Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Defining the Balance between Regeneration and Pathological Ossification in Skeletal Muscle Following Traumatic Injury

Heterotopic ossification (HO) is characterized by the formation of bone at atypical sites. This type of ectopic bone formation is most prominent in skeletal muscle, most frequently resulting as a consequence of physical trauma and associated with aberrant tissue regeneration. The condition is debilitating, reducing a patient's range of motion and potentially causing severe pathologies resulting from nerve and vascular compression. Despite efforts to understand the pathological processes governing HO, there remains a lack of consensus regarding the micro-environmental conditions conducive to its formation, and attempting to define the balance between muscle regeneration and pathological ossification remains complex. The development of HO is thought to be related to a complex interplay between factors released both locally and systemically in response to trauma. It develops as skeletal muscle undergoes significant repair and regeneration, and is likely to result from the misdirected differentiation of endogenous or systemically derived progenitors in response to biochemical and/or environmental cues. The process can be sequentially delineated by the presence of inflammation, tissue breakdown, adipogenesis, hypoxia, neo-vasculogenesis, chondrogenesis and ossification. However, exactly how each of these stages contributes to the formation of HO is at present not well understood. Our previous review examined the cellular contribution to HO. Therefore, the principal aim of this review will be to comprehensively outline changes in the local tissue micro-environment following trauma, and identify how these changes can alter the balance between skeletal muscle regeneration and ectopic ossification. An understanding of the mechanisms governing this condition is required for the development and advancement of HO prophylaxis and treatment, and may even hold the key to unlocking novel methods for engineering hard tissues.
EVIDENCE FOR DUST EVOLUTION WITHIN THE TAURUS COMPLEX FROM SPITZER IMAGES

We present Spitzer images of the Taurus Complex (TC). We take advantage of the sensitivity and the spatial resolution of the observations to characterize the diffuse infrared (IR) emission across the cloud. This work highlights evidence of dust evolution within the translucent sections of the archetype reference for studies of quiescent molecular clouds. We combine the Spitzer 160 μm and IRAS 100 μm observations to produce a dust temperature map and a far-IR (FIR) dust opacity map at 5′ resolution. The average dust temperature is about 14.5 K with a dispersion of ±1 K across the cloud. The FIR dust opacity is tightly correlated with the extinction derived from Two Micron All Sky Survey stellar colors and is a factor of 2 larger than the average value for the diffuse interstellar medium. This opacity increase and the attenuation of the radiation field both contribute to account for the lower emission temperature of the large grains. The structure of the TC significantly changes in the mid-IR (MIR) images that trace emission from polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and very small grains (VSGs). We focus our analysis of the MIR emission to a range of ecliptic latitudes away from the zodiacal bands and where the zodiacal light residuals are small. Within this cloud area, there are no 8 and 24 μm counterparts to the brightest 160 μm emission features. Conversely, the 8 and 24 μm images reveal filamentary structure that is strikingly inconspicuous in the 160 μm and extinction maps. The IR colors vary over subparsec distances across this filamentary structure. We compare the observed colors with model calculations quantifying the impact of the radiation field intensity and the abundance of stochastically heated particles on the dust spectral energy distribution. To match the range of observed colors, we have to invoke variations by a factor of a few of both the interstellar radiation field and the abundance of PAHs and VSGs. We conclude that within this filamentary structure a significant fraction of the dust mass cycles in and out the small-size end of the dust size distribution.
Modulation of airway inflammation and resistance in mice by a nicotinic receptor agonist

