Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
An Integrated Investigation of Spatiotemporal Habitat Quality Dynamics and Driving Forces in the Upper Basin of Miyun Reservoir, North China

Understanding changes in habitat quality and the driving forces of these changes at landscape scales is a critical part of effective ecosystem management. The present study investigated spatiotemporal habitat quality dynamics and related driving forces from 2005 to 2015 in the upper basin of Miyun Reservoir in North China by constructing an effective framework integrated InVEST and binary logistic regression models. This framework expanded the driving force analysis into an assessment of changes in habitat quality and intuitively verified the effectiveness of relevant environmental policies. The proposed method of combining the equidistant random sampling method and the method of introducing spatial lag variables in logistic regression equation can effectively solve spatial autocorrelation with a large enough number of sampling points. Overall, habitat quality improved during the study period. Spatially, a concentrated loss of habitat occurred in the southeastern part of the basin between the reservoir and mountainous areas, while other areas gradually recovered. Driving force analysis showed that lower elevation mountain land, gentle slopes, locations near rural land or roads, larger areas of grain cultivation, and areas with little population change had a higher likelihood of having changed in habitat quality in the upper basin of Miyun Reservoir. These results suggested that the present policy of protecting the ecosystem had a positive effect on improving habitat quality. In the future, the human activity management related to habitat quality needs to be strengthened. The present study would provide a reference for land use policy formulation and biodiversity conservation.
Cellular Distribution and Developmental Expression of AMP‐Activated Protein Kinase Isoforms in Mouse Central Nervous System

Abstract: The mammalian AMP‐activated protein kinase is a heterotrimeric serine/threonine protein kinase with multiple isoforms for each subunit (α, β, and γ) and is activated under conditions of metabolic stress. It is widely expressed in many tissues, including the brain, although its expression pattern throughout the CNS is unknown. We show that brain mRNA levels for the α2 and β2 subunits were increased between embryonic days 10 and 14, whereas expression of α1, β1, and γ1 subunits was consistent at all ages examined. Immunostaining revealed a mainly neuronal distribution of all isoforms. The α2 catalytic subunit was highly expressed in neurons and activated astrocytes, whereas the α1 catalytic subunit showed low expression in neuropil. The γ1 noncatalytic subunit was highly expressed by neurons, but not by astrocytes. Expression of the β1 and β2 noncatalytic subunits varied, but some neurons, such as granule cells of olfactory bulb, did not express detectable levels of either β isoform. Preferential nuclear localization of the α2, β1, and γ1 subunits suggests new functions of the AMP‐activated protein kinase, and the different expression patterns and cellular localization between the two catalytic subunits α1 and α2 point to different physiological roles.
Interaction between two glaucoma genes, optineurin and myocilin

Myocilin (MYOC) and optineurin (OPTN) are two genes linked to glaucoma, a major blinding disease. To investigate the possible molecular interactions between MYOC and OPTN genes, we over‐expressed MYOC and examined its effect on the level of endogenous OPTN in human trabecular meshwork (TM) cells and vice versa. We noted that over‐expressing MYOC did not affect the OPTN level, whereas OPTN over‐expression induced an up‐regulation of the endogenous MYOC. This induction was also observed in other ocular and non‐ocular cell types including PC12 cells. The endogenous levels of both OPTN and MYOC genes were in addition found increased when PC12 cells underwent differentiation upon treatment with nerve growth factor (NGF). Over‐expression of OPTN resulted in prolonged turnover rate of MYOC mRNA but had little effect on the promoter activity of the MYOC gene. The over‐expressed OPTN was localized in the cytoplasm, not translocated into the nucleus. These results indicate that interaction exists between OPTN and MYOC genes. Regulation of MYOC expression by OPTN is achieved primarily through control of the mRNA stability.
Villin-type headpiece domains show a wide range of F-actin-binding affinities.

