Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Age-related ocular blood flow changes.

PURPOSE Pulsatile ocular blood flow (POBF is influenced by well-known parameters, such as intraocular pressure (IOP), heart rate, scleral rigidity, blood pressure, and posture. Age is also likely to influence POBF strongly. The purpose of this study was to evaluate POBF in relation to age in normal subjects. METHODS Relevant data were collected from a sample of 105 normal subjects, ranging in age from 10 to 80 years. To measure the effect of age on POBF, the subjects were divided into seven groups of 15 subjects each; the age range of each group spanned one decade, beginning with age 10. POBF and pulse amplitude (PA) were measured in sitting and supine positions and after suction cup application. RESULTS Using linear regression analysis, there was a significant correlation between PA and age in the supine position (P = 0.012) and after suction cup application (P = 0.002); in the sitting position, there was a borderline level of statistical significance (P = 0.053). In the sitting position, POBF was 819 +/- 212 microliters/minute in the second decade and 630 +/- 194 microliters/minute in the eighth decade. In the sitting position and after suction cup application, but not in the supine position, a statistically significant correlation between POBF decrease and age was found with linear regression analysis (P < 0.001 and P = 0.004, respectively). Using multiple regression analysis, POBF values revealed a significant correlation with age (P < 0.001), but not with systolic and diastolic brachial pressure. Considering all the subjects, analysis of variance for repeated measures highlighted a significant decrease of POBF from the sitting to the supine position and associated with an IOP increase (P < 0.001) without significant changes of PA. After suction cup application, there was a significant reduction of both PA and POBF (P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS The data revealed that as age increased, PA decreased in all three series of measurements. POBF decreased with age, and in subjects older than 50 years, the decrease was more evident. These findings are especially noticeable after IOP increase with suction cup. It must be considered that the age-related value of POBF is a fundamental parameter to evaluate correctly the hemodynamic aspects of the pathologies affecting the eye.
Job Satisfaction, Comparison Earnings, and Gender

This paper examines sex differences in job satisfaction by utilizing data from the 1986 UK Social and Economic Life Initiative (SCELI) household survey. It attempts to ascertain the relationship between actual and comparison pay and job satisfaction. Employees were asked on a 0-10 scale how satisfied or dissatisfied they were with their present job. They were also asked to state whether they were equitably, over or underpaid and to say how much pay they thought they deserved. Uniquely, therefore, we are able to analyse the effects of both actual and objective and subjective comparative pay measures on job satisfaction. The paper rejects the view that the higher expressed job satisfaction of women represents an innate difference rather than the results of selfdselection into jobs with highly valued attributes. Copyright Fondazione Giacomo Brodolini and Blackwell Publishers Ltd 2000.
Cellular prion protein ablation impairs behavior as a function of age

&NA; Cellular prion protein (PrPc) has been associated with some physiological functions in recent reports. Here we investigate behavioral parameters in 3‐ and 9‐month‐old mice lacking PrPc protein (Prnp0/0) and in rats after intrahippocampal administration of affinity purified anti‐PrPc IgG (0.09 &mgr;g/side). No differences were observed between 3‐month‐old animals. However, 9‐month‐old Prnp0/0 mice and rats infused with anti‐PrPc antibody showed a clear impairment of short‐ and long‐term memory retention of a step‐down inhibitory avoidance task. A decreased locomotor activity during exploration of an open field was also observed.These results suggest that systems involved in memory formation become more susceptible to mechanisms that require PrPc between the ages of 3 and 9 months in both mice and rats. NeuroReport 14:1375–1379 © 2003 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.
Effect of microbial phytase on apparent ileal amino acid digestibility of phosphorus-adequate diets in growing pigs

Abstract Six ileally cannulated pigs (mean initial body weight 34.8 kg) were used to study the effect of microbial phytase on apparent ileal digestibility of P, total N and amino acids. Three P-adequate diets (digestible P concentration 2.3 g · kg −1) containing barley (B), soyabean meal (S) or a mixture of the two (BS) with or without phytase supplement (1000 FTU · kg −1) were fed to pigs using a 6×6 Latin square design. The addition of phytase increased (p < 0.05) apparent ileal P digestibility of diets B, S and BS by 16.5, 19.2 and 19.2%, respectively. There was no effect of phytase on the ileal digestibility of total N. Apparent ileal digestibility of amino acids tended to increase in the BS diet supplemented with phytase (mean improvement of 2.2%); but no significant difference was found for any amino acid as compared with the unsupplemented diet. To asses the additivity of apparent amino acid digestibility, the determined values for the BS diet were compared to those calculated from digestibilities found in diets B and S. There were no significant differences between the determined and calculated values. It is concluded that the addition of microbial phytase to P-adequate diets does not affect ileal amino acid digestibility in growing pigs and that the apparent amino acid digestibility values determined in single ingredients may be additive when included into a complex diet.
An inter industry analysis of EVA® versus traditional corporate financial performance measures: evidence from Indian market

