Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Global Analysis of Bioclimatic Controls on Ecosystem Productivity Using Satellite Observations of Solar-Induced Chlorophyll Fluorescence

Ecosystem productivity models rely on regional climatic information to estimate temperature and moisture constraints influencing plant growth. However, the productivity response to these environmental factors is uncertain at the global scale and has largely been defined using limited observations from sparse monitoring sites, including carbon flux towers. Recent studies have shown that satellite observations of Solar-Induced chlorophyll Fluorescence (SIF) are highly correlated with ecosystem Gross Primary Productivity (GPP). Here, we use a relatively long-term global SIF observational record from the Global Ozone Monitoring Experiment-2 (GOME-2) sensors to investigate the relationships between SIF, used as a proxy for GPP, and selected bio-climatic factors constraining plant growth at the global scale. We compared the satellite SIF retrievals with collocated GPP observations from a global network of tower carbon flux monitoring sites and surface meteorological data from model reanalysis, including soil moisture, Vapor Pressure Deficit (VPD), and minimum daily air temperature (Tmin). We found strong correspondence (R2 > 80%) between SIF and GPP monthly climatologies for tower sites characterized by mixed, deciduous broadleaf, evergreen needleleaf forests, and croplands. For other land cover types including savanna, shrubland, and evergreen broadleaf forest, SIF showed significant but higher variability in correlations between sites. In order to analyze temperature and moisture related effects on ecosystem productivity, we divided SIF by photosynthetically active radiation (SIFp) and examined partial correlations between SIFp and the climatic factors across a global range of flux tower sites, and over broader regional and global extents. We found that productivity in arid ecosystems is more strongly controlled by soil water content to an extent that soil moisture explains a higher proportion of the seasonal cycle in productivity than VPD. At the global scale, ecosystem productivity is affected by joint climatic constraint factors so that VPD, Tmin, and soil moisture were significant (p < 0.05) controls over 60, 59, and 35 percent of the global domain, respectively. Our study identifies and confirms dominant climate control factors influencing productivity at the global scale indicated from satellite SIF observations. The results are generally consistent with climate response characteristics indicated from sparse global tower observations, while providing more extensive coverage for verifying and refining global carbon and climate model assumptions and predictions.
Leaf Extracts of Mangifera indica L. Inhibit Quorum Sensing – Regulated Production of Virulence Factors and Biofilm in Test Bacteria

Quorum sensing (QS) is a global gene regulatory mechanism in bacteria for various traits including virulence factors. Disabling QS system with anti-infective agent is considered as a potential strategy to prevent bacterial infection. Mangifera indica L. (mango) has been shown to possess various biological activities including anti-QS. This study investigates the efficacy of leaf extracts on QS-regulated virulence factors and biofilm formation in Gram negative pathogens. Mango leaf (ML) extract was tested for QS inhibition and QS-regulated virulence factors using various indicator strains. It was further correlated with the biofilm inhibition and confirmed by electron microscopy. Phytochemical analysis was carried out using ultra performance liquid chromatography (UPLC) and gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis. In vitro evaluation of anti-QS activity of ML extracts against Chromobacterium violaceum revealed promising dose-dependent interference in violacein production, by methanol extract. QS inhibitory activity is also demonstrated by reduction in elastase (76%), total protease (56%), pyocyanin (89%), chitinase (55%), exopolysaccharide production (58%) and swarming motility (74%) in Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAO1 at 800 μg/ml concentration. Biofilm formation by P. aeruginosa PAO1 and Aeromonas hydrophila WAF38 was reduced considerably (36–82%) over control. The inhibition of biofilm was also observed by scanning electron microscopy. Moreover, ML extracts significantly reduced mortality of Caenorhabditis elegans pre-infected with PAO1 at the tested concentration. Phytochemical analysis of active extracts revealed very high content of phenolics in methanol extract and a total of 14 compounds were detected by GC-MS and UPLC. These findings suggest that phytochemicals from the ML could provide bioactive anti-infective and needs further investigation to isolate and uncover their therapeutic efficacy.
A Study of International Listing By Firms of Indian Origin

A growing number of companies from emerging economies are crosslisting their shares on international exchanges in their effort to access the developed stock markets. This paper tries to look into the inter-sectoral and inter-temporal characteristics in prices of such stocks of Indian origin that are being dually traded on the American and Indian stock exchanges. The trend up to August 2006 shows the existence of positive premia levels of the American Depository Receipts (ADRs) over the underlying domestic securities. In an effort to realign ADR prices and bring down premia levels, the Reserve Bank of India introduced two-way fungibility in February 2002. However, ADR premia levels continued to increase during the period 2002 to 2004, with a decline only from 2005 - this downward trend seems to be unrelated to the fungibility criterion since the two-way conversion did not open up arbitrage opportunities. We find that legislative changes in India had an impact on decisions of Indian companies to go in for international listings. However, once listed, the trading in ADRs by foreign investors was guided by movements in the US stock market rather than capital market activities in India. We do not find any increases in domestic stock prices across firms after their foreign listings, but the domestic stocks show an increase in trading volumes (liquidity gains) after their international listings.
Organizational Structure and Risk Taking: Evidence from the Life Insurance Industry in Japan *