The villin-type "headpiece" domain is a modular motif found at the extreme C-terminus of larger "core" domains in over 25 cytoskeletal proteins in plants and animals. Although headpiece is classified as an F-actin-binding domain, it has been suggested that some expressed fusion-proteins containing headpiece may lack F-actin-binding in vivo. To determine the intrinsic F-actin affinity of headpiece domains, we quantified the F-actin affinity of seven headpiece domains and three N-terminal truncations, under identical in vitro conditions. The constructs are folded and adopt the native headpiece structure. However, they show a wide range of affinities that can be grouped into high, low, and nonspecific-binding categories. Computer models of the structure and charged surface potential of these headpiece domains suggest features important for high F-actin affinity. We conclude that not all headpiece domains are intrinsically F-actin-binding motifs, and suggest that the surface charge distribution may be an important element for F-actin recognition.
Female Board Representation, Corporate Innovation and Firm Performance

We show evidence that female board representation is associated with greater innovative success, and thus enhances firm performance in innovation-intensive industries. Firms with female directors tend to invest more in innovation and obtain more patents and citations for given R&D expenditures. An increase of 10 percentage points in the tenure-weighted fraction of female directors is associated with approximately 6% more patents and 7% more citations. Investigating the underlying mechanisms, the positive association between female board representation and corporate innovation is stronger when product market competition is lower and when managers are more entrenched, consistent with increased monitoring by female directors improving managers’ incentives to innovate. Furthermore, we find that female board representation is positively associated with performance only for firms for which innovation and creativity play a particularly important role.
“A Little Is Better Than Zero” or “Pay Enough or Don’t Pay at All”? Evidence on the Size of Pay-for-Performance Across the Sectors

Regarding the effect of pay-for-performance (PFP), standard economic reasoning suggests that “a little is better than zero,” meaning that even small performance payments can improve employees’ work morale. An alternative view, “pay enough or don’t pay at all,” suggests that paying too little may instead erode employees’ work morale. Using the U.S. General Social Survey (GSS) data, the present study finds evidence that the two views actually complement each other: Small payments can improve employees’ work effort (e.g., working hours), but can also potentially compromise their work attitudes (e.g., job satisfaction). In addition, employees in different working sectors may have different understanding of what “small size” really means. Findings are followed by theoretical and practical implications.
ARE DIVERSIFICATION AND STRUCTURAL CHANGE GOOD POLICY? AN EMPIRICAL ANALYSIS OF NORWEGIAN AGRICULTURE

Abstract We investigated whether diversification and/or structural change would improve Norwegian agriculture. Using a flexible technology approach to account for different technologies, we assessed economies of scope and scale of dairy and cropping farms, including regional differences. We fitted translog cost functions to farm-level panel data for the period 1991–2014. We found both economies of scope and scale on the farms. Dairy farms have an economic incentive to integrate dairying with cropping in all regions of Norway, and vice versa. Thus, policy makers should eschew interventions that inhibit diversification or structural change and that increase the costs of food production.
Elderly patients benefit from second-line cytotoxic chemotherapy: a subset analysis of a randomized phase III trial of pemetrexed compared with docetaxel in patients with previously treated advanced non-small-cell lung cancer.

PURPOSE Numerous prospective and retrospective studies have concluded that elderly patients (> or = 70 years old) achieve a similar survival benefit, with acceptable toxicity, from first-line cytotoxic chemotherapy for the treatment of advanced non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) compared with their younger counterparts. However, few published data exist on the efficacy and tolerability of second-line cytotoxic therapy in this population. PATIENTS AND METHODS Retrospective analysis of a large second-line trial was performed. Data from 571 patients randomly assigned to docetaxel 75 mg/m2 or pemetrexed 500 mg/m2 every 3 weeks were analyzed for efficacy and toxicity comparisons between age groups and treatment arms. RESULTS Eighty-six of 571 patients (15%) were > or = 70 years old, similar to rates of elderly observed in the first-line setting. Elderly patients receiving pemetrexed (n = 47) or docetaxel (n = 39) had a median survival of 9.5 and 7.7 months compared with 7.8 and 8.0 months for younger patients receiving pemetrexed (n = 236) or docetaxel (n = 249), respectively. Elderly patients treated with pemetrexed had a longer time to progression and a longer survival than their counterpart patients treated with docetaxel (not statistically significant). Febrile neutropenia was less frequent in elderly patients treated with pemetrexed (2.5%) compared with docetaxel (19%; P = .025), with only one death as a result of toxicity (docetaxel arm). CONCLUSION Elderly patient participation was similar to rates observed in the first-line setting. There was no significant difference in outcome or toxicity between elderly and younger patients. For elderly patients with advanced NSCLC and good performance status, second-line cytotoxic therapy is appropriate. In this subset, pemetrexed produced a more favorable toxicity profile.
Bcl-2 Expression and p38MAPK Activity in Cells Infected with Influenza A Virus

