Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Onwards and Upwards: Why Companies Change Their Executive Remuneration Schemes, and Why this Leads to Increases in Pay

This paper reports interview-based research examining reasons for the continued increase in executive directors' remuneration in large UK companies. This issue has not specifically been addressed by previous studies, which have focused on the level of the increases, rather than their underlying explanations. Reasons given for making changes included: increases due to being below-market; changing performance-related schemes that did not pay out or paid less than expected; changes in the company's culture or strategy; changes to senior personnel; and compliance with good practice in human resource management and in corporate governance. The results are analysed through two theoretical lenses. Agency theory provides an explanation of the structure of the contracts; expectancy theory suggests why schemes might be changed to motivate the executives.
Myofibroblast differentiation modulates keratocyte crystallin protein expression, concentration, and cellular light scattering.

PURPOSE The purpose of this study was to determine whether myofibroblast differentiation altered keratocyte crystallin protein concentration and increased cellular light scattering. METHODS Serum-free cultured rabbit corneal keratocytes and TGFβ (5 ng/mL) induced myofibroblasts were harvested and counted and protein/RNA extracted. Expression of myofibroblast and keratocyte markers was determined by real-time PCR and Western blot analysis. The cell volume of calcein AM-loaded keratocytes and myofibroblasts was determined by using nonlinear optical microscopy. Cellular light scattering of transformed myofibroblasts expressing human keratocyte crystallins was measured by reflectance confocal microscopy. RESULTS Differentiated myofibroblasts showed a significant decrease in RNA levels for the keratocyte markers ALDH1A1, lumican, and keratocan and a significant increase in the myofibroblast marker α-smooth muscle actin. Volumetric and protein measurements showed that myofibroblast differentiation significantly increased cytoplasmic volume (293%; P < 0.001) and water-soluble and -insoluble protein content per cell (respectively, 442% and 431%; P < 0.002) compared to keratocytes. Western blot analysis showed that the level of ALDH1A1 protein per cell was similar between myofibroblasts and keratocytes, but was substantially reduced as a percentage of total water-soluble protein. Light scattering measurements showed that induced expression of corneal crystallins significantly decreased light scattering. CONCLUSIONS These data suggest that myofibroblast differentiation leads to a marked increase in cell volume and dilution of corneal crystallins associated with an increase in cellular light scattering.
Predicting the efficacy of first iodine-131 treatment in differentiated thyroid carcinoma.

UNLABELLED The purpose of this study was to search for predictors of (131)I first ablative treatment efficacy in patients with postsurgical remnants after total thyroidectomy for nonmedullary differentiated thyroid carcinoma with no known metastasis. METHODS Thirty-seven patients were retrospectively studied. None presented antithyroglobulin antibodies. All patients received 111 MBq of (131)I for diagnostic purpose and, 9 days later, 3.7 GBq of (131)I for ablative therapy (IAT). To assess the efficacy of treatment, all patients were studied with (131)I and with thyroglobulin (Tg) plasma assays 6-15 mo later. Treatment was considered successful if no abnormal uptake was seen on whole-body scan and if the Tg plasma level was lower than 1 ng/ml. RESULTS Ablative treatment was found to be successful in 17 patients [IAT(+)] and unsuccessful in 20 [IAT(-)]. There was no significant difference between the two groups for clinical and histological data, size of thyroid remnants on a 1:1 dot scan and TSH level just before treatment. Although Tg levels were not different in the two groups before scanning dose administration (D0), Tg levels were higher in IAT(-) group 9 days later, just before radioiodine treatment administration (D9) and, in contrast, Tg levels were higher in the IAT(+) group 5 days after treatment administration (D14). Tg percentage change between D9 and D14 was significantly higher in the IAT(+) group and, with an optimal cutoff value of 750%, this parameter would have been able to predict successful treatment in 9 of 10 cases and unsuccessful treatment in 18 of 21 cases. Conversely, Tg percentage change between D0 and D9 was significantly higher in the IAT(-) group and of 11 patients with more than 100% change, 10 belonged to this group. CONCLUSION The increase in Tg during the first (131)I ablative treatment could be a good predictor of treatment efficacy for patients with nonmetastatic differentiated thyroid carcinoma. Conversely, the increase in Tg observed after the administration of the scanning dose of (131)I just before ablative therapy is associated with a more frequent incomplete ablation, perhaps reflecting a stunning effect on the thyroid remnants.
Central Line–Associated Bloodstream Infections in Adult Hematology Patients with Febrile Neutropenia An Evaluation of Surveillance Definitions Using Differential Time to Blood Culture Positivity

