Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Proteomic analysis to characterize differential mouse strain sensitivity to cadmium-induced forelimb teratogenesis.

BACKGROUND Cadmium ion (Cd2+) is a ubiquitous environmental contaminant, and it is a potent teratogen in mice. An intraperitoneal dose of 4 mg/kg of CdCl2 at gestational day 9 causes forelimb ectrodactyly in the C57BL/6N mouse strain, but the SWV/Fnn strain is resistant. The objective of this study was to identify differentially displayed proteins in two target tissues for cadmium teratogenesis, and to derive hypotheses regarding the mechanisms involved in the murine strain difference in Cd-induced forelimb ectrodactyly. METHODS The global proteomics strategy used two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis for protein separation, and MALDI-TOF-MS and LC-MS/MS for protein identification, to compare and identify proteins in forelimb buds and yolk sacs from the two mouse strains following Cd administration. RESULTS More than 1,000 protein spots were detected by two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis in day 10.0 mouse forelimb buds and yolk sacs. Thirty-eight proteins had identifiable differences in abundance levels in Cd-treated forelimb buds between the two strains. Of those 38 proteins, 14 could be associated with the unfolded protein response process and seven are associated with actin polymerization. The proteins that were found to be differentially abundant between the strains in yolk sacs that were exposed to CdCl2 were predominantly different than the proteins detected differentially in the limb buds of the two strains with an overlap of approximately 20%. CONCLUSIONS These patterns of differentially displayed proteins rationalize a hypothesis that the differential murine strain response to cadmium-induced forelimb ectrodactyly is due to differences in their pathways for the unfolded protein response and/or actin polymerization.
A new look at the robust control of discrete-time Markov jump linear systems*

ABSTRACT In this paper, we make a foray in the role played by a set of four operators on the study of robust H2 and mixed H2/H∞ control problems for discrete-time Markov jump linear systems. These operators appear in the study of mean square stability for this class of systems. By means of new linear matrix inequality (LMI) characterisations of controllers, which include slack variables that, to some extent, separate the robustness and performance objectives, we introduce four alternative approaches to the design of controllers which are robustly stabilising and at the same time provide a guaranteed level of H2 performance. Since each operator provides a different degree of conservatism, the results are unified in the form of an iterative LMI technique for designing robust H2 controllers, whose convergence is attained in a finite number of steps. The method yields a new way of computing mixed H2/H∞ controllers, whose conservatism decreases with iteration. Two numerical examples illustrate the applicability of the proposed results for the control of a small unmanned aerial vehicle, and for an underactuated robotic arm.
Privatizing Poland: Baby Food, Big Business, and the Remaking of Labor

Chapter 1. The Road to Capitalism Chapter 2. Accountability, Corruption, and the Privatization of Alima Chapter 3. Niche Marketing and the Production of Flexible Bodies Chapter 4. Quality Control, Discipline, and the Remaking of Persons Chapter 5. Ideas of Kin and Home on the Shop Floor Chapter 6. Power and Postsocialism Notes Bibliography Index
BRAND IMAGE, CORPORATE REPUTATION, AND CUSTOMER VALUE

Companies in all industries are searching for new sources of competitive advantage since the competition in their marketplace is becoming increasingly intensive. The resource-based view of the firm explains the sources of sustainable competitive advantages. From a resource-based view perspective, relational based assets (i.e., the assets resulting from firm contacts in the marketplace) enable competitive advantage. The relational based assets examined in this work are brand image and corporate reputation, as components of brand equity, and customer value. This paper explores how they create value. Despite the relatively large amount of literature describing the benefits of firms in having strong brand equity and delivering customer value, no research validated the linkage of brand equity components, brand image, and corporate reputation, simultaneously in the customer value–customer loyalty chain. This work presents a model of testing these relationships in consumer goods, in a business-to-business context. The results demonstrate the differential roles of brand image and corporate reputation on perceived
Effects of Land Degradation on Agriculture in Anambra State: Issue for Agricultural Extension Policy

