Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A Preclinical Study of Casein Glycomacropeptide as a Dietary Intervention for Acute Mania

Abstract Background Casein glycomacropeptide is a peptide that lacks phenylalanine, tyrosine, and tryptophan. This profile may enable it to deplete phenylalanine, tyrosine, and tryptophan, and subsequently the synthesis of dopamine and serotonin in the brain. Dopamine- and serotonin-depleting amino acid mixtures have shown promise as acute antimanic treatments. In this study, we explore the depleting effects on amino acids, dopamine and serotonin as well as its actions on manic-like and other behavior in rats. Methods Casein glycomacropeptide and a selection of amino acid mixtures were administered orally at 2, 4, or 8 h or for 1 week chronically. Amino acid and monoamine levels were measured in plasma and brain and behavior was assessed in the amphetamine-hyperlocomotion, forced swim, prepulse inhibition, and elevated plus maze tests. Results Casein glycomacropeptide induced a time-dependent reduction in tyrosine, tryptophan, and phenylalanine in brain and plasma which was augmented by supplementing with leucine. Casein glycomacropeptide +leucine reduced dopamine in the frontal cortex and serotonin in the hippocampus, frontal cortex, and striatum after 2 and 4 h. Casein glycomacropeptide+leucine also had antimanic activity in the amphetamine-induced hyperlocomotion test at 2 h after a single acute treatment and after 1 week of chronic treatment. Conclusions Casein glycomacropeptide-based treatments and a branched-chain amino acid mixture affected total tissue levels of dopamine in the frontal cortex and striatum and serotonin in the frontal cortex, striatum, and hippocampus of rats in a time-dependent fashion and displayed antimanic efficacy in a behavioral assay of mania.
Organic farmers and conventional distribution systems: The recent expansion of the organic food market in Denmark

In 1993, a breakthrough occurred for sales of organic food products in conventional supermarkets in Denmark. Since then, sales have increased markedly and consumers now have a choice between organic and conventional food products in nearly all supermarkets. This success owes much to the intense efforts of three main groups since the mid-1980s. First, organic farmers have increased production and successfully managed economic and organizational problems. Second, the Danish State has supported sales of organic products and farmers' conversion to organic farming by supporting marketing and product innovation and by organizing producers. Third, the largest Danish supermarket chain has contributed by its steady demand for organic products since 1981. Today, all major supermarkets in Denmark are supplied by conventional distributors that handle the products of small organic producer organizations. For nearly two years the system has kept up the positive effects of a market expansion process that was initiated by a major advertising campaign and a modest drop in consumer prices.
Deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon: Comparing the Impacts of Macroeconomic Shocks, Land Tenure, and Technological Change

The paper examines the current relevance of the set of variables reported in the literature as driving deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon. The analysis uses a computable general equilibrium (CGE)model adapted to capture regional economic structures and the environmental processes specific to tropical areas. The paper compares the impact on deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon of: changes in real exchange rate; modifications in agricultural tax and support policies; reductions in transportation costs arising from investment in infrastructure in the Amazon; changes in land tenure regimes; and technological change in agriculture affecting productivity and agronomic sustainability. (JEL Q15, Q23)
Gamma Interferon-Dependent, Noncytolytic Clearance of Sindbis Virus Infection from Neurons In Vitro

