Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Cellular properties and chemosensory responses of the human carotid body

• The carotid body (CB) is a key chemoreceptor organ that mediates the hyperventilatory response to hypoxia, and contributes to the process of acclimatisation to chronic hypoxaemia. • Knowledge of CB physiology at the cellular and molecular levels has advanced considerably in recent times thanks to studies on lower mammals; however, information on humans is practically absent. Here we describe the properties of human CB cells in slice preparations or after enzymatic dispersion. • Besides glomus (type I) and glia‐like, sustentacular (type II) cells, adult human CBs contain nestin‐positive neural progenitor cells. The human CB also expresses high levels of glial cell line‐derived neurotrophic factor. These properties are maintained at an advanced age. • Human glomus cells contain a relatively high density of voltage‐dependent Na+, Ca2+ and K+ channels. Membrane depolarisation with high extracellular K+ induces an increase of cytosolic [Ca2+] and quantal catecholamine release. • Human glomus cells are responsive to hypoxia and hypoglycaemia, both of which induce an increase in cytosolic [Ca2+] and transmitter release. Chemosensory responses of glomus cells are also preserved at an advanced age. • These findings on the cellular and molecular physiology of the CB provide novel perspectives for the systematic study of pathologies involving this organ in humans.
Biological heterogeneity of diffuse mixed small and large cell non-Hodgkin's lymphomas assessed by DNA flow cytometry and Ki67.

The cell proliferative activity of the clinico-pathologically heterogeneous non-Hodgkin's lymphomas (NHL) included in the intermediate grade F category of the Working Formulation (WF) was investigated. S-phase fraction with flow cytometry on cell suspensions, and Ki67 on frozen tissue sections were performed in 42 F NHL. An avidin-biotin immunocomplex method was used and 1000 cells from 10 representative fields were counted. DNA content, S-phase and Ki67 were also detected in 194 NHL covering the whole spectrum of the WF. DNA content anomalies were found in 52 of 194 NHL. Their incidence, like that of S-phase fraction and Ki67 positive cells, progressively increased from low- to high-grade. A linear correlation was found between Ki67 and S-phase (r = .59). Using the median value of proliferating cells obtained with both procedures as a cut off, two very different groups of lymphomas could be distinguished within a series of 42 F-intermediate NHL: with low and high proliferative cell activity (p < .0001) that were termed F(low) and F(high), respectively. A intermediate group was placed between them. It differed significantly from the others if Ki67 was used but only from the F(high) group if the S-phase fraction analysis was applied. No significant differences were seen when comparing F(low) with the single categories of low-grade NHL and F(high) with H high-grade NHL; no significant differences were found between F(high) and G, and between G and H categories. The existence of distinct groups of NHL in the F category, as defined by biological parameters assessing the cell proliferative activity, indicates that this category includes biologically heterogeneous lymphoma subtypes with different grades of aggressiveness. The results also indicate that the G intermediate category displays proliferation indices similar to those of H high grade category.
Women’s Healthy Lifestyle Project: A Randomized Clinical Trial: Results at 54 Months

Background—The Women’s Healthy Lifestyle Project Clinical Trial tested the hypothesis that reducing saturated fat and cholesterol consumption and preventing weight gain by decreased caloric and fat intake and increased physical activity would prevent the rise in LDL cholesterol and weight gain in women during perimenopause to postmenopause. Methods and Results—There were 275 premenopausal women randomized into the assessment only group and 260 women into the intervention group. The mean age of participants at baseline was 47 years, and 92% of the women were white. The mean LDL cholesterol was 115 mg/dL at baseline, and mean body mass index was 25 kg/m2. The follow-up through 54 months was excellent. By 54 months, 35% of the women had become postmenopausal. At the 54-month examination, there was a 3.5-mg/dL increase in LDL cholesterol in the intervention group and an 8.9-mg/dL increase in the assessment-only group (P =0.009). Weight decreased 0.2 lb in the intervention and increased 5.2 lb in the assessment-only group (P =0.000). Triglycerides and glucose also increased significantly more in the assessment-only group than in the intervention group. Waist circumference decreased 2.9 cm in the intervention compared with 0.5 cm in the assessment-only group (P =0.000). Conclusions—The trial was successful in reducing the rise in LDL cholesterol during perimenopause to postmenopause but could not completely eliminate the rise in LDL cholesterol. The trial was also successful in preventing the increase in weight from premenopause to perimenopause to postmenopause. The difference in LDL cholesterol between the assessment and intervention groups was most pronounced among postmenopausal women and occurred among hormone users and nonusers.
Early removal of urinary catheter leads to greater post‐void residuals in patients with thoracic epidural

