Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Does Being (Un)Registered to Vote Make Any Difference? Re-Examining the Private and Social Costs of Voter Registration

Voter-registration laws have played a key role in eradicating electoral frauds, increasing electoral engagement among youth and minorities, and consolidating emerging democracies. Nevertheless, the conceptual study of voter enrollment has not been prolific despite its relevance to democratic legitimacy. This paper proposes a theoretical framework for the decision of voter registration, which recovers the classical insights that democracy is a public good, government actions are motivated by the public interest, and citizens act rationally in politics. The private and social solutions of the model entail three types of Nash equilibrium (null, partial, and full enrollment rate), where the real cost of voter enrollment and how valuable is democracy to people are crucial determinants. Policy analysis suggests that reducing or removing registration costs will not avoid a crisis of representation. Finally, the addition of ideological preferences and a pricing mechanism based on electoral engagement allows to discuss the potential costs of being unregistered to vote.
Thymopoiesis in mice depends on a Foxn1-positive thymic epithelial cell lineage

The thymus is essential for T-cell development. Here, we focus on the role of the transcription factor Foxn1 in the development and function of thymic epithelial cells (TECs) of the mouse. TECs are of endodermal origin; they initially express Foxn1 and give rise to orthotopic (thoracic) and additional (cervical) thymi. Using Foxn1-directed cytoablation, we show that during embryogenesis, cervical thymi develop a few days after the thoracic lobes, and that bipotent epithelial progenitors of cortical and medullary compartments express Foxn1. We also show that following acute selective near-total ablation during embryogenesis, complete regeneration of TECs does not occur, providing an animal model for human thymic aplasia syndromes. Finally, we address the functional role of Foxn1-negative TECs that arise postnatally in the mouse. Lineage tracing shows that such Foxn1-negative TECs are descendants of Foxn1-positive progenitors; furthermore, Foxn1-directed subacute intoxication of TECs by polyglutamine-containing EGFP proteins indicates that a presumptive Foxn1-independent lineage does not contribute to thymopoietic function of the adult thymus. Our findings therefore support the notion that Foxn1 is the essential transcription factor regulating the differentiation of TECs and that its expression marks the major functional lineage of TECs in embryonic and adult thymic tissue.
Quantitative Proteomic Analysis Reveals that Antioxidation Mechanisms Contribute to Cold Tolerance in Plantain (Musa paradisiaca L.; ABB Group) Seedlings*

Banana and its close relative, plantain are globally important crops and there is considerable interest in optimizing their cultivation. Plantain has superior cold tolerance compared with banana and a thorough understanding of the molecular mechanisms and responses of plantain to cold stress has great potential value for developing cold tolerant banana cultivars. In this study, we used iTRAQ-based comparative proteomic analysis to investigate the temporal responses of plantain to cold stress. Plantain seedlings were exposed for 0, 6, and 24 h of cold stress at 8 °C and subsequently allowed to recover for 24 h at 28 °C. A total of 3477 plantain proteins were identified, of which 809 showed differential expression from the three treatments. The majority of differentially expressed proteins were predicted to be involved in oxidation-reduction, including oxylipin biosynthesis, whereas others were associated with photosynthesis, photorespiration, and several primary metabolic processes, such as carbohydrate metabolic process and fatty acid beta-oxidation. Western blot analysis and enzyme activity assays were performed on seven differentially expressed, cold-response candidate plantain proteins to validate the proteomics data. Similar analyses of the seven candidate proteins were performed in cold-sensitive banana to examine possible functional conservation, and to compare the results to equivalent responses between the two species. Consistent results were achieved by Western blot and enzyme activity assays, demonstrating that the quantitative proteomics data collected in this study are reliable. Our results suggest that an increase of antioxidant capacity through adapted ROS scavenging capability, reduced production of ROS, and decreased lipid peroxidation contribute to molecular mechanisms for the increased cold tolerance in plantain. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of a global investigation on molecular responses of plantain to cold stress by proteomic analysis.
Parenthood as a Developmental Phase

