Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The action of human C3 in soluble or cross‐linked form with resting and activated murine B lymphocytes

The third component of complement C3 has been implied in the stimulation of B lymphocytes to proliferation and maturation for Ig secretion. We have reinvestigated the extent of this activation with either activated or resting murine splenic lymphocytes in serum‐substituted cultures. Human C3 was used in either soluble or cross‐linked form. Soluble as well as Sepharose‐bound or glutaraldehyde‐cross‐linked C3, over a range of concentrations, was inactive with resting splenic lymphocytes of (C57BLW/6J × DBA/2)F1 C3H/HeJ and C57BL/6J nu/nu mice. However, lipopolysac‐charide‐activated spleen cells, enriched for B cell blasts, were stimulated by immobilized and cross‐linked C3, while they did not respond to soluble C3. The extent of restimulation was comparable to that indiced by lipopolysaccharide and resulted in both increased proliferation and maturation to Ig‐secreting cells. The stimulation of the blast cells appears to be C3 specific, since it can be inhibited by free c3.
Estimating the substitutability between private and public consumption: the case of Spain, 1960–2003

This paper examines the relationship between private and public consumption using Spanish data over the period 1960–2003, using a two-good permanent-income model. We extend previous analysis addressing the question of whether this relationship is stable over time, or exhibits a structural break allowing the instability to occur at an unknown point in time. Our empirical results indicated the existence of a long-run relationship between private and public consumption. We also detect a structural change of regime shift in the cointegration regression around the time of 1973–74. Finally, the estimated intratemporal and intertemporal elasticities of substitution between the two types of expenditure suggest that private and public consumption in Spain are Edgeworth-Pareto substitutes.
Small‐Diameter Silk Vascular Grafts (3 mm Diameter) with a Double‐Raschel Knitted Silk Tube Coated with Silk Fibroin Sponge

Small‐diameter (less than 6 mm in diameter) vascular grafts are highly desirable due to the large demand for surgical revascularization; however, there are no available artificial grafts. Vascular grafts of 1.5 mm diameter prepared by our group with silk fibroin fiber have been proved to be excellent grafts with remarkably high patency and remodeling, based on rat implantation experiment (Enomoto et al., 2010). In this study, a silk fibroin vascular graft with 3 mm diameter which can be used for the coronary arteries or lower extremity arteries is prepared with a double‐raschel knitted Bombyx mori silk fiber tube coated with B. mori silk fibroin sponge. Here the silk sponge is prepared from an aqueous solution of the silk fibroin and poly(ethylene) glycol diglycidyl ether as porogen. Sufficient strength, proper elasticity, and protection from loose ends in the implantation process are obtained for the silk fibroin graft; low water permeability and relatively large compliance are also attained. These excellent physical properties make silk fibroin grafts suitable to be implanted in a canine model.
Arbitrage, Cointegration, and Testing the Unbiasedness Hypothesis in Financial Markets

Abstract We use a no-arbitrage, cost-of-carry asset pricing model to show that the existence of cointegration between spot and forward (futures) prices depends on the time-series properties of the cost-of-carry. We argue that the conditions for cointegration are more likely to hold in currency markets than in commodity markets, explaining many of the empirical results in the literature. We also use this model to demonstrate why the forward rate forecast error, the basis, and the forward premium are serially correlated, and to develop econometric tests of the “unbiasedness hypothesis” (sometimes called the “simple efficiency hypothesis”) in various financial markets. The unbiasedness hypothesis is so prevalent in the finance literature that many tests for it have been developed. We examine four of the common tests and and use our cointegration results to demonstrate why each of these tests should reject the null hypothesis of unbiasedness. We find strong support for our hypothesis in the existing empirical literature.
The Association of Lead with Uranium in Rock-Minerals, and Its Application to the Measurement of Geological Time

1. Introduction . —The study of radioactive minerals is of great importance from two points of view. Such minerals may be regarded as storehouses for the various series of genetically connected radioactive elements. In them the parent element slowly disintegrates, while the ultimate products of the transformation gradually accumulate. The analysis of these minerals ought, then, in the first place, to disclose the nature of the ultimate product of each series; secondly, a knowledge of the rate of formation of this product, and of the total quantity accumulated, gives the requisite data for a calculation of the age of the mineral. It has been shown that the disintegration of uranium results in the formation of eight atoms of helium. In 1907 Bolt wood brought forward strong evidence suggesting that lead is the ultimate product of this disintegration. In this paper it is hoped to produce additional evidence that such is the case, according to the following equation:—
Sorghum sudangrass as a summer cover and hay crop for organic fall cabbage production