We used differential time to positivity between central and peripheral blood cultures to evaluate the positive predictive value (PPV) of the National Healthcare Safety Network central line–associated bloodstream infection (CLABSI) surveillance definition among hematology patients with febrile neutropenia. The PPV was 27.7%, which suggests that, when the definition is applied to this population, CLABSI rates will be substantially overestimated.
On the problem of data assimilation by means of synchronization

[1] The potential use of synchronization as a method for data assimilation is investigated in a Lorenz96 model. Data representing the reality are obtained from a Lorenz96 model with added noise. We study the assimilation scheme by means of synchronization for different noise intensities. We use a novel plot representation of the synchronization error in a phase diagram consisting of two variables: the amplitude and the width of the error after a suitable logarithmic transformation (the so-called mean-variance of logarithms diagram). Our main result concerns the existence of an “optimal” coupling for which the synchronization is maximal. We finally show how this allows us to quantify the degree of assimilation, providing a criterion for the selection of optimal couplings and validity of models.
Optimality Conditions for Discrete-Time Optimal Control on Infinite Horizon

The paper presents first order necessary optimality conditions of Pontrygin's type for a general class of discrete-time optimal control problems on infinite horizon. The main novelty is that the adjoint function, for which the (local) maximum condition in the Pontryagin principle holds, is explicitly defined for any given optimal state-control process. This is done based on ideas from previous papers of the first and the last authors concerning continuous-time problems. In addition, the obtained (local) maximum principle is in a normal form, and the optimality has the general meaning of weakly overtaking optimality (hence unbounded processes are allowed), which is important for many economic applications. Two examples are given, which demonstrate the applicability of the obtained results in cases where the known necessary optimality conditions fail to identify the optimal solutions.
Making Sense of Genes

What are genes? What do genes do? These seemingly simple questions are in fact challenging to answer accurately. As a result, there are widespread misunderstandings and over-simplistic answers, which lead to common conceptions widely portrayed in the media, such as the existence of a gene ‘for’ a particular characteristic or disease. In reality, the DNA we inherit interacts continuously with the environment and functions differently as we age. What our parents hand down to us is just the beginning of our life story. This comprehensive book analyses and explains the gene concept, combining philosophical, historical, psychological and educational perspectives with current research in genetics and genomics. It summarises what we currently know and do not know about genes and the potential impact of genetics on all our lives. Making Sense of Genes is an accessible but rigorous introduction to contemporary genetics concepts for non-experts, undergraduate students, teachers and healthcare professionals.
Constructing Professional Identity in Art Therapy Through Service-Learning and Practica

Professional identity is a term used to describe both the collective identity of a profession and an individual's own sense of the professional role. This article draws from the literature exploring professional identity with attention to the issues of developing professional identity in fields such as art therapy where lower wages, fewer jobs, and the frequent need to earn additional practice credentials exist. A qualitative research project was conducted during which students participated in service-learning in conjunction with an art therapy practicum assignment. Service-learning was introduced as a pedagogy to facilitate the identity construction of art therapy students, and was found to nurture aspects of professional identity described in the literature.
Potentiation of 5-HT1A receptor-mediated neuroendocrine responses in male but not female rat progeny after prenatal cocaine: evidence for gender differences.

