Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Process formation of the renal glomerular podocyte: Is there common molecular machinery for processes of podocytes and neurons?

The renal glomerular podocyte exhibits a highly arborized morphology. In comparison with the neuron, which is the best studied process-bearing cell, the podocyte major processes share many cell biological characteristics with neuronal dendrites. Both podocytes and neurons develop microtubule-based thick processes with branching morphology and both have thin actin-based projections (i.e. podocyte foot processes and dendritic spines). Formation of podocyte processes and neuronal dendrites depends on the assembly of microtubules. Because the assembly of microtubules is regulated by phosphorylation of microtubule-associated proteins, inhibition of protein phosphatases abolishes and inhibition of protein kinases promotes process formation. Podocytes and dendrites also share the machinery of intracellular traffic of membranous vesicles, as well as cytoskeletal elements, which is indispensable for the elongation of these processes. Furthermore, these two cell types share expression of various molecules working for signal transduction, transmembranous transport and intercellular contacts. Such common gene expression implies a similar transcriptional regulation in these cells. Concerning the formation of podocyte foot processes and dendritic branches, actin filaments are thought to play a central role in orchestrating the function of various molecules and the regulation of actin assembly is necessary to establish and maintain such sophisticated cellular architecture. The molecular mechanism of foot process formation seems to include Rho family small GTP-binding proteins, which are known to be responsible for the establishment of dendritic branching morphology.
Curbing police corruption in Singapore: lessons for other Asian countries

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explain why Singapore has succeeded in curbing the problem of police corruption and to identify the six lessons which other Asian countries can learn from Singapore's experience. Design/methodology/approach – The paper analyzes the causes of police corruption in Singapore during the British colonial period and describes the measures adopted by the People's Action Party government after assuming office in June 1959 to curb police corruption. The effectiveness of these measures is assessed by referring to Singapore's perceived extent of corruption according to three international indicators and the reported cases of police corruption from 1965 to 2011. Findings – The Singapore Police Force has succeeded in minimizing police corruption by improving salaries and working conditions, cooperating with the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau, enhancing its recruitment and selection procedures, providing training and values education for its members, and adopting admini.
The Influence of Foot Position on Stretching of the Plantar Fascia

Background A recent study found nonweightbearing stretching exercises specific to the plantar fascia to be superior to the standard program of weightbearing Achilles tendon-stretching exercises in patients with chronic plantar fasciitis. The present study used a cadaver model to demonstrate the influence of foot and ankle position on stretching of the plantar fascia. Methods Twelve fresh-frozen lower-leg specimens were tested in 15 different configurations representing various combinations of ankle and metatarsophalangeal (MTP) joint dorsiflexion, midtarsal transverse plane abduction and adduction, and forefoot varus and valgus. Measurements were recorded by a differential variable reluctance transducer (DVRT) implanted into the medial band of the plantar fascia, and primary measurement was a percent deformation of the plantar fascia (stretch) with respect to a reference position (90 degrees ankle dorsiflexion, 0 degrees midtarsal and forefoot orientation, and 0 degrees MTP dorsiflexion). Results Ankle and MTP joint dorsiflexion produced a significant increase (14.91%) in stretch compared to the position of either ankle dorsiflexion alone (9.31% increase, p < 0.001) or MTP dorsiflexion alone (7.33% increase, p < 0.01). There was no significant increase in stretch with positions of abduction or varus (2.49%, p = 0.27 and 0.55%, p = 0.79). Conclusion This study provides a mechanical explanation for enhanced outcomes in recent clinical trials using plantar fascia tissue-specific stretching exercises and lends support to the use of ankle and MTP joint dorsiflexion when employing stretching protocols for nonoperative treatment in patients with chronic proximal plantar fasciitis.
Flavonoids and thyroid disease.