The main purpose of this paper is to test the efficacy of economic value added (EVA) and traditional performance measures in Indian industries. Using data from 23 Indian industries for a period of 2000–2009, the present study applies pooled data regression to test the relative and incremental information content of EVA and other conventional financial performance measures in explaining the market value added. Regression analysis indicate that net income (NI), net operating profits after taxes (NOPAT), cash flow from operations (OCF), earnings per share (EPS) and even residual income (RI) in some industries outperform EVA in explaining the changes in MVA in majority of the industries during the study period. The results of the present study fail to support the hypothesis as EVA although exhibit significant association with MVA but underperform traditional measures in explaining the MVA in majority of the sample industries. Thus, overall results refute the claim of EVA superiority in explaining the MVA as c.
20 years of the SMART protein domain annotation resource

Abstract SMART (Simple Modular Architecture Research Tool) is a web resource (http://smart.embl.de) for the identification and annotation of protein domains and the analysis of protein domain architectures. SMART version 8 contains manually curated models for more than 1300 protein domains, with approximately 100 new models added since our last update article (1). The underlying protein databases were synchronized with UniProt (2), Ensembl (3) and STRING (4), doubling the total number of annotated domains and other protein features to more than 200 million. In its 20th year, the SMART analysis results pages have been streamlined again and its information sources have been updated. SMART’s vector based display engine has been extended to all protein schematics in SMART and rewritten to use the latest web technologies. The internal full text search engine has been redesigned and updated, resulting in greatly increased search speed.
The effect of external network competence and intrafirm networks on a firm’s innovation performance: The moderating influence of relational governance

Abstract This study focuses on the effects of external network competence and intrafirm network on firm innovation performance, and the moderating role of intrafirm networks and relational governance on the relationship between external network competence and innovation performance. Our empirical results, based on sample data from 242 Chinese firms, reveal that external network competence and intrafirm network have a positive effect on innovation performance. Furthermore, we find that an intrafirm network positively moderates the relationship between external network competence and innovation performance, and that relational governance has an inverted U-shaped moderation effect on the relationship between external network competence and innovation performance. Implications of our results for theory and practice are discussed.
Global challenges in pediatric oncology

Purpose of review Reduction of child mortality is one of the Millennium Development Goals; as low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs) advance toward the achievement of this goal, initiatives aimed at reducing the burden of noncommunicable diseases, including childhood cancer, need to be developed. Recent findings Approximately 200 000 children and adolescents are diagnosed with cancer every year worldwide; of those, 80% live in LMICs, which account for 90% of the deaths. Lack of quality population-based cancer registries in LMICs limits our knowledge of the epidemiology of pediatric cancer; however, available information showing variations in incidence may indicate unique interactions between environmental and genetic factors that could provide clues to cause. Outcome of children with cancer in LMICs is dictated by late presentation and underdiagnosis, high abandonment rates, high prevalence of malnutrition and other comorbidities, suboptimal supportive and palliative care, and limited access to curative therapies. Initiatives integrating program building with education of healthcare providers and research have proven to be successful in the development of regional capacity. Intensity-graduated treatments adjusted to the local capacity have been developed. Summary Childhood cancer burden is shifted toward LMICs; global initiatives directed at pediatric cancer care and control are urgently needed. International partnerships facilitating stepwise processes that build capacity while incorporating epidemiology and health services research and implementing intensity-graduated treatments have been shown to be effective.
Demystifying trust: Experimental evidence from Cambodia and Thailand

We report the results of a trust survey and public goods experiment conducted with high school students in rural Thailand and Cambodia that together help clarify the dynamics at work in sustaining economic cooperation within these two third-world communities. We find that standard survey measures of trust employed by the World Values Survey, which form the basis of most macro-empirical investigations of trust and political-economic development, are not useful for predicting contributions to a public goods game. Expectations, on the other hand, profoundly influence contributions and do so independently of trust levels. However, this influence is complex and depends on the distribution of player types. We observe a distribution similar to previous studies, with the largest group, principled reciprocators, updating their behavior quickly based on expectations of trustworthiness. Indeed, this study suggests that trustworthiness in particular is more important than trust in general and further challenges ‘a-rational’ theories of trust.
How Japanese schools build a professional learning community by lesson study