ABSTRACT Due to the nonrenewable nature of neurons, recovery from viral infection of the central nervous system requires noncytopathic mechanisms for control of virus replication. Recovery from alphavirus encephalitis can occur without apparent neurological damage through the effects of antibody and gamma interferon (IFN-γ). To establish an in vitro cell culture system that will allow the study of mechanisms of IFN-γ-mediated control of Sindbis virus (SINV) replication in neurons, we have characterized the susceptibility to SINV infection and IFN-γ responsiveness of two neuronal cell lines that can be differentiated in vitro: CSM14.1, a rat nigral cell line, and NSC34, a mouse motor neuron cell line. Undifferentiated CSM14.1 and NSC34 cells were permissive for SINV and susceptible to virus-induced cell death. With differentiation, CSM14.1 cells reduced virus replication and became progressively resistant to virus-induced cell death, resulting in prolonged virus replication. NSC34 cells did not differentiate completely and became only partially resistant to SINV infection. Both CSM14.1 and NSC34 cells responded to pretreatment with IFN-γ by decreasing SINV replication. Differentiated CSM14.1 cells treated 24 h after infection with IFN-γ responded with increased cell viability and clearance of infectious virus. IFN-γ treatment sequentially altered the ratio of genomic to subgenomic viral RNA synthesis, promoted recovery of cellular protein synthesis, reduced viral protein synthesis, and inhibited viral RNA transcription within 24 h after treatment. We conclude that CSM14.1 cells provide an excellent model for the study of IFN-γ-mediated noncytolytic clearance of SINV from mature neurons.
An Anatomy of Trading Strategies

In this paper, we use a single unifying framework to analyze the sources of profits to a wide spectrum of return-based trading strategies implemented in the literature. We show that less than 50 percent of the 120 strategies implemented in the paper yield statistically significant profits and, unconditionally, momentum and contrarian strategies are equally likely to be successful. However, when we condition on the return-horizon (short, medium, or long) of the strategy, or the time-period during which it is implemented, two patterns emerge. A momentum strategy is usually profitable at the medium (three- to 12-month) horizon, while a contrarian strategy nets statistically significant profits at long-horizons but only during the 1926-1947 subperiod. More importantly, our results show that the cross-sectional variation in the mean returns of individual securities included in these strategies plays an important role in the profitability of the strategies. The cross-sectional variation can potentially account for the profitability of momentum strategies and it is also responsible for attenuating the profits from price reversals to long-horizon contrarian strategies.
Sports Stadiums as Meeting and Corporate/Social Event Venues: A Perspective From Meeting/Event Planners and Sport Facility Administrators

Meeting and event planners are constantly searching for unique venues to increase attendees’ satisfaction by providing a one-of-a-kind experience. Many newly constructed or renovated sport facilities strive to position themselves as a unique meeting/event venue. This research investigated the perceptions of meeting/event planners (buyers) and sport facility administrators (sellers) to identify and compare their perceived quality of professional sport stadiums as a meeting and corporate/social event venue. A qualitative research method (mix of interview and open-ended questionnaire) was used to collect data. The findings indicate there are differences and similarities in perceived advantages and disadvantages by each side. The event/meeting planners perceived inferior quality of audio/video (A/V) and food and beverage (F/B) service, a complex planning process, and unknown price structure as disadvantages. Notably, sport stadium administrators perceived their high quality on-site F/B and comparable A/V as their advantages as a unique event venue. This study provides useful information for sports stadium administrators striving to develop effective marketing and branding strategies to enhance the positioning of their facility as an attractive meeting and corporate/social event venue.
A T3 allele in the CFTR gene exacerbates exon 9 skipping in vas deferens and epididymal cell lines and is associated with Congenital Bilateral Absence of Vas Deferens (CBAVD)

The different alleles at the (TG)m(T)n polymorphic loci at the 3′ end of the human CFTR intron 8 determine the efficiency by which exon 9 is spliced. We identified a novel TG12T3 allele in a congenital bilateral absence of vas deferens (CBAVD) patient who carries a [TG11T7; p.Phe508Cys; p.Met470Val] haplotype on the other chromosome. To better understand the complex regulation of exon 9 splicing, we analyzed the levels of correctly spliced CFTR transcripts in six CFTR‐expressing epithelial cell lines derived from lung, colon, testis, vas deferens, and epididymis transiently transfected with four CFTR minigenes (pTG11T7, pTG12T7, pTG12T5, and pTG12T3). In this work, we show that a decrease in the Ts at the polymorphic locus in a TG12 background determines a cell‐type dependent reduction in exon 9+ transcripts that is not related to the basal splicing efficiency in the cell line. These data emphasize the role of the T5 allele in CBAVD and identify the T3 allele as a severe cystic fibrosis (CF) disease‐causing mutation. Finally, UV cross‐linking experiments demonstrated that tissue‐specific trans‐acting splicing factors do not contribute to the different patterns of exon 9 splicing found between the cell lines. However, we observed that lower numbers of Ts can alter the binding of TDP‐43 (TDP43 or TARDBP) to its specific target ug12 in a tissue‐specific manner. Our results support the idea that the ratio of general splicing factors plays a role in the tissue variability of exon 9 alternative splicing. Hum Mutat 25:72–81, 2005. © 2004 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
On the Mechanics of Migration Decisions: Skill Complementarities and Price Differentials

