Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A reliable model for gamma oscillations in hippocampal tissue

Gamma oscillations (30–100 Hz) reflect a fast brain rhythm that provides a fundamental mechanism of complex neuronal information processing in the hippocampus and in the neocortex in vivo. Gamma oscillations have been implicated in higher brain functions, such as sensory perception, motor activity, and memory formation. Experimental studies on synaptic transmission and bioenergetics underlying gamma oscillations have primarily used acute slices of the hippocampus. This study tests whether organotypic hippocampal slice cultures of the rat provide an alternative model for cortical gamma oscillations in vitro. Our findings are that 1) slice cultures feature well‐preserved laminated architecture and neuronal morphology; 2) slice cultures of different maturation stages (7–28 days in vitro) reliably express gamma oscillations at about 40 Hz as induced by cholinergic (acetylcholine) or glutamatergic (kainate) receptor agonists; 3) the peak frequency of gamma oscillations depends on the temperature, with an increase of ∼3.5 Hz per degree Celsius for the range of 28–36°C; 4) most slice cultures show persistent gamma oscillations for ∼1 hr during electrophysiological local field potential recordings, and later alterations may occur; and 5) in slice cultures, glucose at a concentration of 5 mM in the recording solution is sufficient to power gamma oscillations, and additional energy substrate supply with monocarboxylate metabolite lactate (2 mM) exclusively increases the peak frequency by ∼4 Hz. This study shows that organotypic hippocampal slice cultures provide a reliable model to study agonist‐induced gamma oscillations at glucose levels near the physiological range. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
The Effect of Explanations and Monetary Incentives on Effort Allocation Decisions

In this study I examine the joint effect of explanations and monetary incentives on employees' effort allocation decisions in a multi-action setting. A rich literature in economics indicates that monetary incentives substantially influence employees' decisions. This literature demonstrates that the size of the incentive for a given performance measure should consider the measure's sensitivity, congruence and precision. Research in psychology demonstrates the decision influencing effects of explanations (a non-monetary factor) on employees' decisions through perceptions of fairness. I expect that effort allocation decisions are influenced both by explanations and monetary incentives: I hypothesize that providing reasonable and complete explanations substantively alter agents' action choices relative to a setting with monetary incentives alone. Using student subjects in experiments, I find that monetary incentives matter. Moreover, for sizeable monetary incentives, providing a detailed explanation modifies behavior favorably relative to when an unclear explanation is provided. However, for all of the considered monetary incentives, merely requesting a desired course of action is also enough to modify behavior favorably. This study contributes to the accounting literature by providing evidence of a decision influencing benefit associated with the use of explanations such as causal maps employed by firms adopting the balanced scorecard. This study also contributes to the organizational justice literature by (1) providing evidence regarding the interaction effect of multiple antecedents of justice, and (2) by confirming that not providing an explanation for a desired allocation of effort is better than providing a poor explanation. Finally, the results of this study provide empirical support to the analytic literature indicating that monetary incentives used to align goals should consider the precision with which the performance measures capture actual effort allocation.
Capital Structure and International Debt Shifting

This paper presents a model that relates a multinational firm's optimal debt policy to taxation and to non-tax factors such as the desire to prevent bankruptcy. The model yields the predictions that a multinational's indebtedness in a country depends on national tax rates and differences between national and foreign tax rates. These differences matter as multinationals have an incentive to shift debt to high-tax countries. The predictions of the model are tested with the aid of a broad European data set combining firm-level data and information on the international tax treatment of dividend and interest streams. Corporate debt policy indeed appears to reflect national corporate tax rates and international corporate tax rate differences but not non-resident dividend withholding taxes.
Feasible Momentum Strategies - Evidence from the Swiss Stock Market

While there is little controversy on the profitability of momentum strategies, their implementation is afflicted with many difficulties. Most important, chasing momentum can generate high turnover. Though there are already several attempts to make momentum strategies less expensive with respect to transaction costs, we go a step further in the simplification of momentum strategies. By restricting our sample to Switzerland's largest blue-chip stocks and choosing only one winner and one loser stock, we find average returns to our momentum arbitrage portfolios of up to 44% p.a. depending on the formation and holding periods. While unconditional risk models are at odds with momentum profits, stock market predictability and time-varying expected returns explain a large part of the momentum payoffs, including the post-holding period behavior of the winner and loser stocks (overreaction and subsequent price correction). We also report interesting patterns of a number of stock characteristics over the (pre-)formation and (post-)holding periods.
Women's urban labour market status in developing countries: How well do they fare in Khartoum, Sudan?