UNLABELLED The most potent natural plant-derived compounds that can affect thyroid function, thyroid hormone secretion and availability to tissues is the group of flavonoids, i.e. plant pigments. They are present in our daily food, such as vegetables, fruits, grains, nuts, wine, and tea. Epidemiological studies suggest beneficial effects on health of flavonoids, which are commonly attributed to their activity as antioxidants. Experimental studies in vitro, however, showed inhibition of organification in thyroid cells and follicles by several flavonoids. Studies in vivo and vitro with synthetic and natural flavonoids showed displacement of T4 from transthyretin leading to disturbances in thyroid hormone availability in tissues. Radioactive labeled flavonoids appeared to be eliminated rapidly from the body mainly through excretion in the feces. In pregnant rats synthetic flavonoids cross the placenta and accumulate in the fetal compartment, including the fetal brain. Therefore, a high intake of flavonoids is contraindicated. IN CONCLUSION flavonoids show strong interference with many aspects of thyroid hormone synthesis and availability.
The Growing Financialisation of Commodity Markets: Divergences between Index Investors and Money Managers

Abstract Commodities are key for developing countries' economic integration. This article distinguishes two types of financial investors in commodities and emphasises differences in position taking motivation and price impacts. Index trader positions are positively correlated with roll returns, while money managers emphasise spot returns. During 2006–2009, index trader positions had a price impact for some agricultural commodities, as well as oil. During 2007–2008, money managers impacted prices for non-agricultural commodities, especially copper and oil. The financialisation of commodity markets may make it more difficult for developing countries to manage their resource sectors for sustained economic development.
The effect of self-assembled nanofibrils on the morphology and microstructure of poly(L-lactic acid)

The morphologies and microstructures of neat 1,3:2,4-dibenzylidene-D-sorbitol (DBS) and DBS/poly(L-lactic acid) (PLLA) samples have been investigated by polarizing optical microscopy (POM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The morphology of neat DBS samples prepared from solution had unspecific structures, and no fibrils formed. In comparison, DBS molecules self-assembled into fibrils with diameters ranging from 100 nm to 1 µm when samples were prepared from the melt. The DBS fibrils were also found in DBS/PLLA systems, but the average diameter was only around 20 nm. The DBS architectures could be well tuned by varying the DBS contents and PLLA crystallization temperatures. Micron-sized fibrillar rings or disks due to the aggregation of DBS nanofibrils were found using SEM in samples with DBS contents more than 3 wt% and crystallized above 120 °C. Meanwhile, “concentric-circled” PLLA spherulites were observed by POM. The DBS nanofibrils largely formed at the circles, but some nanofibrils formed beyond the circles and were dispersed in the PLLA spherulites. These dispersed nanofibrils affected the orientation of PLLA lamellae and caused a change in birefringence, yet the growth rate of PLLA was not significantly influenced by the formation of DBS nanofibrils. In addition, porous PLLA structures could be obtained by solvent extraction of the DBS nanofibrils.
Black-Scholes Approximations of Call Option Prices with Stochastic Volatilities: A Note

Abstract A piecewise linear weighting function for Black-Scholes implied volatilities is used in conjunction with the Black-Scholes call pricing model to approximate stochastic volatility European call prices. A sensitivity analysis is conducted to compare simulated stochastic volatility call prices to the Black-Scholes prices calculated with the weighted implied volatilities. The analysis indicates that a simple model can provide close approximations to the simulated prices with far less computational effort.
Accuracy of Response in Labor Market Surveys: Evidence and Implications

This paper examines the extent of response errors in labor market survey data and explores the implications of such errors for economic analysis. Explicitly examined are responses to questions on industry, occupation, union status, hours worked, and wages. Analyses are based on two sources: (1) a special supplement to the January 1977 Current Population Survey that obtained data from workers and their employers and (2) an exact match of workers and their employers interviewed in the Employment Opportunity Pilot Project Survey. The dual nature of these surveys provides a basis for analyzing the effect of response error on a variety of economic analyses including the trade-off between wages and risk, the wage impact of unionism, and the sensitivity of wage-determination models to alternative responses to earnings questions.
Temperature and Sporulation of Aquatic Hyphomycetes