Abstract No-tillage (NT) organic vegetable production presents several economic opportunities for growers in the southeastern United States while promoting natural resource conservation. This study was conducted to determine if removal of sorghum sudangrass (SS) cover crop biomass as hay, frequency at which the cover crop is mowed, and tillage affect weed suppression and head weight of transplanted organic cabbage. Sorghum sudangrass [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench×Sorgum sudanense (Piper) Staph. ] was planted in May 2004 at Reidsville and Goldsboro, NC, preceding the planting of organic ‘Bravo’ cabbage (Brassica oleracea L. Capitata group) in August and September 2004, respectively. SS management systems included: low-frequency mowing with hay removed following the first mowing operation (LFM-H), low-frequency mowing with hay not removed (LFM), high-frequency mowing with hay not removed (HFM) and a no cover crop control. Two tillage treatments were applied within each management system: conventional tillage (CT) and NT. Under NT conditions, SS mulch generated by LFM offered broadleaf weed control in cabbage similar to that achieved under CT, regardless of whether cover crop biomass was removed as hay. Mowing with higher frequency reduced SS cover crop biomass by 18–33% and reduced weed suppression in NT cabbage. Mowing frequency did not influence the quantity of SS that re-grew in the cabbage crop. SS re-growth contributed to lower head weight in NT compared to CT cabbage in Goldsboro, and crop failure of NT cabbage in Reidsville. Cabbage head weight was highest when the crop was not preceded by SS in both CT and NT systems (1.6 as opposed to 1.3–1.4 kg head−1). Our findings suggest that the potential for growers to manage a cover crop also as a hay crop does exist; however, SS may not be a compatible cover crop species for organic fall cabbage production due to high amounts of re-growth.
Biochemical Characterization of 2-Cys Peroxiredoxins from Schistosoma mansoni*

Peroxiredoxins are a large family of peroxidases that have important antioxidant and cell signaling functions. Genes encoding two novel 2-cysteine peroxiredoxin proteins were identified in the expressed sequence tag data base of the helminth parasite Schistosoma mansoni, a causative agent of schistosomiasis. The recombinant proteins showed peroxidase activity in vitro with a variety of hydroperoxides and used both the thioredoxin and the glutathione systems as electron donors. Steady-state kinetic analysis indicated that the new peroxiredoxins had saturable kinetics, whereas a previously identified schistosome peroxiredoxin was found to function with more typical unsaturable (ping-pong) kinetics. The catalytic efficiencies S. mansoni peroxiredoxins were similar to those for other peroxiredoxins studied (104–105 m–1 s–1). Mutagenesis of S. mansoni peroxiredoxins indicated that glutathione dependence and kinetic differences were conferred by the C-terminal α-helix forming 22 amino acids. This is the first report of 2-cysteine peroxiredoxins efficiently utilizing reducing equivalents from both the thioredoxin and glutathione systems. Studies to determine the resistance to oxidative inactivation, important in regulating cell signaling pathways, showed that S. mansoni possess both bacterial-like resistant and mammalian-like sensitive peroxiredoxins. The susceptibility to oxidative inactivation was conferred by the C-terminal tail containing a tyrosine-phenylalanine motif. S. mansoni is the first organism shown to possess both robust and sensitive peroxiredoxins. The ability of schistosome peroxiredoxins to use alternative electron donors, and their variable resistance to overoxidation may reflect their presence in different cellular sites and emphasizes the significant differences in overall redox balance mechanisms between the parasite and its mammalian host.
Natural history of menopause symptoms in primary care patients: a MetroNet study.

BACKGROUND The association between changes in menopausal status and menopause-related symptom reporting over the course of the menopause transition is not well understood, especially whether there are any racial differences in this association. OBJECTIVE To determine (1) the prevalence and the natural history of menopause symptoms among primary care patients approaching, or at menopause; (2) the relationship between self-reported symptoms and menopausal status; and (3) whether this relationship varies in African American and white women. STUDY DESIGN Cross-sectional self-report survey of 342 women aged 40 to 55 years (31.6% African American) were recruited from 8 family practice centers in 2000 and 2001. RESULTS Among 251 women without surgical menopause, 133 (53.0%) were premenopausal, 72 (28.7%) were peri-menopausal, and 46 (18.3%) were postmenopausal. The most commonly reported symptoms were joint/muscle pain and headache, which did not vary by menopausal status. As many as 28.6% of the women with regular menstruation reported hot flashes, and 18.8% had night sweats; although both symptoms were strongly associated with changes in menopausal status (P < .01). During the natural menopausal transition, white women had increasing trends of nervousness, memory loss, vaginal dryness, loss of sexual interest, hot flashes, and night sweats while African American women only had increasing trend of painful sex and hot flashes. In multivariate analyses, loss of sexual interest was associated with postmenopause status in white but not in African American women. CONCLUSIONS Symptoms are not uncommon among premenopausal women and become more prevalent as the transition through menopause occurs. The prevalence of vasomotor symptoms in premenopausal women may be an under-recognized aspect of the natural history of the menopause transition. African American and white women may present different symptoms through menopause transition.
Rediscovering Risk: Country Banks as Venture Capital Firms in the First Industrial Revolution

