Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Association of genotypes of carcinogen‐activating enzymes, phenol sulfotransferase SULT1A1 (ST1A3) and arylamine N‐acetyltransferase NAT2, with urothelial cancer in a Japanese population

Carcinogenic aromatic amines such as 4‐aminobiphenyl, which is contained in tobacco smoke, are one of the causal factors of urothelial epithelial cancers. 4‐Aminobiphenyl has been shown to be bioactivated through N‐hydroxylation by hepatic cytochrome (CYP) 1A2 and subsequently through O‐sulfation and O‐acetylation by phenol sulfating sulfotransferase, ST1A3 (SULT1A1), and arylamine N‐acetyltransferase, NAT2, respectively. In a case‐control study for urothelial epithelial cancers, low activity alleles of NAT2 are overall high‐risk alleles (OR 2.11; 95% CI 1.08–4.26). Wild‐type ST1A3*1 (213Arg) alleles were slightly overrepresented in nonsmoking urothelial cancer patients (82.6% vs. 69.7%) and in smoking cancer patients (76.7% and 74.3%) compared to a variant ST1A3*2 (213His) allele. In combination of ST1A3 and NAT2 genotypes for analyses of urothelial cancer risk, the highest OR of 2.45 (95% CI 1.04–5.98) was obtained with ST1A3*1 and NAT2 slow genotype among the 4 combinations. Recombinant ST1A3*1 enzyme showed a tendency of catalyzing higher in vitro 3′‐phosphoadenosine 5′‐phosphosulfate‐dependent DNA adduct formation than ST1A3*2 (2.84 ± 0.49 and 2.22 ± 0.11 adducts/108 nucleotides). Combined analyses of different alleles of carcinogenic aromatic amine‐activating phase II enzymes were applied to urothelial cancer risk for the first time and showed the highest risk combination of ST1A3 and NAT2 alleles. © 2002 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Parties, Election Campaigning and the Internet:Toward A Comparative Institutional Approach

This chapter argues that a comparative approach to analyzing the relationship between technology and political institutions has the potential to o! er renewed understanding of the development of the Internet in election campaigning. Taking the di! erent characteristics of political parties and the norms and rules of the electoral environment in the United States and the United Kingdom as an illustration, it suggests that the relationship between technology and political institutions is dialectical. Technologies can reshape institutions, but institutions will mediate eventual outcomes. The chapter outlines "ve key variables: degree of systemic institutional pluralism; organization of membership; candidate recruitment and selection; campaign "nance; and the “old” campaign communication environment. This approach has the potential to generate a theoretical framework for explaining di! erences in the impact of the Internet on election campaigning across liberal democracies.
Prioritization of Self-Relevant Perspectives in Ageing

This study investigated whether age-related sensitivity to self-relevance may benefit perspective taking, despite generally poorer perspective-taking capacity in older adults. In one perceptual matching task and two visual perspective-taking paradigms, we examined age differences in sensitivity to avatars representing self and other. In the matching task, older (60–83 years) and younger (18–20 years) adults were similarly biased toward the self- versus other-associated avatar. In the perspective-taking tasks, participants viewed these avatars within a virtual room. Task-relevant perspectives were either the same (i.e., congruent) or different (i.e., incongruent). In the 3PP–3PP task, both avatars were present, and participants adopted the perspective of one or the other. As in the matching task, young and old were similarly biased toward the self-associated avatar. However, age differences emerged in the 1PP–3PP task, which presented only one avatar per trial (varying between self and other), and participants responded based on their own first-person perspective or the avatar's. In summary, age modulated the ability to take perspectives primarily when participants’ own first-person perspective was task relevant. Relative to younger adults, older adults prioritized the self (vs. other) avatar more during initial perspective computation and the first-person (vs. third-person) perspective more when selecting between incongruent perspectives.
An Empirical Assessment of the Credibility Premium Associated with Meeting or Beating Both Time-Series Earnings Expectations and Analysts' Forecasts

