Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Mitigating Supply Uncertainty: The Interplay Between Diversification and Pricing

We consider a firm's sourcing problem from one reliable supplier and one unreliable supplier in two price‐setting scenarios. In the committed pricing scenario, the firm makes the pricing decision before the supply uncertainty is resolved. In the responsive pricing scenario, the firm's pricing decision is made after the supply uncertainty is resolved. For the committed pricing scenario, we develop a condition on supply uncertainty that guarantees the unimodality of the firm's objective function. By comparing the firm's optimal diversification decisions in the two pricing scenarios, we examine the interplay of supply diversification strategy and responsive pricing strategy in mitigating supply uncertainty. While both strategies are effective in mitigating supply uncertainty, we show that they are not necessarily substitutes. The relationship between these two strategies depends on two adverse effects caused by supply uncertainty: the lost‐revenue effect and the lost‐goodwill effect. More specifically, when the lost‐revenue effect dominates the lost‐goodwill effect, these two strategies are complements; otherwise, they are substitutes. Furthermore, we examine the impact of market size, price sensitivity, supplier reliability, and failure rebate on the interplay between these two strategies, and discuss the implications of our results. Finally, we extend our analysis to the case of two unreliable suppliers and show that the insights regarding the interplay between diversification and pricing continue to hold.
α 2-Macroglobulin exon 24 (Val-1000-Ile) polymorphism is not associated with late-onset sporadic Alzheimer's dementia in the Hungarian population

Several lines of biochemical evidence support a role of α 2-macroglobulin (A2M) in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's dementia (AD). A2M participates in the general defence mechanism against proteinases and it is supposed to be involved in the degradation of beta-amyloid peptide (β AP). Furthermore, A2M has been shown to reduce β AP fibril formation, and it is upregulated in the acute-phase inflammatory response like the process occurring in the AD brain. The exon 18 splice acceptor deletion polymorphism and the exon 24 (Val-1000-Ile) GG genotype were reported to be associated with AD, but the results are contradictory. Since the Hungarian population is genetically distinct from the other European ethnic groups, we examined whether the risk for developing AD is increased in the A2M GG carriers. The interaction of apolipoprotein E (apoE) and A2M polymorphisms was also examined. The distribution of A2M genotypes and alleles in the entire data set was consistent with the previous negative observations in which A and G allelic frequencies were comparable in both groups (72% and 28% in the AD population, and 72% and 28% in the control population, respectively). The GG genotype was over-represented (14%) only in the apoE ϵ 4 non-carrier subgroup of AD probands (7% in the control group), but the difference was not significant. Our data suggest that, although A2M has an important role in the AD-specific neurodegenerative process, its exon 24 Val-1000-Ile polymorphism is not likely to be associated with late-onset sporadic AD in the Hungarian population.
Regulating transnational higher education in Uganda: consumers should be cautious.

The article alerts poor and developing countries such as Uganda, who are the major consumers of cross-border higher education programmes from foreign countries, to guard against low quality programmes that are very oftein delivered to them. It emphasizes the need to evaluate such programmes before they are delivered through formal accreditation systems. It recommends the South African regulation model framework as the most appropriate for East African higher education institutions.
The Social Ecology of Empathy and Helping: A Comparison of Chinese and American University Students

Much research found that empathy and helping tendencies differ across cultures, but few studies have examined factors that may account for the cultural differences. The current study aimed to determine whether the socioecological factor relational mobility could explain cultural differences in empathy and helping. Survey data were collected from universities in China and the United States. Results showed that relational mobility is higher in the United States than in China. Americans and Chinese did not differ in their levels of empathy toward close friends, but Americans reported higher levels of empathy toward strangers and higher tendency to help others than Chinese. Ingroup bias in empathy was stronger in China than in the United States. Relational mobility negatively moderated the relation between empathy and helping. These findings suggest that in low relational mobility society, helping tendency was driven by empathy, while in high relational mobility society, the tendency to help was driven by the expectation of reciprocity.
Serotonin depletion can enhance the cerebrovascular responses induced by cortical spreading depression via the nitric oxide pathway

