Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Cardiac responsiveness to beta-adrenergics in rats with lead-induced hypertension

There are controversial reports about the exact mechanisms of lead-induced hypertension, but alteration in the responsiveness of cardiovascular system to catecholamines may be involved. In the present study, the effect of exposure to low level of lead acetate on responsiveness of isolated beating heart to ? -adrenergics in male rats was investigated, using Langendorff isolated heart. Animals were randomly divided into 4 groups: control and 4, 8 and 12-week lead-treated groups. Lead-treated groups received 100ppm lead acetate in drinking water. The isolated hearts were perfused with Krebs-Henseleit solution at 37? C and pH=7.4 under constant pressure and gassed with 95%O2+5%CO2. The blood pressure of anesthetized animals and chronotropic and inotropic responses of the isolated hearts to ? -adrenergics (isoproterenol and dobutamine) were recorded separately and corresponding dose-response curves were obtained. The blood pressure in 8-and 12-week lead-treated groups was significantly increased compared with those of the control group (P<0.01). The chronotropic response to isoproterenol in only 12-week lead-treated group was significantly increased. The inotropic response to this drug was also significantly increased in both 8-and 12-week lead-treated rats (P<0.05). Similar findings were observed with dobutamine, but the contractile response of the latter agent was greater than the isoproterenol. Our results indicate that low-level of lead increases blood pressure and both chronotropic and inotropic effects of ? -adrenergics. These effects could imply an important role in the pathogenesis of lead-induced hypertension.
New Approaches of 4-Aryl-2-Hydrazinothiazole Derivatives Synthesis, Molecular Docking, and Biological Evaluations

In the field of the preparation of chemotherapeutic agents with new mechanism distinct from currently approved drugs is important. The implication of different members of Histone Acetyl Transferase (HAT) in cancer disease is well documented in literature, however the clinically effective approved small inhibitor molecule is still lacking. Previous reports indicated that 4-aryl-2-hydrazinothiazole derivatives provided a useful start point to develop HAT inhibitors. Consequently, preparation and biological evaluation of a focused library of 4-aryl-2- hydrazinothiazole based derivatives as useful as anti-cancer agents. Synthesis of 4-aryl-2-hydrazinothiazoles (1a-d), (2a-d), (3a-c), (4a-b), (5ab), (6a-b) studied by either conventional method and free solvent microwave one pot method, the activity against different cancer cell-lines and the antimicrobial activities against different organisms also studied. It was found that all of the prepared thaizoles derivatives were active toward many cell lines (breast, liver, and prostate) where the more active compounds were 4a, 4b, and 6a. Most of these compounds showed highly activity as antibacterial for gram positive and gram negative. However it showed also antifungal activity. Molecular docking studies guided and proved the biological activities of these novel 4-aryl-2-hydrazinothiazoles. Also Infrared Radiation (IR), Proton Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (1H-NMR), Carbon-13 Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (13C-NMR), Gas chromatography–Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS), and elemental analysis were studied. Graphical Abstract 3D plot of the interaction against receptors of 3EQM 3D plot of the interaction against receptors of 3CQX protein with 4b 3D plot of the interaction against receptors of 4ihz protein with 4a
Capital Structure Choice and Firm Value: New Empirical Evidence from Asymmetric Causality Test

This study aims to analyze the possible asymmetric causal relationship between capital structure and firm value by employing the asymmetric causality test of Hatemi-J (2012), on a time series data of Turkish manufacturing industry (consisting of Borsa Istanbul listed manufacturing firms) for the period of 1990.Q1-2015.Q4. Test results point out a unidirectional asymmetric causal relationship between capital structure and firm value, indicating that capital structure Granger-cause firm value when shocks are negative, but not when shocks are positive. More explicitly, a decrease in total debt ratio leads to a decrease in the market-to-book value ratio. Considering the effect of only negative shock, this empirical finding also supports partial evidence to the validity of trade-off theory which predicts a positive relationship between debt level and firm value.
Epistemic uncertainties and natural hazard risk assessment – Part 1: A review of different natural hazard areas