This study examines the impact of organizational structure on risk taking behavior in the Japanese life insurance industry. Life insurance industry has an interesting feature that companies are structured as both mutual and stock forms of organization. Another special feature in Japanese life insurance industry is that some companies belong to a type of organizational structure which is known as ‘Keiretsu’ affiliation. Using Japanese life insurance data, we find that mutual insurers take less risk than stock insurers. Second, we find that Japanese life insurance companies belong to ‘Keiretsu’ affiliation (Japanese horizontal corporate group) have lower risk than independent insurance companies. Third, our results are robust with different proxies of risk measures (e.g., underwriting risk, financial risk, investment risk, and total risk).
Convergence of Bank Efficiency in Emerging Markets: The Central and Eastern European Countries’ Experience

In our study we investigate the impact of the European Union integration process on banks’ efficiency and the convergence of cost efficiency across banking systems from Central and Eastern European countries from 2004 to 2010. We observe large differences in the level of cost efficiency between national banking systems and we notice an increase in banking efficiency for all banking systems until 2008. However, starting with 2009, the evolution of the average scores of cost efficiency declined. The results provide evidence of β-convergence and σ-convergence in terms of cost efficiency among the banking systems, especially during the period 2009-2010. The convergence process is determined by an increase of the average efficiency level of less efficient banking systems, known as the “catching-up” process. The convergence process can also be determined by the decrease of the average efficiency level of the banking systems known as the “lagging-behind” process.
E‐Government Service Quality: A Qualitative Evaluation in the Case of Saudi Arabia

Government website services comprise awareness programs for their citizens and others, information distribution, and perhaps data collection, online enquiries, and submissions for regulatory or funding purposes. Quality of service is fundamental to public acceptance and use of e‐government websites, although this aspect is frequently overlooked during the design and implementation stages of online public services. Besides transparency, ease of navigation and comprehensive information, these websites require adequate monitoring resources, including targets for responses and reports. The intention of this study is to contribute to the development of e‐government services, and to raise awareness of user attitudes to public websites among researchers, government administrators and service providers, especially in the context of Saudi Arabia. This study explores dimensions that contribute to e‐government service quality, or have the capacity to detract from website support. A qualitative approach through individual interviews was taken that explored four categories of service quality: the system function category included ease of use, and system availability; and the content category included three dimensions: format, information, and personalization. Further, the procedural category comprised privacy and security, credibility, interactivity, and processing time; the citizen support category included responsiveness and contact dimensions. Development of an appropriate quantitative model and instrument is planned to facilitate research into the relationships among the e‐government service quality dimensions and user satisfaction and user trust. Further, it is planned to research various environments and contexts to provide cross‐cultural comparisons to understand e‐government's user behaviors.
[Association of IFNγ gene Tag single nucleotide polymorphisms and HBV infection in ethnic Dai and Hani populations from Yunnan].

OBJECTIVE To assess the association of interferon gamma gene (IFNγ ) tag single nucleotide polymorphisms (Tag SNPs) with hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection in ethnic Dai and Hani minorities from Xishuangbanna, Yunnan. METHODS Peripheral blood samples were collected from 300 Dai minorities and 300 Hani minorities, each included 100 healthy controls and 200 HBV infected individuals (including 100 spontaneous recovery subjects and 100 chronic HBV infected patients). Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption/Ionization Time of Flight Mass Spectrometry (MALDITOF-MS) was used to determine the Tag SNPs of IFNγ gene. Haplotypes were constructed. RESULTS In Hani and Dai minorities, the frequencies of rs1861494 CC genotype in HBV infected group was significantly higher than the healthy group (Dai: χ2=10.017, P=0.001; Hani: χ2=6.515, P=0.039), and there was a significant difference between the HBV infected group and the control group under the C allele recessive mode (CC/TC+TT) (Dai: P=0.035, OR=9.567, 95%CI: 1.166-78.499; Hani: P=0.027, OR=5.484, 95%CI: 1.216-24.726). In Dai minorities, the frequencies of rs2069705 CC genotype and C allele in chronic HBV infected group was significantly higher than the spontaneous recovery group (genotype: χ2=8.112, P=0.017; allele: χ2=4.066, P=0.044), and there was a significant difference between chronic HBV infected group and spontaneous recovery group under the C allele recessive mode (CC/CT+TT) (P=0.013, OR=0.341, 95%CI: 0.146-0.796). CONCLUSION Above results suggested that the rs1861494 CC genotype of the IFNγ gene has conferred an increased risk for HBV susceptibility in both Dai and Hani minorities. In addition, the rs2069705 CC genotype may be a risky factor for Dai minorities to develop chronic HBV infection.
The Chain of Effects from Brand Trust and Brand Affect to Brand Performance: The Role of Brand Loyalty