Some English country banks were more like modern venture capital firms than modern banks in terms of legal and managerial structure, size and source of investment funding, size and nature of investments, and riskiness. This is exemplified by Praed & Co. of Truro, which was heavily engaged in financing the adoption of a risky new technology—Watt steam engines—by Cornish copper mines in the period 1775–1800. If some banks were proto–venture capital firms, rather than proto-banks, then their illiquid and relatively undiversified investment strategies are more reasonable and their bankruptcies more understandable: high-risk investments sometimes earn negative returns.
Full-mouth scaling and root planing in type 2 diabetic subjects: one-year microbiological outcomes.

BACKGROUND This study evaluated the microbiological effects of full-mouth (FM) and partial-mouth (PM) scaling and root planing (SRP) in type 2 diabetic subjects with chronic periodontitis (ChP), up to 12 months. METHODS Thirty-four type 2 diabetic subjects with ChP received either FMSRP (n = 17), in two sessions within two consecutive days, or PMSRP (n = 17) in four sessions within 21 days. Six subgingival biofilm samples per subject were analysed by checkerboard DNA-DNA hybridization for 40 bacterial species at baseline, 3 and 12 months. RESULTS Both therapies significantly reduced the levels of the red complex species up to 12 months (p < 0.05). The levels of three putative pathogens from the orange complex were significantly reduced in the FMSRP group, whereas a single orange complex species was significantly decreased in the PMSRP group (p < 0.05). Furthermore, the proportions of the host-compatible Actinomyces species were significantly increased in both groups at 3 and 12 months. No significant differences were observed between groups for the counts and proportions of the individual species and the proportions of microbial complexes at any time point (p > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS There were no differences in the bacterial species evaluated after FMSRP and PMSRP in the treatment of type 2 diabetic subjects with ChP, up to 12 months.
Developing the Vascular Quality of Life Questionnaire: a new disease-specific quality of life measure for use in lower limb ischemia.

AIMS The purpose of this study was to develop and validate an easily used disease-specific quality of life (QOL) measure for patients with chronic lower limb ischemia and to design an evaluative instrument, responsive to within-subject change, that adds to clinical measures of outcome when comparing treatment options in the management of lower limb ischemia. METHODS The first phase consisted of item generation, item reduction, formulating, and pretesting in patients with ischemia. The proportion of patients who selected an item as troublesome and the mean importance they attached to it were combined to give a clinical impact factor. Items with the highest clinical impact factor were used to formulate a new 25-item questionnaire that was then pretested in 20 patients with lower limb ischemia. In the second phase, reliability, validity, and responsiveness of the new questionnaire were assessed in 39 patients with lower limb ischemia who were tested at 0 and 4 weeks. The King's College Hospital's Vascular Quality of Life Questionnaire and the Short-Form 36 were administered at each visit, and treadmill walking distance and ankle/brachial pressure indices were recorded. The new questionnaire's reliability, internal consistency, responsiveness, and validity were determined. RESULTS Areas of QOL impairment were consistent through the ranges of disease severity and age, with no apparent differences between the men and women. Therefore, a single questionnaire is applicable to all patients with chronic lower limb ischemia. In stable patients test-retest scores demonstrated a reliability of r more than 0.90. Each item had internal consistency (item-domain Cronbach alpha =.7-.9). The questionnaire was responsive to change, with correlation between change in the questionnaire's total score and both global and clinical indicators of change (P <.001). The questionnaire showed face and construct validity. CONCLUSIONS This disease-specific questionnaire is reliable, responsive, valid, and ready for use as an outcome measure in clinical trials. It is sensitive to the concerns of patients with lower limb ischemia, offering a simple method to measure the effect of interventions on their QOL.
Delineating Publicly Listed Family and Nonfamily Controlled Firms: An Approach for Capital Market Research in Australia**

Recent capital market research evidence suggests that a large proportion of public companies worldwide are characterized by controlling stockholders who are more often families, usually the founder(s) or their descendants. There has been considerable debate on whether “family” firms can indeed be accurately delineated from nonfamily firms given the diversity and abundance of family business definitions in the literature. This paper provides a robust definition of family business for the purposes of capital market research. Using an accounting‐based definition of family business, the paper outlines a four‐step procedure that provides validation for identifying family controlled companies listed on the Australian Stock Exchange. A significant feature of the research methodology was reliance on data collected from the Australian Securities and Investments Commission. Having access to the corporate regulator's restricted data enabled the researchers to establish important links between directors and their private related entities.
R2 and Idiosyncratic Risk are not Interchangeable