Abstract. This paper discusses how epistemic uncertainties are currently considered in the most widely occurring natural hazard areas, including floods, landslides and debris flows, dam safety, droughts, earthquakes, tsunamis, volcanic ash clouds and pyroclastic flows, and wind storms. Our aim is to provide an overview of the types of epistemic uncertainty in the analysis of these natural hazards and to discuss how they have been treated so far to bring out some commonalities and differences. The breadth of our study makes it difficult to go into great detail on each aspect covered here; hence the focus lies on providing an overview and on citing key literature. We find that in current probabilistic approaches to the problem, uncertainties are all too often treated as if, at some fundamental level, they are aleatory in nature. This can be a tempting choice when knowledge of more complex structures is difficult to determine but not acknowledging the epistemic nature of many sources of uncertainty will compromise any risk analysis. We do not imply that probabilistic uncertainty estimation necessarily ignores the epistemic nature of uncertainties in natural hazards; expert elicitation for example can be set within a probabilistic framework to do just that. However, we suggest that the use of simple aleatory distributional models, common in current practice, will underestimate the potential variability in assessing hazards, consequences, and risks. A commonality across all approaches is that every analysis is necessarily conditional on the assumptions made about the nature of the sources of epistemic uncertainty. It is therefore important to record the assumptions made and to evaluate their impact on the uncertainty estimate. Additional guidelines for good practice based on this review are suggested in the companion paper (Part 2).
CORPORATE SOCIAL PERFORMANCE, COST OF CAPITAL AND THE OWNERSHIP IN TAIWANESE ADVANTAGE TECHNOLOGY INDUSTRY

This study discusses how corporate social responsibility (CSR) affects firm’s cost of capital in Taiwan advantage technology industry including semiconductor and photoelectric industry in the Taiwan Stock Market with different ownership structure. We match sample by propensity matching method and analyze the relationship between corporate social performance (CSP) and the cost of capital. Our results show the CSP has negative significant effects with cost of capital under family-owned companies, but no significant effects with non-family-owned companies. This study further address how media reported CSR news affects both shareholders’ reaction and firm’s cost of capital.
Consumers’ Perceptions of Variety – the Impact of Private Brands

This study aims to investigate how consumers perceive variety in grocery stores and further how private brands have affected consumers’ perceptions of variety in grocery stores.The study focuses on the perceptions and attitudes towards variety and the impact of private brands on perceived variety. Hence, a qualitative rather than quantitative study has been used. Photo elicitation has been used in both focus groups and in-depth interviews, which have been the empirical data collection of the study. Scientific articles and books have also been used in the process. The connection of new empirical data with previous research has been analyzed through the whole thesis and is presented in detail in the analysis and the conclusions.Previous theories in form of books and scientific articles have been used to describe the research area, to support the selection of key factors in the conceptual framework and to increase understandings of previous research of these factors.Focus groups have been used in order to find the key aspects of how consumers perceive variety. In combination with previous studies on these aspects focus groups have created the propositions that have been tested in the in-depth interviews. The interviews were built on the key aspects and gave us the foundation for the analysis and conclusions.During the research process it has become clear that consumers perceive the variety in grocery stores differently in distinct product categories. Product involvement, taste and price are some of the factors that strongly influence their perceptions of variety. The results from this study indicate that consumers think that private brands have increased their options in various product categories, mainly due to the extension of price options.
Testing a model of strategic HRM in the Chinese software industry

This study tests a strategic HRM model by examining the relationship between HR practices and perceived firm performance in 39 software firms in China. Due to the small sample size, Partial Least Squares modelling was used to test the hypotheses as PLS was considered to be the most appropriate tool in explaining path modelling in small sample size. We found that the effectiveness of HRM can be explained by the paths from the perceived effectiveness of HR practices such as hiring and performance appraisal. The path from HR department effectiveness was positively linked to critical success factors, which led to perceived firm performance. Critical success factors mediate the relationship between the effectiveness of HR practices and firm performance. Research and practical implications will be discussed.
Airborne hyperspectral observations of surface and cloud directional reflectivity using a commercial digital camera

