Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
IFN-Stimulated Gene LY6E in Monocytes Regulates the CD14/TLR4 Pathway but Inadequately Restrains the Hyperactivation of Monocytes during Chronic HIV-1 Infection

Owing to ongoing recognition of pathogen-associated molecular patterns, immune activation and upregulation of IFN-stimulated genes (ISGs) are sustained in the chronically infected host. Albeit most ISGs are important effectors for containing viral replication, some might exert compensatory immune suppression to limit pathological dysfunctions, although the mechanisms are not fully understood. In this study, we report that the ISG lymphocyte Ag 6 complex, locus E (LY6E) is a negative immune regulator of monocytes. LY6E in monocytes negatively modulated CD14 expression and subsequently dampened the responsiveness to LPS stimulation in vitro. In the setting of chronic HIV infection, the upregulation of LY6E was correlated with reduced CD14 level on monocytes; however, the immunosuppressive effect of LY6E was not adequate to remedy the hyperresponsiveness of activated monocytes. Taken together, the regulatory LY6E pathway in monocytes represents one of negative feedback mechanisms that counterbalance monocyte activation, which might be caused by LPS translocation through the compromised gastrointestinal tract during persistent HIV-1 infection and may serve as a potential target for immune intervention.
Can Strong Boards and Trading Their Own Firm’s Stock Help CEOs Make Better Decisions? Evidence from Acquisitions by Overconfident CEOs

Abstract Little evidence exists on whether boards help managers make better decisions. We provide evidence that strong and independent boards help overconfident chief executive officers (CEOs) avoid honest mistakes when they seek to acquire other companies. In addition, we find that once-overconfident CEOs make better acquisition decisions after they experience personal stock trading losses, providing evidence that a manager’s recent personal experience, and not just educational and early career experience, influences firm investment policy. Finally, we develop and validate a new CEO overconfidence measure that is easily constructed from machine-readable insider trading data, unlike previously used measures.
Valuing rural recreation benefits: an empirical comparison of two approaches.

Two methodologies for valuing non-market benefits (contingent valuation and the travel cost method) are briefly described. Both are then applied to the problem of valuing non-market recreation benefits derived by visitors to a part of the Queen Elizabeth Forest Park in Central Scotland. Results, in terms of consumer surplus estimates, are presented for each method, and problem areas found in applying the two methodologies are pointed out.
Bank Funding Risks, Risk Aversion, and the Choice of Futures Hedging Instrument

Currently, theories of financial futures hedging are based on either a portfolio-choice approach or a duration approach. This article presents an alternative: a firm-theoretic model of bank behavior with financial futures. Assuming the bank is uncertain about cash CD interest rates and the quantity of CDs it needs in the future, expressions for the optimal futures hedge are derived under constant absolute risk aversion and constant relative risk aversion. The performance of these two strategies is estimated from 19811983 using either the recently developed CD futures contract or the T-Bill futures contract. These results are also compared with the performance of a portfolio-choice strategy and a routine hedging strategy. The analysis indicates that the CD futures market can serve a hedging purpose that is not served by the previously established T-Bill futures market. THE EMERGENCE AND RAPID growth of interest rate futures markets suggest that
Reappraisal in the eighth life cycle stage: A theoretical psychoeducational intervention in elderly patients with cancer

Abstract Elderly patients with cancer face unique physical and psychiatric challenges in coping with their illness. Optimal psychosocial therapy for older cancer patients requires recognizing certain enhanced psychological capacities such as coping better with illness, which is associated with older age. This strength can be combined with the most appropriate cognitive coping strategies to develop a model intervention. This paper describes such a model, which integrates Erik Erikson's eighth and final psychosocial developmental life stage, in which the task is to achieve ego integrity (equanimity) or to experience despair (sadness, regrets), with Susan Folkman's cognitive coping paradigm, which utilizes reappraisal. This theoretical model addresses older cancer patients who are struggling with depression, isolation, and despair related to aging and illness, and utilizes cognitive reappraisal in a group setting to foster relatedness, acceptance of illness, and a sense of meaningful integration.
Do customer satisfaction and reputation mediate the CSR–FP link? Evidence from Australia