The present study investigated the consequences of prenatal cocaine exposure on central serotonin (5-HT) 5-HT1A receptor-mediated function in prepubescent male and female progeny. Pregnant rats received saline or cocaine (15 mg/kg s.c.) twice daily from gestational day 13 through 20. All litters were fostered to nontreated lactating dams. Cocaine did not alter weight gain during pregnancy and did not affect progeny weight at birth or at postnatal day 28. Male and female progeny were tested at a prepubescent age (postnatal day 28) by measuring 1) the stimulation of adrenocorticotropic hormone, corticosterone and renin by a maximally effective dose (0.5 mg/kg s.c.) of the 5-HT1A agonist 8-hydroxy-2-(di-n-propylamino) tetralin (8-OH-DPAT); and 2) [3H]8-OH-DPAT-labeled 5-HT1A receptors and [3H]paroxetine-labeled 5-HT uptake sites in hypothalamus, cortex and midbrain. Basal hormone levels were unaffected by prenatal cocaine exposure. However, prenatal cocaine exposure significantly potentiated the adrenocorticotropic hormone (+28%) and renin (+53%) responses to 8-OH-DPAT in male but not female progeny. In contrast, the corticosterone response to 8-OH-DPAT was not significantly altered in either male or female progeny. Likewise, the number of 5-HT1A receptors and 5-HT uptake sites in the cortex, midbrain and hypothalamus were unaffected by prenatal cocaine exposure. These data demonstrate that prenatal cocaine exposure can potentiate brain 5-HT1A receptor-mediated function in progeny and that alterations in hypothalamic 5-HT1A function are gender specific. These data suggest the possibility that prenatal cocaine may increase 5-HT1A receptor function in extrahypothalamic brain regions.
Critical Evaluation of Accrual Models in Earnings Management Studies

Earnings management is an important part of current accounting studies. Many of those studies concentrate on accruals. This study critically evaluates frequently used accrual models. The Jones model was the first econometric approach to estimating discretionary accruals. Even though it is subject to several limitations, such as model misspecification, omitted-variables, and errors-in-variables problems, no other accrual model consistently outperforms the Jones model. In the absence of an error-free accrual model, studies in earnings management need the trianglization of their findings by using more than one accrual model and other non-econometric approaches, such as an analysis of earnings number distributions.
Social status and the secondary sex ratio: New evidence on a lingering controversy

Abstract Because women are more likely than men to use social status as a criterion in mate selection, evolutionary theory has led to the hypothesis that higher proportions of males will be born to parents of high social status than to parents of low status. To date, the research that has tested this deduction has not provided consistent support. This could be partly due to the small sample size in several of the studies. The present study tested the hypothesis using 6 different social status measures provided by more than 11,000 United States and Canadian college students. The offspring sex ratio was measured by asking the students their own sex plus that of each of their siblings. No evidence was found to support the hypothesis that parental social status has any significant effect on the sex ratio of offspring.
Comparative study of mouse brains infected with Japanese encephalitis virus by intracerebral or intraperitoneal inoculation.

The brains of mice infected with Japanese encephalitis (JE) virus by intracerebral inoculation (IC), intraperitoneal inoculation with sham intracerebral inoculation (IP+sIC), and intraperitoneal inoculation (IP) were studied by light and electron microscopy. The mortality rates and mean survival days were 100% and 4.8 days for the IC group, 92% and 9.0 days for the IP+sIC group, and 58% and 13.4 days for the IP group. Accordingly, the brain samples of sick mice were examined by light and electron microscopy 4 days post-inoculation (p.i.) for the IC group, 7 days p.i. for the IP+sIC group and 12 days p.i. for the IP group. In light microscopy, the mouse brains in the IC group showed little inflammatory change with only mild generalized glial-cell proliferation and mononuclear cell infiltration. In electron microscopy, however, a majority of neurons in the brain were seen to be infected with virus that replicated exclusively in the neuronal secretory system, including rough endoplasmic reticulum (RER) and the Golgi apparatus. In contrast, light microscopic observation of the brains from the IP+sIC and the IP groups showed prominent inflammatory changes with leucocytic infiltration and perivascular cuffing. Neuronal degeneration and neuronophagia were also prominent. In electron microscopy, neurons were infected in the same manner as in the IC group, but showed more advanced degenerative changes with marked cytoplasmic rarefaction and frequent neuronal disintegration. Mononuclear cells were frequently found in direct contact with degenerating and disintegrating neurons. The results showed that (a) the basic process of JE virus replication in brain neurons was present in the three groups of mice, (b) in the peripherally inoculated mice the process was accompanied by inflammatory reaction with resultant neuronal destruction, and (c) breach in the blood-brain barrier at the time of peripheral viral inoculation played an important role in the viral invasion of the CNS.
Developmental Prosopagnosia: Should it be Taken at Face Value?