A recent study showed that the removal of a bladder catheter is safe in presence of thoracic epidural analgesia (TEA). However, the ability to void satisfactorily can be affected. The aim of this investigation is to determine whether patients with TEA are able to recover the micturition process.
Association of Novel Nonsynonymous Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms in ampD with Cephalosporin Resistance and Phylogenetic Variations in ampC, ampR, ompF, and ompC in Enterobacter cloacae Isolates That Are Highly Resistant to Carbapenems

ABSTRACT In Enterobacter cloacae, the genetic lesions associated with derepression of the AmpC β-lactamase include diverse single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and/or indels in the ampD and ampR genes and SNPs in ampC, while diverse SNPs in the promoter region or SNPs/indels within the coding sequence of outer membrane proteins have been described to alter porin production leading to carbapenem resistance. We sought to define the underlying mechanisms conferring cephalosporin and carbapenem resistance in a collection of E. cloacae isolates with unusually high carbapenem resistance and no known carbapenemase and, in contrast to many previous studies, considered the SNPs we detected in relation to the multilocus sequence type (MLST)-based phylogeny of our collection. Whole-genome sequencing was applied on the most resistant isolates to seek novel carbapenemases, expression of ampC was measured by reverse transcriptase PCR, and porin translation was detected by SDS-PAGE. SNPs occurring in ampC, ampR, ompF, and ompC genes (and their promoter regions) were mostly phylogenetic variations, relating to the isolates' sequence types, whereas nonsynonymous SNPs in ampD were associated with derepression of AmpC and cephalosporin resistance. The additional loss of porins resulted in high-level carbapenem resistance, underlining the clinical importance of chromosomal mutations among carbapenem-resistant E. cloacae.
Reliability and cost assessment of power transmission networks in the competitive electrical energy market

Electric power systems are increasingly involved in the competitive electrical energy market where several players have access to the transmission networks even though in a regulated way. The purpose of this paper is to present an improved computational method and the associated computer program RACTRS that can be used for the reliability and cost analysis of power transmission networks that accommodate transmission transactions. This is a method that is based on a Monte-Carlo sequential simulation approach and gives an increased emphasis in the realistic and efficient representation of the real design and operational characteristics and practices applied by the electric utilities today. For this purpose, the operating aspects of wheeling transactions are integrated into the developed method together with a technique for tracing the power flows through the meshed transmission networks. An extended set of appropriate reliability and cost indices is calculated for each load-point of interest, the entire system and each wheeling transaction under consideration. The analysis of a system based on the IEEE-RTS is also included for a number of studies representing the various operating and design characteristics.
A Framework for Analysis of Strategy Development in Globalizing Markets

This article describes the development of an analytical framework of strategic behavior in globalizing markets, based on different strands of literature (internationalization process, strategic groups, intra-industry trade, and global management). The framework consists of a three-by-three matrix with the following dimensions: the global structure of the industry (industry globality) and the firm's preparedness for internationalization. In each of the nine resulting cells (“The Nine Strategic Windows”) the author discusses consequences for strategic behavior of the firm. The author makes concrete suggestions on company strategy, varying from “stay at home” to “strengthen your global position. ” In order to illustrate the framework, the study of a Norwegian ship equipment manufacturer is briefly discussed.
Factors influencing Islamic banks’ capital structure in developing economies