This article examines the insertion of women in the formal sector labour market in urban Khartoum, Sudan, in order to explain their inferior employment status in one particular developing country environment. A number of hypotheses are tested drawing upon recent labour market theoretical developments and econometric techniques from the literature which have had limited previous applications in Third World settings, particularly in Africa. Our findings indicate that occupational segregation, rather than pay discrimination, is primarily to blame for observed wage differentials suggesting that well‐intentioned equal pay laws will do little to reduce the earnings gap.
xazolone ( OXA ) is a respiratory allergen in Brown Norway rats

Oxazolone (OXA) is a potent contact allergen in man, and it is used as a model Th1-allergen to test (Q)SAR’s and screening assays for allergenic potential of chemicals. However, it elevates serum IgE levels and Thelper2 cytokines at relatively low doses in test animals, suggesting that it has also respiratory allergenic potential. The lack of human data on respiratory allergenic potential of OXA may be due to lack of significant inhalation exposure. Here, female Brown Norway rats (BN) were sensitized by two or five dermal applications of OXA at the same total dose of 3.75 mg. Controls received vehicle. All animals were challenged by inhalation to 45 mg/m3 OXA on day 21 and necropsy was performed on day 22. All sensitized animals had increased serum IgE. OXA challenge decreased breathing frequency, and induced apnoeic breathing in the sensitized animals – a hallmark of respiratory allergy in our model. An exudative, granulocytic inflammation was observed primarily in the larynx of the sensitized and challenged rats.
Has the Export Pricing Behaviour of German Enterprises Changed?

Summary The question as to whether the globalisation-related increase in competitive pressure may have caused the importance of cost pass-through (CPT) and pricing-to-market (PTM) for export pricing in Germany to shift since the 1990s is addressed by testing the long-run export pricing behaviour of German enterprises for changes in the impact of its determinants. As globalisation may have affected competitive pressure in individual product markets differently, export pricing is analysed for 11 product categories. Analytically, this problem is solved by applying the Saikkonen (1991) approach to estimate the individual export price categories in single equations. The first hypothesis – that CPT is stronger, and PTM weaker, for heterogeneous products than for homogeneous products – is found to hold more for CPT than for PTM. The second hypothesis, which presumes that CPT has weakened and PTM has strengthened since the 1990s, is confirmed with respect to the overall outcome, although for several product categories the results conflict with the hypothesis. Moreover, error correction models are used to test exporters’ short-run price-setting behaviour for asymmetry, ie whether short-run increases in the export price determinants are passed through to a different extent than decreases. It is shown that symmetric export pricing is seldom rejected.
NEOSTRIATAL CYTOSKELETON CHANGES FOLLOWING PERINATAL ASPHYXIA: EFFECT OF HYPOTHERMIA TREATMENT

Long-term changes of different types of neurofilaments (NF) and glial fibrilar acid protein (GFAP) were studied in neostriatal rat subjected to perinatal asphyxia (PA) under normothermic and hypothermic (15°C) conditions, using immunohistochemistry for light and electron microscopy. Neostriatal neurons of 6-month-old rats that were subjected to 19 and 20 min of PA, showed an increase of NF 200 kDa immunostaining mainly in the axon fascicles in comparison with the control and hypothermia groups. In contrast, no alterations were seen with NF68 and NF160 neurofilament antibodies. Furthermore, the same PA groups showed astroglial cells with enhanced GFAP immunoreactivity, evidencing a typical astroglial reaction with a clear hypertrophy of these cells. A quantitative image analysis confirmed these observations. Hypothermic treated animals did show neither astroglial nor neuronal cytoskeletal changes in comparison to the control group. These findings showed that PA produces chronic cytoskeletal alterations in the neostriatum cells that can be prevented by hypothermia.
Spatial price discrimination in a symmetric barbell model: Bertrand vs. Cournot

type="main" xml:lang="es"> Este articulo investiga la teoria de la discriminacion espacial para demandas generales y costos de transporte generales en un modelo de concentracion en dos extremos (barbell), donde se supone que las ubicaciones de los mercados estan en puntos totalmente opuestos de una linea. Las empresas de duopolio en el modelo de Bertrand siempre diferencian al maximo, mientras que en el modelo de Cournot la estructura de la demanda del mercado no es tan importante, sino que la forma funcional del costo del transporte juega un papel crucial a la hora de determinar la ubicacion del equilibrio. La distancia no-maxima aparece en el equilibrio de Cournot cuando se permite un costo de transporte convexo, lo que lleva a concluir que el excedente de equilibrio del consumidor puede ser mayor y los beneficios de equilibrio pueden ser inferiores bajo una competencia de Cournot que bajo una competencia de Bertrand.
Atopic Dermatitis and Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus in Iranian Children