Previous reports have shown that various steps in the influenza A virus life cycle are impaired in cells expressing the antiapoptotic protein Bcl-2 (Bcl-2+ cells). We demonstrated a direct link between Bcl-2 and the reduced nuclear export of viral ribonucleoprotein (vRNP) complexes in these cells. However, despite its negative impact on viral replication, Bcl-2 did not prevent host cells from undergoing virally triggered apoptosis. The protein's reduced antiapoptotic capacity was related to phosphorylation of its threonine 56 and serine 87 residues by virally activated p38MAPK. In infected Bcl-2+ cells, activated p38MAPK was found predominantly in the cytoplasm, colocalized with Bcl-2, and both Bcl-2 phosphorylation and virally induced apoptosis were diminished by specific inhibition of p38MAPK activity. In contrast, in Bcl-2-negative (Bcl-2−) cells, which are fully permissive to viral infection, p38MAPK activity was predominantly nuclear, and its inhibition decreased vRNP traffic, phosphorylation of viral nucleoprotein, and virus titers in cell supernatants, suggesting that this kinase also contributes to the regulation of vRNP export and viral replication. This could explain why in Bcl-2+ cells, where p38MAPK is active in the cytoplasm, phosphorylating Bcl-2, influenza viral replication is substantially reduced, whereas apoptosis proceeds at rates similar to those observed in Bcl-2− cells. Our findings suggest that the impact of p38MAPK on the influenza virus life cycle and the apoptotic response of host cells to infection depends on whether or not the cells express Bcl-2, highlighting the possibility that the pathological effects of the virus are partly determined by the cell type it targets.
The prevalence and predictors of atrial fibrillation in hemodialysis patients.

OBJECTIVES The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of atrial fibrillation in long-term hemodialysis patients and to identify clinical and echocardiographic risk factors. STUDY DESIGN The study included 183 patients (93 males, 90 females; mean age 52+/-17 years) who had been on long-term hemodialysis treatment (mean 41.6+/-39.8 months) and had preserved systolic function. Atrial fibrillation was determined electrocardiographically and the patients were divided into two groups depending on the presence or absence of atrial fibrillation. Conventional and tissue Doppler echocardiographic examinations were performed on interdialytic days. Clinical, laboratory, and echocardiographic parameters were compared. RESULTS Twenty-four patients (13.1%) had atrial fibrillation. Patients with atrial fibrillation significantly differed in terms of higher age (64.9+/-9.8 vs. 49.9+/-16.6 years; p<0.001), higher frequency of coronary artery disease (37.5% vs. 10.7%; p=0.008), and lower serum albumin level (3.6+/-0.4 vs. 3.9+/-0.5 mg/dl; p=0.015). Echocardiographic examination showed significantly increased left and right atrial diameters (p<0.05), higher incidence of mitral and/or aortic calcification (p=0.033), increased systolic pulmonary artery pressure (38.1+/-6.1 vs. 28.5+/-5.5 mmHg, p<0.001) and E/E' ratio (11.8+/-3.8 vs. 8.8+/-4.7, p=0.008) in patients with atrial fibrillation. In multivariate logistic regression analysis, age (OR 1.09; 95% CI 1.00-1.17; p=0.036) and right atrial diameter (OR 1.19; 95% CI 1.05-1.35; p=0.008) were independent risk factors for the development of atrial fibrillation. CONCLUSION Our findings highlight age and right atrial diameter as independent predictors of atrial fibrillation in hemodialysis patients. In addition, the E/E' ratio and pulmonary artery pressure may be considered new risk factors of atrial fibrillation in this population.
Geographical and Socioeconomic Distribution of Physical Activity at Work and Leisure Time and Its Relation to Morbidity in a Swedish Rural County