Serotonin (5-HT) is an important neurotransmitter involved in the control of neural and vascular responses. 5-HT depletion can induce several neurological disorders, including migraines. Studies on a cortical spreading depression (CSD) migraine animal model showed that the cortical neurons sensitivity, vascular responses, and nitric oxide (NO) production were significantly increased in 5-HT depletion. However, the involvement of NO in the cerebrovascular responses in 5-HT depletion remains unclear. This study aimed to investigate the role of NO in the CSD-induced alterations of cerebral microvessels in 5-HT depletion. Rats were divided into four groups: control, control with L-NAME treatment, 5-HT depleted, and 5-HT depleted with L-NAME treatment. 5-HT depletion was induced by intraperitoneal injection with para-chlorophenylalanine (PCPA) 3 days before the experiment. The CSD was triggered by KCl application. After the second wave of CSD, N-nitro-l-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME) or saline was intravenously injected into the rats with or without L-NAME treatment groups, respectively. The intercellular adhesion molecules-1 (ICAM-1), cell adhesion molecules-1 (VCAM-1), and the ultrastructural changes of the cerebral microvessels were examined. The results showed that 5-HT depletion significantly increased ICAM-1 and VCAM-1 expressions in the cerebral cortex. The number of endothelial pinocytic vesicles and microvilli was higher in the 5-HT depleted group when compared to the control. Interestingly, L-NAME treatment significantly reduced the abnormalities observed in the 5-HT depleted group. The results of this study demonstrated that an increase of NO production is one of the mechanisms involved in the CSD-induced alterations of the cerebrovascular responses in 5-HT depletion.
Pathogenesis of an attenuated and a virulent strain of group A human rotavirus in neonatal gnotobiotic pigs.

Gnotobiotic (Gn) pigs were orally inoculated with Wa strain (G1P1A[P8]) human rotavirus (Wa HRV) serially passaged in Gn pigs (virulent) or cell culture (attenuated) to determine the median virus infectious dose (ID50) and to assess the site of infection and type and progression of morphological lesions and clinical responses induced by these two strains in Gn pigs. The ID50 of virulent Wa HRV was = or < 1 f.f. u. whereas the infectivity of attenuated Wa HRV had to be determined by seroconversion and was approximately 1.3 x 1O(6) f.f. u. Diarrhoea developed at 13 h post-inoculation (p.i.) in pigs inoculated with approximately 1O(5) f.f. u. of virulent Wa HRV and correlated with the presence of viral antigen within villous epithelial cells; villous atrophy developed later at 24 h p.i. and correlated with peak faecal viral titres; recovery from disease correlated with the return of morphologically normal villi. Virus, diarrhoea and villous atrophy were not detected in pigs inoculated with approximately 2 x 10(8)f.f. u. attenuated Wa HRV although HRV-specific serum antibodies were present by 7 days p.i. These findings demonstrate that virulent Wa HRV infection in Gn pigs occurs primarily within intestinal villous epithelial cells with villous atrophy developing as a sequela to infection. However, factors other than villous atrophy appear to contribute to the early stages of HRV-associated disease expression in Gn pigs. The ability of the attenuated virus to elicit virus-neutralizing serum antibodies without disease or pathology indicates promise in the use of such strains for oral immunization.
Importance of ICT in Education for Gifted Students

Gifted and talented children are those who are identified by professionally qualified persons who by virtue of outstanding abilities are capable of high performance. These are children who require differentiated educational programs and services beyond those that are normally provided by the regular school program in order to realize their contribution to self and society (Marland, 1972). A gifted child in the regular classroom may be the only child in the room; hence, he or she will not have the opportunity to learn with others of like ability. ICT can provide opportunities for students to develop and practice higher level thinking skills. The gifted students are spread around the world and ICT makes it possible that gifted students communicate with other gifted students all around the world. ICT can be used to acquire that type of knowledge which can satisfy the needs of the gifted children. So, the purpose of this paper is to determine the use of technology in education for the learning of gifted and talented students.
Efficiency of research investments in the presence of international spillovers : wheat research in developing countries

Expenditures on agricultural research in the public sector, including the International Agricultural Research Centers (IARCs) have stagnated and in some cases, declined sharply in recent years. This has focused attention on issues of efficiency of agricultural research systems, especially the number, size, scope, type, and locations of their programs. This paper examines the issue of research efficiency through a case study of wheat improvement research in developing countries. The basic premise of this study is that the optimal level of research investment should be determined in a global model that incorporates direct research spill-ins. An analytical framework is developed to determine the threshold levels of crop production in a country (or a region within a country) needed to justify crop improvement research programs of different sizes in the presence of spill-ins from abroad. Spill-in coefficients are estimated from yield performance of varieties of different origins grown across a range of environments. The model is then applied to analyze the efficiency of current investments in 69 wheat improvement research programs in 35 developing countries. A major conclusion of the paper is that given the magnitude of potential spill-ins from the international research system, many wheat research programs could significantly increase the efficiency of resource use by reducing the size of their wheat research programs and focusing on the screening of varieties developed elsewhere. ©2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.
Peculiarities of Norovirus and Rotavirus Infections in Hospitalised Young Children