Why are skilled workers more mobile than average? What determines positive migration flows toward relatively poorer regions or states of a country? How can one explain the sharp decrease in the mobility rate observed within European countries notwithstanding the persistent regional disparities? This paper aims to answer these questions using skill complementarities and endogenous price differentials between the richest and the poorest regions. If the skill premium is increasing in the average level of human capital of a location and there are differences in the price of non-traded goods, the more skilled the workers are, the stronger are the economic incentives to migrate towards the richest regions. In contrast, the least skilled workers have incentives to migrate to the poorest regions to minimize their living expenditures. In this context, interregional cost of living differentials arise endogenously if the self-selection of migrants affects total factor productivity in the traded good sector, as pointed out by Balassa (1964) and Samuelson (1964). Moreover, if the process of capital accumulation provokes faster convergence in interregional wage differentials than in living costs, convergence in GDP per capita may hinder migration to the richest regions, even if it leaves large regional disparities.
Risk factors for esophageal fistula in patients with locally advanced esophageal carcinoma receiving chemoradiotherapy

Background This study aimed to investigate risk factors for esophageal fistula in patients with locally advanced esophageal carcinoma receiving chemoradiotherapy. Subjects and methods The study prospectively enrolled 212 esophageal carcinoma patients undergoing chemoradiotherapy and evaluated 16 clinical parameters. The best cut-off values were determined by receiver operating characteristics curves. Hazard ratios (HR) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated by the Cox proportional hazards model. Kaplan–Meier analysis was used to evaluate the cumulative probability. Results In total, 22 patients (10.38%) developed esophageal fistula, of whom 9 experienced fistula during treatment and the other 13 patients developed fistula after chemoradiotherapy. The median time until occurrence was 5.75 months (range 0.6–8 months). In univariate analysis, the evaluated significant factors were Karnofsky performance status, smoking status, esophageal stenosis, T stage, fraction dose, and carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA). In addition, esophageal stenosis (HR=4.089, 95% CI 1.451–11.527, p=0.008), T stage (HR=2.663, 95% CI 1.019–6.960, p=0.046), and CEA (HR=0.309, 95% CI 0.124–0.768, p=0.011) were revealed as risk parameters in further multivariate analysis. Conclusion This is the first prospective study to evaluate factors associated with fistula formation in patients with esophageal carcinoma receiving chemoradiotherapy. More attention should be given to patients with esophageal stenosis, stage T4 disease, and high levels of CEA.
Malnutrition and anemia in tribal pediatric population of Purnia district (Bihar).

INDIAN PEDIATRICS 181 VOLUME 43FEBRUARY 17, 2006 their participation is entirely voluntary. Going beyond their usual role, the EC/IRB should also take up the mantle of an educator, informing researchers about the ethical standards to be followed while conducting pediatric trials. Only with such affirmative actions would the EC/IRB be able to fulfill their mandated role of safeguarding the interests of children and adolescents participating in research trials. S.B. Bavdekar, Department of Pediatrics, Seth G.S. Medical College and KEM Hospital, Mumbai 400 012, India. E-mail: drsbavdekar@vsnl.com REFERENCES
The Effects of ACTH and Adrenocorticosteroids on Seizure Susceptibility in 15-Day-Old Male Rats