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to clarify the lesson study (LS) processes and evaluate their effectiveness in Japanese elementary and secondary (middle and high) schools, through a school survey by the National Institute for Educational Policy Research of Japan (NIER). Design/methodology/approach – The authors randomly selected 1,000 elementary schools and 1,000 middle schools and 500 high schools in Japan. Survey items are methods of LS, and indicators of building professional learning communities (PLC) through LSs, close communication between teachers, high quality instruction by teachers, and test scores of students of the school.Findings – Based on the school survey in elementary and middle schools, almost all schools set up a school‐wide committee, a research theme, and a schedule for LS, and LSs were implemented as part of a school‐wide lesson study from which an action research report is produced. On the other hand, in high schools, almost all the schools implemented LSs, but each LS is inde.
University Funding Reform, Competition, and Teaching Quality

This paper explores the impact of university funding reform on teaching quality competition. It shows that a graduate tax with differentiated, but state-regulated fees maximises the higher education surplus, whereas student grants as well as pure and income contingent loans do not. Fee autonomy for universities leads to results inferior to properly state controlled fees and can make the majority of students even worse off than a central student assignment system with very poor teaching incentives.
Cross-border corporate ownership and capital market integration in Europe: evidence from portfolio and industrial holdings

The level and determinants of cross-border holdings are evaluated using data on the ownership structures of 711 MSCI index companies in 16 European countries. The level of foreign ownership in the 16 countries is significant, but spread unevenly, with US financial institutions controlling the majority of foreign stakes. Countries' borders, rather than company size ranges are the main lines of discrimination between high and low levels of foreign corporate ownership. Major factors influencing the intensity of cross-border links include the proximity of investors to the destination of capital, and corporate governance. From the perspective of international corporate ownership, the level of capital market integration in Europe is low and the concept of the pan-European company remains a long way from being realised. Implications are drawn for future research and integration policy. Copyright 2002, Oxford University Press.
Karyotyping and analysis of GNAS locus in intramuscular myxomas

Intramuscular myxoma is a benign soft tissue tumor about which very limited genetic information exists. We studied 68 intramuscular myxomas by means of chromosome banding analysis finding abnormal karyotypes in 21 of them. The most clearly nonrandom involvement was of chromosome 8 which was found gained in seven tumors (+8 was the sole change in five myxomas) and structurally rearranged in another two. Since mutation of the gene GNAS (20q13) has been implicated in the pathogenesis of both solitary and hereditary multiple myxomas, we assessed the transcription and mutation status of this gene in five tumors from which we had suitable RNA. All five intramuscular myxomas expressed biallelic transcripts. The mutated GNAS allele found in one tumor was also biallelically transcribed. In none of the five myxomas were maternally expressed transcripts detected. Collectively, the data suggest that intramuscular myxomas have acquired genetic abnormalities that often include chromosome 8 changes but may also involve alterations of GNAS. To what extent these aberrations are pathogenetically important, remains uncertain.
Keratins: markers and modulators of liver disease

Purpose of review Keratins are a subgroup of intermediate filaments expressed in the epithelia. Keratins emerged as important tissue-protecting genes and keratin variants cause/predispose to development of more than 50 human disorders. Our review focuses on the importance of keratins in context of liver disease. Recent findings K8/K18 variants are found in approximately 4% of white population and predispose to development and adverse outcome of multiple liver diseases. K8/K18 are major constituents of Mallory–Denk bodies, that is inclusions found in alcoholic and nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) and dysregulated keratin expression, K8 hyperphosphorylation, misfolding and crosslinking via transglutaminase 2 facilitate aggregate formation. Necrosis-generated and apoptosis-generated keratin serum fragments are emerging as important noninvasive markers of multiple liver diseases, particularly NASH. Keratins are established markers of tumor origin and in hepatocellular carcinoma, K19 expression is associated with poor prognosis. Summary Keratins are established tumor markers and are widely used as noninvasive markers of liver injury. In addition, the data that have become available in recent years have greatly advanced our understanding of keratins as modifiers of liver disease development.
A Spatial Analysis of Primary Health Care Markets in Rural Areas

An exponential spatial interaction model was used to analyze primary-health-care-seeking patterns of rural consumers in northern California. A macrotheory of spatial interaction and a microtheory of consumer search were combined as a logically consistent rationale for the model. Ordinary least squares proved superior to nonlinear least squares and a limited dependent variable maximum likelihood technique in predicting health-care-seeking patterns. The model was used to address policy questions including the impact of removing local providers on patient flows to remaining providers and the market shares that could be expected by a new provider.
Risk of Shunt Dependent Hydrocephalus after Treatment of Ruptured Intracranial Aneurysms : Surgical Clipping versus Endovascular Coiling According to Fisher Grading System.