Dr. Irwin Marcus introduced the Panel members, noting that Therese Benedek, in a presentation to this Association in 1958, parented the title and theme of this Panel. Marcus set the question of a developmental phase of parenthood in an epigenetic context. He observed that all our basic psychoanalytic concepts, from their inception by Freud, are developmental. Beyond the Oedipus complex, Freud detailed a puberty and climacterium. Of the subsequent contributions in expansion of Freud’s original formulation, Marcus could touch on the work of only a few. Spitz refers to phases of development in terms of critical periods and organizers. His theories explicate Freud’s theory of the complemental series and of furation, and generate implications for prevention and therapy. Mahler’s formulations of the normal autistic, symbiotic, and separation-individuation phases of development have stimulated a series of panels on “The Experience of Separation-Individuation in Infancy and its Reverberations Through the Course of Life. ” Moving another step ahead on the continuum into.adolescence, Blos has described four developmental tasks of that phase of development: the second individuation, achievement of ego continuity, integration of a sexual identity, and mastery of residual trauma. Marcus noted that progressive and regressive aspects of developmental phenomena occur throughout the life cycle. The achievement and maintenance of an adult ego identity cannot be regarded as a permanent, unalterable state. Zetzel considered it a basic fact of life that every important maturational challenge presents significant regressive threats. She believed that those with limited symptomatology during a developmental crisis have greater potential for genuine maturity than those who have consolidated regressite defenses in their definitive character structure. Marcus saw in this postulate the suggestion that those with residual partial failures in the resolution of their earlier intrapsychic conflicts have an opportunity for new and better solutions.
The characterization of the Advanced Markus ionization chamber for use in reference electron dosimetry in the UK

The IPEM Code of Practice (IPEM 2003) for electron dosimetry for radiotherapy beams recommends design requirements for parallel-plate ionization chambers used to determine absorbed dose to water in an electron beam. The Classic Markus design has been found not to meet these requirements. The Advanced Markus ionization chamber has been designed to rectify the problems associated with the Classic Markus ionization chamber. The response of three Advanced Markus ionization chambers was investigated and compared to the designated chamber types. Absorbed dose to water calibration factors were derived at the National Physical Laboratory (NPL) for each ionization chamber at seven electron energies in the range nominally 4–19 MeV. Investigations were carried out into chamber settling, polarity effects, ion recombination and the chamber perturbation. The response of the ionization chambers in a clinical beam was also investigated. In general all three Advanced Markus ionization chambers showed the same energy response. The magnitude of the polarity effect was typically 5% at a nominal energy of 4 MeV. There was discrepancy between the polarity measurements made at the NPL and in the clinic. The recommendation of this study is that this chamber type is not suitable for reference dosimetry in electron beams.
Perceptions of junior doctors and undergraduate medical students as anatomy teachers: Investigating distance along the near‐peer teaching spectrum

Near‐peer teaching involves more experienced students acting as tutors and has been widely used in anatomy education. This approach has many advantages for the learner due to the social and cognitive congruence they share with the teacher, however, the influence of distance between the teacher and learner on these congruences has yet to be explored. The aim of this study was to compare the attitudes and perceptions of the student learner towards neuroanatomy review sessions taught by either a senior medical student or a junior doctor. The students were randomly assigned to an allocated tutor. All tutors used standardized material and had access to identical resources. The type of allocated tutor was swapped between the two teaching sessions and 99 student feedback forms were collected in total. The rating for the overall quality of the teaching session was not significantly different between the junior doctors and senior medical students (P = 0.11). However, criteria closely relating to social and cognitive congruence such as “enjoyment of the session,” “delivery of the teaching,” and “was it a good use of time” were all rated significantly higher for the senior medical students (P < 0.05). The results of this study suggest that small increases in distance along the near‐peer teaching spectrum have an impact upon the student's perception of their learning experience. While all teachers were suitable role models it appears that junior doctors are too far removed from their own undergraduate experiences to share congruences with pre‐clinical medical students. Anat Sci Educ 7: 242–247. © 2013 American Association of Anatomists.
Optimization of Peritoneal Dialysis Prescription Using Computer Models of Peritoneal Transport

