Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Biophysical properties of scorpion α‐toxin‐sensitive background sodium channel contributing to the pacemaker activity in insect neurosecretory cells (DUM neurons)

A scorpion α‐toxin‐sensitive background sodium channel was characterized in short‐term cultured adult cockroach dorsal unpaired median (DUM) neurons using the cell‐attached patch‐clamp configuration. Under control conditions, spontaneous sodium currents were recorded at different steady‐state holding potentials, including the range of normal resting membrane potential. At −50 mV, the sodium current was observed as unclustered, single openings. For potentials more negative than −70 mV, investigated patches contained large unitary current steps appearing generally in bursts. These background channels were blocked by tetrodotoxin (TTX, 100 nm), and replacing sodium with TMA‐Cl led to a complete loss of channel activity. The current–voltage relationship has a slope conductance of 36 pS. At −50 mV, the mean open time constant was 0.22 ± 0.05 ms (n = 5). The curve of the open probability versus holding potentials was bell‐shaped, with its maximum (0.008 ± 0.004; n = 5) at –50 mV. LqhαIT (10–8m) altered the background channel activity in a time‐dependent manner. At −50 mV, the channel activity appeared in bursts. The linear current–voltage relationship of the LqhαIT‐modified sodium current determined for the first three well‐resolved open states gave three conductance levels: 34, 69 and 104 pS, and reversed at the same extrapolated reversal potential (+52 mV). LqhαIT increased the open probability but did not affect either the bell‐shaped voltage dependence or the open time constant. Mammal toxin AaHII induced very similar effects on background sodium channels but at a concentration 100 × higher than LqhαIT. At 10–7m, LqhαIT produced longer silence periods interrupted by bursts of increased channel activity. Whole‐cell experiments suggested that background sodium channels can provide the depolarizing drive for DUM neurons essential to maintain beating pacemaker activity, and revealed that 10–7 m LqhαIT transformed a beating pacemaker activity into a rhythmic bursting.
Inbreeding and cancer incidence in human isolates.

This study investigates the incidence of cancer in isolate populations. Thorough anthropological research over the past 3 decades has established island populations in Middle Dalmatia, Croatia, as outstanding examples of genetic isolates. The number of cancer cases on 5 islands (Brac, Hvar, Korcula, Vis, and Lastovo) over a 20-year period (1971-1990) has been extracted from the data of the Croatian Cancer Registry. The population of coastal Dalmatia, characterized by similar environmental factors but a different population genetic structure, was used as a control population. The leading hypothesis was that, if there were genes or gene complexes (especially with recessive inheritance) responsible for genetic susceptibility to certain types of cancer, then the incidence of those cancer types should be greater in reproductively isolated island populations than in a control population because of increased manifestation of such genes or gene complexes caused by inbreeding. Furthermore, the cancer incidence should increase along with greater reproductive isolation (i.e., greater geographic distance of the islands from the mainland). After adjusting the data for sex and age, I confirmed the hypothesis: Island populations have greater total cancer incidence than the control population for both sexes. The excess incidence on the islands shows an almost linear correlation with geographic distance from the mainland. The cancer sites primarily responsible for the excess incidence are bladder cancer in males, and breast, ovarian, brain, and large bowel cancer in females, predominantly in the younger age groups.
Is Post Earnings Announcement Drift A Priced Risk Factor in Emerging Markets? Chinese evidence

Abstract This study examines the profitability of trading on earnings surprises in the post-earnings announcement period for equities listed in the Shanghai and Shenzhen stock exchanges spanning the period 2000 to 2008 when Chinese markets were developing. The paper also examines whether the drift is a priced risk factor. We show that a post-earnings announcement drift (PEAD) anomaly exists inChina. We document that a hedge strategy of going long on stocks in the highest earnings surprise decile and going short on firms in the lowest earnings surprise decile generates 7.92% excess return in the 60 days following the earnings announcement. We also show that the PEAD is a priced risk factor. Our paper is the first to document that PEAD is systematically priced as a risk factor in stock returns. JEL classification: G11 G14 G15 M41
DAMPAK PROFITABILITAS, ALIRAN KAS BEBAS, DAN KESEMPATAN INVESTASI TERHADAP PEMBAYARAN DIVIDEN PERUSAHAAN PERBANKAN

This study aimed to identify and analyze the factors that affected paid dividend proxies by Dividend Payout Ratio (DPR) on the banking companies listed in Indonesia Stock Exchange (IDX). Multiple regression was a model of analysis that was used by the researchers to examine several variables which might affect the dividend payout ratio such as profitability, free cash flow, and investment opportunity set as independent variables, as well as firm size as a control variable. The samples in this study were 29 conventional banks that were listed in the Indonesia Stock Exchange (IDX). The result showed that the independent variable profitability (ROA) had a significant and positive effect on the dividend payout ratio while the free cash flow variable and the investment opportunity set did not affect the dividend payout ratio. Control variables firm size had a significant and negative effect on the dividend payout ratio.
Prediction of body fat in 12-y-old African American and white children: evaluation of methods.