Direct tests between corporate social responsibility (CSR) and firm performance (FP) have been argued to be spurious. Following this line of argument, the present study tests a mediated model in understanding the CSR–FP relationship. Specifically, we posit that reputation and customer satisfaction mediate fully the CSR–FP relationship. Based on the results from a sample of 280 Australian firms, the findings suggest that CSR is linked with FP. However, the effect is indirect: while CSR is linked to both reputation and customer satisfaction, reputation alone mediates the CSR–FP relationship. The results are interesting, suggesting that to reduce ambiguity surrounding the CSR–FP relationship scholars need to significantly expand studies that address moderating and mediating variables. Discussion is given to these findings along with paths for future research.
Rorschach Responses of Police Applicants

Rorschach responses of 53 police applicants yielded information about their perceptual, cognitive, and ideational characteristics not obtained from personality inventories. Many applicants manifested personality characteristics, evident on the Rorschach only, that might reduce their ability to protect and serve the public. These findings add to the potential value of the Rorschach in selection of employees and argue against complacency about reliance upon personality inventories for screening out applicants.
ATG16L1 and NOD2 interact in an autophagy-dependent antibacterial pathway implicated in Crohn's disease pathogenesis.

BACKGROUND & AIMS The identification of numerous genes that confer susceptibility to Crohn's disease (CD) indicates that this complex disease might arise from alterations in several genes with related functions. We examined the functional interaction between the CD risk genes ATG16L1 and NOD2 to identify an autophagy-dependent pathway that is altered by disease-associated variants. METHODS We assessed Nod2 signaling and autophagy activation in response to muramyl dipeptide (MDP) by immunoblot, confocal microscopy, flow cytometry, reporter gene, and gentamicin protection assays in human epithelial cell lines and primary human macrophages and dendritic cells from healthy individuals. The requirement of Nod2 and ATG16L1 expression and the effects of CD-associated variants in MDP-stimulated autophagy and Nod2-dependent signaling were assessed in cell lines manipulated by RNA interference, inhibitors, or ATG16L1 or NOD2 variants and in primary macrophages and dendritic cells from healthy genotyped donors. RESULTS MDP stimulation of epithelial cells, macrophages, and dendritic cells activated autophagy and nuclear factor κB and mitogen-activated protein kinase signaling; it also increased killing of Salmonella. These responses depended on ATG16L1 and Nod2 expression and were impaired by CD-associated NOD2 variants. Nod2-dependent signaling was not impaired in cells with the ATG16L1 T300A genotype, which is associated with CD. However, the ATG16L1 T300A variant blocked the increase in MDP-mediated killing of Salmonella only in epithelial cell lines and not primary macrophages or dendritic cells. CONCLUSIONS ATG16L1 and NOD2 are components of an autophagy-mediated antibacterial pathway that is altered in a cell- and function-specific manner by CD-associated mutations.
Limit order books and trade informativeness

In the microstructure literature, information asymmetry is an important determinant of market liquidity. The classic setting is that uninformed dedicated liquidity suppliers charge price concessions when incoming market orders are likely to be informationally motivated. In limit order book (LOB) markets, however, this relationship is less clear, as market participants can switch roles, and freely choose to immediately demand or patiently supply liquidity by submitting either market or limit orders. We study the importance of information asymmetry in LOBs based on a recent sample of 30 German Deutscher Aktienindex (DAX) stocks. We find that Hasbrouck's (1991) measure of trade informativeness Granger causes book liquidity, in particular that required to fill large market orders. Picking-off risk due to public news-induced volatility is more important for top-of-the book liquidity supply. In our multivariate analysis, we control for volatility, trading volume, trading intensity and order imbalance to isolate the effect of trade informativeness on book liquidity.
Understanding the Role of Entrepreneurial Quality and National Culture on the Economic Development

