Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
“The Lower Threshold” phenomenon in tumor cells toward endogenous digitalis-like compounds: Responsible for tumorigenesis?

Since their first discovery as potential anti-cancer drugs decades ago, there is increasing evidence that digitalis-like compounds (DLC) have anti-tumor effects. Less is known about endogenous DLC (EDLC) metabolism and regulation. As stress hormones synthesized in and secreted from the adrenal gland, they likely take part in the hypothalamo–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis. In a previous study, we revealed reduced EDLC concentrations in plasma and organs from immune-compromised animals and proposed that a similar situation of a deregulated HPA axis with “adrenal EDLF exhaustion” may contribute to tumorigenesis in chronic stress situations. Here, we put forward the hypothesis that a lowered EDLC response threshold of tumor cells as compared with normal cells increases the risk of tumorigenesis, especially in those individuals with reduced EDLC plasma concentrations after chronic stress exposure. We will evaluate this hypothesis by (a) summarizing the effects of different DLC concentrations on tumor as compared with normal cells and (b) reviewing some essential differences in the Na/K-ATPase of tumor as compared with normal cells (isoform pattern, pump activity, mutations of other signalosome receptors). We will conclude that (1) tumor cells, indeed, seem to have their individual “physiologic” EDLC response range that already starts at pmolar levels and (2) that individuals with markedly reduced (pmolar) EDLC plasma levels are predisposed to cancer because these EDLC concentrations will predominantly stimulate the proliferation of tumor cells. Finally, we will summarize preliminary results from our department supporting this hypothesis.
Drug treatment of epilepsy in the century of the ILAE: The second 50 years, 1959–2009

The drug therapy of epilepsy evolved enormously in this 50 year period. Advances in therapeutics included the incorporation of pharmacokinetics into clinical practice, enormous advances in neurochemistry, a trend to antiepileptic drug monotherapy, better drug assessment, better understanding of therapeutic outcomes, and the recognition of the large epilepsy treatment gap in many countries. An unprecedented range of new drugs was introduced in this period. Before 1989, these included carbamazepine, valproate, ethosuximide, and the benzodiazepines. Since 1989, 13 more new drugs have been licensed and marketed and there are others in the pipeline. The International League Against Epilepsy and its leading figures have played an important role in these developments. In this period, too, there has been a rapid expansion in research and development within the pharmaceutical industry and a rise in the value of the antiepileptic drug market. In parallel, governmental regulation of pharmaceuticals has greatly increased. To what extent the overall prognosis of epilepsy has improved as a result of these activities is an interesting and perplexing question.
Exporting and Productivity Growth: Evidence from the Taiwan Electronics Plants

This paper uses propensity score matching techniques and ordinary least square regressions to examine the relationship between exporting and productivity growth in the Taiwan electronics industry. Using data from three census years, we find that plants with higher productivity growth tend to enter the export market, supporting the self-selection mechanism. The evidence of learning-by-exporting is mixed, however. While the plants exporting throughout the sample period show small differences in productivity growth from non-exporters in the downturn period, continuing exporters outperform non-exporters in the upturn period. Thus, our results suggest that the direction of causality mainly runs from productivity to exporting rather than vice versa.
The Economics of the Diaspora: Discrimination and Occupational Structure

The authors examine reasons for the differences between the economic structure of the Jewish community in the United States and that of Americans as a whole. The educational and occupational structures of U.S. Jews and of Palestinians living in Arab countries after 1948 are compared. The effects of the historical experience of discrimination and loss of physical capital and of the continued experience of various forms of occupational discrimination on the investment behavior of people in diaspora are analyzed (ANNOTATION)
Takeovers of Privately Held Targets, Methods of Payment, and Bidder Returns

We examine bidder returns at the announcement of a takeover proposal when the target firm is privately held. In stock offers, bidders experience a positive abnormal return, which contrasts with the negative abnormal return typically found for bidders acquiring a publicly traded target. On the other hand, bidders experience no abnormal return in cash offers. Our analysis suggests that the positive wealth effect is related to monitoring activities by target shareholders and, to an extent, reduced information asymmetries. Copyright The American Finance Association 1998.
Family Transfers Involving Three Generations

