Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A review of the in vivo and in vitro toxicity of silver and gold particulates: Particle attributes and biological mechanisms responsible for the observed toxicity

This review is concerned with evaluating the toxicity associated with human exposure to silver and gold nanoparticles (NPs), due to the relative abundance of toxicity data available for these particles, when compared to other metal particulates. This has allowed knowledge on the current understanding of the field to be gained, and has demonstrated where gaps in knowledge are. It is anticipated that evaluating the hazards associated with silver and gold particles will ultimately enable risk assessments to be completed, by combining this information with knowledge on the level of human exposure. The quantity of available hazard information for metals is greatest for silver particulates, due to its widespread inclusion within a number of diverse products (including clothes and wound dressings), which primarily arises from its antibacterial behaviour. Gold has been used on numerous occasions to assess the biodistribution and cellular uptake of NPs following exposure. Inflammatory, oxidative, genotoxic, and cytotoxic consequences are associated with silver particulate exposure, and are inherently linked. The primary site of gold and silver particulate accumulation has been consistently demonstrated to be the liver, and it is therefore relevant that a number of in vitro investigations have focused on this potential target organ. However, in general there is a lack of in vivo and in vitro toxicity information that allows correlations between the findings to be made. Instead a focus on the tissue distribution of particles following exposure is evident within the available literature, which can be useful in directing appropriate in vitro experimentation by revealing potential target sites of toxicity. The experimental design has the potential to impact on the toxicological observations, and in particular the use of excessively high particle concentrations has been observed. As witnessed for other particle types, gold and silver particle sizes are influential in dictating the observed toxicity, with smaller particles exhibiting a greater response than their larger counterparts, and this is likely to be driven by differences in particle surface area, when administered at an equal-mass dose. A major obstacle, at present, is deciphering whether the responses related to silver nanoparticulate exposure derive from their small size, or particle dissolution contributes to the observed toxicity. Alternatively, a combination of both may be responsible, as the release of ions would be expected to be greater for smaller particles.
Does Pro Forma Reporting Bias Analyst Forecasts?

ABSTRACT Standard setters put much effort into the development of ‘better’ financial reporting standards, that is, standards that more accurately capture the economic substance of business activities. However, the more sophisticated accounting treatments caused by new standards, and the growing complexity of business activities as such, has made financial reports more difficult to understand. In response to this situation, some companies use pro forma reporting, which means that certain complex items required by financial reporting standards are excluded. This study adopts a user perspective and investigates how pro forma reporting affects analysts' judgments in an experimental setting. On the basis of psychological theory, our hypothesis suggests that analysts' judgments will be affected by differences in the way company performance is presented. Our results show that analysts who received both pro forma and Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) information made significantly higher earnings per share (EPS) forecasts than those who received GAAP information only. It is argued that positive framing and higher levels of anchor explain this result, which suggests in turn that analysts' EPS forecasts can be manipulated by alternative ways of presenting company performance. Some possible implications of this finding for standard setters are discussed.
Matching Message Design and Depressed Cognition: An Exploration of Attention Patterns for Gain- and Loss-Framed Depression Help-Seeking Messages

Although disproportionally affected by depression, most depressed college students do not seek the help they need. Research has recently uncovered the potential negative effects of depression help-seeking messages if depressed cognition is not considered in the health message design process. It is unclear if depression determines whether and how individuals pay attention to gain- and loss-framed depression help-seeking messages—a mechanism that has significant implications for the strategic planning of health communication interventions. In order to enable the effective matching of message design and audience features, this study investigated attention patterns for gain (n = 75)- and loss (n = 78)-framed depression help-seeking messages using eye-tracking technology and self-report measures. The results confirmed that depression is a characteristic of risk avoidance and negative cognition. Depressed participants tended to pay more attention to disease information that was placed in a loss-framed rather than a gain-framed depression help-seeking message. Using negative message framing strategies for health messages seeking to educate about depression symptoms might therefore be a useful persuasive strategy—particularly when disseminated to vulnerable populations affected by depression. Furthermore, the present study emphasizes the effective use of eye-tracking technology in communication research.
Genes, Tribes, and African History1

Over the past 40 years, traditional perspectives on the constitution of human groups have been subjected to stringent critique within anthropology. This began with the dismantling of accepted “race” divisions after World War II and continued with analyses of the meaning and reality of African “tribal” distinctions from the 1960s until the present. Archaeologists, ethnographers, linguists, and historians of Africa now work within a research milieu where social interactions, cultural exchange, and the dynamic nature of group identifications are accepted as a normal part of the human experience. At the same time, new techniques have been developed for the examination of human history, techniques based upon an expanding repertoire of tools for the analysis of genetic variability in human populations. Perhaps the most striking result of this research has been Cavalli‐Sforza, Menozzi, and Piazza’s The History and Geography of Human Genes. Rather less attention has been paid, however, to the conceptual relationships between the human groups defined through such analyses, in Africa and elsewhere, and those defined through other kinds of research. This paper is a preliminary examination of the fit between genetic, archaeological, and ethnographic data on the African past.
Using Management Control Systems to Achieve Alignment Between Strategic Investment Decisions and Strategy