Abstract. Spectral radiance measurements by a digital single-lens reflex camera were used to derive the directional reflectivity of clouds and different surfaces in the Arctic. The camera has been calibrated radiometrically and spectrally to provide accurate radiance measurements with high angular resolution. A comparison with spectral radiance measurements with the Spectral Modular Airborne Radiation measurement sysTem (SMART-Albedometer) showed an agreement within the uncertainties of both instruments (6% for both). The directional reflectivity in terms of the hemispherical directional reflectance factor (HDRF) was obtained for sea ice, ice-free ocean and clouds. The sea ice, with an albedo of ρ = 0.96 (at 530 nm wavelength), showed an almost isotropic HDRF, while sun glint was observed for the ocean HDRF (ρ = 0.12). For the cloud observations with ρ = 0.62, the cloudbow – a backscatter feature typically for scattering by liquid water droplets – was covered by the camera. For measurements above heterogeneous stratocumulus clouds, the required number of images to obtain a mean HDRF that clearly exhibits the cloudbow has been estimated at about 50 images (10 min flight time). A representation of the HDRF as a function of the scattering angle only reduces the image number to about 10 (2 min flight time). The measured cloud and ocean HDRF have been compared to radiative transfer simulations. The ocean HDRF simulated with the observed surface wind speed of 9 m s −1 agreed best with the measurements. For the cloud HDRF, the best agreement was obtained by a broad and weak cloudbow simulated with a cloud droplet effective radius of R eff = 4 μm. This value agrees with the particle sizes derived from in situ measurements and retrieved from the spectral radiance of the SMART-Albedometer.
THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN CITRULLINE ACCUMULATION AND SALT TOLERANCE DURING THE VEGETATIVE GROWTH OF MELON (CUCUMIS MELO L.)

Citrulline has been recently shown to behave as a novel compatible solute in the Citrullus lanatus (Cucurbitaceae) growing under desert conditions. In the present study we have investigated some aspects of the relationship which might occur in leaves of melon seedlings, also known to produce citrulline, between the capacity to accumulate this ureido amino acid and salt tolerance. With this end in view, salt-induced changes at the citrulline level have been compared in two melon genotypes exhibiting contrasted abilities to withstand the damaging effects of high salinity. Progressive salinization of the growing solution occurred at 23 days after sowing. The final 250 mmol/l external NaCl concentration was reached within 5 days and further maintained for 16 days. In response to this treatment, it was found that the citrulline amount increased in fully expanded leaves of both genotypes according to different kinetics. The salt tolerant genotype Midyat was induced to accumulate citrulline 4 days before the salt sensitive Yuva and as a consequence the final amount of this amino acid was twice higher in the former than in the latter. Compared with citrulline, the free proline level was found to be relatively low and the changes induced in response to the salt treatment exhibited different trends according to the genotypes under study. Thus at the end of the treatment mature leaves of the salt sensitive Yuva contained higher amount of proline than those of Midyat. The changes in the calculated molar ratio between citrulline and free proline suggested that salt tolerance might be associated with high values for this ratio and vice et versa for sensitivity. The interest of citrulline as a biochemical marker for salt tolerance of melon genotypes is discussed.
Active fault geometry and kinematics in Parnitha Mountain , Attica , Greece