Today's global social-political environment leads many to elevate entrepreneurship as a vehicle facilitating economic development. Even though different regions have similar new firm formation rates, there is much variation in terms of the contribution to economic development. Building on the resource based-view and Hofestede's research on cultural dimensions, this paper proposes three factor view of the quality of entrepreneurship. We posit that the quality of entrepreneurship, rather than quantity, is the main determinant of economic development.
Momentum Investing and Business Cycle Risk: Evidence from Pole to Pole

We examine whether macroeconomic risk can explain momentum profits internationally. Neither an unconditional model based on the Chen, Roll, and Ross (1986) factors nor a conditional forecasting model based on lagged instruments provides any evidence that macroeconomic risk variables can explain momentum. In addition, momentum profits around the world are economically large and statistically reliable in both good and bad economic states. Further, these momentum profits reverse over 1- to 5-year horizons, an action inconsistent with existing risk-based explanations of momentum. Copyright 2003 by the American Finance Association.
Planning for recreation and tourism at the local level: Applied research in the Manawatu region of New Zealand

Without planning, human activities would be at best haphazard and formless. However, like many other forms of planning, recreation and tourism planning is not a straightforward process and it is at the local level that problems can become evident. Due to a number of pressures, not the least being time, local level policy-makers may be unable to reflect the complexity of the planning process. Local planners are required to react to the directives of national government, but at the same time consider and respond to a variety of views representing different local stakeholders. In addition, those involved in planning for recreation and tourism have often treated such activities in isolation from other factors which make up the social, environmental and economic fabric of a region. In some instances this can lead to poor policy decisions. One of the reasons for this may be the paucity of data collected. The rationale for undertaking the research discussed in this article was the lack of data on outdoor recreation and tourism in the Manawatu region of New Zealand. This article presents the results of two research projects conducted in association with the Palmerston North City Council, as well as a critique of the local planning process. It also suggests an applied recreation and tourism planning model.
An econometric analysis of regional adoption patterns of Bt maize in Germany.

In this study, our goal is to identify and explain the underlying factors that drive regional adoption of Bt maize MON810 in Germany. Since regional differences cannot be explained by the occurrence of the target pest alone, we assume that under the given regulatory framework for genetically modified (GM) crop production in Germany, farm structures as well as the sociopolitical environment have also influenced regional adoption rates during the past years. Following a description of the relevant legal and economic framework in Germany, we develop theoretical hypotheses for regional variation in Bt maize adoption and test them econometrically with unique data at the federal state (Laender) and county (Landkreis) level. According to our analysis at the federal state level, the maize acreage per farm is the main driver of Bt maize adoption. In addition, there are signs that public opposition to GM cultivation as measured by membership in the German Friends of the Earth association significantly dampens GM cultivation. At the level of Brandenburg counties, the regional infestation frequency of the European Corn Borer, the target pest of Bt-Maize, is the major determinant of adoption. Although Bt maize is a scale-neutral technology for controlling damages caused by the Corn Borer, additional fixed costs due to regulation make the technology scale dependent. Copyright (c) 2010 International Association of Agricultural Economists.
Lycopene and Lutein Inhibit Proliferation in Rat Prostate Carcinoma Cells