BACKGROUND The prevalence of obesity is increasing in children. Validation of methods of predicting fatness in African American and white children could help to identify children at high risk. OBJECTIVE We assessed published methods for determining body fat in 12-y-old male and female white and African American schoolchildren. DESIGN The body fat of 114 children was measured with the use of dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry, underwater weighing (densitometry), measurement of skinfold thicknesses, isotope dilution (H(2)(18)O), and bioelectrical impedance analysis. Formulas derived from these data and from published reports were compared by using the Bland-Altman approach. RESULTS Calculation of percentage of body fat by using an equation predicting body fat in kg and dividing by the current weight was the criterion method against which the other methods were compared. Four-compartment models had the smallest variability across the range of body fat, and 2 of these models differed from the criterion method by 1-2%. Six methods (the Pennington 4-compartment model, the Wells et al 4-compartment model, the isotope dilution model, dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry, the Pennington skinfold thickness model, and the Pennington density model) provided specificity > 90%, an estimate of body fat that was within the 95% CI of the criterion method, and a difference from the criterion method that was < +/- 2%. Bioelectrical impedance analysis was the least acceptable method. CONCLUSIONS A 4-compartment model in which body fat in kg is divided by current body weight and multiplied by 100 provides the best estimate of percentage of body fat. The isotope dilution and body density models provide estimates within 2% of the estimate provided by the 4-compartment model. Other models do less well.
Equality for Whom? Organizational Policies and the Gender Gap across the German Earnings Distribution

Work establishments are critical for the creation and maintenance of gender inequality. Organizational practices, most notably those that formalize personnel systems or target gender inequality, are often assumed to have uniform effects on inequality across the wage hierarchy. This assumption has eluded careful empirical scrutiny. The authors estimate unconditional quantile regressions with a unique German linked employer-employee data set to assess whether formalized human resource practices, female-friendly diversity measures, and the availability of workplace child care facilities affect wage inequality differently across the wage distribution. While these policies reduce gender inequality in general, they do so more strongly near the bottom of the earnings distribution. Policies that formalize personnel systems and explicitly promote female employees are particularly advantageous to women in low-wage jobs. These results suggest that gender policies have a more subtle effect on earnings inequality than previously recognized, requiring scholars and practitioners to investigate their unique effects at various points of the earnings distribution.
In-vivo antitumour effect of daunorubicin–GnRH-III derivative conjugates on colon carcinoma-bearing mice

Targeted cancer chemotherapy is a novel approach developed for the specific delivery of anticancer drugs. Tumour targeting can be achieved by combining a chemotherapeutic agent with a targeting moiety that recognizes tumour-specific or highly expressed receptors on cancer cells. We used the gonadotropin-releasing hormone-III (GnRH-III) as a targeting moiety to which the chemotherapeutic agent daunorubicin (Dau) was attached through an oxime bond either directly or by inserting a GFLG tetrapeptide spacer. The in-vivo toxicity of Dau–GnRH-III derivative conjugates was evaluated on healthy BDF-1 female mice, and their tumour growth inhibitory effect was determined on C26 murine and HT-29 human colon carcinoma-bearing mice. Both oxime bond-containing conjugates were well tolerated and exerted significant antitumour activity on C26 colon carcinoma-bearing mice at a dose of 30 mg Dau content in conjugate/kg body weight. Furthermore, the conjugates inhibited the tumour growth more than the free drug at a dose that was still not toxic. Similar tumour growth inhibitory effects were obtained on HT-29 human colon carcinoma-bearing mice using three treatments with 15 mg Dau content in conjugate/kg. The tumour growth inhibitions according to the tumour volume and the tumour weight were 44/41% and 58/50%, respectively. Considering the results, both of the investigated Dau–GnRH-III derivative conjugates were well tolerated and had significant antitumour effect on colon carcinoma-bearing mice.
Dietary Docosahexaenoic Acid Supplementation in Children With Autism