PurposeThis paper aims to investigate the influence of company-specific attributes on capital structure decisions of Islamic banks (IBs) in Gulf Cooperation council (GCC) countries during the period 2009-2011.Design/methodology/approachTo improve the econometric estimates’ efficiency, the paper uses the generalized least square (GLS) regression model to increase the levels of freedom and reduce collinearity.FindingsThe empirical results indicate that bank size, liquidity and corporate age are positively associated with the leverage ratio of GCC IBs, supporting the trade-off theory. Inconsistent with theoretical predictions, it is found that the profitability, tangibility and growth have positive insignificant relationship with the level of leverage, suggesting these determinants are not important in capital structure decisions. Furthermore, gross domestic product (GDP) and non-debt tax shield have negative effects on the leverage ratio and significant for GDP.Research limitations/implicationsOverall, the evidence provided in the study highlights the significance of company-specific characteristics in determining and affecting the capital structure decisions of IBs in GCC countries. It is useful to use these variables in the analysis of IBs’ capital structure in the GCC region before the financial crisis in 2007. One limitation for this study is that the sample is restricted to only the Islamic banking sector. Future research could include all Islamic financial institutions (IFIs) operating within the Gulf region. Second, the study only concentrates on GCC countries to the neglect of other countries. Finally, the study controls for the country level only and does not account for firm factors. Future research could consider all these limitations. Another possible avenue is by examining other variables, such as corporate governance mechanisms.Originality/valueDespite that most previous studies investigated the determinants of the capital structure of financial conventional industries, research on Islamic banking is almost non-existent. Moreover, the extant literature on Islamic finance has been theoretically explored, and the empirical research regarding capital structure is still in the infancy stage. Accordingly, it is evident that based on the Islamic trade-off perspective, theoretical hypotheses and empirical findings provide a novel addition to the capital structure theory for IFIs.
Tourism and hospitality research on Iran: current state and perspectives

ABSTRACT The tourism industry in Iran has grown rapidly following the relaxation of sanctions in the wake of the recent landmark nuclear agreement known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). However, despite the significance of tourism in the country, no study has previously provided an examination of research trends of tourism and hospitality studies on Iran. This review provides an overview of 180 papers identified in academic and bibliometric databases between 2000 and 2016. Through content analysis, the empirical findings indicate that the number of publications is continuously increasing since the nuclear accord, and the dominant research themes/foci identified among the Iranian tourism research community are tourism development followed by tourism marketing and ecotourism. The majority of the articles used empirical techniques and there is a tendency toward multiple-authorship. The history and scope of sanctions on Iran since the establishment of the theocratic Islamic Republic of 1979 and its consequences on the scientific research are also explained. Implications for the further development of tourism and hospitality research in Iran particularly in the light of softening of sanctions are also discussed.
Barcoding snakeheads (Teleostei, Channidae) revisited: Discovering greater species diversity and resolving perpetuated taxonomic confusions

Snakehead fishes of the family Channidae are predatory freshwater teleosts from Africa and Asia comprising 38 valid species. Snakeheads are important food fishes (aquaculture, live food trade) and have been introduced widely with several species becoming highly invasive. A channid barcode library was recently assembled by Serrao and co-workers to better detect and identify potential and established invasive snakehead species outside their native range. Comparing our own recent phylogenetic results of this taxonomically confusing group with those previously reported revealed several inconsistencies that prompted us to expand and improve on previous studies. By generating 343 novel snakehead coxI sequences and combining them with an additional 434 coxI sequences from GenBank we highlight several problems with previous efforts towards the assembly of a snakehead reference barcode library. We found that 16.3% of the channid coxI sequences deposited in GenBank are based on misidentifications. With the inclusion of our own data we were, however, able to solve these cases of perpetuated taxonomic confusion. Different species delimitation approaches we employed (BIN, GMYC, and PTP) were congruent in suggesting a potentially much higher species diversity within snakeheads than currently recognized. In total, 90 BINs were recovered and within a total of 15 currently recognized species multiple BINs were identified. This higher species diversity is mostly due to either the incorporation of undescribed, narrow range, endemics from the Eastern Himalaya biodiversity hotspot or the incorporation of several widespread species characterized by deep genetic splits between geographically well-defined lineages. In the latter case, over-lumping in the past has deflated the actual species numbers. Further integrative approaches are clearly needed for providing a better taxonomic understanding of snakehead diversity, new species descriptions and taxonomic revisions of the group.
A domain based framework for effective project leadership