Infantile spasms are generalized convulsive seizures seen in the first year of life. They respond poorly to conventional anticonvulsants, but are often controlled by adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) therapy. Other childhood seizures are also responsive to ACTH. The present study tested the effects of ACTH and related adrenocorticosteroids in prepubertal, 15-day-old rats. Compounds were tested against minimal (scMET) and maximal (MMT) pentylenetetrazol seizures, maximal electroconvulsive shock (MES) seizures, and hippocampal kindled seizures. ACTH had no significant anticonvulsant effects against any type of seizure. Several of the adrenocorticoid hormones, however, had strong anticonvulsant effects. Deoxycorticosterone (DOC) and progesterone (P4) both significantly suppressed scMET, MMT, and MES seizures 15 min after s.c. injection. DOC and P4 also shortened hippocampal discharge duration in the kindling model, and DOC, but not P4, suppressed the kindled convulsion. Aldosterone and corticosterone were effective against scMET seizures, and aldosterone was effective against MMT seizures. Dexamethasone and dihydroepiandrosterone had no anticonvulsant activity. These findings indicate that the adrenal steroid precursors, DOC and P4, have a broad spectrum of anticonvulsant activity in animal seizure models. They may play a role in mediating the anticonvulsant effects of ACTH in human infants.
Do Homeowners Mark to Market? A Comparison of Self-reported and Estimated Market Home Values During the Housing Boom and Bust

This article examines homeowners’ self‐reported values in the American Housing Survey and the Health and Retirement Study from the start of the recent housing price run‐ups through recent price declines. We compare ZIP‐Code‐level market‐based estimates of housing prices to those derived from homeowners’ self‐reported values. We show that there are systematic differences which vary with market conditions and the amount of equity owners hold in their homes. When prices have fallen, homeowners systematically state that their homes are worth more than market estimates suggest, and homeowners with little or no equity in their homes state values above the market estimates to a greater degree. Over time, homeowners appear to adjust their assessments to be more in line with past market trends, but only slowly. Our results suggest that underwater borrowers are likely to understate their losses and either may not be aware that their mortgages are underwater or underestimate the degree to which they are.
ALLOCATIVE EFFICIENCY AND OVER-CAPITALIZATION: AN APPLICATION

In this study, the authors analyzed how it is possible to estimate the degree of overutilization of quasi-fixed inputs using 2 alternative methods: the cost function and the input distance function. From a theoretical standpoint, if the assumptions upon which the cost function is based are satisfied, the 2 methods should coincide. The authors applied the methodologies to the main Spanish Port Authorities for the 1985-1997 time period. Results suggest that, though both methods identify overcapitalization, the magnitude and significance of this differs according to the method used. In order to check whether this discrepancy is due to the non-satisfaction of the hypothesis of cost-minimization, the authors tested whether the variable inputs are allocated efficiently. This hypothesis is rejected, and it is concluded that the distance function, in this case, is more appropriate than the cost function.
Civil society and the political economy of GMO failures in Canada: a neo-Gramscian analysis

Despite the government of Canada's close relationship with the biotechnology industry, critical social movement organisations have had a significant impact on the adoption of genetically modified organisms in that country. Two cases of products rejected after widespread resistance – recombinant bovine growth hormone (1999) and herbicide-tolerant Roundup Ready (RR) Wheat (2004) – are revisited. Informed by empirical research that brings to light new factors shaping the RR wheat outcome in particular, two theoretical arguments are advanced. First, in response to those critics of a neo-Gramscian framing of hegemony who see it as overly deterministic, these cases highlight just how deeply alliances with hegemonic ambitions may be forced to compromise. Second, these cases demonstrate that any study of civil society must still pay close attention to institutional and material ‘relations of force’ when seeking to explain the impact of social movements on environmental governance.
Do Moroccan migrants to Spain fare better or worse than other migrants?