The authors examine two aspects of brand loyalty, purchase loyalty and attitudinal loyalty, as linking variables in the chain of effects from brand trust and brand affect to brand performance (market share and relative price). The model includes product-level, category-related controls (hedonic value and utilitarian value) and brand-level controls (brand differentiation and share of voice). The authors compile an aggregate data set for 107 brands from three separate surveys of consumers and brand managers. The results indicate that when the product- and brand-level variables are controlled for, brand trust and brand affect combine to determine purchase loyalty and attitudinal loyalty. Purchase loyalty, in turn, leads to greater market share, and attitudinal loyalty leads to a higher relative price for the brand. The authors discuss the managerial implications of these results.
'Idiopathic' jaundice in Sardinian full-term newborn infants: a multivariate study.

'Idiopathic' hyperbilirubinaemia in the first 4 days of life was studied in 431 unselected healthy full-term (gestational age > or = 37 weeks) singleton Sardinian infants with birthweight > or = 2500 g. All infants were free from malformations or any disease requiring treatment other than jaundice, they were ABO and Rh compatible with their mothers and were not G6PD deficient. The serum bilirubin level was > 11.9 mg/dl (204 mumol/l) and > 14.9 mg/dl (256 mumol/l) in 37.1% and 15.3% of the study subjects. The vast majority of the infants (94%) were breast fed; no difference in the incidence of jaundice was found between breast-fed and bottle-fed infants. A logistic regression analysis indicated that high alpha-fetoprotein concentrations in cord blood, history of neonatal jaundice in previous full-term siblings, delayed first meconium passage and weight loss were associated with jaundice, defined as a serum bilirubin level > 11.9 mg/dl. These results suggest that the high rate of neonatal hyperbilirubinaemia in Sardinia is mostly related to constitutional and possibly hereditary factors.
The influence of organizational culture and conflict on market orientation

Purpose – This study aims to review three recognized culture types: bureaucracy, supportive, and innovative, then to develop a model describing how intra‐organizational conflict mediates the relationship between these cultures and market orientation.Design/methodology/approach – Using survey data from over 200 corporate managers, a model of the mediating effect of conflict was examined. First, the model was tested using structural equation modeling, and then a series of linear regressions was used to confirm mediation.Findings – The study found that conflict mediated the relationship between culture and market orientation. The findings also suggested that conflict was positively associated with bureaucratic organizations and negatively associated with innovative and supportive organizations.Practical implications – The results point out potential pitfalls that some organizations may encounter in maintaining market orientation or in trying to become market‐oriented. The results suggested that innovative an.
Long-Term Follow-Up of Baroreflex Activation Therapy in Resistant Hypertension: Another Piece of the Puzzle?

See related article, pp 836–843 Hypertension is one of the most prevalent chronic diseases worldwide and strongly associated with adverse cardiovascular outcome. Numerous highly effective pharmacological therapies are available to treat elevated blood pressure (BP), but a substantial percentage of patients remain uncontrolled. Various reasons have been identified, including physician inertia, inadequate dosing or suboptimal combinations of antihypertensive treatments, inadequate patient adherence to treatment, the use of interfering drugs, an undiagnosed secondary hypertension, or the presence of resistant hypertension.1 There is a mass of evidence indicating the profound involvement of the autonomic nervous system in the development and progression of hypertension,2 which has recently moved into the limelight of clinical research. Several device-based treatment approaches have been investigated, one of these is baroreflex activation therapy (BAT) using a dedicated pacemaker. However, despite the strong pathophysiological rationale, BAT has not conclusively demonstrated its value for treatment of hypertension, and its place in the therapeutic armamentarium remains debated.1 de Leeuw et al3 report in this issue of Hypertension the 6-year long-term safety and efficacy results of 3 BAT studies (n=383 patients included and n=48 after 6 years), namely the US Rheos Feasibility Trial4 (prospective, nonrandomized), the DEBuT-HT trial5 (Device Based Therapy in Hypertension Trial; prospective, nonrandomized), and the Rheos Pivotal Trial6 (randomized, sham controlled). All 3 trials used the first-generation Rheos system (CVRx, MN) which was implanted in patients with resistant hypertension. The data provide important information and indicate that BAT had …
Recovery of heart rate variability in patients with moderate to severe obstructive sleep apnea after 6-month continuous positive airway pressure treatment.