This paper argues that the project environment is unique, complex, and uncertain and therefore an understanding of project leadership should be approached from that point of view. It also argues that the prevailing project leadership theories do not explain project leadership in an integrative manner. Essentially the article attempts to answer two research questions namely Can project leadership be defined as an integrated-domain based construct (RQ1)? and how can the identified domains be mastered by project leaders in order to be effective during project delivery (RQ2)? By conducting a literature review to analyse definitions, theories and studies conducted in leadership or project leadership coupled with actual experiences of project leadership and project team membership, the paper proposes an integrated framework consisting of four project leadership domains. It proposes that for an effective project leadership process to take occur, a project leader requires selfleadership in order to exercise leadership of project stakeholders, leadership of project tasks and leadership of a project situation. The framework deviates from the normal premise of viewing project leadership as a process directed at only influencing a project team or stakeholders. The paper further proposes that certain strategies and capabilities are needed to ‘master’ each domain in order to achieve effective project leadership.
Role of organisational culture, leadership and organisational citizenship behaviour on knowledge management

The purpose of this paper is to examine linkages amongst Organisational leadership, organisational structure, organisational culture and organisational citizenship behaviour (OCB) provide a framework that helps to understand, predict, and control factors affecting firm's knowledge management architecture. The paper examines the researchers conducted in the domain of knowledge management and proposes a framework to be used by the organisations to increase organisational growth and sustainability. Here, we propose a framework wherein four propositions concerning the inclination of organisations using different cultural styles, organisational structures, and organisational leadership and OCB have for the key KM processes in the organisation. However, an empirical study should be carried out to ascertain the effect of the proposed framework on knowledge management across organisations. The study incorporates the linkages among relevant organisational and individual level variables for developing a knowledge management architecture for organisations.
Family history of cancer and stomach cancer risk

A family history of stomach cancer in first‐degree relatives increases the risk of stomach cancer, but uncertainties remain as concerns the variation of the risk according to age, sex and type of relative, as well as on the role of family history of other cancers. We investigated the issue using data from a multicentric case‐control study conducted in Italy between 1997 and 2007 on 230 cases aged not more than 80 years, with histologically confirmed incident gastric cancer and 547 controls admitted to hospital for acute, non neoplastic conditions. Logistic regression models adjusted for the effect of sex, age, year of interview, education, body mass index (BMI), tobacco smoking and number of brothers and sisters were used to estimate the odds ratios (OR) of stomach cancer. Relative to subjects with no history, those with a family history of gastric cancer had an OR of 2.5 (95% confidence interval (CI) 1.5–4.2). No significant heterogeneity emerged according to sex or age of the proband or of the affected relative, or smoking habits, BMI and education of the proband. As suggested from previous studies the OR was higher when the affected relative was a sibling (OR=5.1, 95% CI: 1.3–20.6) rather than a parent (OR=2.2, 95% CI: 1.2–3.9), although the heterogeneity test was not significant. The risk of stomach cancer was not increased in subjects with a family history of cancer at any other site. The OR for all sites excluding stomach was 1.0 (95% CI: 0.7–1.4). © 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Cyclospora papionis, Cryptosporidium hominis, and Human-Pathogenic Enterocytozoon bieneusi in Captive Baboons in Kenya