Abstract Consumption of lycopene, a carotenoid without provitamin A activity, has been associated with a lower risk of prostate and breast cancer. Lutein is another carotenoid that may be associated with a reduced risk of age-related macular degeneration, the leading cause of blindness in adults 65 years of age and older. Bioactive compounds such as lycopene and lutein, derived from natural plant sources, have been shown to act at low substrate levels through the action of intrinsic cytokines and growth factors and their receptors within tissues, particularly those of the fibroblast growth factor and transforming growth factor β families. The effects of grapefruit-derived and commercial lycopene and lutein preparations on androgen independent cultured malignant type II tumor cells [Dunning R3327AT3 or AT3 cells (androgen-responsive, slow-growing tumor cells with well developed epithelium and stroma)] were compared to their benign parent type I tumor epithelial cells (DTE). Results demonstrated that both lycopene, in an α -cyclodextrin water soluble carrier, and lutein inhibited malignant AT3 cells in a concentration and time-dependent manner. No such effect was observed when benign DTE cells were examined, demonstrating selective inhibition of extremely malignant AT3 prostate cancer cells relative to their benign parent. Lutein demonstrated a similar but slightly diminished response as lycopene. When cells were treated with cocktails of lycopene and lutein, no synergistic or additive effect occurred. These studies are consistent with epidemiological studies that show inverse relationships of these carotenoids with prostate cancer.
Cross Border Trading and Borrowing in the EU ETS

This paper exploits a little used data resource within the central registry of the European Union’s Emissions Trading System (EU ETS) to analyze cross border trading and inter-year borrowing during the first trading period (20052007). Cross-border flows were small in the aggregate but remarkably frequent in matching allowance deficits and surpluses at the installation level throughout the EU. These data also indicate that a novel feature of the EU ETS—the ability to borrow allowances from the forward allocation to satisfy current compliance requirements—was also used. These data provide evidence that the precondition of efficient abatement in a cap-and-trade system—widespread use of trading opportunities—was present in the first period of the EU ETS.
Leader-Member Exchange And Team-Member Exchange: The Roles Of Moderators In New Employees’ Socialization

Studies of new employees’ socialization have largely concentrated on met and unmet expectations and their associated socialization outcomes. Academic researchers have suggested that interaction of the nature of leader-member exchange (LMX) and team-member exchange (TMX) between newcomers and their social and organizational contexts during the assimilation process should be examined. However, few studies have focused on the moderating factors that are expected to link the relationship between unmet expectations and socialization outcomes. The objective of the study is to explore the underlying job motivation factors and to determine the hypothesized moderating effects of TMX and LMX on the socialization outcomes. A sample of 417 new employees in hotels, travel agencies, and airlines in Hong Kong responded to a self-administered questionnaire. The results show that TMX produced a moderating effect on organizational commitment and LMX on turnover intentions. Implications for developing good interrelationships between coworkers are discussed.
Examination performance in Scottish secondary schools: an ordered logit approach

This paper analyses the determinants of educational outcomes for Scottish secondary schools. Using an ordered logit model with data on school examination performance for pupils in the last year of compulsory education, separate equations are estimated for 1993–1994 and 1998–1999. The empirical results, in line with previous British studies, underline the importance of family, peer group and school influences in determining educational outcomes. They cast doubt, however, on suggestions that there is an ‘optimal’ size of school.
Is impaired kidney function an independent predictor of the risk of myocardial infarction in HIV-infected individuals?

We examined whether impaired kidney function is an independent risk factor for myocardial infarction in HIV-infected individuals without pre-existing coronary artery disease. The odds ratio for impaired kidney function fell from 1.22 (95% confidence interval 0.90–1.66) to 0.99 (95% confidence interval 0.69–1.41) after adjustment for cardiovascular risk factors and HIV-related parameters, with hypertension, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, smoking and the CD4+ T-cell nadir as most influential confounders. In this setting, no association was found between impaired kidney function and the risk of myocardial infarction.
Ordering the Extraction of Polluting Nonrenewable Resources

A well-known theorem by Herfindahl states that the low-cost nonrenewable resource must be exploited first. Consider resources that are differentiated only by their pollution content. For instance, both coal and natural gas are used to generate electricity, yet coal is more polluting. We show that the ordering of extraction need not be driven by whether a resource is clean or dirty. Coal may be used first, followed by natural gas, and again by coal. Such "vacillation" does not occur under cost heterogeneity. A perverse policy implication is that regulating pollution may accelerate use of the polluting resource.
Aggregate Volatility and Market Jump Risk: An Option-Based Explanation to Size and Value Premia

