Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Thrombomodulin and von Willebrand Factor: Relation to Endothelial Dysfunction and Disease Outcome in Children with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia

The severe endothelial dysfunction in children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) can result from the disease itself, from treatment, or from other conditions (e.g. sepsis). The aim of this study was to determine the levels of markers of endothelial activation in children with ALL and to assess their potential prognostic value. Fifty-two children with ALL, 19 children with ALL 1–10 years after the completion of therapy, and 28 healthy children were studied. In children with ALL, there was a significant increase in thrombomodulin (TM) and von Willebrand factor (vWF) levels during the acute phase of the disease and during treatment. Children with an unfavorable outcome had higher levels of TM. In conclusion, severe endothelial dysfunction is present during the acute phase of ALL and during treatment and appears to result from the disease itself. Serum TM and vWF levels might represent additional, but not independent, prognostic markers in childhood ALL.
The influence of changes in glacier extent and surface elevation on modeled mass balance

Abstract. Glaciers are widely recognized as unique demonstration objects for climate change impacts, mostly due to the strong change of glacier length in response to small climatic changes. However, glacier mass balance as the direct response to the annual atmospheric conditions can be better interpreted in meteorological terms. When the climatic signal is deduced from long-term mass balance data, changes in glacier geometry (i.e. surface extent and elevation) must be considered as such adjustments form an essential part of the glacier reaction to new climatic conditions. In this study, a set of modelling experiments is performed to assess the influence of changes in glacier geometry on mass balance for constant climatic conditions. The calculations are based on a simplified distributed energy/mass balance model in combination with information on glacier extent and surface elevation for the years 1850 and 1973/1985 for about 60 glaciers in the Swiss Alps. The results reveal that over this period about 50–70% of the glacier reaction to climate change (here a one degree increase in temperature) is "hidden" in the geometric adjustment, while only 30–50% can be measured as the long-term mean mass balance. For larger glaciers, the effect of the areal change is partly reduced by a lowered surface elevation, which results in a slightly more negative balance despite a potential increase of topographic shading. In view of several additional reinforcement feedbacks that are observed in periods of strong glacier decline, it seems that the climatic interpretation of long-term mass balance data is rather complex.
Nearshore measurements of waves and currents off Cape Hatteras

[1] Nearshore measurements of waves and currents off Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, U.S.A, are used to investigate depth-averaged subtidal circulation and alongshore momentum balances in the surf and inner shelf region around a cuspate foreland. Data were collected on both sides of the cape representing shorefaces with contrasting shoreline orientation (north-south vs. northwest-southeast) subjected to the same wind forcing. In the nearshore, the subtidal flow is aligned with the local coastline orientation while at the cape point the flow is along the existing submerged shoal, suggesting that cape associated shoals may act as an extension of the coastline. Alongshore momentum balance analysis incorporating wave-current interaction by including vortex and Stokes-Coriolis forces reveals that in deep waters surface and bottom stress are almost in balance. In shallower waters, the balance is complex as nonlinear advection and vortex force become important. Furthermore, linearized momentum balance analysis suggests that the vortex force can be of the same order as wind and wave forcing. Farther southwest of Cape Hatteras point, wind and wave forcing alone fail to fully explain subtidal flow variability and it is shown that alongshore pressure gradient as a response to the wind forcing can close the momentum balance. Adjacent tide gauge data suggest that the magnitude of pressure gradient depends on the relative orientation of local coastline to the wind vector, and in a depth-averaged sense the pressure gradient generation due to change in coastline orientation even at km length scale is analogous to the effect of alongshore variable winds on a straight coastline.
Effect of trichloroethylene (TCE) on female albino mice and their early embryos

The present study investigates the effects of different doses of "trichloroethylene" TCE on pregnancy, early embryos on days 6 and 8 of pregnancy. The experimental females (90 virgin females) were divided into three groups; the first one (C) was the control that treated with the solvent only (corn oil), the second (G1) and the third (G2) treated groups with low (24 mg/kg) and high (240 mg/kg) dose of TCE, respectively. Oral administration of TCE to female mice once daily for a period of 21 days before mating and till 5 and 7 day of pregnancy, caused a significant decrease in the body weight for non-pregnant females and weight gain for pregnant females. The percentage of survival, mating and abortion were also significantly decreased by TCE treatment for pregnant females. Histological examination for the obtained 6 and 8 day mice embryos from treated mothers showed some histopathological alterations in compared with the normal control embryos. These alterations indicated that TCE treatment resulted in retarded, delayed and deformed embryos. The results suggest that TCE has teratogenic and embryo toxic effects on the early development of mice embryos following a short-term of exposure.
Scaling up innovation: does research and development have a role to play in economic growth? A case of Hungary.