Nicotinic agonists, including 1,1-dimethyl-4-phenylpiperazinium (DMPP), have anti-inflammatory properties and in some instances smooth muscle relaxing effects. Since inflammation and airway smooth muscle contraction are two major components of asthma, the present authors investigated the effects of DMPP on airway inflammation and airway resistance in a mouse model of asthma. Mice were sensitised and challenged with ovalbumin (OVA) and treated either intraperitoneally or intranasally with DMPP. The effect of DMPP was tested on airway inflammation, airway resistance and on the increase of intracellular calcium in bronchial smooth muscle cells. DMPP given either during sensitisation, OVA challenges or throughout the protocol prevented lung inflammation and decreased the serum level of OVA specific immunoglobulin E. DMPP administration reduced the number of total cells, lymphocytes and eosinophils in the bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid. Intranasal DMPP administration was as effective as dexamethasone (DEXA) in reducing total cell count and eosinophil counts in BAL fluid. DMPP, but not DEXA, reduced tissue inflammation. Intranasal DMPP, given 10 min before the test, reduced airway responsiveness to metacholine. DMPP also reduced the increase in intracellular calcium in response to bradykinin. In conclusion, these results show that 1,1-dimethyl-4-phenylpiperazinium reduces lung inflammation and prevents airway hyperresponsiveness in the mouse model of asthma.
Modelling Callable Annuity Bonds with Interest-Only Optionality

In this paper an investigation of the pricing of callable annuities with interest-only (I-O) optionality is conducted. First the I-O optionality feature of callable annuities is introduced. Next an algorithm for pricing callable annuities with I-O optionality using the finite difference methodology, is formulated. This is then used to investigate optimal strategies of I-O bonds and impacts on prices from the I-O optionality. It is found that the I-O feature necessitates a simultaneous valuation of all elements of the callable I-O bond. Following this, the Greeks of the I-O bond are investigated. It is found that they are affected by the I-O feature, but only to a limited extent. Finally, a model of heterogenous prepayment decisions is incorporated into the framework. The model is extended to model heterogeneity in the I-O exercise decisions. The incorporation of heterogeneity in borrower decisions is found to lead to reasonable causalities.
Budgetary Policies, Foreign Indebtedness, the Stock Market, and Economic Growth.

This paper analyzes a small open economy with overlapping generations, endogenous growth, and a risk premium on foreign debt. A balanced-budget increase in public consumption or a rise in government debt raises the ratio of foreign debt to domestic income and the interest rate but depresses economic growth. Supply-side policies aimed at internalizing production externalities boost foreign indebtedness, the interest rate, and economic growth. A higher global interest rate leads, if initial foreign indebtedness is not too large, to a lower foreign debt and, if a country is dragged down by large levels of foreign debt, lower economic growth. Copyright 1996 by Royal Economic Society.
Stock Price Informativeness, Cross-Listings and Investment Decisions

We show that a cross-listing enables firms to obtain, from the stock market, more precise information about the value of their growth opportunities. Thus, cross-listed firms make better investment decisions and trade at a premium. This theory of cross-listings implies that the sensitivity of investment to stock prices is larger for cross-listed firms. Moreover, the cross-listing premium is positively related to the size of growth opportunities and negatively related to the quality of managerial information. The sensitivity of the premium to the size of growth opportunities increases with factors that strengthen the impact of the cross-listing on price informativeness.
Reference-dependent preferences , loss aversion and asymmetric price rigidity

In this paper we propose a simple behavioral model to explain some of the stylized facts of asymmetric price rigidity, which are observed empirically. We assume that consumer-producers maximize reference-dependent utility, which is characterized by loss aversion. We show that when past consumption is taken as the reference by consumers, we will observe higher upward price rigidity. But when past consumption, past money holdings or past labor supply is taken as the reference by producers, we will observe higher downward price rigidity. Thus, we explain why price increases are more common than price decreases while price decreases are generally observed to be larger, why in the services industry we usually observe higher downward price rigidity, but for big customer-oriented corporations the opposite may sometimes be true, and others. JEL classification: D11, D21, E31
Neurotrophin-4/5 Alters Responses and Blocks the Effect of Monocular Deprivation in Cat Visual Cortex during the Critical Period