This study presents a rare case of developmental prosopagnosia. Structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) revealed no overt brain abnormalities. EP’s basic visual skills and visual memory were intact, as was his ability to judge age, sex and expression from faces, identify facial parts, and make face/non-face decisions. EP was impaired at recognizing famous and very familiar faces and describing visual images of famous faces. He also displayed an anterograde memory impairment for recently studied faces, and performed poorly on tests of unfamiliar face matching, most notably for chimeric faces. It is suggested that EP may be deficient at encoding configural representations of faces. EP appears to have a ‘pure’ (i.e. specific to faces) prosopagnosia, as he shows normal object recognition from unusual viewpoints, good gestalt completion for objects, but not for faces, normal visual imagery for objects but not for faces, a disruption of the inversion effect for faces but not for houses, and performs within the normal range on tests of within-category discriminations, even with unique exemplars of object categories such as famous buildings.
Salt-mediated changes in leaf mesophyll cells of Lycopersicon esculentum Mill. plants

Five-week-old tomato plants (Lycopersicon esculentum) cv. Perkoz grown in pots containing garden soil in a growth chamber were submitted to 50 or 150 mM NaCl for 1 h, 2 and 5 days. Tomato leaf anatomy generally did not change after short time salinity, except 5-day-treatment with 150 mM NaCl, where changed cell shape (shrunk and deformed) simultaneously with increased volume of intercellular spaces (IS) were observed. Although leaf hydration (H) depleted only 1 h after 150 mM NaCl treatment both salt concentrations generated two coexisting populations of salt-affected mesophyll cells: (i) slightly-affected (Sl-A) which showed incipient plasmolysis or slightly changed shapes, and (ii) severely-affected (Sv-A) which showed severe plasmolysis; serious deformation of cell shape or disorganization including cell degeneration. In Sl-A cells salinity changed location and shape of chloroplasts which were: more rounded, with oversized starch grains (SG) (2d) or more flat (5d). Salt-mediated changes were becoming more distinguished and pronounced with length of 150 mM NaCl treatment. The amount of salt-affected cells was changing during the experiment and depended on the salt concentration. In 50 mM-treated plants salt-affected cells appeared 1 h after treatment (~40%) and raised up to 78% on 2nd day, however the population of Sl-A cells dominated. In 150 mM NaCl-treated plants the percentage of affected cells raised during the experiment from 75% to 99%. Firstly Sl-A cells dominated, but on the 5th day the majority was Sv-A. Salt-affected cells were distributed quite evenly in palisade or spongy mesophyll, except 2 d after treatment with 50 mM NaCl, when their number was higher in the palisade mesophyll. Sv-A cells in the spongy mesophyll were located mostly near the bundle while in the palisade mesophyll more irregularly. Different susceptibility of cells to salt stress might be the consequence of an unequal distribution of osmotic stress and subsequent ionic stress or physiological state of cells.
Economic Load Dispatch Problem and Mat lab Programming of Different Methods