Recent research provides evidence of a market premium accruing to firms that meet or beat analysts’ forecasts. We find similar results for our sample of firms. However, we also find a market premium for firms that meet or beat time-series forecasts, and that the highest market premium accrued to firms that meet or beat both analysts’ and time-series forecasts. These findings are supported by assessments of future financial performance over the next two subsequent years. Our findings are consistent with the notion that when time-series benchmark is used in conjunction with analysts’ forecasts, investors obtain a more reliable (i.e., less noisy) signal regarding whether firms have actually met or beaten market expectations.
Hypothalamic Targets for Prolactin: Assessment of c-Fos Induction in Tyrosine Hydroxylase- and Proopiomelanocortin-Containing Neurones in the Rat Arcuate Nucleus following Acute Central Prolactin Administration

Prolactin (PRL) has been implicated in central actions including those that result in its own regulation and/or the suppression of gonadotropin secretion. It is not clear, however, which neuronal systems may mediate the central effects of PRL. Here, using dual immunohistochemistry for c-Fos and either tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) or proopiomelanocortin (POMC), we have assessed neuronal activation, following centrally administered PRL, within two neuronal networks that have been shown to participate in the inhibitory regulation of reproductive function. Male rats received one intracerebroventricular injection of either PRL (5 µg) or saline (vehicle control) 5 days after cannulae were inserted into the lateral ventricles. Ninety minutes after treatment, animals were perfused with 4% paraformaldehyde, the brains were removed and 30-µm frozen sections were cut throughout the entire hypothalamic region. Parallel sets of sections were processed for both c-Fos immunoreactivity (ir) and either TH-ir or POMC-ir. PRL increased the mean number of c-Fos-ir neurons within the rostral arcuate nucleus (9.3 ± 2.0 vs. 5.0 ± 1.2 cells/section, for PRL and control rats, respectively; p < 0.05). Within the TH-ir neurones, PRL induced a significant increase in c-Fos in the dorsomedial portion of the mid-arcuate nucleus (p < 0.05). In contrast, there was no significant increase in the expression of c-Fos within the POMC neurones of the arcuate nucleus. PRL also induced c-Fos expression in the supraoptic nucleus (SON) (11.7 ± 3.2 vs. 3.0 ± 1.4 cells/section for PRL and control rats, respectively; p < 0.05), but not in the medial preoptic nucleus, ventromedial nucleus or the dorsomedial nucleus, areas reported to either contain gonadotropin-releasing hormone neurones or express PRL receptors. The results from this study show immediate early gene activation within both the arcuate nucleus and the SON of the hypothalamus following acute PRL administration. While the role of PRL-responsive neurones in the SON remains to be elucidated, these findings support the notion that the central actions of PRL could be mediated via the TH neurones of the dorsomedial arcuate nucleus and/or by a population of neurones in the rostral arcuate nucleus that contain neither TH nor POMC.
Human Resources Information Disclosure in Annual Reports: An International Comparison

Human resources are considered the most important component of a corporation's competitive advantage in global markets. Society, workers and shareholders expect corporations to manage and utilise human resources not only for the competitive advantage of a corporation but of a nation. Corporations are expected to disclose information relating to the management of human resources in their annual reports. This study analysed the annual reports of a sample of publicly traded corporations in six countries (USA, Canada, Germany, UK, Japan, and S. Korea) for the purpose of an international comparison of human resource information disclosure. Results of the analysis revealed that corporations in different countries differed in the disclosure of human resources information. In particular, those in Europe disclosed more human resources information than those in Asia and North America. The corporations in the financial services sector, which employed over two thirds of the workforce in the developed countries were also different from those in the manufacturing sector in disclosure of human resources information. The details of the differences between the two sectors, and among the six nations of the three continents, in terms of the incidence (frequency) and the word count (content) of information disclosed on different hitman resources issues in the annual reports are presented in the paper.
An Early Structured Psychoeducational Intervention in Patients With Breast Cancer: Results From a Feasibility Study