ABSTRACT Temperature appears to be an important factor affecting the occurrence and distribution of aquatic hyphomycetes, the dominant leaf litter-decomposing fungi in streams. We compared conidium production by eight species of aquatic hyphomycetes grown on yellow poplar leaves in stream-simulating microcosms at three temperatures (15, 20, and 25°C). The greatest conidium production occurred at 15°C for one species, 20°C for two species, and 25°C for two species. Two species produced similar numbers of conidia at 20 and 25°C, and one species produced similar numbers of conidia at all three temperatures. Linear growth rates were determined on malt extract agar. Six species had the same pattern of temperature responses for growth on malt extract agar as for sporulation on leaves, as shown by the positive correlations between the two parameters at the three temperatures. The species examined also exhibited differences in number of conidia produced from a similar amount of leaf material at a given temperature. These differences appeared to be due primarily to differences in individual conidium mass (determined by weighing conidia produced from cultures), as shown by the relationship of the type Y = k/X (r2 = 0.96), where Y is the number of conidia produced, X is the individual conidium mass in milligrams, and k is a constant empirically determined to be 2.11. This finding supports the hypothesis that aquatic hyphomycetes allocate similar amounts of their resources to reproduction but vary with respect how these resources are partitioned into reproductive units (conidia).
Maternal care is similar for rat pups subjected to birth hypoxia and for controls

The rat model of global anoxia during cesarean section birth has been used extensively to investigate effects of birth hypoxia on central nervous system function. This study tested whether differential maternal care mediates central nervous system alterations in this model. Maternal care of mixed litters of pups born vaginally, by cesarean section or by cesarean section with anoxia, was assessed. Frequency and duration of licking and grooming by dams were similar for all birth groups. No group differences were observed in order of retrieval, when pups were displaced from the nest. The results indicate that altered central nervous system function in anoxic animals in this model are not due to differential maternal care, but may be mediated by other mechanisms such as direct hypoxic insult to neurons.
Liberalization and the growth of business‐led R&D: the case of India

Firms and organizations in India have responded to market reforms, liberalization and globalization by improving efficiency, importing technology and by increasing in-house R&D. This paper highlights some of the evolutionary changes that have occurred since India undertook sweeping reforms in July 1991 to open its economy to foreign participation and competition. Although some authors, such as Forbes (1999), have looked at the impact of the liberalization on India’s R&D and innovation, they missed a number of dimensions that have far-reaching implications for the process of technological capability development in India. Using the concept of technological capability, this paper makes a contribution to the discourse on the changing R&D and innovation scenario in the face of on-going liberalization in India. It concludes with three case studies, which illustrate some of the recent changes made by industrial organisations.
Aboriginal Self-determination and Social Housing in Urban Canada: A Story of Convergence and Divergence

The right to adequate and affordable housing was pursued in Canadian policy during the 1970s and 1980s. The right of self-determination has been re-asserted by Aboriginal peoples since the 1970s, including in urban communities. The trajectories of social housing and Aboriginal self-determination were institutionalised together during the 1970s and 1980s. Such has not been the case since 1993. Self-determination in urban housing initiatives will not on its own rectify Aboriginal housing need, but must be paired with a common pursuit of adequate and affordable housing for all Canadians.
s, S Policies Under Continuous Review and Discrete Compound Poisson Demand

We consider inventory policies for a continuous review system with discrete compound Poisson demand, convex holding-penalty cost and fixed order cost. Beckmann has showri that under these conditions s, S policies are optimal. We develop recursive formulae to calculate the cost for any pair s, S. Relations among s, S, S-s and the cost are produced that lead to an efficient determination of the optimal s and S. Tighter bounds are utilized than those obtained by Veinott and Wagner for the analogous case of periodic review. Sensitivity considerations are discussed.
Unintentional weight loss in older adults

