish and Norwegian tourism websites reveal that while tourism businesses offer some reservation services, only to a limited extent do they offer value-added services on the electronic marketplace. Traditional intermediaries such as tour operators and travel agencies offer more value-added services on the electronic marketplace than airlines and hotels. The implications of the results are discussed.