Problem statement: Atopic diseases, including asthma, eczema and allergic rhinitis, are characterized by a chronic inflammatory reaction mediated by T helper 2 cells, while type 1 diabetes mellitus is mediated by T helper 1 cells. Approach: The aim of this study was to compare the prevalence of atopic dermatitis between children with type 1 diabetes mellitus and age-matched controls. We conducted a case-control study enrolling 150 cases with type 1 diabetes mellitus between 2-20 years from pediatric endocrine out patient clinic and 450 controls randomly selected from the general population matched on sex and age. The diagnosis of atopic dermatitis was determined for patients and controls by the Hanifin and Rajka’s diagnostic criteria. Results: From 150 cases, 75 (50%) were male and 75 (50%) were female, with the age between 2 and 20 and among the 450 controls, 228 were male (50. 66%) and 222 were female (49.33%) the age was as the case. Dermatitis past or present, was identified in 1.3% of cases and 3.1% of controls, a difference which was not statistically significant (P>0.05). Conclusion: In present study, the prevalence of atopic dermatitis was comparable in diabetic children and the controls which may be due to difference between races and geographic areas and lack of support for an inverse relationship between the Th2-mediated atopy and th1-mediated autoimmune disorder. Further studies are needed to show the difference in serum IgE and cytokine profiles between the groups.
Expression of growth hormone receptor in benign and malignant cutaneous proliferative entities Note

The skin has the necessary elements to respond to growth hormone (GH) and suffers clinical changes in the pathological circumstances of excess and deficiency of GH. The GH has been involved in the development of different types of human neoplasms. Based on these data, we have studied the GH receptor (GHR) expression in acrochordons, seborrheic keratosis, melanocytic nevi, histiocytomas, squamous cell carcinomas, basal cell carcinomas, and malignant melanomas by means of the immunohistochemistry with the monoclonal antibody MAb 263. All the entities showed immunoreactivity for GHR. In the histiocytomas, the expression of GHR in the keratinocytes of the hyperplastic epidermis coating the lesion showed a strong nuclear pattern, but the non‐hyperplastic epidermis of the edges of the histiocytomas expressed GHR with a cytoplasmic pattern. In the basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma, the immunoreactivity was weaker than in normal skin. In the squamous cell carcinoma, the intensity of immunostaining correlated directly with the grade of cellular differentation. In conclusion, the GH may be involved in the development of different kinds of cutaneous neoplasms, and the intracellular localization of GHR may imply a functional significance, at least in the histiocytomas.
Solder joint fatigue analysis under combined thermal and vibration loading

To enable solder joint fatigue investigations under combined thermo-mechanical and mechanical loads a novel test setup has been developed and is presented in this work. This includes a custom test vehicle (see figure 1) and an according mount as well as a matching measurement setup. The test vehicle is PCB based and is assembled with up to 8 chip resistor components (CC0805). Its strap like layout enables defined solder joint deformations which are accessible for measurement. The test vehicle is equipped with an integrated heater (see figure 4, temperature ramp up with up to 20 K/min) and an in-situ resistance measurement option. The integrated heater is carefully designed to meet the requirement of equal temperatures at all mounted components and a homogeneous temperature distribution at each component position. The according mount was designed for a low thermal mass but high stiffness. This enables fast temperature changes and defined test vehicle deformations. Vibration experiments have been conducted controlling the specimen amplitude to provide a constant specimen deformation. Additionally, to track the specimen deformation during long term experiments an automated data acquisition for deflection and temperature data has been installed. Using the described setup preliminary experiments were accomplished and capacious tests are ongoing to investigate the fatigue behaviour of solder joints. The investigations consider both the ductile SnAg1.0Cu0. 5 and the brittle Innolot solder alloy. The experiments include isothermal vibration experiments at room temperature and up to 100°C as well as vibration experiments combined with changing temperature conditions. Solder joint fatigue will be investigated using cross sectioning. Microstructural changes and damage mechanisms are focused in the evaluation. Experimental results extend the knowledge of the solder joint fatigue behaviour for combined load scenarios.
Business in education: a reassessment of the contribution of outsourcing to LEA performance