A 73-year-old woman presents to your clinic complaining of unintentional weight loss. She reports having lost 15 lbs (6.8 kg) over the past year. Previously, her weight was 135 lbs (61.3 kg) and now it is 120 lbs (54.5 kg). She reports that she is eating three meals per day as usual. The patient’s past medical history is notable for osteoporosis, a left hip fracture three years ago, osteoarthritis, hypothyroidism and hypercholesterolemia. She is taking levothyroxine, a statin and a bisphosphonate plus vitamin D and calcium. She recently started taking non steroidal anti-inflammatory medications (NSAIDs) as needed for knee pain. She is an exsmoker and does not drink alcohol. On examin ation, her weight was 121 lbs (55 kg), with a body mass index (BMI) of 22. She also had osteoarthritic changes in the knees. Results of investigations, including radiograph of the chest, complete blood count, electrolytes, creatinine, thyroid stimulating hormone and albumin are within normal limits.
Ameloblast Modulation and Transport of Cl−, Na+, and K+ during Amelogenesis

Ameloblasts express transmembrane proteins for transport of mineral ions and regulation of pH in the enamel space. Two major transporters recently identified in ameloblasts are the Na+K+-dependent calcium transporter NCKX4 and the Na+-dependent HPO42– (Pi) cotransporter NaPi-2b. To regulate pH, ameloblasts express anion exchanger 2 (Ae2a,b), chloride channel Cftr, and amelogenins that can bind protons. Exposure to fluoride or null mutation of Cftr, Ae2a,b, or Amelx each results in formation of hypomineralized enamel. We hypothesized that enamel hypomineralization associated with disturbed pH regulation results from reduced ion transport by NCKX4 and NaPi-2b. This was tested by correlation analyses among the levels of Ca, Pi, Cl, Na, and K in forming enamel of mice with null mutation of Cftr, Ae2a,b, and Amelx, according to quantitative x-ray electron probe microanalysis. Immunohistochemistry, polymerase chain reaction analysis, and Western blotting confirmed the presence of apical NaPi-2b and Nckx4 in maturation-stage ameloblasts. In wild-type mice, K levels in enamel were negatively correlated with Ca and Cl but less negatively or even positively in fluorotic enamel. Na did not correlate with P or Ca in enamel of wild-type mice but showed strong positive correlation in fluorotic and nonfluorotic Ae2a,b- and Cftr-null enamel. In hypomineralizing enamel of all models tested, 1) Cl− was strongly reduced; 2) K+ and Na+ accumulated (Na+ not in Amelx-null enamel); and 3) modulation was delayed or blocked. These results suggest that a Na+K+-dependent calcium transporter (likely NCKX4) and a Na+-dependent Pi transporter (potentially NaPi-2b) located in ruffle-ended ameloblasts operate in a coordinated way with the pH-regulating machinery to transport Ca2+, Pi, and bicarbonate into maturation-stage enamel. Acidification and/or associated physicochemical/electrochemical changes in ion levels in enamel fluid near the apical ameloblast membrane may reduce the transport activity of mineral transporters, which results in hypomineralization.
Event Studies in Economics and Finance

The event study is an important research tool in economics and finance. The goal of an event study is to measure the effects of an economic event on the value of firms. Event study methods exploit the fact that, given rationality in the marketplace, the effects of an event will be reflected immediately in security prices. Thus the impact can be measured by examining security prices surrounding the event. In this paper event study methods are described including some of the potential complications. An example is included to illustrate the approach.
The Dangerous Myth of Grade Inflation.

Complaints about grade inflation have been around for a very long time. Every so often a fresh flurry of publicity pushes the issue to the foreground again, the latest example being a series of articles in the Boston Globe in 2001 that disclosed—in a tone normally reserved for the discovery of entrenched corruption in state government—that a lot of students at Harvard were receiving As and being graduated with honors. The fact that people were offering the same complaints more than a century ago puts the latest bout of harrumphing in perspective, not unlike those quotations about the disgraceful values of the younger generation that turn out to be hundreds of years old.The long history of indignation also pretty well derails any attempts to place the blame for higher grades on a residue of bleeding-heart liberal professors hired in the ’60s. (Unless, of course, there was a similar countercultural phenomenon in the 1860s.) CHAPTER ONE
Risk of serious ventricular arrhythmia and sudden cardiac death in a cohort of users of domperidone: a nested case‐control study