The mechanisms underlying changes in neural responses and connections in the visual cortex may be studied by occluding one eye during a critical period in early postnatal life. Under these conditions, neurons in the visual cortex rapidly lose their responses to the deprived eye and ultimately lose many of their inputs from that eye. Cats at the peak of the critical period received infusions of exogenous neurotrophin NT-4/5 into primary visual cortex beginning before a short period of monocular deprivation. Within areas affected by NT-4/5, cortical cells remained responsive to the deprived eye, and maps of ocular dominance were no longer evident using intrinsic-signal optical imaging. Cortical cells also became broadly tuned for stimulus orientation and less responsive to visual stimulation through either eye. These effects required at least 48 hr exposure to the neurotrophin and were specific for trkB, because they were not seen with the trkA or trkC ligands NGF or NT-3. Even after neurons had already lost their responses to the deprived eye, subsequent NT-4/5 infusion could restore them. The NT-4/5 effects were not seen after the critical period. Together, these results suggest that trkB activation during the critical period may promote promiscuous connections independent of correlated activity.
The Role of Fiscal Policy in Human Development: The Pakistan’s Perspective

Economic and human development is the ultimate goal of every government. The objective of this study is to investigate the role of fiscal policy in the human development of the country. The novelty of this study is that here we directly measure the effect of government expenditures on Human development by using Human Development Index. This study employs the autoregressive distributed lags (ARDL) bounds testing approach of cointergration on different macroeconomic variables for Pakistan from 1972 to 2010 to explore the impact of government expenditure and the political regime on the welfare of the people in the country. The results show that increase in per capita income and education expenditure have positive effect and current expenditure has negative impact on the human development. The political regime of the democratic governments has a negative effect on human development. The alarming condition of negative relation of current expenditure needs attention of the policy-makers for reducing corruption in the public spending to gain the maximum benefits for the human welfare in Pakistan.
The Income Implications of Rising U.S. International Liabilities

Although the United States has seen its net liabilities surge in recent years, its investment income balance has remained positive-largely because U.S. firms operating abroad earn a higher rate of return than do foreign firms operating here. The continuing buildup in liabilities, however, should soon push the U.S. income balance below zero. In that event, net income flows will begin to boost the nation's current account deficit instead of reducing it.
A TrkB Small Molecule Partial Agonist Rescues TrkB Phosphorylation Deficits and Improves Respiratory Function in a Mouse Model of Rett Syndrome

Rett syndrome (RTT) results from loss-of-function mutations in the gene encoding the methyl-CpG-binding protein 2 (MeCP2) and is characterized by abnormal motor, respiratory and autonomic control, cognitive impairment, autistic-like behaviors and increased risk of seizures. RTT patients and Mecp2-null mice exhibit reduced expression of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), which has been linked in mice to increased respiratory frequency, a hallmark of RTT. The present study was undertaken to test the hypotheses that BDNF deficits in Mecp2 mutants are associated with reduced activation of the BDNF receptor, TrkB, and that pharmacologic activation of TrkB would improve respiratory function. We characterized BDNF protein expression, TrkB activation and respiration in heterozygous female Mecp2 mutant mice (Het), a model that recapitulates the somatic mosaicism for mutant MECP2 found in typical RTT patients, and evaluated the ability of a small molecule TrkB agonist, LM22A-4, to ameliorate biochemical and functional abnormalities in these animals. We found that Het mice exhibit (1) reduced BDNF expression and TrkB activation in the medulla and pons and (2) breathing dysfunction, characterized by increased frequency due to periods of tachypnea, and increased apneas, as in RTT patients. Treatment of Het mice with LM22A-4 for 4 weeks rescued wild-type levels of TrkB phosphorylation in the medulla and pons and restored wild-type breathing frequency. These data provide new insight into the role of BDNF signaling deficits in the pathophysiology of RTT and highlight TrkB as a possible therapeutic target in this disease.
Serum Antibodies against CD28– A New Potential Marker of Dismal Prognosis in Melanoma Patients