The study examined the effects of land degradation on agriculture in Anambra state. Two Local Government Areas were purposively selected from the state while a town community was purposively selected from each of the Local Government Areas. Proportionate sampling technique was used to select 50% of the villages in each town and a total of 112 respondents were used for the study. Frequency, percentage and mean score were used for data analysis. Some findings of the study were: erosion (M=2.50), excessive use of inorganic manure and agrochemicals (M=2.45) and construction of roads and houses (M=2.42), were serious causes of land degradation in the area. High cost of input in farming (M=2.52) and rural urban migration were major effects of land degradation in the area. Evidences of the effects of land degradation in the area were: estimated mean monthly income dropped from N35,000 in 2005 to N15,000 in 2009. Mean farm size decreased from 1.5 hectare in 2005 to 0.75 hectare in 2009. Percentage of respondents rearing goat dropped from 80.4% to 41.1% while percentage of respondents growing cassava dropped from 100% to 80.4% within these years. Majority of the respondents pointed out aforestation (77.7%), controlled grazing (75.9%) as strategies they use to prevent land degradation in the area. They sourced information on land management and conservation practices from town criers (M=2.52) and radio (M=2.35). The study enumerated the need to include land management and conservation practices into agricultural extension programme (ADP) so that their clientele( farmers) can be equipped and involved practically in conservation/management of land for improved agricultural output and better future.
Mandated Climate Change Disclosures by Firms Participating in the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative

Abstract In February 2010, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) issued an interpretive release clarifying what registrants should disclose related to climate change on their documents filed with SEC (i.e. 10-K or 20-F). This study investigates whether the electric utility firms participating in the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) are virtually fulfilling this mandate. An equal weighting content analysis was performed with two types of disclosure indices for RGGI and climate change, respectively. The results show that there are cross-sectional differences in the disclosures on both RGGI and climate change among the sample firms. However, we do not find any significant temporal difference in the disclosure on RGGI among the sample years from 2008 to 2011. Although there is no significant difference in the disclosure on climate change between the initiative 2009 and 2010 (the year targeted by the SEC), we find a significant difference between 2008 and 2010. This finding suggests that there was an impact of the SEC interpretive release on firms' disclosure on climate change.
Parental Visiting of Children with Burns

was carried out with end-to-end anastomosis of the bowel. After 18 months' follow-up the patient was well. The decision to advise resection in our patient was made after considerable hesitation, particularly in view of the result in Hale and Schatzki's (1944) case, where the obstruction persisted. We thought that the reason for this was that anastomosis of the normal ileum to the abnormal duodenum resulted in a functional block to peristalsis. For this reason, in our case the ileum was anastomosed to the stomach, the duodenum being implanted end-to-side into the ileum. We are not suggesting that we have in any way cured this patient, but that surgery has afforded relief of a serious complication which gives rise to gross disability that would probably have resulted in very early death.
Patient care teams and customer satisfaction: the role of team cohesion

Patient care teams are emerging as health care organizations continue to face resource constraints and greater demands for patient satisfaction. Although health care management researchers and managers tout the benefits of teams, findings from empirical research are mixed regarding the use of patient care teams. To gain a better understanding of patient care teams, we examined the antecedents and consequences of cohesion, one construct hypothesized to contribute to effective team performance. Previous research suggests adequacy of team training, pay equity, and acceptance of teamwork as antecedents positively associated with the team cohesion. Findings support the importance of training and a positive predisposition for teamwork to be significantly related to cohesion. Importantly, cohesion was linked to quality of patient care leading to greater levels of patient satisfaction. Implications for managers and researchers are discussed.
Assessing the Cost of Financial Regulation

This study assesses the overall impact on credit of the financial regulatory reforms in Europe, Japan, and the United States. Long-term cost estimates are provided for Basel III capital and liquidity requirements, derivatives reforms, and higher taxes and fees. Overall, average lending rates in the base case would rise by 18 bps in Europe, 8 bps in Japan, and 28 bps in the United States. These results are similar to the official BIS assessments of Basel III and an OECD analysis, but lower as a result of including expense cuts and reductions in the returns required by investors. As a result, they are markedly lower than those of the IIF.
Combinatorial Auctions for Truckload Transportation Procurement