Economic Load Dispatch (ELD) is one of an important optimization tasks and operational decision which provides an economic condition for power systems. This paper presents overview of economic load dispatch problems and solution methodologies. MATLAB programming of different methods used for solving economic load dispatch problem was done and results are given in tabular form. Lambda iteration method is implemented for three cases of  Without generation limits and losses  With generation limits and without losses and  With generation limits and losses. Newton’s and the dynamic programming methods were put into action for coding.
Carbamate Toxicity and Protective effect ofvit. A and vit. E on some biochemicalaspects of male albino rats

The effect of daily oral administration of carbamate (1/10 L.D50) on rats for 30 successive days were studied. The male rats were divided into five groups (control, control + oil, carbamate, carbamate + vit. A and carbamate + vit. E). Each group (except control and control + oil) was daily administrated carbamate (0.012 mg/kg B.wt.). Two groups of carbamate – intoxicated animals provided with vit. A (700 mg/kg.B.wt) or vit. E (10 mg/kg.B.wt). Poisoning symptoms were recorded, e.g. unbalanse, diarrhea, have poor health and posterior limbs rigidity. Haematological parameters showed a significant decrease in red blood corpuscles (R.B.Cs), white blood corpuscles (W.B.Cs) count, Haemoglobin concentration and haematocrit value in groups treated with carbamate, and an improvement in these values was observed in groups treated with the anti-oxidants (vit. A and vit. E). Total lipids cholesterol, total proteins, albumin, glucose, LDH, AST, ALT, adrenaline and noradrenaline were measured in serum. Total proteins, total lipids, of tissues (liver, heart, muscle and kidney) were investigated. The present study declare that, carbamate induced a significant elevetion in serum LDH, glucose. total lipids,cholesterol, AST, ALT, adrenaline and noradrenaline. On the other hand, causes a significant reduction in total proteins and albumin. The total lipids and total proteins of the tissue were recorded highly significant decrease in the group treated with carbamate only. From another point of view, antioxidant ameliorated the effect of carbamate on tissues. So, it is clear that administration of vit. E or vit. A. reduced the effect of carbamate on biochemical alteration to various extent. The antioxidant property of vitamin A and vitamin E seem to be responsible for the observed protection against carbamate intoxication
Patterns of B2B e-commerce usage in SMEs

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to identify the B2B e‐commerce (B2BEC) usage patterns of North American small‐ and medium‐sized enterprises (SMEs) in their supply chains, the contextual factors that influence usage patterns, and the subsequent effects of these patterns on firm performance.Design/methodology/approach – The authors conducted an online survey of North American SMEs and obtained 229 responses. They utilized several statistical methods, including cluster analysis and profile analysis, to test five hypotheses.Findings – The TOE framework, supplemented with interorganizational factors, provides a valid theoretical guideline to study firms' B2BEC usage patterns. Three distinct types of B2BEC usage patterns – E‐Limiteds, E‐Leaders, and E‐Laggards – emerged. Different sets of contextual factors contribute to the formation of these three patterns of B2BEC adoption. Higher levels of B2BEC usage result in stronger firm performance.Research limitations/implications – Future clustering variables .
Decreased serum dehydroepiandrosterone is associated with an increased progression of human immunodeficiency virus infection in men with CD4 cell counts of 200-499.

Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) and its interconvertible sulfate derivative (DHEA-S) are human androgenic steroids that have been reported to inhibit viral expression and have been associated with a decreased risk of cancer. The relationship between serum DHEA and DHEA-S levels and subsequent progression to AIDS was investigated in a sample of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected men from the San Francisco Men's Health Study followed prospectively since 1984. Among 108 men seropositive for HIV at study entry and with CD4 lymphocyte counts of 200-499 microliters 24 months later, serum DHEA levels below the lower limit of normal (less than 180 ng/dl) at this later date were predictive of subsequent progression to AIDS (relative hazard = 2.34; 95% confidence interval = 1.18-4.63; P = .01) after controlling for hematocrit, age, and log absolute CD4 cell number in a Cox proportional hazards model. This is the first large prospective cohort in which an endocrinologic variable has been observed to independently predict progression to AIDS. These observations, in addition to recent in vitro data, suggest that DHEA might have a protective effect in HIV infection.