Objectives: To investigate the features of norovirus infection in hospitalised children under the age of 3 and to compare the results with those of rotavirus infection. Patients and Methods: Case notes were randomly selected and retrospectively analysed for 70 norovirus- and 70 rotavirus-infected children. All of the children were treated in Vilnius University Children's Hospital in 2005. The norovirus antigen was assayed using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, the rotavirus using immunochromatography diagnostic assay. Results: In young children, norovirus infection manifested as vomiting (94% of all cases), diarrhoea (81%), and fever (66%). It presented as gastroenteritis with fever (47%) or without fever (30%). However, 19% of cases were without diarrhoea. During rotavirus infection, fever was present in 97% of cases and 81% of them were >38°C. However, in norovirus infection, the percentages were 66% and 48%, respectively (P < 0.0001). Intensive diarrhoea (≥7 times/day) more frequently appeared in children with rotavirus infection than with norovirus (P < 0.0001). Repeated vomiting (≥4 times/day) has been more common for children with norovirus infection. As opposed to norovirus infection, which has 2 main syndromes (gastroenteritis with fever and without fever), rotavirus infection is dominated by just 1 clinical syndrome—gastroenteritis with fever (P < 0.0001). Conclusions: Norovirus infection in young children can present as gastroenteritis with or without fever. Norovirus and rotavirus infections had statistically significant differences in the presence and the degree of fever, and the intensity of diarrhoea and vomiting, as well as frequency of different syndromes.
Low-voltage activated calcium currents in ganglion cells of the tiger salamander retina: Experiment and simulation

We examined the functional properties of a low-voltage-activated (LVA) calcium current in ganglion cells of the neotenous tiger salamander (Ambystoma tigrinum) retina. Our analysis was based on whole-cell recordings from acutely dissociated ganglion cell bodies identified by retrograde dye injections. Using a continuously perfused cell preparation, the LVA current was isolated with the use of potassium channel blocking agents added to the bathing medium and the pipette solution, while tetrodotoxin was added to the bathing medium to block Na+ channels. Approximately 70% of ganglion cells had an easily identified LVA current. The LVA current activated at membrane potentials more positive than −90 mV, and inactivated rapidly. It was relatively insensitive to nickel (IC50 > 500 μM) and amiloride (IC50 > 750 μM). Voltage- and current-clamp studies allowed us to generate a model of this current using the NEURON simulation program. Studies were also carried out to measure the LVA Ca2+ current in ganglion cells with dendrites to confirm that it had a significant dendritic representation. Physiological mechanisms that may depend on LVA Ca2+ currents are discussed with an emphasis on the role that dendrites play in ganglion cell function.
Analysis of factors influencing the outcome and development of septic metastasis or relapse in Salmonella bacteremia.

One-hundred seventy-two consecutive adult patients with salmonella bacteremia documented by at least one positive blood culture were prospectively evaluated over a 10-year period. Salmonella enteritidis was isolated in 121 cases (70.3%), Salmonella typhimurium in 29 (16.9%), and other Salmonella species in 22 (12.8%). Twenty-seven patients (15.7%) developed septic metastasis; 21 patients (12.2%) died of bacteremia, and 24 (16.7%) of the 144 patients who survived had at least one relapse. A logistic regression analysis selected three variables as independently influencing outcome: septic shock (P = .005), coma (P = .029), and immunosuppression (P = .04). By means of the same statistical analysis, leukopenia (a white blood cell count of < 4 x 10(9)/L) was identified as an independent risk factor for relapse (P < .0001). The possibility of salmonella bacteremia must be considered when immunosuppressed patients have fever and no obvious source of infection. Treatment with a drug active against Salmonella species is essential in this population. Patients with leukopenia should be considered as recipients of prophylaxis for relapse.
Kinematic and Electromyographic Activity Changes during Back Squat with Submaximal and Maximal Loading

The aim of this study was to investigate the possible kinematic and muscular activity changes with maximal loading during squat maneuver. Fourteen healthy male individuals, who were experienced at performing squats, participated in this study. Each subject performed squats with 80%, 90%, and 100% of the previously established 1 repetition maximum (1RM). Electromyographic (EMG) activities were measured for the vastus lateralis, vastus medialis, rectus femoris, semitendinosus, biceps femoris, gluteus maximus, and erector spinae by using an 8-channel dual-mode portable EMG and physiological signal data acquisition system (Myomonitor IV, Delsys Inc., Boston, MA, USA). Kinematical data were analyzed by using saSuite 2D kinematical analysis program. Data were analyzed with repeated measures analysis of variance (p < 0.05). Overall muscle activities increased with increasing loads, but significant increases were seen only for vastus medialis and gluteus maximus during 90% and 100% of 1RM compared to 80% while there was no significant difference between 90% and 100% for any muscle. The movement pattern in the hip joint changed with an increase in forward lean during maximal loading. Results may suggest that maximal loading during squat may not be necessary for focusing on knee extensor improvement and may increase the lumbar injury risk.
Industry–science collaboration for radical innovation: the discovery of phase-dependent collaborative configurations