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the effect of long-term treatment with continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) on the heart rate variability (HRV) of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) patients. MATERIAL AND METHOD Patients with moderate to severe OSA who had never used CPAP treatment were enrolled. Short recording HRV analysis was performed at baseline then at one, three, and six months after CPAP treatment. The measurement included low frequency HRV (LF), high frequency HRV (HF), low frequency to high frequency ratio (LHR), and standard deviation of R-R intervals (SDNN). All domains were measured both during spontaneous and deep breathing. RESULTS There were 10 patients in the present study, all were men with the mean age of 45 years, mean body mass index 29.3 kg/m2, mean apnea-hypopnea index 60.9 events/hour, and mean average CPAP usage 4.8 hours/night. The HRV showed no significant change after one and three months of CPAP treatment. At 6 months, the only significant change was the SDNN measured after deep breathing (28.80 +/- 9.83 vs. 34.43 +/- 14.23 millisecond, p = 0.032). CONCLUSION One aspect of heart rate variability in moderate to severe obstructive sleep apnea patients was improved after six month's continuous positive airway pressure treatment.
Profiles of fertility, labour supply and wages of married women: a complete life-cycle model.

Trends in fertility and female labor supply have changed dramatically since World War II. Fertility rates rose steadily from the 1940's until the early 1960's and thereafter declined, while female laborforce participation rates have continually grown since the 1950's. These 2 rates are closely linked. Labor supply and fertility decisions are also life-cycle decisions. In addition, wage and job prospects are related to job choice and in turn to fertility decisions. Labor supply, fertility, and wages are linked in an econometric model which takes into account the problems of heterogeneity of tastes, the problem of missing wage rates through nonworking, and the problem of simultaneous-equations bias. Past works are critiqued, mainly on the basis that few analyses recognize the interrelatedness of fertility and labor supply in any sense--static or dynamic. Nor do most researchers consider age-specific fertility equations in analyzing female labor supply. Moffitt's model is a beginning analysis of fertility and labor supply as a joint consumer-demand choice. Patterns of a couple's future consumption, wife's labor supply, and births are assumed to be planned at the beginning of marriage. These patterns depend on the constraints of budget, fertility, and of inverse production (the differing amounts of time it takes to care for a child as the child matures) as well as wage accumulation. Exogenous wealth and beginning wages are considered as well. This model does not account for a woman's work experience prior to marriage. According to the model, fertility rates rise in the 1st year of marriage and subsequently fall off. Employment rates drop off at an accelerating rate until the 6th year of marriage and then increase. A rise in wage level decreases the probability of birth and increases the probability ow working. Also, changes in fertility rates have more to do with wage changes than with a woman's cohort.
Somatic Cell Mutations at the Glycophorin A Locus in Erythrocytes of Radiation Workers from the Sellafield Nuclear Facility

Abstract Tawn, E. J., Whitehouse, C. A. , Daniel, C. P., Tarone, R. ;thE. , Bothwell, A. M. and Fisher, A. Somatic Cell Mutations at the Glycophorin A Locus in Erythrocytes of Radiation Workers from the Sellafield Nuclear Facility. Radiat. Res. 159, 117–122 (2003). The glycophorin A (GPA) somatic mutation assay for N0 and NN mutant erythrocytes was performed on 245 current and 48 retired workers who had been occupationally exposed to radiation at the British Nuclear Fuels plc facility at Sellafield. A positive association with increasing age was found for current workers for both N0 and NN frequencies of 0.14 ± 0.05 × 10–6 (P = 0.012) and 0.25 ± 0.07 × 10–6 (P = 0.0003) per year, respectively. No association with age was found for the retired workers. In a comparison of ever-smokers with never-smokers, no difference was observed for N0 frequencies for current workers, but a significantly higher frequency was found for ever-smokers in the retired group (P = 0.001). NN mutant frequencies were slightly higher in ever-smokers than in never-smokers for both current and retired workers, but in neither case was the increase significant. In age-adjusted analyses for N0 mutant frequencies, a slight positive radiation dose response was found for current workers (1.6 ± 3.8 × 10–6 per Sv), for retired workers (2.9 ± 2.5 × 10–6 per Sv), and in the combined analysis (2.6 ± 2.2 × 10–6 per Sv), but in no case did this reach significance. Similar analyses for NN mutant frequencies revealed a positive dose response for current workers (4.7 ± 4.6 × 10–6 per Sv) and a negative response for retired workers (–2.4 ± 3.6 × 10–6 per Sv) that was maintained in the combined analysis (–1.4 ± 2.8 × 10–6 per Sv), but none of these slopes was significantly different from zero. The results suggest that the GPA mutation assay is insufficiently sensitive to be used as a biological marker of low-dose chronic exposure and provide further evidence that, in contrast to high acute radiation exposure, protracted exposure is much less effective at inducing somatic mutations in vivo.