Background: Although the incidence of breast cancer in Italy is high, like in most Western countries, the role of psychosocial support in disease management and outcome is incompletely understood. A structured psychoeducational group intervention has been shown by Fawzy (J Psychosom Res. 1999, 45:191-200) to increase psychological well-being and natural killer immunological reactivity in patients with melanoma, with decreased relapse rate and prolonged survival time. Objective: The aims of the present study were to assess the feasibility of Fawzy's intervention by preliminary evaluation of its usefulness on a sample of women with early-stage breast cancer. Methods: Psychological reaction to the disease and its possible modification by the psychoeducational treatment were determined with the Mini-Mental Adjustment to Cancer scale at the time of study recruitment and at the end of the intervention. Results: A total of 29 patients participated in the study. Rate of participation and adherence to the intervention were 83% and 100%, respectively. A significant reduction in anxious preoccupation was observed in treated patients, whereas the other coping strategies identified by the Mini-Mental Adjustment to Cancer scale were not significantly modified. Conclusion: The results support the feasibility of the intervention. In particular, the reduction in anxious preoccupation, characterizing the early phase of adaptation to breast cancer, may be the target for psychosocial intervention including specific nursing contributions. Implications for Practice: The results obtained encourage investigating in more depth and with adequate methodology the role of psychoeducational group support for patients with early-stage breast cancer. In particular, they suggest that more attention should be given to the early phase, which follows the communication of cancer diagnosis and precedes the beginning of chemotherapy, which seems to be characterized by anxious preoccupation. A further indication resulting from the study and development of psychoeducational groups for patients with cancer is the opportunity to include cancer nursing among the topics that are addressed during psychoeducational group meetings because it seems to have been neglected in the available studies despite its evident relevance in cancer care.
Explaining temporal orientation: Evidence from the durability of firms' capital investments

In contrast to broad generalizations about the short‐termism of managers, this paper explains changes in the temporal orientation of specific firms over time based on performance relative to aspirations and top management team incentives. We gain empirical traction on temporal orientation by measuring the durability of acquired property, plant, and equipment (asset durability) from reported data on depreciation expense. Consistent with predictions, we find that performance relative to aspirations positively influences asset durability. Surprisingly, we find no evidence that stock‐based compensation produces the same effect. Instead, we find stock‐based compensation lowers asset durability. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
How Dynamic Capabilities Affect the Effectiveness and Efficiency of Operating Routines Under High and Low Levels of Environmental Dynamism

In analysing data on the purchasing routines of 200 small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), this study underscores the overall importance of dynamic capabilities as a way to understand differences in operating-routine performance. The results suggest that dynamic capabilities have different performance effects in high-dynamic and low-dynamic environments. Dynamic capabilities enhance the effectiveness of operating routines under both high and low levels of environmental dynamism. Yet, when analysing the efficiency of operating routines, taking into account the costs of increased effectiveness, dynamic capabilities appear to pay off only under high levels of environmental dynamism.
Exploring a Road Map to Counter Misconceptions About the Cervicovaginal Microbiome and Disease

Urogenital diseases, especially infection and cancer, are major causes of death and morbidity in females. Yet, millions of women in the developing world have no access to basic urogynecological care, and the diagnosis and treatment of widespread aberrant bacterial conditions (bacterial vaginosis [BV] and aerobic vaginitis [AV]) remain suboptimal the world over. Samples from women living in resource-disadvantaged and developed countries have been analyzed by high-throughput sequencing to reveal the diversity of bacteria in the vagina, how rapidly the bacterial population fluctuates over time, and how rapidly the switch occurs between healthy and aberrant conditions. Unfortunately, clinical diagnostic methods are inefficient and too often outdated therapies are administered. The net result is suboptimal care and recurrent disease that adversely affects the quality of life. This viewpoint outlines a scientific and translational road map designed to improve the cervicovaginal health and treatment of disease. This comprises (1) improving education of women and physicians on the vaginal microbiota; (2) having agencies target funding for research to improve diagnosis and test new therapies; and (3) making sure that new approaches are accessible in developing countries, empowering to women, and are acceptable and appropriate for different populations.
PHARMACOLOGICAL STUDIES ON SURUGATOXIN, THE TOXIC PRINCIPLE FROM JAPANESE IVORY MOLLUSC (Babylonia japonica)