It is well documented that stock returns have different sensitivities to changes in aggregate volatility, however less is known about their sensitivity to market jump risk. By using S&P 500 crash-neutral at-the-money straddle and out-of-money put returns as proxies for aggregate volatility and market jump risk, I document significant differences between volatility and jump loadings of value versus growth, and small versus big portfolios. In particular, small (big) and value (growth) portfolios exhibit negative (positive) and significant volatility and jump betas. I also provide further evidence that both volatility and jump risk factors are priced and negative.
Cladosporium fulvum overcomes Cf‐2‐mediated resistance by producing truncated AVR2 elicitor proteins

The Cf‐2 gene of tomato confers resistance to strains of the biotrophic pathogenic fungus Cladosporium fulvum carrying avirulence gene Avr2. To allow dissection of the biochemical mechanism of perception of AVR2 by Cf‐2, we set out to clone the Avr2 gene. Here, we report the functional cloning of Avr2 cDNA, based on the induction of a hypersensitive response (HR) by the encoded AVR2 protein in Cf2 tomato plants. Analysis of strains of C. fulvum that are virulent on Cf2 tomato lines revealed various independent frameshift mutations in the Avr2 open reading frame (ORF) and a point mutation resulting in a premature stop codon. All modifications result in the production of truncated AVR2 proteins. Interestingly, an additional modification involves the insertion of a LINE‐like element, Cfl1, in the Avr2 ORF. Cfl1 is the first LINE‐like element identified in C. fulvum and provides the first example of loss of avirulence of a plant pathogen caused by insertion of a retrotransposable element in an Avr gene. Rcr3 represents an additional plant protein that is specifically required for Cf‐2‐mediated resistance. Analysis of two different rcr3 mutant Cf2 tomato plants revealed that their ability to respond to AVR2 with a HR correlates with their degree of resistance to AVR2‐producing strains of C. fulvum. These data support a role for Rcr3 in the perception of AVR2 by Cf‐2.
The Association between Stock Splits and Post-Earnings Announcement Drift

We analyze changes in post-earnings announcement drift around 1,781 two-for-one or greater stock splits reported by an equal number of CRSP firms during the 1972 through 1996 time period. We find that for the smallest firms in our sample, post-earnings announcement drift is eliminated in the quarters immediately following the split. The effect is transitory, however, with drift reasserting itself beginning with the third post-split quarterly earnings announcement. The abnormal returns for the largest firms in our sample exhibit insignificant drift in both pre- and post-split periods. These results suggest that stock splits provide information that causes investors - at least temporarily - to more fully incorporate serial correlation into their earnings expectations. The differential effect noted for small and large firms is likely attributable to the richer information environment faced by larger firms, in which the signal provided by a stock split does not constitute a significant incremental contribution. Our results are inconsistent with the transactions costs explanation of drift, which predicts an increase in drift following a split that is invariant to firm size.
The Impact of Transport On the Competitiveness of National Economy

Abstract Transport has always been and remained one of the main driving forces in the economical development of any country including Lithuania. The paper assesses a positive impact of transport on Lithuanian economy in the light of the analysis of the main indicators measuring the success of the transport sector: the share of transport and warehousing sectors to national GDP (%) and the share of the export of transport services in GDP (%). It is also widely acknowledged that transport is going to play a crucial role in economic development in the future, especially in transit‐related transport like the Baltic States. On the other hand, the growth of transport, particularly in road transport, has had a significant impact on congestion, safety and pollution. Therefore, the task of transport decision makers is to find the key for sustainable transport development and reduction of a negative transport impact to sustain the transport sector as the engine of economy. The paper analyses both the positive and ne.