ABSTRACT: A growing literature investigates the association between stock return variation and several aspects of information and governance structures, in both a cross-country setting and a cross-firm setting within the U.S. Papers use either idiosyncratic stock return volatility or R2 as interchangeable measures of firm-specific return variation but report inconsistent results. An important reason for the differing interpretations is the assumption about whether lower R2 (or higher ) captures firm-specific news or noise. We document that higher (or equivalently, lower R2) resembles noise. In addition, we show, analytically and empirically, that different results obtain when using R2 or because the systematic risk inherent in the R2 metric is also correlated with the independent variable of interest. Therefore, we recommend that when assessing the association between R2 (or ) and some independent variable, researchers (1) control for elements of systematic risk and (2) triangulate their findings with oth.
In Search of the Economic Meaning and Role of the Fama-French Factors in Japan: Implications for Investment Management

This paper explores and clarifies the economic meaning and role of Fama and French's (FF) size return premia, small-minus-big (SMB) factor, and value premia, high-minus-low (HML) factor, in Japan. In contrast to FF's suggestion, our analysis reveals that SMB but not HML has meaning as a proxy for distress risk. Moreover, by using a multivariate Generalized Autoregressive Conditional Heteroskedasticity (GARCH) model, our analysis confirms that both SMB and HML are well-priced state variables in Merton's Intertemporal Capital Asset Pricing Model (ICAPM). Furthermore, even after controlling for macroeconomic variables, when adjusting the lag orders we find that both lagged HML and SMB demonstrate clear predictability for future real GDP growth. Hence, we empirically support FF's argument that HML and SMB are state variables that predict future changes in the investment opportunity set in the context of Merton's ICAPM. This finding has the practical implication that SMB and HML can be used for predicting the future investment environment. As an ancillary finding, we also conclude that lagged credit and term spread are strongly priced factors in the ICAPM in Japan. One implication for investment management is that bearing the risks included in the credit spread and the term spread is rewarded with future return in the Japanese stock market. 1 SMB and HML are well-known factors in the field of investment management. SMB is a factor that captures the observed return premia of small market capitalization stocks over large market capitalization stocks. HML is a factor that captures the observed return premia of high market-to-book ratio stocks over low market-to-book ratio stocks. Put differently, SMB is the return premia from the size effect, and HML is the return premia from the value effect. In the area of investment management, the size effect and value effect are widely known, and thus analyzing the meaning or role of the SMB and the HML is a generally and widely interesting topic, not only for investment managers, but also for those engaging in corporate management.
The Unemployment Volatility Puzzle: The Role Of The Underground Economy

Relying on the non-negligible role played by the underground economy in the labour market fluctuations, this paper extends the standard matching model a la Mortensen-Pissarides by introducing an underground sector along with an endogenous sector choice for both entrepreneurs and workers. These modifications improve the quantitative properties of the standard matching model, thus providing a possible explanation for the unemployment volatility puzzle.
The meaning of colours in nutrition labelling in the context of expert and consumer criteria of evaluating food product healthfulness

Qualitative and quantitative studies were conducted to explore the effect of front-of-pack nutrition labels on the perceived healthfulness of food products. Consumers were found to hold beliefs about colours and their fit to product categories that influence the assessment process. Consumers associate certain colours with product healthfulness. Yellow, blue, green and red were found to be evocative of health. Heather, pink and celadon suggested an artificial thus unhealthful product. The impact of labels on healthfulness assessment was observed only in the unhealthful category. The findings show the complexity of psychological processes in the perception of food healthfulness.
Modelling retirement income in New Zealand

A microsimulation model is presented to project the fiscal impacts of retirement income policy in New Zealand, while extending the range of policies that can be evaluated. Socio-economic variables, such as income and education, are projected along with demographic variables, such as labour force participation and mortality, to provide a more comprehensive analysis of the impacts of pension reform in New Zealand. Mortality differentials are constructed based on socio-economic and demographic variables, and are used to derive future fiscal costs. The fiscal impact of four types of pension reform is presented. The reforms include an increase in the age of eligibility, a change in the annual adjustment process, a move to communal prefunding and a move to compulsory private savings with abatement.
Dividend Policies Across Multinational and Domestic Corporations – an International Study

This study examines whether the determinants of dividend payout ratios between Multinational (MCs) and Domestic corporations (DCs) vary across Australia, U.S., Japan, U.K. and Malaysia. Results show: (i) Australian, UK and Malaysian MCs pay significantly less dividends than their Domestic counterparts; however, the opposite holds for the U.S. firms; (ii) the factors that significantly explain the difference between DCs’ and MCs’ payout ratios vary across countries; (iii) firms operating in an imputation tax system and in a common law environment pay comparatively higher dividends relative to firms operating in a classical tax system and civil law regime.