Combinatorial Auctions for Truckload Transportation Procurement Zhong Ma Doctor of Philosophy Graduate Department of Mechanical & Industrial Engineering University of Toronto 2008 The goal of this dissertation is to understand the market–based mechanisms that enable shippers to allocate lanes in an efficient way for truckload (TL) transportation procurement despite the self–interest of carriers. To understand the market–based mechanisms, we focus on proposing some novel models and mechanisms to enhance the use of combinatorial auction for TL transportation procurement. In this dissertation, our approach to gaining the understanding consists of three parts: 1. We develop a carrier optimal bid generation model for carriers (bidders) to discover the best sets of lanes to bid for at a given round. The optimal bid generation model simultaneously generates alternative tours and selects the most profitable package bid for the carrier under a myopic strategy, which has never been considered before. The simultaneous tour generation and selection significantly lessen the computational complexities of a carrier’s optimization problem since it is unnecessary for the carrier to calculate the values for all possible packages.
Relating price strategies and price-setting practices

Purpose – This article aims to address the relationship between price strategies and price‐setting practices. The first derive from a normative tradition in the pricing literature and the latter from a descriptive tradition. Price strategies are visible in the market, whereas price‐setting practices are hidden behind the boundaries of an organization.Design/methodology/approach – The study deals with the relationship between price strategies and price‐setting practices that refer to the use of customer value, competition, and cost information. Hypotheses are tested on survey data on 95 small and medium‐sized manufacturing and service firms in The Netherlands.Findings – The results show that price strategies and price‐setting practices are related because strategies are implemented through price‐setting practices. However, some firms do not pursue any of the strategies indicated by pricing theory, some firms engage in practices for no clear strategic reasons, and some firms insufficiently engage in appropr.
THE RELATIONSHIPS OF CASH FLOWS: EVIDENCE FROM LATVIAN COMPANIES

The paper deals with the subject of relationships among the different cash flows, as well as earnings, of a company. The aim of the paper is to establish the direction and strength of mutual relationships between different cash flow measures, as well as with earnings, and to provide recommendations for the prediction of future cash flows and earnings. The methods of the research include content analysis, the calculation of relative indicators, average and median measures, as well as regression and correlation analysis. There is an empirical study of the data of 52 Latvian companies, which has resulted in testing the hypotheses put forward and substantiated in the paper. A typical Latvian enterprise relies on the operating cash flow to create the investing cash flow and does not need to rely on the external sources of financing. The author concludes that investment does pay, and, based on the assessment of results of the developed model, the investing cash flow should be used in cash flow prediction, while it should not be used in earnings prediction. The increase in financing cash flow causes a company investments to increase.
Replication of in vitro constructed viroid mutants: location of the pathogenicity‐modulating domain of citrus exocortis viroid

Sequence variants from field isolates of citrus exocortis viroid (CEV) that cause either mild or severe symptoms on tomato plants have previously been classified into two groups, A and B. These groups differ primarily in two domains, PL and PR, of the proposed native structure. Infectivity studies with full‐length cDNA clones of variants from each class have now directly confirmed the original correlation between Class A sequences and the severe phenotype and between Class B sequences and the mild phenotype. Direct evidence for this correlation could only be obtained by using individual sequence variants since field isolates of CEV have been shown to contain a mixture of RNA species. The construction and infectivity of chimaeric cDNA clones derived from mild and severe sequence variants of CEV has demonstrated that novel, infectious viroid molecules can be generated in vitro, and that PL is the pathogenicity‐modulating domain. The role of the PR domain is not known but infectivity experiments with one chimaeric cDNA clone suggest that it may influence the efficiency of the infection or replication process of the viroid in the plant.
Identification of the muscarinic acetylcholine receptor subtype mediating cholinergic vasodilation in murine retinal arterioles.