The study investigated the impact of research and development expenditure on economic growth in Hungary using annual time series data ranging between 1996 and 2013. Abundant literature is available which shows that research and development expenditure leads to the improvement in economic growth. However, such studies in the case of Hungary are quite scant. The Johansen and Juselius' (1990) cointegration test noted that there exists a long run relationship between research and development and economic growth in Hungary. Moreover, economic growth was found to have been Granger caused by research and development expenditure in Hungary both in the short and long run, in support of the literature. The study, therefore, urges the Hungarian policy makers to craft and implement action plans that boost research and development expenditure in order to enhance economic growth in Hungary.
Mate choice and courtship signal differentiation promotes speciation in an Amazonian frog

Female mate choice influences the evolution of male courtship signals and may promote speciation when those sexually selected traits also have a function in species discrimination. Here, we assess interpopulation female mate choice by conducting phonotaxis experiments on a population of the Amazonian frog Engystomops petersi in Puyo, Ecuador. Our results show very strong behavioral isolation relative to 1 of 2 foreign populations. Puyo females strongly discriminate against La Selva in favor of Puyo or Yasuni signals. In contrast, Puyo females do not discriminate against signals from Yasuni, which are similar in frequency. Behavioral isolation was stronger than expected because Puyo females were unable to recognize La Selva courtship signals as belonging to conspecific males. Overall, female mate choices are consistent with male courtship signal differentiation among populations but inconsistent with geographic or genetic distances. Simulations under a null model of undirected evolution (Brownian motion) suggest directional selection on courtship signals at La Selva. Based on our results, we hypothesize that sexual selection and/or reinforcement is driving speciation between E. petersi populations. Copyright 2008, Oxford University Press.
Determinants of the utilization of desho grass ( Pennisetum pedicellatum ) by farmers in Ethiopia

A study was conducted to document how smallholder farmers in Ethiopia utilize desho grass ( Pennisetum pedicellatum ) and explain the determinants of alternative and competing uses of the grass. The study was conducted using a semi-structured questionnaire for 240 farmers in the districts of Burie Zuria and Doyogena, complemented with input from key informants and secondary data. The dependent variables tested were the use of desho grass as a feed, multipurpose uses of the grass and types of livestock fed. To test the effect of the explanatory variables on the dependent variables, separate univariate Probit models were used. Although the majority of respondents can read and write, about 23% of respondents were illiterate. The average desho grass-producing farmer in the sample owned 0.95 ha of farmland and 3.56 tropical livestock units; average household size was 6.5 people with a household head who was typically male (91% of households). Eighty percent of respondents in Burie Zuria and all respondents in Doyogena district depended solely on rain for desho grass production. Fifty-eight percent in Burie Zuria and 65% in Doyogena district applied either manure or artificial fertilizer to the grass. Weeding of desho grass was not practiced by any respondents in either district. Sixty percent of farmers used desho grass as a feed and 35% used it for more than a single purpose. Forty-two percent of farmers who fed desho grass did so to only lactating cattle, 3% fed it to small ruminants and 53% fed it to all livestock species. There were significant negative correlations (P<0.01) between both experience in production of desho grass and access to training in its production and utilization, and its utilization as a feed. Seventy percent of farmers in Burie Zuria and 13% in Doyogena have received training in desho grass production. To expand the utilization of the grass to as many farmers as possible, further training should be provided. A multi-faceted approach would be needed for the 23% of illiterate farmers over the 2 districts. Keywords : Cut-and-carry, lactating animals, multipurpose, Probit models. DOI: 10.17138/TGFT(4)112-121
The Effects of Interdot Spacing and Dot Size on the Performance of InGaAs/GaAs QDIBSC

In0.53Ga0. 47As/GaAs-based quantum dot intermediate band solar cells (QDIBSCs) have been designed and optimized for the next generation photovoltaic technology. The wave behavior of charge carriers inside the dot and their barrier have been analyzed with different dot sizes and interdot spacing. The device characteristics such as short circuit current density, Jsc, open circuit voltage, Voc, and conversion efficiency, η, have been evaluated. Based on the behavior of electron wave function, it is found that varying the dot spacing leads to a change in the IB width and in the density of states, whereas varying the size of dots leads to a formation of a second IB. For a fixed dot spacing, two ranges of dot sizes vary the number of IBs in In0.53Ga0. 47As/GaAs QDIBSC. Smaller dots of a size ranging from 2 nm to 5 nm form a single IB while larger dots of a size ranging from 6 nm to 9 nm can produce 2 IBs. The efficiency of 2 IBs close to 1 IB suggests that formation of multiple IBs can possibly enhance the device efficiency.
Paleoenvironmental Studies in Southwestern Yukon