Most models of family intergenerational transfers consider only two generations (parents and children) and focus on two motives for parental transfers : altruism and exchange, while assuming almost perfect susbtitution between inter vivos transfers and bequests. Based upon French evidence, this paper shows, on the contrary, that inter vivos downward transfers, made at quite distant date over the life cycle, belong to three distinct categories, according to the main objective pursued by parents : investment in child's education ; financial assistance ; wealth transmission (being susbtitutes for bequests only in the third case). Moreover, the domain of the analysis of familial behavior is expanded from two to three generations. French data do indeed show that, for each type of downward transfer, parents are strongly influenced by the behavior of their own parents ; moreover, for upward transfers, there is some, less robust, evidence of typical behaviors similar to Cox and Stark demonstration effect : parents help their own (old) parents, expecting to receive comparable support in old days from their children. Such behaviors can however be given different interpretations (that all blur the distinction between altruistic and exchange motives) : imitation ; transmission of family values or norms ; preference shaping of formation ; "indirect reciprocities", where the beneficiary of a transfer does not give back to the initial giver but to a third person of another generation.
Further insights on the puzzle of technical analysis profitability

This paper extends current results concerning technical analysis efficiency on the foreign exchange market and attempts to determine whether filtering the raw exchange rate series with some trading rule significantly changes its characteristics. Because of the non-normality of exchange rate series, bootstrap methods are used on the main daily exchange rates since 1974 to show technical analysis performance. The technical analysis strategy tested generates returns whose distribution is significantly different from the basic series. The robustness of the results is tested in and out-of-sample and an explanation of the technical analysis performance based on its filtering properties is suggested.
Evaluating project scheduling and due date assignment procedures: an experimental analysis

Managers of construction projects, maintenance activities, auditing contracts, software shops, etc. are frequently faced with the task of establishing a new project's due date, which must compete with other projects already in progress or expected (forecasted) to start in the future. The study reported here addresses the problem of establishing due dates for projects which require limited resources, in an environment where new projects arrive continuously and randomly over time. A set of procedures is developed which set each project's due date when it arrives using information about the new project, current projects, and available resources. The due date setting procedures are tested via simulation with four activity scheduling heuristics that control the assignment of resources to specific activities of available projects. A second test demonstrates the performance of the due date procedures, where a portion of arriving projects have their due dates established by external forces beyond management's control. Performance measures of project mean completion time, project mean lateness, project standard deviation of lateness, and total tardiness (sum of all projects' tardy time) were collected for evaluation. This study presents a number of important results for managers interested in scheduling projects and setting due dates. First, using more information concerning the current work in progress, available resources, and activity precedent relationships provides a better due date estimate for a new project. Second, a finite scheduling procedure (called SFT) consistently gives better due date estimates than simpler aggregate procedures. Third, when some project due dates are set externally, due date performance deteriorates. However, when SFT is combined with a due date oriented activity scheduling rule, due dale performance deterioration is less. Fourth, the effort, measured by CPU time, for SFT to estimate a good due date depends upon the ratio of activity resources required to total resources available, rather than the number of activities across all projects. And fifth, similarities and differences between the results observed in this study and past due date job shop scheduling research are reviewed.
A First Look at Mutual Funds That Use Short Sales

Abstract We provide a first look at short selling by mutual funds, a phenomenon not examined by prior research. Mutual funds that short do so frequently and in significant amounts, averaging about 16% of fund assets. These funds outperform benchmarks by 1.5% per year. An analysis of portfolio holdings shows that these funds generate abnormal performance from their short (4.1% per year) and long (1.5% per year) positions. Managers of short-selling mutual funds also exhibit superior performance in other funds they manage that do not use short sales. These findings suggest that managers of short-selling mutual funds are skilled.
The Impacts of Global Financial and Economic Crisis on African Economies: A Review

Like many other developing countries around the world, the global financial and economic crisis posed serious challenges of economic development and stability for African countries. A debate has emerged over the causes and consequences ofthe crisis for different economies. This paper reviews the ongoing discussions in the context of African economies and presents an anatomy of the crisis along with an analysis of the challenges, opportunities, various policy measures and fundamental lessons from it. One of the major findings is that effects and measures against the global crisis are not the same but vary from one African country to another. In all cases, the crisis has swept away firms, jobs, revenues, and livelihoods in varying degrees. The paper highlights the need for coordinated and consistent efforts to assist individual countries in mitigating the risk over the longer term. It is argued that the African countries must urgently prepare their domestic policy responses to enable them to use appropriate fiscal and monetary policies to fight recession induced by the crisis.
Plasmacytoid dendritic cells and myeloid cells differently contribute to B-cell-activating factor belonging to the tumor necrosis factor superfamily overexpression during primary HIV infection