PURPOSE To identify the muscarinic acetylcholine receptor subtype that mediates cholinergic vasodilation in murine retinal arterioles. METHODS Muscarinic receptor gene expression was determined in murine retinal arterioles using real-time PCR. To assess the functional relevance of muscarinic receptors for mediating vascular responses, retinal vascular preparations from muscarinic receptor-deficient mice were studied in vitro. Changes in luminal arteriole diameter in response to muscarinic and nonmuscarinic vasoactive substances were measured by video microscopy. RESULTS Only mRNA for the M(3) receptor was detected in retinal arterioles. Thus, M(3) receptor-deficient mice (M3R(-/-)) and respective wild-type controls were used for functional studies. Acetylcholine concentration-dependently dilated retinal arterioles from wild-type mice. In contrast, vasodilation to acetylcholine was almost completely abolished in retinal arterioles from M3R(-/-) mice, whereas responses to the nitric oxide (NO) donor nitroprusside were retained. Carbachol, an acetylcholinesterase-resistant analog of acetylcholine, also evoked dilation in retinal arterioles from wild-type, but not from M3R(-/-), mice. Vasodilation responses from wild-type mice to acetylcholine were negligible after incubation with the non-subtype-selective muscarinic receptor blocker atropine or the NO synthase inhibitor N(ω)-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester, and were even reversed to contraction after endothelial damage with 3-[(3-cholamidopropyl)dimethylammonio]-1-propanesulfonate. CONCLUSIONS These findings provide evidence that endothelial M(3) receptors mediate cholinergic vasodilation in murine retinal arterioles via activation of NO synthase.
DIFFERENTIAL EFFECTS OF PHOTOPHASE IRRADIANCE ON METABOLIC AND URINARY STRESS HORMONE CONCENTRATIONS IN BLIND AND SIGHTED RODENTS

The effects of different photophase irradiance levels on the daily rhythms of energy expenditure (DEE, calculated from oxygen consumption, VO2) and urinary metabolites of stress hormones in sighted (Microtus socialis) and blind (Spalax ehrenbergi) rodents were compared. Five groups of each species were exposed to different irradiance levels (73, 147, 293, 366, and 498 μW/cm2) under short photoperiod (8L:16D) condition with constant ambient temperature 25 ± 2°C for 21 days before assessments. As light intensity increased from 73 μW/cm2, both species reduced DEE, especially among M. socialis. Cosinor analysis revealed significant ultradian rhythms in VO2 of M. socialis with period length being inversely related to irradiance level. Conversely, in S. ehrenbergi, robust 24 h VO2 rhythms were detected at all irradiances. In M. socialis, significant 24 h rhythms in urinary output of adrenaline were detected only at 293 μW/cm2, whereas for cortisol, unambiguous rhythms were detected at 73 and 147 μW/cm2. Distinct adrenaline daily rhythms of S. ehrenbergi were observed at 73 and 293 μW/cm2, whereas this species exhibited significant rhythms in cortisol at 147 and 293 μW/cm2. Changes in photophase irradiance levels affected stress hormone concentrations in a dose-dependent manner. There were significant negative and positive correlations of M. socialis and S. ehrenbergi stress hormones, respectively, with increasing irradiance. Our results indicate photophase light intensity is another environmental factor that can significantly affect entrainment of mammalian daily rhythms. Both low and high irradiance conditions can trigger stress responses, depending on the species' natural habitat. (Author correspondence: zubidat3@013.net.il)
Pelagostrobilidium wilberti n. sp. (Oligotrichea, Choreotrichida): Morphology and Morphogenesis