Computer models are valuable clinical tools in the effort to improve quality of life for dialysis patients. At present, two software programs have been validated clinically in adult and pediatric populations. They are the Personal Dialysis Capacity (PDC: Gambro Lundia AB, Lund, Sweden) and PD Adequest (Baxter Healthcare Corporation, Deerfield, IL, U.S.A.). Both programs seem to give accurate predictions of small-solute clearance, but the PDC seems to be superior in predicting ultrafiltration volumes. Indeed, the software programs have several important differences that affect their accuracy and, hence, their clinical value. The PDC software introduces the concepts of capillary physiology to the field of peritoneal dialysis. It gives a functional description of the peritoneal membrane of the individual patient. Recently, its “new” area parameter (A0/Δx) was shown to be superior to the peritoneal equilibration test (PET) in predicting transperitoneal exchange.
Aggregate Dynamics after a Shock to Monetary Policy in Developing Countries

This paper investigates the effects from a shock to monetary policy in developing economies under an inflationtargeting regime. We find that price adjustment is fast in these economies, causing the monetary policy shock to have less persistent effects on output compared with those in advanced economies. We show that a small open-economy model featuring staggered wage setting with incomplete financial markets is largely able to explain our findings.
Chemotherapy-related change in cognitive function: a conceptual model.

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVES To develop a conceptual model of chemotherapy-related changes in cognitive function. DATA SOURCES MEDLINE, CINAHL, HealthStar, and PsycINFO databases. DATA SYNTHESIS Patients undergoing chemotherapy often complain of forgetfulness, absentmindedness, and an inability to focus when performing a variety of daily tasks. Changes in cognitive function have been referred to by the colloquial term "chemo-brain. " The authors conducted an examination of the literature to investigate relationships among concepts and to synthesize current knowledge. CONCLUSIONS Cognitive function, defined as higher-order mental processes, may be altered along two distinct and interacting pathways: (a) the cancer diagnosis, which can lead to anxiety, stress, distress, and depression; and (b) the direct physiologic effects of cancer treatment. The Chemotherapy-Related Change in Cognitive Function conceptual model is informed by a review of literature that illustrates antecedents, moderators, mediators, and consequences that may be relevant to this issue. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING When a patient presents with cognitive complaints, the problems can be evaluated for intervention when an overall understanding exists of chemotherapy-related cognitive changes based on a conceptual model that continues to be informed through well-conceptualized and well-designed research.
Agency Costs of Moving to Tax Havens: Evidence from Cross‐Border Merger Premia

Research Question/Issue This paper explores the valuation effects of the tradeoff between tax avoidance and corporate governance through tax haven M&As. Firms can achieve tax savings by selling to an acquirer based in a tax haven, making the newly created multinational a haven resident. Changing a firm's tax home through a 100% acquisition is also accompanied by a change in legal system and corporate governance. Therefore, tax savings could come at the expense of corporate governance degradation making the value implications of such tax avoidance attempts an important empirical issue. Research Findings/Insights Using an international sample of cross-border M&As from 1989-2012, we find value evidence supporting the agency costs hypothesis. For 100% M&As, a lower target premium is associated with those transactions where the tax haven acquirer has weaker investor protection than the target. Theoretical/Academic Implications Our findings provide value evidence regarding the agency costs of tax motivated M&As as a result of the secrecy laws and limited investor protection of tax havens. Practitioner/Policy Implications This study provides a perspective for executives of multinational firms to take into account the value consequences associated with secrecy laws and weak investor protection while considering a possible relocation to tax havens. It also offers further insight to policy makers concerning the costs of limited investor protection and lack of transparency.
A Logical Analysis of Banks’ Financial Strength Ratings