The article is an account of physical activity at work and during leisure time in a Swedish rural county based on a cross-sectional study of a selection of 7986 individuals in the age range 25–75, at 5-year intervals. 70% of the men and 71% of the women participated in the study—carried out in the spring of 1977—comprising a health examination and a combined inquiry/interview poll. 50% of the men and 22% of the women perform either moderately heavy or heavy work, with little variation between age groups. 20% of the men and 8% of the women engage in regular physical exercise and hard training. 14% of the men and 15% of the women are inactive during their leisure hours. Physical activity at work and physical exercise habits vary in different municipalities. Thus in the rural districts, physical activity at work is greater than elsewhere. Any differences between municipalities disappeared after adjustment for age, sex and occupation. Greater physical activity at work is positively correlated to somatic disturbances, one being a high diastolic blood pressure. A high level of physical activity in leisure time is correlated to low total morbidity of somatic disorders and fewer mental disturbances—irrespective of age, sex, physical activity at work and socioeconomic group. An astonishing finding is that there is no correlation between physical activity during leisure time and at work. Nevertheless, there are differences between socioeconomic groups regarding physical activity during leisure hours. Civil servants are those characterized as most active.
From political sports to sports politics: on political mobilization of sports issues

ABSTRACT How and why do sports issues turn into politics? The aim of this paper is to explore how politicization of sports might happen, to show how social movement theory might contribute to such understandings and to contribute to a theoretical understanding of the political mobilization of sports issues. To achieve this aim, we outline a three-dimensional theoretical framework based on social movement theory. Thereafter we present six cases of more-or-less contested sports issues: gender, sexuality, doping, extreme wages, boxing/violence and failed talent development. Finally, we discuss the main features of our theoretical framework in light of these cases. How do political opportunity structures contribute to political mobilization of sports issues? How do cultural factors make a difference in political processes concerning sports? Which actors are involved when contested sports issues occur? The aim of this exploration is to discover how various societal factors addressed in our theoretical framework matter relative to how and why sports issues might turn into politics.
Do mispricing and financial constraints matter for investment decisions?

ABSTRACT This study investigates how mispricing and financing constraints affect ﬁrms’ future capital investments. We find that when the financing constraints are high, overpriced (underpriced) firms invest more (less) subsequently under previous non-optimal investments. The overpriced (underpriced) firms with precautionary motives invest significantly less subsequently when they are financially constrained. The overall evidence suggests that share mispricing, financial constraints and precautionary motives play a critical role that enables investors to less effectively monitor managers’ real decisions, thus limiting firms’ capital investments.
All four CatSper ion channel proteins are required for male fertility and sperm cell hyperactivated motility

Mammalian spermatozoa become motile at ejaculation, but before they can fertilize the egg, they must acquire more thrust to penetrate the cumulus and zona pellucida. The forceful asymmetric motion of hyperactivated spermatozoa requires Ca2+ entry into the sperm tail by an alkalinization-activated voltage-sensitive Ca2+-selective current (ICatSper). Hyperactivation requires CatSper1 and CatSper2 putative ion channel genes, but the function of two other related genes (CatSper3 and CatSper4) is not known. Here we show that targeted disruption of murine CatSper3 or CatSper4 also abrogated ICatSper, sperm cell hyperactivated motility and male fertility but did not affect spermatogenesis or initial motility. Direct protein interactions among CatSpers, the sperm specificity of these proteins, and loss of ICatSper in each of the four CatSper−/− mice indicate that CatSpers are highly specialized flagellar proteins.
Change in quality of life of patients undergoing silicone stent intubation for nasolacrimal duct stenosis combined with dry eye syndrome