Limited information from spontaneous reports and results of two case‐control studies raised concern about the cardiotoxicity of oral domperidone therapy. This case‐control study nested in a retrospective cohort evaluated the combined risk of serious ventricular arrhythmia (SVA) and sudden cardiac death (SCD) in users of domperidone compared with users of proton pump inhibitors (PPIs), or non‐users of these medications.
Adoption of advanced manufacturing technology (AMT) and management accounting practices: the case of manufacturing firms in Malaysia

This paper examines advanced manufacturing technology (AMT) adoption in manufacturing firms and its relationship with management accounting practices. Advancements in technology and trade liberalisation have significantly intensified competition in the domestic and the international markets. One of the strategies for manufacturing firms to become agile and responsive to market changes is to adopt AMT, which often results in drastic changes in the production cost structure. Hence, it is conjectured that AMT adoption would lead to adoption of new costing methods, such as activity-based costing (ABC) and a higher emphasis on non-financial performance measurement indicators (PMIs). Results from this study offer mixed support for the predictions on the hypothesised relationship between AMT adoption and certain management accounting practices.
Lymphocyte stimulation by protein A of Staphylococcus aureus

Protein A from Staphylococcus aureus (SpA) is known to bind to the Fc region of most mammalian IgG classes. In the present article data are presented showing that SpA is a highly efficient mitogen for human peripheral B lymphocytes, with no detectable activity for T lymphocytes. In order to achieve optimal stimulating conditions SpA should be presented to the lymphocytes on an insoluble matrix, such as the SpA‐positive bacteria themselves or SpA covalently attached to Sephadex or Sepharose beads. Using such conditions SpA is equivalent with regard to stimulatory capacity for B lymphocytes as phytohemagglutinin is for the human T lymphocytes. Specificity controls proved beyond doubt that SpA and not any other contaminating product is the B cell mitogen.
Improved Harmony Search algorithm based optimal design of the brushless DC wheel motor

The paper presents an optimal design method to optimize the efficiency of the brushless DC wheel motor. The optimal design of a brushless DC wheel motor is a nonlinear multimodal benchmark optimization problem. Hence, conventional methods fail to provide optimal solution. Recently developed, Harmony Search (HS) algorithm has been used for maximizing the efficiency of the brushless DC wheel motor by optimally designing the design parameters. HS algorithm is music based meta-heuristic optimization method which is analogous with the music improvisation process where musician continues to polish the pitches in order to obtain better harmony. Furthermore an Improved Harmony Search (IHS) method for generating new solution vectors that enhances accuracy and convergence rate of HS has been employed. The numerical results obtained show that the efficiency of the brushless DC wheel motor is more for IHS algorithm when compared to HS algorithm and GA. However, the motor based on the design parameters obtained using IHS is subjected to lesser temperature rise for the same efficiency as compared to that of Ant Colony Optimization (ACO) and also IHS algorithm converges faster than other meta-heuristic approaches adopted in this paper.
Sources of Purchasing Power Disparities between the G3 Economies

Recent theoretical and empirical research in international macroeconomics has rediscovered the problem of purchasing power parity (PPP). Empirically, PPP is a bad approximation of both the short-term and medium-term properties of the data. Economists have had difficulties in explaining the persistent misalignments of real exchange rates, but new empirical research by Clarida and Gali (1995) suggests that much of these real exchange rate movements are due to relative demand shocks. The present paper challenges this view by using an extended version of their structural vector autoregressive (SVAR) model in order to identify a larger number of real shocks (labour supply, productivity and aggregate demand) and nominal shocks (money demand and money supply). It is found that whilst some of their results go through in our extended framework, there is serious doubt with respect to the appropriateness of labelling those shocks which drive real exchange rates as aggregate demand disturbances.