The organization of industry–science collaboration in case of knowledge transfer for radical innovation is central to this study. Based on a contingency notion, the relation between research and development (R&D) projects’ properties and the way of collaboration is explored. By means of in-depth interviews with industrial managers 32 projects were studied. We found two configurations: consortium-deluxe and research services-plus. The invention’s time-to-market was identified as the discriminating factor. The first configuration represents a large-scale consortium in which a firm over time informally adjusts the activities of some academic partners towards the objectives of its own project. In the research services-plus configuration, firms are looking for specific knowledge to complete their own, highly confidential projects. Because of internal deadlines, delay is undesired and the level of control is high. On the contrary to ‘classic’ research services, mobility plays an important role in services-plus. These configurations will help to reach more effective knowledge transfer.
The effect of efferent stimulation on basilar membrane displacement in the basal turn of the guinea pig cochlea

Tone-evoked basilar membrane (BM) displacements were measured with a laser diode interferometer from the basal turn of the guinea pig cochlea. The olivocochlear bundle (OCB) was electrically stimulated for 60--80 msec periods at rates of < 200 sec-1 via electrodes placed at the point at which the OCB crosses the floor of the fourth ventricle. For tones close to the best or characteristic frequency (CF), OCB stimulation tended to linearize the highly compressive displacement- level functions and to displace the steep, low-level region toward higher intensities along the intensity axis by < 27 dB sound pressure levels. This shift resulted in a desensitization of the tip of the BM displacement tuning curve that was associated sometimes with downward shifts in the tuning curve CF of < 500 Hz. OCB-induced suppression of the BM response was not associated with a consistent broadening of the tuning curve or with major changes in the phase of the BM response. At frequencies in the low-frequency tail of the tuning curve, OCB stimulation had no observable effect on the motion of the BM. The effect of OCB stimulation on the BM response was blocked by perfusing the scala tympani with 1 microM strychnine. Thus, the effect of OCB stimulation on the frequency tuning of the BM is very similar to the effect of OCB stimulation on the sensitivity and frequency tuning of afferent fibers and inner hair cells. The results indicate that the postsynaptic action of the OCB may cause a change in gain of the voltage-dependent outer hair cell motility without observable changes in the stiffness of the cochlear partition or the position of the BM.
An environmental intervention to promote lower-fat food choices in secondary schools: outcomes of the TACOS Study.

OBJECTIVES We evaluated an environmental intervention intended to increase sales of lower-fat foods in secondary school cafeterias. METHODS Twenty secondary schools were randomly assigned to either an environmental intervention or a control group for a 2-year period. The intervention increased the availability of lower-fat foods and implemented student-based promotions. RESULTS A steeper rate of increase in sales of lower-fat foods in year 1 (10% intervention vs -2.8% control, P =.002) and a higher percentage of sales of lower-fat foods in year 2 (33.6% intervention vs 22.1% control, P =.04) were observed. There were no significant changes in student self-reported food choices. CONCLUSIONS School-based environmental interventions to increase availability and promotion of lower-fat foods can increase purchase of these foods among adolescents.
Genetic loss or pharmacological blockade of testes-expressed taste genes causes male sterility

TAS1R taste receptors and their associated heterotrimeric G protein gustducin are involved in sugar and amino acid sensing in taste cells and in the gastrointestinal tract. They are also strongly expressed in testis and sperm, but their functions in these tissues were previously unknown. Using mouse models, we show that the genetic absence of both TAS1R3, a component of sweet and amino acid taste receptors, and the gustducin α-subunit GNAT3 leads to male-specific sterility. To gain further insight into this effect, we generated a mouse model that expressed a humanized form of TAS1R3 susceptible to inhibition by the antilipid medication clofibrate. Sperm formation in animals without functional TAS1R3 and GNAT3 is compromised, with malformed and immotile sperm. Furthermore, clofibrate inhibition of humanized TAS1R3 in the genetic background of Tas1r3−/−, Gnat3−/− doubly null mice led to inducible male sterility. These results indicate a crucial role for these extraoral “taste” molecules in sperm development and maturation. We previously reported that blocking of human TAS1R3, but not mouse TAS1R3, can be achieved by common medications or chemicals in the environment. We hypothesize that even low levels of these compounds can lower sperm count and negatively affect human male fertility, which common mouse toxicology assays would not reveal. Conversely, we speculate that TAS1R3 and GNAT3 activators may help infertile men, particularly those that are affected by some of the mentioned inhibitors and/or are diagnosed with idiopathic infertility involving signaling pathway of these receptors.