Poor language skills at arrival and low educational attainment raise concerns about how well Moroccans do after arrival in Spain. Using the 2007 Encuesta Nacional de Immigración, this paper compares Moroccans' legal and labor market integration over time relative to the two other largest groups of migrants in Spain: Ecuadorians and Romanians. Modeling jointly legal and labor market integration and exploiting the richness of our data set, which includes migrants' employment history before and at arrival in the host country, we find that Moroccan male migrants assimilate themselves at least as well as the other two nationalities. Among women, Moroccans and Ecuadorians follow a similar pattern that contrasts with the one observed among Romanian women. While the former mainly arrive to Spain to work with legal status and, with time in Spain, (some of them) move out of employment; the latter are considerably (and persistently) more attached to the labor force, although they tend to lack legal status at arrival, and only gain such status over time. Controlling for observable characteristics and using Heckman-corrected estimates, our wage analysis finds that with the exception of Moroccan and Romanian males for which no wage differences are observed, Moroccans outperform the other two nationalities in terms of higher wages at arrival. Moreover, this wage differential does not decrease over time.
Collusion Facilitating and Collusion Breaking Power of Simultaneous Ascending and Descending Price Auctions

"This article demonstrates that a robust tacit collusion evolves quickly in a "collusion incubator" environment but is destroyed by the simultaneous descending price auction. Theories of collusion-producing behavior, along with the detail of the states on which strategies are conditioned, lead to a deeper understanding of how tacit collusion evolves and its necessary conditions. These theories explain how the descending price auction destroys the collusion. The experiments proceed by conducting simultaneous ascending price auctions in the collusion incubator. Then, once the tacit collusion developed, changing to the descending auction. The change moved prices from collusive levels to near-competitive levels. "("JEL "C71, C92, D43, D44) Copyright (c) 2008 Western Economic Association International.
Literacy, Trust and 401(K) Savings Behavior

At three large firms offering 401(k) plans, we assess the impact of financial literacy and trust on 401(k) savings behavior in voluntary and automatic enrollment 401(k) plans. Financial literacy plays a critical role in improving 401(k) savings behavior — it reduces both the proportion of non-joiners in voluntary 401(k) plans and the proportion of quitters in automatic enrollment plans. Trust is critical as well in improving quit rates in automatic enrollment plans. Both financial literacy and trust appear to have more sizeable marginal effects than do those from income. We also find no initial evidence that non-participants are low-income rational agents who fail to participate in a 401(k) plan due to anticipated income support from Social Security. Our findings underscore the importance of ongoing workplace education for both voluntary and automatic enrollment plans and highlight the unique issue of trust in automatic enrollment plans.
Entrepreneurial Failure: The Case of Franchisees*

The causes of failure are central to entrepreneurship research. This study extends agency and resource‐based logic to explain how established franchisors affect franchisee failure. Analysis of 88 restaurant chains shows that franchisors reduce franchisee failure through contract design and by building strategic resources. Thus, franchisors' resource management and contractual policies play a key role in franchisees' survival.
FOXP3 expression in tumor cells and implications for cancer progression

FOXP3 is a member of the forkhead/winged‐helix family of transcriptional regulators. Defects in the FOXP3 gene cause an X‐linked autoimmune/immunodeficiency syndrome in humans and the Scurfy phenotype in mice. FOXP3 acts mainly in regulating the development and function of CD4+CD25+ regulatory T cells. Although initially thought to be specific for these cells, FOXP3 expression has recently been described in non‐hematopoietic cells, including epithelial cells of multiple lineages and of different tissue origins. Moreover, FOXP3 expression has been detected in tumor cells of both epithelial and non‐epithelial tissues. The role of FOXP3 expression by tumor cells remains controversial, with in vitro studies pointing to an onco‐suppressive action, whereas studies conducted on human samples associate FOXP3 expression by tumor cells with metastatic spread. Here, we review evidence for the multi‐faceted role of FOXP3 in cancer cells. J. Cell. Physiol. 228: 30–35, 2013. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Pioneering Modern Corporate Governance: A View from London in 1900

Around 1900 Britain was exceptionally suited to pioneering large scale enterprises because of the precocious development of its equity markets and London's experimentation with a more eclectic range of corporate governance techniques than the world's smaller and less cosmopolitan financial centers. Information dissemination, incentives, and reputation—developed by a serendipitous mix of legal compulsions and flexible voluntarism—set the scene for the growth of large, UK-based, national and international corporations in the twentieth century. “The investment business is not with us as well developed or as well understood as it is in England. ” W. H. Lyon, Capitalization (Boston, 1913), 207.