The St. Elias Mountain region has occupied an important place in the study of the Quaternary because it presents a relatively accessible non-polar icefield and an array of environments from tundra to boreal forest. Paleoenvironmental studies in southwestern Yukon have documented the broad-scale climatic changes of the past 20 000 years, although few studies exist with well-dated sequences at high temporal resolution. Picea glauca arrived across the entire region around 10 000 years ago; however, the details regarding its migration pathways are not well known. Available records indicate few major changes in the composition of the boreal forest vegetation since that time. A slightly more intense fire regime in the early to mid Holocene has been suggested, but this conclusion is based on only a few studies. Variations in the tree line during the Holocene have been examined, but these studies also lack details. There is no evidence for more extensive grasslands in the area during the Holocene. Paleolimnological studies indicate that changes in populations of aquatic organisms have occurred in response to either Holocene climates or watershed variability.
Pitch Perception in Changing Harmony

The role of harmony in the definition of tonality provides theoretical framework for the hypothesis that harmonic context affects pitch perception. In tonal music, the stability of individual notes depends on the harmonic setting. It seems then reasonable to expect harmonically guided variations in the cognitive representation of tones. With the purpose of enhancing current models of pitch perception, this thesis proposes an empirical investigation of the effects of harmony on pitch sensitivity. In two experiments, nonmusicians performed a same/different discrimination task on two pitches (a reference tone RT and a comparison tone CT) that were embedded in a melody with a clearly implied harmony. Visual cues facilitated the identification of the tones. The main experiment included only stimuli with different harmonic contexts for RT and CT. It consisted of a repeated-measures design with two bi-level factors, pitch (RT=CT and RT≠CT) and harmonic stability (equal and unequal stability for CT with respect to RT). By considering only changing-harmony stimuli, this study greatly minimized effects of potential confounds, allowing a comparative examination of the perception of equal versus different pitches. An ANOVA with percent correct as dependent variable and c (response-bias measure) as covariate revealed greater disruption in discrimination of different than identical notes; better pitch sensitivity in unequal than equal harmonic-stability situations; and increased perception abilities for unequally, with respect to equally, stable notes that differed in pitch, but the opposite effect for equal tones. The second experiment consisted of a between-subjects design with two factors, harmony (changing and nonchanging) and pitch (as above). An ANOVA showed better pitch discrimination abilities (d’) under nonchanging than changing harmonic contexts in common musical situations. Altogether, the findings suggest that changing harmonic settings tend to bring together the percepts of pitches that are introduced in adjacent chordal functions, particularly when the tones are stable members of their contextual harmony. This thesis contributes to the field of music cognition by illuminating our understanding of the perceptual mechanisms involved in the interaction of pitch and harmony, proposing an alternative methodological approach, and emphasizing the problems that underlie the study of contextual aspects of music. This thesis is approved for recommendation to the Graduate Council.
Effects and Costs of Tracing Strategies on Nonresponse Bias in a Survey of Workers with Low-Back Injury

Declining rates of participation are an increasing challenge for studies that involve telephone surveys. This study examined the costs of a telephone survey methodology that used increasingly intensive tracing methods to track a pool of claimants who had sustained occupational back injuries. It also compared the respondent sample to people who refused the survey and/or were not located or contacted. 3,181 claimants were drawn from a database maintained by the Missouri Division of Workers’ Compensation (DWC) and 1,475 completed a telephone interview. The DWC database provided data reflecting monetary and disability outcomes for all potential participants; telephone interviews provided additional self-reported data. More intensive tracing strategies improved the representativeness of the sample, yielding more women and minority participants. Relative to less intensive techniques, advanced tracing efforts located people whose DWC records were more similar to claimants not located. While the hands-on tracing efforts reduced the apparent bias of the respondent sample, costs increased as tracing strategies intensified - over $98,000 was spent to trace 1,027 claimants who were never located or contacted. The results suggest some guidelines that may facilitate decision-making for researchers and funders who must balance the trade-off between costs and nonresponse bias when planning surveys.
Effect of Exchange Rate Movements on Ghanaian Banks

The main purpose of this paper is to look at the exchange rate sensitivity of some listed banks on the Ghana Stock Exchange (GSE) between 2005 and 2010. In order to achieve the purpose, we adopted both quantitative and qualitative approaches. Econometric models were employed to deal with both the exchange rate sensitivities and to ascertain the exchange rate exposure of the Banks. The study discovered that all the banks studied engage in forex trading and made gains/profits from such activities. It was further found that apart from Ghana Commercial Bank and Standard Chartered Bank who were exposed to foreign exchange risk - pound sterling, the rest of the banks had no exposure to any of the currency risk. All the banks on the other hand have risk management structures in place to mitigate any risks that arise as a result of their operations. The overall interest in risk management by the banks is very high as they have put in some financial derivative measures to mitigate any exchange rate risk that they are exposed to.
No . 3911 Trade , Wages , and Profits