OBJECTIVE The amount of hemorrhage observed on a brain computed tomography scan, or a patient's Fisher grade (FG), is a powerful risk factor for development of shunt dependent hydrocephlaus (SDHC). However, the influence of treatment modality (clipping versus coiling) on the rate of SDHC development has not been thoroughly investigated. Therefore, we compared the risk of SDHC in both treatment groups according to the amount of subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH). METHODS We retrospectively reviewed 839 patients with aneurysmal SAH for a 5-year-period. Incidence of chronic SDHC was analyzed using each treatment modality according to the FG system. In addition, other well known risk factors for SDHC were also evaluated. RESULTS According to our data, Hunt-Hess grade, FG, acute hydrocephalus, and intraventricular hemorrhage were significant risk factors for development of chronic SDHC. Coiling group showed lower incidence of SDHC in FG 2 patients, and clipping groups revealed a significantly lower rate in FG 4 patients. CONCLUSION Based on our data, treatment modality might have an influence on the incidence of SDHC. In FG 4 patients, the clipping group showed lower incidence of SDHC, and the coiling group showed lower incidence in FG 2 patients. We suggest that these findings could be a considerable factor when deciding on a treatment modality for aneurysmal SAH patients, particularly when the ruptured aneurysm can be occluded by either clipping or coiling.
Global Crisis And The Demand For Gold By Central Banks: A Review Essay With Reference To India

When India purchased 200 tons of gold in October 2009, it was perceived, inter alia that it may spur the demand for gold by many central banks and the price may further escalate. This paper examines the general trend among the central banks' demand for gold in the wake of the recent global financial crisis. In that context, the paper focuses on whether India's purchase of gold was an appropriate reserve management strategy and if it affected the gold price trends. Related issues such as optimum size of gold in foreign reserves and the rationale of central banks buying gold with special reference to the global crisis are also addressed.
PARENTING FROM PRISON: Helping Children and Mothers

Incarceration of a mother disrupts the mother-child relationship and the child's emotional development. The researchers evaluated a 15-week parenting program in a women's prison that was designed to enhance mother-child interactions during imprisonment. Pre- and postmeasures for the 104 women were Hudson's (1982) Index of Self-Esteem, Bavolek's (1984) Adult-Adolescent Parenting Inventory, and semistructured questionnaires. Self-esteem and attitudes about expectations of children, corporal punishment, and family roles improved significantly. Empathy and mother-child interactions through visits and letters improved. Participants identified the most helpful components of the program. Those who had been physically, sexually, and emotionally abused and those who had used drugs and alcohol had positive results. Findings support the value of parent education for self-development of incarcerated mothers and for the welfare of their children.
Continuous-time Modeling of Bid-Ask Spread and Price Dynamics in Limit Order Books

We derive a continuous time model for the joint evolution of the mid price and the bid-ask spread from a multiscale analysis of the whole limit order book (LOB) dynamics. We model the LOB as a multiclass queueing system and perform our asymptotic analysis using stylized features observed empirically. We argue that in the asymptotic regime supported by empirical observations the mid price and bid-ask-spread can be described using only certain parameters of the book (not the whole book itself). Our limit process is characterized by reflecting behavior and state-dependent jumps. Our analysis allows to explain certain characteristics observed in practice such as: the connection between power-law decaying tails in the volumes of the order book and the returns, as well as statistical properties of the long-run spread distribution.
The prerequisites of public policy for technology innovation

We studied the prerequisites of public policy for technology innovation, especially in small- and medium size countries (but not limited to), by analysing the Israeli High-Technology (Hi-Tech) experience over the past 15 years and by interviews with local industry professionals and entrepreneurs as well as from a variety of data sources. We find that the prerequisites for the formation of a viable Hi-Tech sector comprise the following major components: creating or leveraging on a local comparative advantage at the firm or sub-sector level, importing professional high-risk capital and reducing tangible and intangible international trade costs by forming a suitable habitat, infrastructure-wise. We recommend focusing first on the investors rather than on the entrepreneurs. We argue that the Israeli experience is valid for regions and countries that are interested in setting up or strengthening their innovative Hi-Tech sector.
MODELS OF VETOES AND VETO BARGAINING

▪ Abstract Models of veto bargaining have become an important tool for formal institutional analysis. This chapter reviews the core model of veto bargaining and some of its more interesting and useful extensions, focusing on one of the best developed applications, the presidential veto over legislation. One of the primary attractions of these models is that they often produce crisp, testable empirical predictions. Our review focuses on 18 such predictions. We conclude with a brief review of the empirical evidence related to these hypotheses.