Aims To investigate the effect of silicone stent intubation (SI) on the quality of life of patients diagnosed with nasolacrimal duct stenosis and dry eye syndrome. Methods This study is a prospective, interventional case series. Consecutive 30 patients diagnosed with nasolacrimal duct stenosis and reflex tearing due to dry eye syndrome were included. Eligible subjects underwent SI and were asked to complete the Glasgow Benefit Inventory (GBI) questionnaire. Surgical outcomes and GBI scores were investigated 6 months postoperatively. Results The surgical success rate determined by the patients’ subjective symptoms was 76.7% (23/30). Mean total GBI score was +17.19 (95% CI 8.34 to 26.03). The general subscale score was +20.36 (95% CI 10.19 to 30.54), the social support scale score was +21.54 (95% CI 11.37 to 31.71) and the physical health score was −0.56 (95% CI −8.92 to 7.80). Conclusions SI could be an effective treatment option for reflex tearing in patients diagnosed with dry eye syndrome and nasolacrimal duct stenosis.
Many Instruments And/Or Regressors: A Friendly Guide

This paper surveys the state of the art in the econometrics of regression models with many instruments or many regressors based on alternative – namely, dimension – asymptotics. We list critical results of dimension asymptotics that lead to better approximations of properties of familiar and alternative estimators and tests when the instruments and/or regressors are numerous. Then, we consider the problem of estimation and inference in the basic linear instrumental variables regression setup with many strong instruments. We describe the failures of conventional estimation and inference, as well as alternative tools that restore consistency and validity. We then add various other features to the basic model such as heteroskedasticity, instrument weakness, etc., in each case providing a review of the existing tools for proper estimation and inference. Subsequently, we consider a related but different problem of estimation and testing in a linear mean regression with many regressors. We also describe various extensions and connections to other settings, such as panel data models, spatial models, time series models, and so on. Finally, we provide practical guidance regarding which tools are most suitable to use in various situations when many instruments and/or regressors turn out to be an issue.
[Liver disease spectrum in hospitalized type 2 diabetes and related risk factors analysis of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease].

OBJECTIVE To explore the liver disease spectrum in patients with type 2 diabetes (T2DM) and the risk factors of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). METHODS From September 2009 to October 2011, 1069 hospitalized patients with T2DM in Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism were involved in the study. The history informations, results of laboratory examination, hepatic ultrasound and hepatic proton magnetic resonance spectrum ((1)H MRS) of all patients were collected to analysis. RESULTS (1) The detectable rate of raised liver enzymes in T2DM patients was 28.7% (307/1069), composed mainly of NAFLD (39.4%, 121/307). After excluding the factors such as alcoholic abuse, viral hepatitis, the detect rate of raised liver enzymes in T2DM patients was 26.9% (185/688). (2) The detectable rate of fatty liver by ultrasound in T2DM patients was 56.7% (500/882), composed mainly of NAFLD (72.6%, 363/500), and the detectable rate of NAFLD was 58.0% (363/626). (3) The detectable rate of fatty liver by hepatic (1)H MRS was 72.8% (227/312), composed mainly of NAFLD (69.6%, 158/227). The detectable rate of NAFLD was 69.6% (158/227). (4) Of the three methods for diagnosing NAFLD, (1)H MRS had the highest detectable rate, followed by ultrasound, and the hepatic enzymes was the lowest. Set the hepatic (1)H MRS as gold diagnosing standard of NAFLD, the combination of hepatic enzymes and ultrasound increase the sensitivity. The optional cut-off points of ALT were 19.7 U/L (male, ROCAUC = 0.689, P < 0.01) and 17.0 U/L (female, ROCAUC = 0.727, P < 0.01). (5) Logistic stepwise regression analysis showed sex, BMI, hemoglobin, fasting C-peptide and uric acid (OR = 3.803, 1.195, 1.037, 2.896, 1.011, all P < 0.05) were positively correlated with NAFLD, and diabetes duration (OR = 0.948, P < 0.05) was positively correlated with NAFLD independently. CONCLUSIONS The detectable rate of fatty liver was high in T2DM which was composed mainly of NAFLD. High abnormal liver enzymes detectable rate indicated that NAFLD with T2DM are prone to NASH.