1 Some pharmacological properties of surugatoxin (SGTX), a purified toxic substance from the Japanese ivory mollusc (Babylonia japonica), have been investigated. SGTX (50 nmol/kg i.v.) produced a prolonged fall of blood pressure in anaesthetized cats. This hypotensive effect was neither blocked by atropine and propranolol nor by spinal cord transection. 2 SGTX (37‐50 nmol/kg i.v.) inhibited the hypertensive and hypotensive response to 1, 1‐dimethyl‐4‐phenylpiperazinium iodide (DMPP) and to electrical stimulation of the splanchnic and vagal nerve, whereas it usually augmented the hypertensive response to adrenaline and to 4‐(m‐hlorophenylcarbamoyloxy)‐2‐butynyltrimethylammonium chloride (McN‐A‐343) in anaesthetized cats. 3 Close intra‐arterial injection of SGTX (6.2‐12.3 nmol/kg) to the superior cervical ganglion blocked the contractile response of the nictitating membrane to preganglionic stimulation of cervical sympathetic nerve or injected DMPP, but not to postganglionic stimulation or to injected adrenaline and McN‐A‐343. 4 SGTX affected neither the indirectly nor the directly stimulated response of the rat isolated phrenic nerve‐diaphragm at concentrations less than 12.3 MM. 5 The effect of SGTX on the contractile response to some agonists and on the twitch response to transmural stimulation in the guinea‐pig isolated ileum was investigated. At <12.3 MM SGTX did not depress responses to acetylcholine or histamine. The curves for nicotine‐ and DMPP‐induced contractions were shifted to the right and depressed gradually as the concentration of SGTX was increased (12.3 nM‐1.23 μM). SGTX partially inhibited the contraction induced by 5‐hydroxytryptamine and the transmurally‐stimulated twitch response. 6 These results suggest that SGTX has a ganglion‐blocking action. The mode of anti‐nicotinic action of SGTX in the guinea‐pig isolated ileum seems to differ from that of hexamethonium and tetraethylammonium and to resemble more closely that of mecamylamine.
Legitimation and Accumulation in Climate Change Governance

Recent debates have drawn attention to the legitimacy challenges faced by new forms of global governance. Privatised governance in particular has come under considerable scrutiny. This paper attempts to contribute to this debate through an analysis of the widespread critiques of climate governance that focus on its ‘marketized’ or ‘privatized’ character. Such critiques fundamentally attempt to delegitimise dominant governance mechanisms which can be collectively known as the ‘global carbon market’. The paper argues that to understand the political dynamics of legitimacy surrounding these forms of governance we need to take into account the recurrent tension within capitalism between accumulation and legitimation. This focus enables us to understand the legitimacy problems surrounding climate governance. First, it draws attention to the character of the discourses which are critical of marketized climate governance, which attack it precisely because of the forms of accumulation it enables. Second, many of these governance projects have themselves been developed in part precisely in order to overcome legitimacy crises inherent in capital accumulation, and specifically in the current context in relation to the dominance of finance within contemporary capitalism. Finally, it suggests that one of the strategies of firms involved in such governance is to attempt to overcome this legitimacy-accumulation tension in the way that automobility did in the Fordist era. Climate governance practices should be understood as a pursuit of this sort of coherence which might give rise to an ‘ecological regime of accumulation’ that aims to forestall more radical critiques that argue that capitalism and sustainability are inimical.
Working Capital Management and Cash Holdings of Banks in Ghana

The impact of working capital management on profitability and liquidity is hardly contended. The main thrust of this work is to ascertain the relationship between working capital management and bank cash holding in Ghana. Panel data covering the ten-year period 1999 – 2008 was analyzed within the framework of the random effects technique was used for the presentation and analysis of findings. The results show that while debtors’ collection period, cash conversion cycle, capital structure, bank size have significantly negative relationship with the cash position of banks, creditors payment period and profitability have significantly positive relationship with the cash position of banks in Ghana. The revelations in this paper go to inform bank directors and policy makers on the direction of managing bank working capital in order to ensure adequate liquidity. Key Words: Working Capital Management, Cash Holdings, Banks, Ghana.
Six‐month outcomes for MRI‐related vascular depression