The purpose of this field study is to gain better insights into the control strategies of firms with regard to strategic investments in manufacturing plant and equipment. More specifically, this research sets out to examine how management control systems (MCSs) are designed and used in an organization to help align strategic investment decisions (SIDs) with the firm's strategy. A field research design is used combining exploratory and explanatory research. Data about SID processes and associated MCSs is gathered from field interviews and company documents at ten research sits. Data analysis is based upon a coding scheme designed to help generate theory from field research. The grounded theory that emerges is one of dynamic adaptation of MCSs triggered by changes in environmental conditions in order to help achieve strategic alignment of SIDs.
Performance of Commercial Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assays for Detection of Antibodies to Bordetella pertussis

ABSTRACT Measuring antibodies to Bordetella pertussis antigens is mostly done by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs). We compared the performance of ELISA kits that were commercially available in Germany. Eleven measured IgG antibodies, and nine measured IgA antibodies. An in-house ELISA with purified antigens served as a reference method. Samples included two WHO reference preparations, the former Food and Drug Administration (FDA)/Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research (CBER) reference preparations, serum samples from patients with clinically suspected pertussis, and serum samples from patients having received a combined tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis (Tdap) vaccination. Kits using pertussis toxin (PT) as an antigen showed linearity compared to the WHO Reference preparation (r2 between 0.82 and 0.99), and these kits could quantify antibodies according to the reference preparation. ELISA kits using mixed antigens showed no linear correlation to the reference preparations. Patient results were compared to results of in-house ELISAs using a dual cutoff of either ≥100 IU/ml anti-PT IgG or ≥40 IU/ml anti-PT IgG together with ≥12 IU/ml anti-PT IgA. The sensitivities of kits measuring IgG antibodies ranged between 0.84 and 1.00. The specificities of kits using PT as an antigen were between 0.81 and 0.93. The specificities of kits using mixed antigens were between 0.51 and 0.59 and were thus not acceptable. The sensitivities of kits measuring IgA antibodies ranged between 0.53 and 0.73, and the specificities were between 0.67 and 0.94, indicating that IgA antibodies may be of limited diagnostic value. Our data suggest that ELISAs should use purified PT as an antigen and be standardized to the 1st International Reference preparation.
Antibodies against N-homocysteinylated proteins and their determinants in patients on long-term hemodialysis.

INTRODUCTION The factors that determine the level of antibodies against N-homocysteinylated (N-Hcy) proteins have not been established so far. The clinical significance of these antibodies and their effect on cardiovascular (CV) risk in patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) are still unknown. OBJECTIVES The aim of this study was to identify the factors that determine the level of antibodies against N-Hcyalbumin and N-Hcy hemoglobin in patients on long-term hemodialysis (HD). PATIENTS AND METHODS The study involved 247 subjects on long-term HD (110 women, 137 men; age range, 23-89 years) and 60 controls matched for age, sex, and CV risk factors (serum creatinine level <140 micromol/l). Serum antibodies against N-Hcyalbumin and N-Hcyhemoglobin were determined using an in-house enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Total homocysteine (tHcy), folate, and 8-isoprostaglandin F2alpha (8-iso-PGF(2alpha)) were also measured. RESULTS Patients on HD had higher serum levels of anti-N-Hcy-albumin (absorbancy at 490 nm: 0.56 [0.49-0.623] vs. 0.259 [0.198-0.338], P <0.0001) and anti-N-Hcy-hemoglobin antibodies (0.659 [0.597-0.723] vs. 0.379 [0.289-0.442], P <0.0001) as compared with controls. The level of both antibodies correlated with tHcy (r = 0.56, P <0.0001 and r = 0.67, P <0.0001, respectively), 8-iso-PGF(2alpha) (r = 0.48, P <0.0001 and r = 0.63, P <0.0001, respectively), and folate (r = -0.18, P = 0.0054 and r = -0.38, P <0.0001, respectively), but not with HD duration, the initial cause of ESRD, and CV comorbidity. CONCLUSIONS In HD patients, tHcy is an independent predictor of antibodies against N-Hcy proteins. Folate and 8-iso-PGF(2alpha) concentrations were not independently associated with the levels of both antibodies.
Modelling money, price and output in India: a vector autoregressive and moving average (VARMA) approach