ABSTRACT Cyclospora papionis, Cryptosporidium hominis, and Enterocytozoon bieneusi were detected in 42 (17.9%), 6 (2.6%), and 29 (12.3%) of 235 newly captured baboons in Kenya, respectively. Most C. hominis subtypes and E. bieneusi genotypes found have been detected in humans in the area, suggesting that cross-species transmission of cryptosporidiosis and microsporidiosis is possible.
Concentration of citrate in the mammary secretion of sows during lactogenesis II and established lactation

Summary The functional significance of citrate in the mammary secretion of six sows was investigated during the second stage of lactogenesis (lactogenesis II) and established lactation. The changes in the concentrations of progesterone and lactose in the maternal blood, and lactose, Na and K in the mammary secretion, suggested that lactogenesis II began during the final day of pregnancy. The concentration of citrate in the mammary secretion of the sows during lactogenesis II was high and varied from 5·4 (SEM 0·5) mai at day 0·5 post partum to 6·8 (SEM 0·4) mM at day 1·5 post partum. There was a decline of ˜ 30% in the concentration of citrate in the milk of sows during the first week of lactation. These findings suggest that, in contrast to all other species studied previously, milk citrate is not a harbinger of lactogenesis II in the sow. However, the changes in the concentration of citrate in the mammary secretion of sows may reflect changes in the rate of de novo synthesis of fatty acids that take place in the mammary glands of sows during lactogenesis II and established lactation.
Technical Trading and Commodity Price Fluctuations

The study examines the empirical relevance of two antagonistic hypotheses of commodity price dynamics. The "fundamentalist hypothesis" implies that commodity prices are determined exclusively by supply and demand conditions in spot markets. The "bull-bear hypothesis" assumes that also destabilising speculation plays an important role in the price formation process. The extent of commodity price fluctuations since the late 1980s, in particular the boom 2007-08 and the subsequent bust, can hardly be accounted for by market fundamentals. At the same time, trading volume on commodity derivatives exchanges has been quadrupling since mid-2000s. This increase was probably due to rising speculation, to a great extent based on technical trading systems. This presumption is confirmed by the results of testing the performance of 1,092 technical trading systems in the futures markets for crude oil, corn, wheat and rice. Most of the models would have been profitable not only over the entire sample period but also over most sub-periods. If one aggregates over the transactions and open positions of the 1,092 technical models, it turns out that technical commodity futures trading exerts an excessive demand (supply) pressure on commodity markets.
Transcriptional regulation of the heat shock regulatory gene rpoH in Escherichia coli: involvement of a novel catabolite-sensitive promoter

A catabolite-sensitive promoter was found to be involved in transcription of the heat shock regulatory gene rpoH encoding the sigma 32 protein. Expression of lacZ from the operon fusion, rpoHp-lacZ, was partially inhibited by glucose added to the broth medium. Dissection of the rpoH promoter region allowed us to localize the glucose-sensitive promoter to the 110-base-pair (bp) segment directly upstream of the rpoH coding region. Experiments on lacZ expression from the set of fusions in cya (adenylate cyclase) and crp (cyclic AMP [cAMP] receptor protein) mutants also supported the involvement of a catabolite-sensitive promoter. Analysis of rpoH mRNAs by S1 nuclease protection experiments led us to identify a novel promoter, designated P5, that is regulated by cAMP and the cAMP receptor protein. Studies of rpoH transcription in vitro demonstrated that RNA polymerase-sigma 70 can transcribe from the P5 promoter only in the presence of cAMP and its receptor protein. The 5' ends of P5 transcripts obtained in vivo and in vitro were found to be at 61 to 62 bp upstream of the initiation codon, and a putative binding sequence for the cAMP receptor protein was found at 38 to 39 bp further upstream. Transcription from the P5 promoter is increased by the addition of ethanol to the growth medium; however, the increase is greater in the presence of glucose than in its absence. These results add a new dimension to the transcriptional control of rpoH and to the regulation of the heat shock response in Escherichia coli.