Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Factors influencing the regional haemodynamic responses to methanandamide and anandamide in conscious rats

Background and purpose: In vitro evidence suggests that metabolism of anandamide by cyclooxygenase‐2 (COX‐2) may be more important when the primary metabolic pathway [i.e. fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH)] is inhibited. Thus, the first aim of the present study was to assess the effects of COX‐2 and/or FAAH inhibition, on the cardiovascular actions of anandamide. The second aim was to compare the effects of anandamide with those of the metabolically stable analogue (i.e. methanandamide) and investigate mechanisms involved in responses to the latter in conscious rats.
Initiation and regulation of ingestion by hematophagous arthropods.

Initiation of feeding behavior by a hematophagous arthropod requires correct orientation to the host. Factors involved in orientation are probably more complex in those arthropods which have a higher degree of independence from the host, such as tsetses, but the relative importance of such factors is diminished under laboratory rearing conditions. The primary stimulation for probing activity after alighting on a host is temperature, but other factors act independently or synergistically to elicit or enhance probing. Some blood-sucking arthropods will feed on a free blood surface, while for others the penetration of a membrane, the texture and thickness of which may also be important, appears to be obligatory. In vitro feeding experiments have shown a number of chemical substances in solution to be phagostimulatory following contact with the mouthparts, namely glutathione, nucleotides. chelating agents such as EDTA, amino acids, sugars and salts. A number of metabolic inhibitors can block phagostimulation by these compounds (except in the case of tsetses), while osmotic pressure and pH of potential feeding solutions are also important. Hypotheses have been developed to account for the action of phagostiniulants on mouthpart chemoreceptors, and in a few arthropods, sense organs have been described, and electrophysiological investigations undertaken to demonstrate their action. The strongest phagostimulant for a number of arthropods, adenosine-5′-triphosphate (ATP), is only present in platelets and in erythrocytes, and it is assumed that mouthpart chemoreceptors are in some way able to make contact with it during feeding. However, tsetses can be successfully reared with an in vitro feeding method using defibrinated pig blood as the sole nutrient source, from which platelets and platelet ATP are absent. This fact, coupled with the knowledge that chemical composition of artificial feeding solutions affects the rate and extent of ingestion independently of its effect upon mouthpart chemoreceptors, suggests that phagostimulation, at least in the tsetse, may be more complex than current hypotheses regarding the action of ATP lead us to suppose.
Fault detection and location of open-circuited switch faults in matrix converter drive systems

Matrix converter based electric vehicles can be effectively applied to military vehicles due to weight and volume reduction as well as high temperature operation with no dc-bus capacitors fragile in a harsh environment. For successful applications for military vehicle areas, satisfactory reliability issues have to be incorporated into the matrix converter drives. This paper proposes a fault diagnostic technique for detecting and locating open-circuited faults in switching components of matrix converter drive systems. In this paper, the fault-mode behaviors of the matrix converter are, in detail, explored under the open-circuited switch fault conditions. Based on the investigated knowledge of the converter behaviors, the proposed scheme enables the matrix converter drive to detect and exactly identify power switches in which open-circuited faults have occurred. The proposed fault diagnostic algorithm is based on monitoring nine voltage errors assigned to nine bi-directional switches of the matrix converter. The voltage error signals are constructed with simple comparison of measured input and output voltages. In case that any of bi-directional switches are associated with open-circuited switch faults, the dedicated voltage error signals rise over a certain threshold value, which can be possible to detect a fault occurrence and locate the faulty switch. Since the developed diagnostic method requires no construction of reference output voltages from the pulsewidth modulation (PWM) reference signals, it can be implemented with simple and robust features. Verification results are presented to demonstrate the feasibility of the proposed technique.
The success of inhalation sedation for comprehensive dental care within the Community Dental Service.

OBJECTIVES To assess the outcomes of treatment with nitrous oxide/oxygen inhalation sedation (IS). To relate these to the age and previous dental experience of the child and the experience of the operator. To provide base-line information and identify training needs. METHODS A retrospective examination of the clinical records of all children treated with IS within the Community Dental Service of Harrow and Hillingdon NHS Trust (HHHT) over a 3-month period was made. Personal details and previous dental experience were recorded. The outcome of the planned treatment was identified. RESULTS Two hundred and eleven sets of records were reviewed from eight clinicians. The average age of the children was 7.2 years. Treatment plans were successfully completed in 83.9% of cases. Records showed that 18.5% of the children had previously had general anaesthesia (GA) for dental treatment, 27.5% had received IS and 5.2% had no previous dental experience. Of the 'failed' treatments, 50% were under 7 years of age and 31.3% were referred for GA. There was no difference in the proportion of failures in relation to the experience of the operator. CONCLUSION This review shows that inhalation sedation with nitrous oxide/oxygen is a very successful adjunct to the clinical management of children within the Community Dental Service.
The Price Elasticity of Housing Demand in Britain: Issues of Sample Selection