The present study has two purposes. First, the study examines the most substantive and debatable question: Is there any long-run relationship among money, price and output? It has been found by applying different tests of cointegration that there is no long-run relationship among these three variables in cointegration sense. Second, having ascertained that the variables under study are not cointegrated, an attempt is made to explore the short-run relationship among money, price and output exploiting the characteristics of the Vector Autoregressive and Moving Average (VARMA) model. Sub-set concept has been used to identify the best-fitted VARMA model. The paper concludes the following: (i) both money and price affect each other and there exists bi-directional causality; (ii) output affects price and there is also feedback between price and output; and (iii) money unidirectionally affects output. Various consequences of cointegration on parameter estimates of pure VAR/VARMA in difference have been discussed. Here it may be mentioned that pure VAR/VARMA in differences is not misspecified, as it could have been otherwise in the case where variables are cointegrated. However, as VARMA is more parsimonious than VAR, the VARMA model has been considered here. Attention has been paid regarding the proper transformations of the variables.
Staying Power of UK Buy‐Outs

This paper examines 1,089 private equity (PE) backed and non-PE backed (pure) UK buy-outs, determinants of their survival, and their exit behaviour during the period of 1966-2004. Our results suggest that 56% of the pure sample buy-outs remained in a buy-out organisational form for at least seven years after the original buy-out transaction, thus lending support to views that buy-outs present long rather than short term form. PE backed buy-outs exhibit higher exit rates, fewer early (within 12 months) exits and fewer liquidations than their pure counterparts. Buy-outs sponsored by PE syndicates, those harvested during periods with strong market conditions and greater supply of PE funding, tend to have shorter longevity. The most notable difference between the survival experiences of PE backed and pure buy-outs is documented in IPO exits, where a significant number of pure buy-outs exit early to the Alternative Investment Market (AIM). © 2011 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.
Foreign Workers in Italy: Are They Assimilating to Natives? Are They Competing Against Natives? An Analysis by the S.S.A. Dataset.

The paper shows that it is possible to derive a dataset on foreign workers from the Social Security Archive by using the place of native workers; however, the cumulative duration of occupation of foreigners and natives is more similar. The analysis of the wage birth as selecting device and controlling for age and date of entry. Three main issues have been analyzed in the paper: the employment behavior of foreign workers and the degree of their assimilation, their wage differential and their wage assimilation, as well as their competitive or complementary role in the labor market. Migrant workers are more mobile than differential; using the Oaxaca decomposition reveals a small wage gap, 70% explained by the different characteristics of native and foreign labor force and only the remainder is due to unobserved characteristics or discrimination. Last but not least the competitive or complementary role of foreign workers in the labor market is explored. The first difference estimates of the native workers' wage do not appear to be affected by variations in local demand or by the share of foreign workers and this result was to be expected because the institutionalized system of determining wages is not sufficiently flexible to react quickly to external changes such as an increase in the supply of labor.
Tests of the conditional asset pricing model: further evidence from the cross-section of stock returns

We analyse the ability of the conditional asset pricing models to explain the cross-sectional variation in UK stock returns. We examine conditional versions of the Sharpe-Linter CAPM and the Fama-French three-factor model. The results indicate that the conditional single-factor model is rejected in all instances. However, there is evidence supportive of the three-factor model. A specification of this model that allows for time variation in conditional covariances, conditionally expected returns and the conditional variance of the market cannot be rejected. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
CONSERVATIVE MANAGEMENT OF PYOTHORAX IN AN AMUR TIGER (PANTHERA TIGRIS ALTAICA)

Abstract: Therapy for pyothorax, or pleural empyema, has not been described for large felids. This case describes the successful treatment of pyothorax in a captive, large felid. A 15-yr-old multiparous, female Amur tiger (Panthera tigris altaica) presented with nonspecific clinical signs caused by an insidious onset of pyothorax. Management of pyothorax cases in companion animals often involves thoracostomy tube placement with recurrent drainage of the pleural cavity, intensive supportive care, and monitoring. In this case, conservative management was elected because hospitalization was not a viable option. Thoracocentesis was performed to drain as much fluid from the chest cavity as possible, yielding more than 1.3 L. Corynebacterium sp. and unidentified anaerobic gram-positive cocci were cultured. Treatment included cefovecin subcutaneously, oral antibiotic therapy with clindamycin and marbofloxacin, meloxicam, and restricted exercise by minimizing access to the main exhibit. Significant improvement was noted clinically and radiographically 6 wk later, and no relapses were noted in the following weeks. An examination 11.5 mo later confirmed resolution.
Community Supported Agriculture: A Commitment to a Healthier Diet