Background Autoantibodies against CD28 have been found in patients with autoimmune and atopic diseases. These antibodies may act as superagonists and activate T cells but may also be antagonistic or induce immunosuppressive effects by activating regulatory T cells. Autoimmunity in melanoma patients has been discussed controversially. Objective We investigated 230 melanoma patients for the occurrence of CD28 antibodies and the effect of the latter on overall and progress-free survival. Methods We constructed an ELISA assay to measure CD28 serum antibodies. 230 patients with melanoma and a control-group of 625 patients consistent of 212 patients with virus hepatitis b or c, 149 patients with allergies, 78 patients with psoriasis, 46 patients with plasmocytoma and 140 healthy blood donors were investigated for the occurrence of CD28 antibodies. Results CD28 abs occur at a higher percentage in patients with melanoma and in patients with viral hepatitis than in other groups investigated (p<0.001). Occurrence of CD28 abs is significantly higher in patients receiving interferons independent from the underlying disease (p<0.001). In vitro CD28 serum antibodies have an inhibitory effect on the CD28 receptor as they lead to reduced stimulation of Jurkat cells. Presence of CD28 was correlated with a higher risk of dying from melanoma (p = 0.043), but not with a significantly shortened overall survival or progression-free survival. Conclusion Interferon therapy appears to induce the production of CD28 abs. In light of reports that these CD28 abs induce immunosuppressive Tregs and – as our data show – that they are inhibitors of CD28 receptor mediated stimulation, the continuation of therapies with interferons in melanoma patients developing CD28 antibodies should be critically reconsidered, since our data indicate a worse outcome of patients with CD28 abs.
The spread of political economy and the professionalisation of economists : economic societies in Europe, America and Japan in the nineteenth century

1. Nineteenth-Century Economic Societies in a Comparative Approach: The Emergence of Professional Economists 2. Economic Societies in Great Britain and Ireland 3. The Societe d'Economie Politique of Paris (1842-1914) 4. The Associations of Economists and the Dissemination of Political Economy in Italy 5. Economic Associations in Belgium 6. Spanish Societies, Academies and Economic Debating Societies 7. From Learned Societies to Professional Associations. The Establishment of the Economist Profession in Portugal 8. Patriots, the Poor and Economic Progress. Economic Societies in The Netherlands 9. The Verein fur Sozialpolitik from its Foundation (1872) until the First World War 10. The Swedish Economic Association from its Foundation (1877) to the Turn of the Century 11. Orchestrating Economic Ideas: The Formation and Development of Economic Societies in modern Japan 12. Economists and Professional Organizations in Pre-World War I America
Hidden Markets

Chapter 1. Trends and Origins Chapter 2. Inside the Market Chapter 3. Privatization and its Intermediaries Chapter 4. Shadow Privatization: Local Experiences with Supplemental Education Services Chapter 5. Invisible Influences: For-Profit Firms and Virtual Charter Schools Chapter 6. In the Interstices: Benchmark Assessments, District Contracts, and NCLB Chapter 7. Working for Transparency
OF BUILDING ACOUSTICS Volume 16 · Number 2 · 2009 Quantifying the Double Slope Effect in Coupled Volume Room Systems by

Coupled volume spaces are typically defined as a main volume connected to an auxiliary volume through an acoustically transparent aperture. Given certain architectural parameters, coupled volumes can exhibit a non-exponential sound energy decay, referred to in this paper as double slope effect (DSE). This paper provides an overview and comparison of several quantifiers of DSE. Four numeric DSE quantifiers, T30/T15, LDT/EDT, Decay Ratio, and ∆dB were used to analyze the energy decays produced in a computational model of an existing coupled volume concert hall. Each quantifier’s ability to indicate changes in DSE was determined through comparative analysis. LDT/EDT was found to differentiate most between the levels of DSE in the sample decay curves. T30/T15 was also able to demonstrate changes in DSE, although not with the same level of sensitivity as LDT/EDT. Decay Ratio and ∆dB as determined from Bayesian analysis results did not indicate any DSE across the four cases studied; further research is recommended on applying Bayesian analysis to decay curves from realistic coupled volume
Room-Temperature and High-Temperature Tensile Mechanical Properties of TA15 Titanium Alloy and TiB Whisker-Reinforced TA15 Matrix Composites Fabricated by Vacuum Hot-Pressing Sintering