The purpose of this paper is to estimate the relative probabilities of 6‐month recovery from an index episode of major depression for subjects with and without MRI‐confirmed vascular brain changes. In this cohort study, 57 depressed subjects from the Duke University Mental Health Clinical Research Center (MHCRC) for Depression in Late Life who presented with MRI‐related vascular and non‐vascular depression were followed for 6 months, and the rates of recovery in the two risk groups were compared. Overall, the recovery rate in this sample was 57.9%. Subjects with MRI‐related vascular depression demonstrated outcomes similar to subjects with non‐vascular depression (crude RR=0.67[0.32,1.43]). There was a trend that demonstrated that MRI‐related vascular depression placed elderly subjects and subjects with first onset of depression after age 40 at increased risk of non‐recovery. The study demonstrates overall no significant difference in course between patients with and without vascular depression. It also suggests that patients with vascular depression may have a different course depending on their age and age of onset of the disease. Depression and Anxiety 8:142–146, 1998. © 1998 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Predicting employee commitment and satisfaction: the relative effects of socialization and demographics

This study compared the relative influences of organizational socialization and demographic variables on job satisfaction and organizational commitment. Organizational variables were assessed by asking 193 Chinese employees in Hong Kong to evaluate socialization within their companies, namely: (1) training received; (2) understanding of the organization; (3) co-worker support; and (4) future prospects within their companies. Dependent variables were standard measures of (affective, continuance and normative) commitment and of satisfaction (with co-workers, pay, promotion, supervisors and the work). Results revealed higher correlations between the socialization measures and job satisfaction and commitment than between the demographic measures and the dependent variables. Although a few demographic measures had some predictive power, the regression analyses confirmed that the socialization variables were consistently stronger predictors of both satisfaction and commitment. Strategic implications for human r.
Changes in central retinal artery blood flow after ocular warming and cooling in healthy subjects

Context: Retinal perfusion variability impacts ocular disease and physiology. Aim: To evaluate the response of central retinal artery (CRA) blood flow to temperature alterations in 20 healthy volunteers. Setting and Design: Non-interventional experimental human study. Materials and Methods: Baseline data recorded: Ocular surface temperature (OST) in °C (thermo-anemometer), CRA peak systolic velocity (PSV) and end diastolic velocity (EDV) in cm/s using Color Doppler. Ocular laterality and temperature alteration (warming by electric lamp/cooling by ice-gel pack) were randomly assigned. Primary outcomes recorded were: OST and intraocular pressure (IOP) immediately after warming or cooling and ten minutes later; CRA-PSV and EDV at three, six and nine minutes warming or cooling. Statistical Analysis: Repeated measures ANOVA. Results: (n = 20; μ ± SD): Pre-warming values were; OST: 34.5 ± 1.02°C, CRA-PSV: 9.3 ± 2.33 cm/s, CRA-EDV: 4.6 ± 1.27 cm/s. OST significantly increased by 1.96°C (95% CI: 1.54 to 2.37) after warming, but returned to baseline ten minutes later. Only at three minutes, the PSV significantly rose by 1.21 cm/s (95% CI: 0.51to1.91). Pre-cooling values were: OST: 34.5 ± 0.96°C, CRA-PSV: 9.7 ± 2.45 cm/s, CRA-EDV: 4.7 ± 1.12 cm/s. OST significantly decreased by 2.81°C (95% CI: −2.30 to −3.37) after cooling, and returned to baseline at ten minutes. There was a significant drop in CRA-PSV by 1.10cm/s (95% CI: −2.05 to −0.15) and CRA-EDV by 0.81 (95% CI: −1.47 to −0.14) at three minutes. At six minutes both PSV (95% CI: −1.38 to −0.03) and EDV (95% CI: −1.26 to −0.02) were significantly lower. All values at ten minutes were comparable to baseline. The IOP showed insignificant alteration on warming (95% CI of difference: −0.17 to 1.57mmHg), but was significantly lower after cooling (95% CI: −2.95 to −4.30mmHg). After ten minutes, IOP had returned to baseline. Conclusion: This study confirms that CRA flow significantly increases on warming and decreases on cooling, the latter despite a significant lowering of IOP.