Community supported agriculture (CSA) is a model of distribution of local agricultural produce in which a farm pairs with a community group that purchases weekly “shares” of produce for a growing season, in the approximate amount of one large grocery bag per week per member. This prospective cohort study investigated whether CSA participation causes an increase in the consumption of fruit and vegetables and the frequency of home-cooked meals. An e-mail-linked survey was distributed to over 10 000 individuals affiliated with a CSA-promoting organization called Just Food in New York City. Those who received and participated in the survey were a mix of active CSA members and those who may be interested in CSA but were not participating that year. Individuals were surveyed twice: before the beginning of the CSA season and about 6 weeks later. The survey administered is an augmented version of the validated National Cancer Institute's (NCI) Eating at America's Table “All Day Screener. ” Of the 1278 individuals who returned the initial survey, 583 completed the follow-up survey. The response rate to the initial survey is unknown and the response rate to the follow-up survey was 46%. Paired data from those who completed both surveys were analyzed. Among CSA members, there was a statistically significant increase in surveyed fruit and vegetable consumption of 2.2 servings per week and 4.9 home-cooked meals per month compared to the CSA nonmembers. Additionally, a high majority of CSA members reported eating half or more of their weekly share individually, which is a substantial, though variable, quantity of produce. CSA participation is also associated with subjective reports of increased fruit and vegetable consumption.
Dysregulated B7-1 and B7-2 Expression on Nonobese Diabetic Mouse B Cells Is Associated with Increased T Cell Costimulation and the Development of Insulitis1

Little is known about the pathogenic role of B cell dysfunction in T cell-mediated autoimmune disease. We previously reported that B cell hyper-responsiveness, resistance to apoptosis, and accumulation in islets occur during the onset of insulitis, but not in type 1 diabetes (T1D), in NOD mice. In this study we extended these studies to further determine how islet-infiltrated B cells contribute to this inflammatory insulitis. We demonstrate the presence of an increased percentage of B7-1+ and a decreased percentage of B7-2+ B cells in the spleen of autoimmune disease-prone NOD and nonobese diabetes-resistant mice compared with the spleen of nonautoimmune disease-prone C57BL/6 and BALB/c mice. An age-dependent differential expression of B7-1 and B7-2 was associated with the development of insulitis and CD4+CD25+ T cell deficiency in autoimmune disease-prone mice. Whereas BCR and LPS stimulation increased B7-2 expression on B cells from autoimmune disease-prone and nonautoimmune disease-prone mice, LPS-induced B7-1 expression was higher on NOD than C57BL/6 B cells. Interestingly, increased expression of B7-1 and B7-2 was found on islet-infiltrated B cells, and this increase was associated with enhanced T cell costimulation. Islet-infiltrated B cells were shown to be a source of TNF-α production in islets. B7 blockade of BCR-stimulated NOD B cells by anti-B7-1 and anti-B7-2 mAbs during coadoptive transfer with diabetogenic T cells into NOD.scid mice protected these recipients from T1D. These results suggest that increased B7-1 and B7-2 expression on islet-infiltrated NOD B cells is associated with increased T cell costimulation and the development of inflammatory insulitis in NOD mice.
Major Role of NAD-Dependent Lactate Dehydrogenases in the Production of l-Lactic Acid with High Optical Purity by the Thermophile Bacillus coagulans

ABSTRACT Bacillus coagulans 2-6 is an excellent producer of optically pure l-lactic acid. However, little is known about the mechanism of synthesis of the highly optically pure l-lactic acid produced by this strain. Three enzymes responsible for lactic acid production—NAD-dependent l-lactate dehydrogenase (l-nLDH; encoded by ldhL), NAD-dependent d-lactate dehydrogenase (d-nLDH; encoded by ldhD), and glycolate oxidase (GOX)—were systematically investigated in order to study the relationship between these enzymes and the optical purity of lactic acid. Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus DSM 20081 (a d-lactic acid producer) and Lactobacillus plantarum subsp. plantarum DSM 20174 (a dl-lactic acid producer) were also examined in this study as comparative strains, in addition to B. coagulans. The specific activities of key enzymes for lactic acid production in the three strains were characterized in vivo and in vitro, and the levels of transcription of the ldhL, ldhD, and GOX genes during fermentation were also analyzed. The catalytic activities of l-nLDH and d-nLDH were different in l-, d-, and dl-lactic acid producers. Only l-nLDH activity was detected in B. coagulans 2-6 under native conditions, and the level of transcription of ldhL in B. coagulans 2-6 was much higher than that of ldhD or the GOX gene at all growth phases. However, for the two Lactobacillus strains used in this study, ldhD transcription levels were higher than those of ldhL. The high catalytic efficiency of l-nLDH toward pyruvate and the high transcription ratios of ldhL to ldhD and ldhL to the GOX gene provide the key explanations for the high optical purity of l-lactic acid produced by B. coagulans 2-6.