In this paper, the microstructure, the room-temperature and high-temperature tensile mechanical properties of monolithic TA15 alloy and TiB whisker-reinforced TA15 titanium matrix composites (TiBw/TA15) fabricated by vacuum hot-pressing sintering were investigated. The microstructure results showed that there were no obvious differences in the microstructure between monolithic TA15 alloy and TiBw/TA15 composites, except whether or not the grain boundaries contained TiBw. After sintering, the matrix microstructure presented a typical Widmanstätten structure and the size of primary β grain was consistent with the size of spherical TA15 titanium metallic powders. This result demonstrated that TiBw was not the only factor limiting grain coarsening of the primary β grain. Moreover, the grain coarsening of α colonies was obvious, and high-angle grain boundaries (HAGBs) were distributed within the primary β grain. In addition, TiBw played an important role in the microstructure evolution. In the composites, TiBw were randomly distributed in the matrix and surrounded by a large number of low-angle grain boundaries (LAGBs). Globularization of α phase occurred prior, near the TiBw region, because TiBw provided the nucleation site for the equiaxed α phase. The room-temperature and high-temperature tensile results showed that TiBw distributed at the primary β grain boundaries can strengthen the grain boundary, but reduce the connectivity of the matrix. Therefore, compared to the monolithic TA15 alloy fabricated by the same process, the tensile strength of the composites increased, and the tensile elongation decreased. Moreover, with the addition of TiBw, the fracture mechanism was changed to a mixture of brittle fracture and ductile failure (composites) from ductile failure (monolithic TA15 alloy). The fracture surfaces of TiBw/TA15 composites were the grain boundaries of the primary β grain where the majority of TiB whiskers distributed, i.e., the surfaces of the spherical TA15 titanium metallic powders.
Fertilization effects on the ecohydrology of a southern California annual grassland

Nitrogen limits leaf gas exchange, canopy development, and evapotranspiration in many ecosystems. In dryland ecosystems, it is unclear whether increased anthropogenic nitrogen inputs alter the widely recognized dominance of water and energy constraints on ecohydrology. We use observations from a factorial irrigation and fertilization experiment in a nitrogen‐limited southern California annual grassland to explore this hypothesis. Our analysis shows growing season soil moisture and canopy‐scale water vapor conductance are equivalent in control and fertilized plots. This consistency arises as fertilization‐induced increases in leaf area index (LAI) are offset by reduced leaf area‐based stomatal conductance,gs. We interpret this as evidence of a hydraulic feedback between LAI, plant water status, and gs, not commonly implemented in evapotranspiration models. These results support the notion that canopy physiology and structure are coordinated in water‐limited ecosystems to maintain a transpiration flux tightly controlled by hydraulic constraints in the soil‐vegetation‐atmosphere pathway.
Human Rights: A Very Short Introduction

Preface 1. Looking at rights 2. Historical development and contemporary concerns 3. Human rights foreign policy and the role of the United Nations 4. Torture 5. Deprivations of life and liberty 6. Balancing rights - free speech and privacy 7. Food, education, health, housing, and work 8. Discrimination and equality 9. The death penalty Final remarks References Further reading Annex: The Universal Declaration of Human Rights Index
Limitations of model-fitting methods for lensing shear estimation

Gravitational lensing shear has the potential to be the most powerful tool for constraining the nature of dark energy. However, accurate measurement of galaxy shear is crucial and has been shown to be non-trivial by the Shear TEsting Programme. Here, we demonstrate a fundamental limit to the accuracy achievable by model-fitting techniques, if oversimplistic models are used. We show that even if galaxies have elliptical isophotes, model-fitting methods which assume elliptical isophotes can have significant biases if they use the wrong profile. We use noise-free simulations to show that on allowing sufficient flexibility in the profile the biases can be made negligible. This is no longer the case if elliptical isophote models are used to fit galaxies made up of a bulge plus a disc, if these two components have different ellipticities. The limiting accuracy is dependent on the galaxy shape, but we find the most significant biases (similar to 1 per cent of the shear) for simple spiral-like galaxies. The implications for a given cosmic shear survey will depend on the actual distribution of galaxy morphologies in the Universe, taking into account the survey selection function and the point spread function. However, our results suggest that the impact on cosmic shear results from current and near future surveys may be negligible. Meanwhile, these results should encourage the development of existing approaches which are less sensitive to morphology, as well as methods which use priors on galaxy shapes learnt from deep surveys.