Abstract This paper contains estimates of the price and income elasticities of housing demand for six British conurbations. Using 1988/1989 data from the Joseph Rowntree Foundation Housing Finance Survey, the estimates are derived from a hedonic house price equation. Consideration is given to the possibility of sample selection bias. The price elasticity estimates are found to be robust with respect to alternative specifications and corrections for sample selection bias. However, there is clear evidence of sample selection bias and the effect of this is most clearly seen in the estimates of income elasticity which increase when allowance for bias is made.
Quality of design and quality of conformance: Contingency and synergistic approaches

Abstract The distinction between design quality and conformance quality has not been systematically analysed in the literature. On the one hand, there is no sufficient distinction between these two elements in reference to many TQM themes, which are addressed too ‘totally’ in the sense that quality is taken as a whole, undivided phenomenon. On the other hand, quality of design and quality of conformance are referred to as separate, independently coexisting phenomena. This paper studies these two quality dimensions as opposite and conflicting sides of a paradox that complicates quality management. Conflict between design and conformance quality can be handled in two main ways. One is a contingency approach, whose purpose is to determine correct prioritization between the two dimensions and allocate resources accordingly. This paper focuses on contextual variables such as: stages of industry, product, and organizational life cycle; organizational technology; generic competitive strategy; international strategy; and level of uncertainty. The second possibility is to employ an integrative, or synergistic, approach, which is based on a win-win perspective that the improvement of one element can contribute to the improvement of another.
Environmental Change in the Deep Ocean

Patterns of abundance, biomass, and species richness are reviewed for deep-sea ecosystems. Long-term monitoring studies have indicated that deep-sea ecosystems are sensitive to climatic variability through its influence on the quantity and quality of surface primary production. The potential impacts of climate change, through its effects on primary production and through changes in the temperature, pH, and oxygenation of the deep ocean are explored. It is concluded that deep-sea ecosystems are likely to be highly sensitive to changes in food supply and the physical environment driven by global climate change. As a result, ecosystem services will be negatively impacted with likely positive feedbacks to atmospheric CO2 levels. It is a matter of urgency that baselines are established for diversity, abundance, and biomass of deep-sea ecosystems, particularly for the pelagic realm and that a mechanistic understanding is developed of how food supply and physical parameters affect community structure and function.
Community structure of digenean parasites of sparid and labrid fishes of the Mediterranean sea: a new approach

The aim of this work was to study the structure of the parasite communities of Digeneans of 2 families of Teleost fishes (Sparidae and Labridae) of the Mediterranean sea. We tried to quantify the importance of both the microhabitat requirements of the parasite species and the effect of host biological factors on the parasite communities. We applied, for the first time in parasite community studies, the Canonical Correspondence Analysis (CCA) to analyse (i) the spatial distribution of parasite species within the digestive tract of the hosts; (ii) the host's biological factors (such as diet, host length, gregariousness and abundance) that may influence this spatial distribution of parasite species. Our results showed that potential microhabitats were vacant in the 2 host families studied revealing a lack of niche saturation because either there was little inter- and/or intraspecific competition or there were enough available space and resources within the host. Our results also indicated that the position of the parasite in the digestive tract is much more important than host biological factors for the structure of parasite community. Finally, we highlight the potential use of the CCA method for controlling for phylogenetic constraints in multi-species analyses.
Total quality management: practice and outcomes in the largest US firms

The application of TQM practices has rapidly increased in US organizations over the past six years, particularly in organizations facing severe competitive pressures. A survey of the 1,000 largest companies shows that these practices fall into two main categories: core practices and production‐oriented practices. Companies perceive benefit in three areas: improvement of work performance, company competitiveness and profitability, and employee outcomes. Service organizations experience these benefits primarily from implementing core practices more extensively. Competitiveness and profitability in manufacturing organizations are positively affected by the implementation of the production‐oriented practices. Analysis of financial outcomes suggests that core practices are positively related to market share for manufacturing companies. Production‐oriented practices are positively related to return on equity and collaboration with suppliers in quality efforts is positively related to total factor productivity i.
Antagonizing the Spemann organizer: role of the homeobox gene Xvent‐1.