We evaluate the creditworthiness of banks using statistical, as well as combinatorics-, optimization-, and logic-based methodologies. We reverse-engineer the Fitch risk ratings of banks using ordered logistic regression, support vector machine, and Logical Analysis of Data (LAD). The LAD ratings are shown to be the most accurate and most successfully cross-validated. The study shows that the LAD rating approach is (i) objective, (ii) transparent, and (iii) generalizable. It can be used to build internal rating systems that (iv) have varying levels of granularity, and (v) are Basel compliant, allowing for their use in the decisions pertaining to the determination of the amount of regulatory capital.
Where Is the North Pole? An Election-Year Survey on Global Change

The north and south polar regions have been rapidly changing, affecting global weather and sea levels and sparking international concern about shipping and resources. While these global impacts occur, physical changes such as warming and less ice directly affect ecosystems and people living in polar regions. President Obama, visiting the northern Alaska town of Kotzebue in summer 2015, noted the impact of climate change on the American Arctic, where several towns may be abandoned due to rising flood risks in the next few decades, if not sooner.
Plasma levels of activated protein C–protein C inhibitor complex in patients with hypercoagulable states

Plasma levels of activated protein C (APC)–protein C inhibitor (PCI) were significantly increased in patients with disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC), thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP), acute myocardial infarction (AMI), pulmonary embolism (PE), or deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and in patients undergoing hemodialysis (HD). Plasma levels of APC–α1‐antitrypsin (AT) complex were significantly increased in patients with DIC and in those with TTP. Plasma levels of PCI were significantly decreased in patients with DIC, non‐DIC, or TTP and in those undergoing HD. In the pre‐DIC stage, the plasma levels of APC–PCI complex were significantly increased but not those of APC–α1‐AT complex. These data suggest that measurements of APC–PCI complex and APC–α1‐AT complex may be useful for the diagnosis of DIC. After treatment of DIC, the plasma levels of APC–PCI complex and APC–α1‐AT complex were significantly decreased, but not those of PCI. Plasma levels of thrombin–antithrombin complex (TAT), plasmin–α2‐plasmin complex (PPIC), D‐dimer, and soluble fibrin monomer (SFM) were markedly increased in patients with DIC or pre‐DIC and were moderately increased in patients with non‐DIC, TTP, AMI, PE, or DVT and in those undergoing HD. The receiving operating characteristic (ROC) analysis showed that SFM and the APC–PCT complex are useful markers for diagnosis of DIC. The specificity of plasma TAT and PPIC levels was low. The positive rate of APC–PCI complex was higher than 90% with DIC, TTP, AMI, PE, and it was higher than 60% with DVT and HD. Since the APC–PCI complex was elevated not only in patients with venous thrombosis but also in those with arterial thrombosis, components of the protein C pathway might be useful markers for the diagnosis of arterial thrombosis. Am. J. Hematol. 65:35–40, 2000. © 2000 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
A randomized controlled trial of the effect of a brief cognitive-behavioral intervention on dental fear.

OBJECTIVES The objective of this study was to examine the effect of a brief cognitive-behavioral intervention for patients with dental fear in a private dental clinic. METHODS Patients presenting with subjectively reported dental fear were randomly assigned to either an immediate intervention (n = 53) or a waiting list (n = 51) group. Both groups received an identical intervention, but delayed by 4-6 weeks in the waiting list group. Participants were asked to fill out two self-report questionnaires of dental fear at pre- and post-intervention, and again at a 2-year follow-up assessment. RESULTS Analysis of variance showed that dental fear was significantly reduced in the immediate intervention group (d = 1.5-2.2), compared with the waiting list group (d = 0.3-0.4). Additionally, all participants showed a significant reduction of dental fear following the brief intervention, and in the subgroup available for follow-up, this effect was maintained after 2 years. CONCLUSIONS This indicates that a brief cognitive-behavioral intervention may be efficacious in helping a significant number of patients with dental fear return to regular dental treatment. Future research should investigate the applicability of a brief cognitive-behavioral intervention in the dental clinic.
Anticipation of age at onset in familial multiple sclerosis