Background:After describing heightened levels of circulating B-cell-activating factor belonging to the tumor necrosis factor superfamily (BAFF) as well as changes in B-cell phenotype and functions during acute infection by simian immunodeficiency virus, we wanted to determine whether and by which cells BAFF was over-expressed in primary HIV-infected (PHI) patients. Design and methods:We simultaneously examined circulating BAFF levels by ELISA and membrane-bound BAFF (mBAFF) expression by flow cytometry in peripheral blood mononuclear cells of healthy donors and PHI patients followed for 6 months. We also examined whether HIV-1 modifies BAFF expression or release in various myeloid cells and plasmacytoid dendritic cells (pDC) in vitro. Results:Circulating BAFF levels were transiently increased at enrolment. They positively correlated with CXCL10 levels and inversely with B-cell counts. Whereas mBAFF was expressed by most pDC and on a fraction of intermediate monocytes in healthy donors, the frequency of mBAFF+ cells significantly increased among nonclassical monocytes and CD1c+ dendritic cells but decreased among pDC in PHI patients. In contrast to myeloid cells, pDC never released BAFF upon stimulation. Their mBAFF expression was enhanced by HIV-1, independently of type I IFN. Conclusion:Our findings reveal that the pattern of BAFF expression by myeloid cells and pDC is altered in PHI patients and constitutes a valuable marker of immune activation whose circulating levels correlate with CXCL10 levels. Due to their homing in different tissue areas, pDC and myeloid cells might target different B-cell subsets through their mBAFF expression or soluble BAFF release.
Does Trade Still Follow the Flag?

A public choice approach is used to build a model of bilateral trade flows employing international conflict and cooperation, as well as prices and income, to predict the level of imports. The model is consistent with neoclassical trade theory in economics, while employing data and measurement insights from the field of international relations to construct an indicator of bilateral diplomatic relations. The model is empirically tested using pooled, cross-section time-series analysis for six nations representing different worlds of development. Considerable empirical support is found for the model in general. The effects of diplomacy on commerce are significant and conform to model predictions in every instance. Estimation results also indicate possible cross-national differences in the political management of trade relations.
Reflections on the Evolving Terrorist Threat to Luxury Hotels: A Case Study on Marriott International

Abstract The advent of global terrorist networks represents a challenge to international business (IB) theory. Traditionally conceptualized as a type of political risk experienced by multinational enterprises (MNEs) operating in conflictive areas, terrorism has evolved in recent years. The global terrorist networks that dominate the international scene today have different motivations, strategies, tactics, and organizational structures than their secular and ethnic‐separatist predecessors and these differences matter for IB theory and practice. Moreover, these groups have shown themselves adaptive, resilient, and capable of striking targets of strategic and symbolic importance in global business and financial centers. This paper examines the changing nature of the terrorist threat to MNEs and the implications for a sector that has been a target of recent attacks: the luxury hotel industry. Structured as a case study of Marriott International, a leading global hospitality provider, the paper analyzes ways the firm is adapting to the evolving threat and the measures it has introduced to safeguard guests, staff, property, and brand. Implications for IB theory and practice are drawn. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Thiol‐reactive dyes for fluorescence labeling of proteomic samples

Covalent derivatization of proteins with fluorescent dyes prior to separation is increasingly used in proteomic research. This paper examines the properties of several commercially available iodoacetamide and maleimide dyes and discusses the conditions and caveats for their use in labeling of proteomic samples. The iodoacetamide dyes BODIPY TMR cadaverine IA and BODIPY Fl C1‐IA were highly specific for cysteine residues and showed little or no nonspecific labeling even at very high dye:thiol ratios. These dyes also showed minimal effects on pI's of standard proteins. Some iodoacetamide dyes, (5‐TMRIA and eosin‐5‐iodoacetamide) and some maleimide dyes (ThioGlo I and Rhodamine Red C2 maleimide) exhibited nonspecific labeling at high dye:thiol ratios. Labeling by both iodoacetamide and maleimide dyes was inhibited by tris(2‐carboxyethyl)phosphine (TCEP); interactions between TCEP and dye were also observed. Thiourea, an important component of sample solubilization cocktails, inhibited labeling of proteins with iodoacetamide dyes but not with maleimide dyes. Maleimide dyes may serve as an alternative for labeling proteins where it is essential to have thiourea in the solubilization buffer. Covalent derivatization by BODIPY TMR cadaverine IA, BODIPY Fl C1‐IA or Rhodamine Red C2 maleimide was also demonstrated to be compatible with in‐gel digestion and peptide mass fingerprinting by matrix assisted laser desorption/ionization‐mass spectrometry and allowed successful protein identification.
Who We Really Are: Demographic Factors that Predict Student Service Leadership