We have identified a novel homeobox gene, Xvent‐1, that is differentially expressed in the ventral marginal zone of the early Xenopus gastrula. Evidence is presented from mRNA microinjection experiments for a role for this gene in dorsoventral patterning of mesoderm. First, Xvent‐1 is induced by BMP‐4, a gene known to be a key regulator of ventral mesoderm development. Second, Xvent‐1 and the organizer‐specific gene goosecoid are able to interact, directly or indirectly, in a cross‐regulatory loop suppressing each other's expression, consistent with their mutually exclusive expression in the marginal zone. Third, microinjection of Xvent‐1 mRNA ventralizes dorsal mesoderm. The results suggest that Xvent‐1 functions in a ventral signaling pathway that maintains the ventral mesodermal state and antagonizes the Spemann organizer.
Assessing cross-cultural skills: validation of a new measure of cross-cultural psychological capital

In light of increasing workplace diversification, today's organizations are in need of employees who can work effectively within cross-cultural settings. To assess and develop generalizable skills enabling employees to successfully interact with members of many different cultures, a new measure of cross-cultural psychological capital (PsyCap) was validated in two studies. This measure captures a state-like higher-order construct consisting of four components: self-efficacy, hope, optimism and resilience with regard to cross-cultural interactions. In study 1, a diverse sample of 361 participants responded to a survey and results confirmed the hypothesized higher-order factor structure of the newly developed cross-cultural PsyCap scale. In study 2, an additional 134 participants completed multiple surveys to assess the convergent, discriminant and predictive validity of cross-cultural PsyCap as it relates to cultural intelligence, openness to experience, ethnocentrism and cross-cultural adjustment. The majority of the study hypotheses were supported, which provides evidence for the measure's construct validity in assessing cross-cultural skills and also demonstrates its unique value in predicting cross-cultural effectiveness. This measure of cross-cultural PsyCap has important implications for assessment of employees who work internationally or within a diverse workplace.
Greater Impairment of Ability in the Divided Attention Task Is Seen in Alzheimer’s Disease Patients with Depression than in Those without Depression

Background: Recent studies have emphasized specific deficits of attention and executive functions, such as those of cognitive flexibility, divided attention, in geriatric patients with depression. In Alzheimer’s disease (AD), depressive symptoms are known to occur even from an early stage of the disease. However, the nature of the impairment of executive functions in depression associated with AD remains unclear, because of the frequent occurrence of the apathy syndrome as a major confounding factor. Method: In this study, we conducted a comprehensive comparative neuropsychological assessment in AD patients with (n = 21) and without (n = 21) depression. The diagnosis of depression was based on provisional criteria proposed by Olin’s group. Results: In terms of apathy symptoms, both groups had a similar degree of deficits, which were mild as assessed according to Neuropsychiatric Inventory criteria. While no significant differences were observed in regard to the scores in general intellectual functioning, episodic memory and some attention and executive tasks between the two groups, AD patients with depression showed significantly lower scores in several attention and executive function tasks, such as the dual-task performance task administered to assess the capacity for divided attention, and the cognitive flexibility (Trail Making Test; Part B), than AD patients without depression. Conclusions: Our results suggest that depressive symptoms in AD patients increase the deficits of cognitive flexibility and divided attention. This is the first study to report a correlation between depressions, diagnosed based on the provisional criteria for depression in AD by Olin’s group, and an impaired capacity for divided attention in AD patients.
Option Expensing and Managerial Equity Incentives

We examine the impact of mandatory option expensing on managerial equity incentives. Though effective only after June 15, 2005, there is evidence that U.S. firms begin preparing for option expensing as early as 2002 by making changes to their equity incentive plans. We find that (1) CEO option incentives exhibit a sharp reversal during the period 1993-2005, with the median CEO option incentives increasing 25% a year before 2002 but declining 17% a year after 2001; (2) the reduction in option incentives after 2001 is larger for firms that use excessive levels of equity incentives prior to 2002; (3) firms make similar reductions to options granted to CEOs, other top executives and lower-level employees; (4) CEO stock incentives increase throughout the entire 13-year period, rising at an even greater rate after 2001; and (5) the increase in stock incentives after 2001 is far from offsetting the corresponding decrease in option incentives. These findings are robust to controls for firm and CEO characteristics and for concurrent regulatory, business and market events such as the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, the option backdating scandal, and the 2000 stock market crash. We also provide a theoretical explanation for the documented changes in option incentives.
Biosynthesis and membrane topography of the neural cell adhesion molecule L1.