ABSTRACT. Morphology, infraciliature, morphogenetic features, and some ecological data for Pelagostrobilidium wilberti n. sp. are described. This new species was collected from a temporary pond in Magdalena, Buenos Aires province, Argentina, which was sampled monthly from August 2003 to July 2005. The species was found in autumn and winter. Observations were made in vivo and after staining with protargol. Pelagostrobilidium wilberti n. sp. measures 63–84 × 42–49 μm in vivo and is conical in shape, with a posterior spine‐like cytoplasmic process. It possesses 6 somatic kineties, with kinety 2 sinistrally curved and shorter than the others. The oral apparatus is composed of 25–32 external and two internal membranelles. The macronucleus is horseshoe‐shaped and located beneath the oral apparatus; two or three spherical micronuclei lie dorsally. There is a posterior contractile vacuole. Morphogenesis is hypo‐apokinetal and begins dorsally between the curved kinety 2 and kinety 3. After the discovery of this new species, the diagnosis of the genus Pelagostrobilidium was amended.
Myopic or Dynamic Liquidity Management? A Study of Hedge Funds around the 2008 Financial Crisis

In this paper, we show that hedge funds repurchased a large amount of liquid stocks and continued to sell illiquid stocks as the 2008 financial crisis mitigated. It complements existing empirical evidence that institutional investors sold more liquid than illiquid assets during the crisis period. This new empirical evidence confirms the trade-off in theoretical literature between selling liquid assets to minimize contemporary trading costs and selling illiquid assets to keep a "liquidity cushion" (e.g. Scholes 2000; Duffie and Ziegler 2003; Brown, Carlin, and Lobo 2010). Consistently, hedge funds' portfolio composition shows a delayed "flight to liquidity'': the proportion of hedge funds' liquid stock holdings decreased slightly at the peak of the crisis and then increased substantially to a highest level ever since 2007. For comparison, we show that pension funds have a nearly constant portfolio composition of liquid versus illiquid stocks through the entire crisis.
Firm Characteristics and Leasing Tendency of Pakistani Listed Companies

The study analyzes the affect of firm specific characteristics on the leasing tendency of Pakistani listed companies. Balance sheet approach is used to approach total lease share for sample size of 163 companies for 2009. The regression results of manually collected data prove that size and growth of the firm are negatively related to the firms' tendency to lease. Finding indicate that companies with low growth potential are more tend towards leasing than of companies with better growth rate. The results demonstrate complementary relationship between lease and debt financing, more tending towards leasing with greater debt payment ability. Restricted proves are there for the positive association of ownership structure and firms leasing tendency.
Clinical and radiographic outcomes of thoracic and lumbar pedicle subtraction osteotomy for fixed sagittal imbalance.

OBJECT The authors conducted a study to evaluate the radiographically documented and functional outcomes obtained in patients who underwent pedicle subtraction osteotomy (PSO). They also compared outcomes after classification of cases into thoracic and lumbar PSO subgroups. METHODS The authors analyzed data obtained in 35 consecutive PSO-treated patients with sagittal imbalance. One surgeon performed all surgeries. The minimal follow-up period was 2 years. Events during the perioperative course and complications were noted. Standing long-film radiographs of the spine were obtained and measurements were made preoperatively, immediately postoperatively, and at most recent follow-up examination. The modified Prolo Scale and the 22-item Scoliosis Research Society (SRS-22) Outcomes Questionnaire were administered. Early complications after PSO included neurological injury, wound-related problems, and nosocomial infections. Late complications were limited to pseudarthrosis and attendant instrumentation failure. Early and late complication rates ranged from 10 to 30% for both thoracic and lumbar PSO cohorts. Lumbar PSO was associated with improvements in local, segmental, and global measures of sagittal balance, whereas thoracic PSO was only associated with local improvement. Most patients rated their functional status as fair to good according to the modified Prolo Scale and reported, according to the SRS-22 Outcomes Questionnaire, that they were satisfied with the overall treatment of their back condition. CONCLUSIONS The ability to perform a PSO at both lumbar and thoracic levels is a powerful asset for the spine surgeon treating spinal deformity. In the present study radiographic and clinical outcomes were superior when PSO was used to treat lumbar deformity rather than thoracic deformity because of several anatomical and technical obstacles that hindered the thoracic procedure. Nevertheless, the thoracic PSO proved a useful addition with which to produce regional improvement in sagittal balance for patients with a fixed thoracic kyphosis.