New Labour promised to introduce dramatic reforms to the education system when it came to power in 1997 and one of the key strategies it employed in the pursuit of educational improvement was the utilisation of the methods of the private sector. Arguably its most controversial policy was its effective privatisation of the functions of ‘failing’ Local Education Authorities (LEAs). Although criticisms of this policy were widespread, the potency of the arguments against private sector involvement in education waned somewhat following the publication of a comprehensive investigation into outsourcing by the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) in 2005. This report, entitled The Business of Education Improvement claimed, on the basis of its analysis of Department for Education and Skills (DfES) data, that the outsourced authorities were comprehensively outperforming those that remained in the state sector. However, the conclusions of the CBI’s report were, in many instances, highly misleading. This paper provides a brief background to Labour’s privatisation programme, followed by a reassessment of the performance of the outsourced LEAs. Contrary to the conclusions reached in the CBI’s report, the analysis here finds no evidence to suggest that the outsourced LEAs performed better than those that remained in the public sector. If anything, on the rather narrow assessment of performance offered by the CBI, LEAs appear to perform better under public sector management.
Mixed Methods Research in Accounting

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to set the scene for this special issue by synthesising the vast array of literature to examine what constitutes mixed methods research, and the associated strengths and risks attributed to this approach. Design/methodology/approach - This paper takes the form of a literature review. The authors draw on extensive methods research from a diverse range of social science disciplines to identify and explore key definitions, opportunities and risks in mixed methods studies. They review a number of accounting studies that adopt mixed methods research approaches. This allows the authors to analyse variance in how mixed methods research is conceptualised across these studies and evaluate the perceived strengths and limitations of specific mixed methods design choices. Findings - The authors identify a range of opportunities and challenges in the conduct of mixed methods research and illustrate these by reference to both published studies and the other contributions to this special issue. Originality/value - With the exception of Modell's work, there is sparse discussion of the application and potential of mixed methods research in the extant accounting literature.
Learning from Collaboration: Knowledge and Networks in the Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical Industries

The biotechnology and pharmaceutical fields are rife with a wide range of collaborative relationships intended to access knowledge, skills, and resources that cannot be produced by organizations internally in a timely fashion. As more firms rely on external relationships for knowledge, the ability to process, transfer, and transmit knowledge gained in one context to other activities becomes critical. This article examines the capability for learning both how and what to learn in the context of these inter-organizational relations, and it surveys various practices developed by companies for accessing and distributing knowledge. The key challenge in innovation-intensive fields is to develop organizational routines for learning that are robust, flexible, and durable.
Urban eco-modernisation and the policy context of new eco-city projects: Where Masdar City fails and why

The development of projects for new eco-cities is rapidly becoming a global phenomenon. Alleged eco-cities are being built across a variety of spaces via processes of urbanisation triggering substantial environmental, social and economic impacts. This article investigates how new eco-city projects interpret and practice urban sustainability by focusing on the policy context that underpins their development. The article argues that projects for new eco-cities are shaped in loci by policy agendas tailored around specific economic and political targets. In these terms, the ideas and strategies of urban sustainability adopted by eco-city developers are understood as reflections of broader policy priorities. The case study employed in this article, Masdar City, reveals how the Emirati eco-city initiative is the product of local agendas seeking economic growth via urbanisation to preserve the political institutions of Abu Dhabi. Following the economic imperatives set by the ruling class, the Masdar City project interprets sustainability as ecological modernisation and practices urban environmentalism almost exclusively in economic terms. The article shows how the developers of Masdar City capitalise on sustainability by building an urban platform to develop and commercialise clean-tech products, and concludes that the Emirati alleged eco-city is an example of urban eco-modernisation: a high-tech urban development informed by market analysis rather than ecological studies.
Path creation in a single-industry town: The case of Verdal and Windcluster Mid-Norway

Path creation is a new topic in economic geography and stems from the debate on path dependence. The article fills a gap in the path creation literature by exploring old and new path trajectories in a ‘constraining context’, namely a single-industry town. The authors analyse the development of this local system in an evolutionary perspective. Empirical data are drawn from a case study of the specialized offshore oil and gas industry town of Verdal in Central Norway. Two exogenous shocks to this local economy and the responses they provoked are pivotal to the analysis. The first shock led to upgrading and diversification effects. The second shock led to the attempted path creation discussed in the article: the initiative to develop Windcluster Mid-Norway (WMN), which was a response to the downturn in the oil and gas industry and simultaneous expectations of growth in the wind-energy sector. The explicit aim was to combine resources from both sectors. The authors argue that new path creation in single-industry regions differs from the related context of ‘old industry regions’ and that exogenous shocks and external support are necessary elements in the process.