The biosynthesis and membrane topography of the neural cell adhesion molecule L1 have been studied in cerebellar cell cultures by metabolic labeling and immunoprecipitation. Pulse and pulse‐chase experiments with [35S]methionine show that L1 is synthesized in its high mol. wt. form, the 200 kd component. The lower mol. wt. components with 40, 80 and 140 K apparent mol. wts. can be generated by proteolysis in intact cellular membranes. Peptide maps generated by protease treatment of L1 isolated from adult mouse brain show that the 80 and 140 kd components are related to the 200 kd component, but not to each other. The 200, 80 and 40 kd components can be biosynthetically phosphorylated. The 140 kd component is not phosphorylated and not released from the surface membrane during tryspinization. The phosphorylated amino acid is serine. In the presence of tunicamycin the 200 kd component is synthesized as a 150 kd protein. Pulse‐chase experiments in the presence of tunicamycin indicate that the carbohydrate moieties are predominantly N‐glycosidically linked and that the contribution of O‐glycosylation is minimal. The carbohydrate moieties are of the complex type as shown by treatment with endoglycosidase H. Since monensin inhibits processing of the carbohydrate moieties, the 200 kd component appears to be transported to the surface membrane via the Golgi apparatus.
Corporate political strategies and firm performance: indications of firm‐specific benefits from personal service in the U.S. government

Firms employ a variety of political strategies (e.g., lobbying, contributions) in an attempt to gain influence or access to the public policy process. A variety of benefits may accrue to firms that are successful in creating a linkage with the government: information, access, influence, reduced uncertainty and transaction costs, etc. However, the direct benefits of such strategies are difficult to observe. One political strategy is studied here—personal service (having a firm representative serve in a political capacity). Event-study methodology results show that such linkages with the government positively affect firm value. These findings indicate that firm-specific benefits may result from political strategies. Copyright © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Glutathione S transferase (GSTP 1, GSTM 1, and GSTT 1) gene polymorphisms in Egyptian patients with acute myeloid leukemia.

BACKGROUND The super family of glutathione S-transferases (GSTs) is composed of multiple isoenzymes with significant evidence of functional polymorphic variation. GSTs detoxify potentially mutagenic and toxic DNA-reactive electrophiles, including metabolites of several chemotherapeutic agents, some of which are suspected human carcinogens. Polymorphisms within the phase II metabolizer enzymes GST T1, GST M1, and GST P1 affect the body's ability to detoxify a range of potential leukemogens encountered in the environment. AIM OF WORK To address how differences in the human GST isoenzyme expression patterns influence cancer susceptibility, prognosis, and treatment. PATIENTS AND METHODS A total of 50 patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML), as well as 50 age and sex matched apparently healthy volunteers were genotyped for GSTP 1, GSTM 1, and GSTT 1 gene polymorphisms using polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) and conventional polymerase chain reaction (PCR), respectively. RESULTS For GSTP1 313 A → G (GSTP1 Ile105Val) polymorphism, It was found that the wild genotype (AA) was significantly higher among control subjects (P value = 0.0277), while the frequency of heteromutant genotype (AG) and mutant G allele (AG + GG) was significantly higher among patients (P value = 0.0402, P value = 0.0277, respectively). For GSTM1 and GSTT1gene, we found statistically significantly higher frequency among patients regarding homozygous gene deletion (P value = 0.0005). CONCLUSION We demonstrated that GSTM1 null or GSTT1 null genotypes may be considered independent risk factors for AML with no impact on prognosis and GSTP1 * 105 genotype is a prognostic factor, adding independent information to the routine laboratory parameters and cytogenetic and molecular alterations of the tumor cells.
Parallel Visual Coding in Three Dimensions

Evidence from visual-search experiments is discussed that indicates that there is spatially parallel encoding based on three-dimensional (3-D) spatial relations between complex image features. In one paradigm, subjects had to detect an odd part of cube-like figures, formed by grouping of corner junctions. Performance with cube-like figures was unaffected by the number of corner junctions present, though performance was affected when the corners did not configure into a cube. It is suggested from the data that junctions can be grouped to form 3-D shapes in a spatially parallel manner. Further, performance with cube-like figures was more robust to noncollinearity between junctions than was performance when junctions grouped to form two-dimensional planes. In the second paradigm, subjects searched for targets defined by their size. Performance was affected by a size illusion, induced by linear-perspective cues from local background neighbourhoods. Search was made more efficient when the size illusion was consistent with the real size difference between targets and nontargets, and it was made less efficient when the size illusion was inconsistent with the real size difference. This last result occurred even though search was little affected by the display size in a control condition. We suggest that early, parallel visual processes are influenced by 3-D spatial relations between visual elements, that grouping based on 3-D spatial relations is relatively robust to noncollinearity between junctions, and that, at least in some circumstances, 3-D relations dominate those coded in two-dimensions.
INCOME DISTRIBUTION AND POVERTY IN 13 OECD COUNTRIES

Introduction 56 Data and methodology 57 Data 57 The income concept 61 Trends in the distribution of disposable income and poverty 61 Market income and inequality 64 The distributional impact of the tax-and-transfer system 72 Evaluating the impact of employment status: an MLD decomposition 77 The relative position of individual groups and the impact of the tax-and-transfer system 82 Conclusions 87 Bibliography 92 Statistical Annex 93