The Parnitha mountain range lies between two Quaternary rift systems in central Greece: the Gulf of Corinth Rift and the Gulf of Evia rift. We suggest that the range was formed by footwall uplift on active normal faults striking WNW–ESE and NE–SW. We investigated the scarp appearance, geometry and slip rates of three normal faults bounding this mountain range by field mapping at 1:5000 scale. Active faults studied include the 8.5 km long Fili Fault, the 4.7 km long Maliza Fault and the 4 km long Thrakomakedones Fault. We calculated comparable mean slip rates for all mapped faults (Fili: 0.18 mm/yr, Avlon: 0.2 mm/yr, Thrakomakedones: 0.24 mm/yr); however, we suggest that the WNW–ESE structures are more active during the Late Quaternary because of abundant field evidence of recent movements along slip surfaces (fresh basal stripes and slickenlines). In addition, stress axes analysis shows a N78E–N258E (NNE–SSW) oriented, extensional stress field, which is compatible with the focal mechanism of the Athens 1999 earthquake. The fault-slip data from the Parnitha faults show orientations similar to other low-strain areas in central Greece, such as the Gulf of Evia Rift to the north. Our slip rate estimates may explain the low recurrence of large earthquakes in Attica as opposed to high slip rate areas in central Greece such as the neighbouring Gulf of Corinth. q 2004 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
The estrogen receptor α:insulin receptor substrate 1 complex in breast cancer: structure–function relationships

Background: Insulin receptor substrate 1 (IRS-1) is a signaling molecule that exerts a key role in mediating cross talk between estrogen receptor a (ERa) and insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) in breast cancer cells. Previously, we demonstrated that a fraction of IRS-1 binds ERa, translocates to the nucleus, and modulates ERa-dependent transcription at estrogen response elements (ERE). Here, we studied structure-function relationships of the ER-a:IRS-1 complex under IGF-1 and/or estradiol (E 2 ) stimulation. Materials and methods: ERa and IRS-1 deletion mutants were used to analyze structural and functional ERα/IRS-1 interactions. IRS-1 binding to ERE and IRS-1 role in ERa-dependent ERE transcription was examined by chromatin immunoprecipitation and gene reporter analysis, respectively. The requirement for IRS-1 in ERa function was tested with RNAi technology. Results: Nuclear translocation of IRS-1 was induced by E 2 , IGF-1, and a combination of both stimuli. ERα/IRS-1 binding was direct and involved the activation function-1 (AF-1)/DNA binding domain (DBD) region of ERa and two discrete regions of IRS -1 (the N-terminal pleckstrin homology domain and a region within the C-terminus). IRS -1 knock down abrogated IGF-1 -dependent transcriptional activity of unliganded ERa, but induced the activity of liganded ERa. Conclusions: ERα/IRS-1 interactions are direct and involve the ERa AF-1/DBD domain and IRS-1 domains mapping within N- and C-terminus. IRS-1 may act as a repressor of liganded ERa and coactivator of unliganded ERa.
Numerical tensile test on a mushy zone sample

Time sequences of 3D images of an Al-Cu alloy in the mushy state are obtained using in situ and real-time X-ray microtomography during a tensile test. Surface meshes of phase interfaces are built from these images with the help of a Marching Cubes algorithm. The signed distance to the surface meshes is then computed on a finite element mesh of the volume of the phases. These signed distance functions enable to track the interfaces between the phases in an implicit way. A numerical representation of the real microstructure is thus obtained, allowing to perform a numerical tensile test which is compared with the experimental tensile test. Results retrieve the general dynamic behaviour of the strain field evolution and opens promising perspectives for further interpretations of experimental results based on numerical simulations.
The Corporatist Sisyphus : Past , Present and Future