Demographic data were collected from 38 program directors in a university-based community service center and a control group of 62 other students not engaged in any service activity randomly selected at a large, urban, research university. A series of multiple regression analysis were conducted to identify significant predictors of students likely to undertake leadership roles in community service. Results suggest a number of demographic factors are highly correlated with students’ level of service leadership. Some of the factors validate national trends while others are surprising, suggesting that much motivation stems from extrinsic professional goals rather than intrinsic motivation.
Gender Quotas, Electoral Laws, and the Election of Women

This study uses district-level data from national legislative elections in 19 Latin American countries to evaluate the effect of gender quota legislation, in concert with other electoral rules, on the election of women legislators. Well-designed quota legislation has a profound positive impact on the election of women, regardless of the type of party list (closed or open). Where quota legislation is in force, the use of closed lists on average results in a greater percentage of women legislators elected to office than does the use of open lists. However, this difference is not as great as would be expected based on the prevailing conventional wisdom and is primarily the consequence of the superiority of the closed-list systems when the number of seats a party wins in a district (party magnitude) is two. With one important exception, party magnitude is generally unrelated to women's electoral success in the region.
Selective Decode-and-Forward Relaying Scheme for Multi-Hop Diversity Transmission Systems

A selective decode-and-forward relaying protocol for serial multi-hop diversity schemes, which adapts transmissions at the source and relays based on the instantaneous received signal-to-noise ratio at each relay, is developed and analyzed. Based on the proposed selective protocol, if the received signal- to-noise ratio at each relay exceeds a certain threshold, that relay combines, decodes, and re-encodes its received signals and then re-transmits. Otherwise, the source repeats its signal. It is shown that employing the proposed method significantly improves the system performance by achieving diversity order equal to the number of hops while maintaining the same maximum normalized spectral efficiency compared to a multi-hop transmission system employing a fixed decode-and-forward relaying scheme. An exact closed-form expression for calculating the outage probability of a serial multi-hop diversity scheme employing fixed decode-and-forward relaying strategy is also obtained. A rigorous mathematical analysis showing that the serial multi-hop diversity scheme offers no diversity gain is given.
The Distribution of Foreign Exchange Price Changes: Trading Day Effects and Risk Measurement--A Comment

IN THEIR 1982 STUDY, MCFARLAND, Pettit, and Sung [16] (MPS) found that consecutive daily foreign exchange rates conform to neither a normal nor a nonnormal stable process and that day-of-the-week data could be adequately described by a series of different stable distributions. ' The authors have also documented a "weekday effect" in the foreign exchange market; Mondays and Wednesdays offered higher average price changes than did Thursdays and Fridays. In a more recent study, Jaffe and Westerfield [9] documented negative Monday returns for the currencies of the U.K., Canada, and Australia. In estimating the parameters of the distribution, MPS have utilized the Fama and Roll [5, 6] method, which assumes a symmetric distribution. Jaffe and Westerfield [9] report only estimates of the sample moments. The sample moments reported in MPS's Table II (part of which is reproduced in Table I here) reveal that most currencies, especially the minor currencies (the Australian dollar, the Spanish peseta, and the Swedish krona), have significant skewness. The results indicate that the asymmetric stable Paretian distribution may be more appropriate for the overall daily returns. This hypothesis is consistent with
Firm productivity moderated link between human capital and compensation: The significance of task-specific human capital

The human capital of a firm as manifested by employee knowledge and experience represents a key resource of a firm's capabilities. Prior empirical studies have found that firms composed of high levels of human capital experience superior firm performance. Human capital theory proposes that an individual's general or firm-specific human capital is positively related to compensation. However, empirical studies examining firm-specific human capital's association with higher employee compensation have been inconclusive. The current study proposes that firm-specific human capital be categorized as task-specific and non-task-specific. Employees accumulate task-specific human capital through duties conducted in their current position. Non-task-specific human capital represents experiences gained in prior positions to an employee's current job within the firm. Utilizing human capital data from 38,390 employees representing 76 firms in the IT sector, this study examines the association between forms of human capital and employee compensation at different levels of firm productivity. Results show that task-specific human capital is associated with higher employee compensation. In addition, firm productivity moderates this association.
The validity of Marshall-Lerner condition in Turkey: A cointegration approach

In recent years, it is discussed that the currency adjustments (devaluations) may frequently have impact on current account deficit associated with the increase in current account deficit. The impact of devaluation on balance of trade depends on the effectiveness of Marshall-Lerner condition. In this study, the validity of Marshall-Lerner condition in Turkey was investigated. According to the results of Johansen cointegration test and error correction model which were obtained by using annual data of 1980-2012 period; some findings were obtained about the validity of Marshall-Lerner condition in the long run.