This paper formulates a structural empirical model of heterogeneous firms whose workers exhibit fair-wage preferences, leading to a link between a firm’s operating profits and wages of workers employed by this firm. We estimate the parameters of the model in a data-set of five European economies. The model predicts an exporter wage premium, which we find to be sizable in all countries, with nearly 10 percent on average. The estimates enable us to conduct counterfactual exercises. We find that openness to international trade has quantitatively important effects, leading to higher wage inequality and lower aggregate employment. JEL-Code: C310, F120, F160, J310.
Native bird abundance after Australian magpie (Gymnorhina tibicen) removal from localised areas of high resource availability

Many reports exist of Australian magpies (Gymnorhina tibicen) attacking and sometimes killing other birds. One study concluded that magpies had little impact on the abundance of other birds at landscape scales, but another found that birds (mainly exotic species) avoided flying or landing close to them. We assessed whether continuously removing magpies for 6 weeks from localised areas of high resource availability (e.g. bush remnants or private gardens with fruit- or nectar-producing trees) in rural areas increased visitations by native birds compared with similar sites where magpies were not removed. Three count methods were used to estimate bird abundance: five-minute bird counts and 'slow-walk' transects in bush remnants, and five-minute bird counts and 'snapshot' counts in gardens. Generally, the abundance of native birds did not increase in treatment areas after magpie removal. In bush remnants, transect counts were typically better at detecting the presence of most species compared with five-minute bird counts. In gardens, snapshot counts were better at detecting tui (Prosthemadera novaeseelandiae) while five-minute bird counts were better at detecting magpies. Despite these differences, the different bird counting methods were generally in agreement and revealed that magpies had little impact on native birds at the scale we examined.
Relationship between the striatal and cerebellar glucose metabolism and the response to levodopa treatment in patients with multiple system atrophy

Introduction: About two thirds of the patients w ith multiple system atrophy (MSA) do not respond to levodopa treatment. Postmortem pathological studies and one retrospective [F]-deoxyglucose positron em ission tom ography (FDG PET) study attributed such poor response to the stria ta l degeneration. W e prospective ly investigated the re lationsh ip between levodopa respons iveness and the m etabo lic activ ities o f the stria tum and cerebellum in M SA patients. M ethods: In 39 patients w ith M SA, the UPDRS m otor score was assessed and two sets of tim ed m otor tests were performed before and after the levodopa treatment. After quantitative FDG PET and baseline eva luation, treatm ent was started w ith 3 tab lets o f S inem et 25/250 m g a day. C lin ica l assessm ents were perform ed m onth ly for three m onths. M etabo lic activ ities o f the caudate, anterior putam en, posterior putam en, cerebe llar cortex and cerebe llar verm is were m easured. W e com pared the m easurem ents w ith m ean percentage changes of m otor function. A lso, us ing statistica l param etric m app ing (SPM ) ana lys is, we tried to find bra in areas in wh ich m etabo lism corre lated w ith the c lin ica l changes. Resu lts: M ean percentage im provem ents of UPDRS m otor scores were corre la ted w ith g lucose m etabo lism in the posterior putam en and cerebellar verm is. The m ean percentage im provem ents of perform ance in Purdue peg board test correlated w ith the glucose metabolism in the cerebellar cortex and verm is. In SPM analysis, cerebellar glucose metabolism correlated w ith the im provem ent of UPDRS m otor score and the perform ance o f two tim ed m otor tests . Conc lus ion: The integrity o f cerebe llum , as we ll as posterior putam en, m ay be an im portant factor for show ing the response to levodopa. Journal of Movement Disorders 1(1):26-32, 2008
Heads I Win, Tails You Lose: New Evidence of Long-Run Asymmetry in Exchange Rate Pass-Through by Exporting Firms

This paper studies the response of import prices to exchange rate shocks in a framework that accommodates asymmetry both in the short-run dynamics and in the long-run equilibrium relationship. Estimation of asymmetric single equation error correction models for 33 countries over the period 1980 to 2010 reveals stronger pass-through of depreciations than appreciations in the long-run, which is suggestive of exporter pricing power. In a panel context, the long-run asymmetry is significant and robust to different country grouping criteria such as emerging versus developed. There is a strong positive nexus between the extent of the asymmetry and import dependence, which suggests that exporters price-to-market in the long-run. However, this link weakens as the importer gains greater freedom to trade internationally. Our findings suggest that exporters on the whole are able to exploit weak competition structures over the long-run. Since the prevalent form of pass-through asymmetry is welfare-reducing for consumers, import-dependent economies can benefit from trade liberalization.