"The Corporatist Sisyphus" Philippe C. Schmitter and Jürgen R. Grote We now know that the (re)discovery of corporatism in the mid-1970s was ironic. At the very moment that academics started using the concept to analyze trends in advanced capitalist societies, the practice had already peaked and it continued to decline during the 1980s. Then, just as many observers had announced its demise, corporatism has risen again and now seems to be carrying its twin burdens of interest associability and policy-making to new heights during the 1990s. The primary “growth potential” for macro-corporatist architects in the future lies in the feverish efforts of national governments to adapt to EU directives, product and professional standards, verdicts of the ECJ and the convergence criteria for EMU. The boundaries, territorial and functional, of interest politics have shifted irrevocably which paradoxically implies a greater not a lesser reliance on previous structures of national intermediation -provided they can be exploited to fulfill new tasks and still manage to reproduce the old loyalties. So, this article argues, the Corporatist Sisyphus is headed back up the hill, goaded as before by an architectonic national state. Moreover, he is just about on time. If previous speculation about a twenty to twenty-five year cycle was correct and if one traces their last downturn to the First Oil Shock of 1973, then corporatist practices should have bottomed out ca. 1985-8 and will be hitting their peak sometime after 1998-9 -more or less at the very moment that monetary unification is (supposed) to occur!
ASSESSING OIL OXIDATIVE STABILITY IN TARALLINI BY OXITEST

The shelf life of the typical Italian snack “tarallini” depends on the recipe and on the cooking and storage conditions. In this work, the lipid shelf life of tarallini was measured using an OXITEST ® instrument, an accelerated oxidation test. The setup of OXITEST ® was for the sample amount and the sample particle size. Homemade tarallini prepared using sunflower oil, extra virgin olive oil and a blend of extra virgin olive oil and lard was cooked twice and tested. The results showed a good ability of OXITEST ® to discriminate between lipid unsaturation and cooking time, providing information on the lipid shelf life of complex food matrices, such as tarallini.
Nutritive value of sun-dried sulla (hedysarum flexuosum) and its effect on performance and carcass characteristics of growing rabbits

The nutritive value and potential use of sundried sulla hay ( Hedysarum flexuosum, g/kg as feed: 885 dry matter, 438 neutral detergent fibre (NDF), 337 acid detergent fibre (ADF), 80 acid detergent lignin and 147 crude protein (CP) for growing rabbits was studied by comparing three diets (regression method) containing an increasing inclusion rate of sulla hay (S): 0% (control, S0), 15 % (S15) and 30% (S30) in substitution for control diet (294 g NDF and 179 g CP/ kg). Three groups of 30 rabbits (individually caged) were fed ad libitum the three diets from weaning (35 d, mean weight: 572 ± 93g) to 84 d of age. Faecal digestibility of the diets was measured between 42 and 46 days of age on 10 rabbits per group. The digestible energy (DE) concentration of sulla hay estimated by regression was 8.96±0.57 MJ/kg DM, thus 7% higher than standard alfalfa meal, which would account for its high NDF digestibility (54.9%). Digestibility of crude sulla protein was estimated at 42.8%, corresponding to a digestible crude protein concentration of 71.1±8.9 g/kg DM. Even at a high incorporation rate in the feed (30%), sulla hay did not cause adverse effects on the animal growth (mean 36.0 g/d), feed intake (mean 119 g/d) or health. Feed conversion was better for a moderate rate of sulla inclusion in the diet (about 15%) than for a higher inclusion rate (3.14 vs. 3.36, P < 0.001). Health status and slaughter traits were not affected by the sulla incorporation rate. Sun-dried sulla hay ( Hedysarum flexuosum ) could thus be considered a good ﬁbre source for the rabbit as a substitute for alfalfa meal.
Impact of multipath effects on theoretical accuracy of TOA-based indoor VLC positioning system

This paper discusses the time-of-arrival (TOA) based indoor visible light communication (VLC) positioning system in a non-line-of-sight environment. The propagation delay is assumed to be gamma distributed. The generalized Cramer–Rao lower bound for multipath propagation is derived as the theoretical accuracy limitation. The performance of the positioning system is affected by the shape parameter and the scale parameter of gamma distribution. The influences on positioning accuracy of multipath effects are analyzed through discussing the physical meaning of the gamma distribution parameters. It is concluded that the lower bound of positioning accuracy is attained when variance of the non-line-of-sight propagation-induced path lengths is zero. The simulation result proves that the theoretical positioning accuracy is in the order of centimeters with the given scenario.