Background and objective: Anticipation of age at onset in the younger generations is a widely known characteristic of many diseases with genetic inheritance. This study was performed to assess whether there is anticipation of age at onset in younger generations of familial multiple sclerosis (MS) in a Spanish population and to compare clinical characteristics of familial and sporadic MS.
Enhancing effect of quercetin on 3-methylcholanthrene carcinogenesis in C57Bl/6 mice.

We investigated the effect of quercetin on 3-methylcholanthrene (MCA) carcinogenesis in C57Bl/6 mice. We found that quercetin itself was not carcinogenic when administered i.m. , even at a dose of 20 mg, throughout an observation period of 420 days. An i.m. administration of various doses of quercetin admixed with 1.0 mg of MCA, however, significantly shortened the mean latency periods for the development of local primary tumors compared with those of the group which had been given MCA alone. The shortening of latency periods was also found in the experiments using 0.1 mg of MCA after the administration of quercetin either admixed with MCA or fed with a diet containing it. Moreover, lung metastasis increased in mice given the mixture of MCA (0.1 mg) and quercetin compared with its occurrence in mice given MCA alone. A simultaneous administration of MCA and quercetin significantly increased the in vivo sister chromatid exchanges (SCE) formation of bone marrow cells when compared with its occurrence in the group given MCA alone. These results suggest that quercetin has an enhancing effect on MCA carcinogenesis and that this enhancement may be associated with such a genetic effect as an increased mutation rate in the host.
Detection of bovine herpesvirus type 4 antibodies and bovine lymphotropic herpesvirus in New Zealand dairy cows

AIM: To detect the presence of bovine herpesvirus (BoHV) type 4 in New Zealand dairy cows with clinical metritis. METHODS: Serum samples taken from 92 dairy cows with clinical metritis, each from a different farm, were tested for the presence of antibodies against BoHV-4 using a commercially available, indirect ELISA. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) were collected from 10 BoHV-4 seropositive cows, and PBMC were examined by a pan-herpesvirus nested PCR to detect herpesvirus. PCR products were sequenced directly and a proportion of the PCR products were cloned and sequenced to identify the virus present. RESULTS: Antibodies to BoHV-4 were detected in 23/92 (25%) serum samples. The pan-herpesvirus PCR was positive in 8/10 PBMC samples. Cloning and sequencing identified that all of the eight PCR-positive PBMC contained bovine lymphotropic herpesvirus (BLHV); no BoHV-4 DNA was detected. CONCLUSIONS: This study reports the finding of the presence of apparent antibodies to BoHV-4, and BLHV DNA in New Zealand dairy cows affected by metritis. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Bovine herpesvirus type 4 and BLHV are reported to have the potential to cause reproduction failure in cows. This is the first report of apparent BoHV-4 antibodies, and BLHV in New Zealand. The importance and epidemiology of these viruses in cattle in New Zealand requires further investigation.
Postnatal development of parvalbumin immunoreactivity in the cerebral cortex of the cat

Parvalbumin immunoreactivity in the developing neocortex of the cat progresses following specific laminar, areal, and, in a particular area, roughly anteroposterior gradients. Parvalbumin immunoreactivity first occurs in basket cells and later in chandelier neurons. Pyramid‐like immunoreactive neurons are also transitorily observed from the second to the third week in layer V of the auditory association‐related areas. Parvalbumin‐immunoreactive neurons first appear in the primary somatosensory cortex and primary auditory and visual areas, followed by the primary motor and polysensory association areas and, finally, the auditory association areas and cortical areas related to the limbic system.