Objective: The aim of the study was to determine whether docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) supplementation improves the behavior of children with autism. Methods: A group of 3- to 10-year-old children with autism were randomized in a double-blind fashion to receive a supplement containing 200 mg of DHA or a placebo for 6 months. The parents and the investigator completed the Clinical Global Impressions-Improvement scale to rate changes in core symptoms of autism after 3 and 6 months. The parents completed the Child Development Inventory and the Aberrant Behavior Checklist, and both parents and teachers completed the Behavior Assessment Scale for Children (BASC) at enrollment and after 6 months. Results: A total of 48 children (40 [83%] boys, mean age [standard deviation] 6.1 [2.0] years) were enrolled; 24 received DHA and 24 placebo. Despite a median 431% increase in total plasma DHA levels after 6 months, the DHA group was not rated as improved in core symptoms of autism compared to the placebo group on the CGI-I. Based on the analysis of covariance models adjusted for the baseline rating scores, parents (but not teachers) provided a higher average rating of social skills on the BASC for the children in the placebo group compared to the DHA group (P = 0.04), and teachers (but not parents) provided a higher average rating of functional communication on the BASC for the children in the DHA group compared to the placebo group (P = 0.02). Conclusions: Dietary DHA supplementation of 200 mg/day for 6 months does not improve the core symptoms of autism. Our results may have been limited by inadequate sample size.
Role of Follicular Estradiol-17beta in Timing of Luteolysis in Heifers1

Abstract The hypothesis was tested that estradiol (E2) from the ovarian follicles controls time of luteolysis. Time of luteolysis was evaluated by multiple measures of corpus luteum (CL) structure (area, volume) and function (progesterone [P4], luteal blood flow). The hypothesis for experiment 1 was that repeated ablation of follicles would reduce circulating E2 and delay luteolysis. Heifers were randomly assigned on Day 9 (Day 0 = ovulation) to three groups. All follicles ≥4 mm were ablated on Day 9 (group FA9; n = 6); Days 9–15 (group FA15; n = 6); or Days 9–21 (group FA21; n = 7). As expected, follicular ablation delayed (P < 0.001) the rise in circulating E2 and peak E2 concentrations (FA9, Day 17.6 ± 0.7; FA15, Day 20.3 ± 0.3; FA21, Day 24.9 ± 0.3). Luteolysis (based on each measure) was delayed (P < 0.005) by repeated ablation of follicles, with earlier luteolysis (based on P4 decrease) in FA9 (Day 15.2 ± 0.8) than FA15 (Day 16.5 ± 0.4), and a further delay in FA21 (Day 18.3 ± 0.5). The hypothesis of experiment 2 was that exogenous treatment with E2 would stimulate prostaglandin F2alpha (PGF) secretion and prevent the delay in luteolysis associated with follicular ablations. Follicles ≥4 mm were ablated from Day 9 to Day 17 (n = 15). Heifers were treated on Days 13 and 15 with 1.0 mg of estradiol benzoate (FAE2; n = 7) or vehicle (FAV; n = 8). Treatment with E2 induced PGF secretion (detected by PGF metabolite) and induced earlier (P < 0.02) luteolysis in FAE2 than in FAV, whether determined by circulating P4 or by area, volume, or blood flow of CL. In summary, ablation of follicles (≥4 mm) delayed and treatment with E2 hastened luteolysis in heifers with ablated follicles. Thus, these results are consistent with an essential role for follicle E2 in timing of luteolysis.
Polymorphisms and expression of TLR4 and 9 in malaria in two ethnic groups of Assam, northeast India

Infectious diseases have been postulated to play an important role in exerting pressure and in selection of TLR polymorphisms. Single nucelotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of TLR4 have been reported to show unique distributions in populations from Africa, Asia and Europe, and malaria is suggested to influence these patterns. In this context, we examined association of TLR polymorphisms with the risk of malaria in two ethnic groups—the Austro-Asiatics and Tibeto-Burmans—from malaria endemic districts of Assam to understand the influence of malaria in selection of TLRs in these genetically-distinct populations. TLR9 (T-1237C) mutation was positively associated with complicated (P = 0.001) and frequent (P = 0.035) malaria in Austro-Asiatics (relative risk = 0.595 95% CI: 0.479–0.836), but not in Tibeto-Burmans. Nonetheless, these alleles were not in Hardy-Weinberg Equilibrium in Tibeto-Burmans (P < 0.001). In contrast, the TLR9 1486T/C genotype was favourable where it was negatively associated with complicated malaria (Fishers exact P = 0.014). Sequencing data revealed that the two populations differed in nucleotide diversity of the TLR9 promoter region. Enhanced expression of TLR4 (P = 0.05), but not of TLR9, was associated with complicated malaria. Austro-Asiatics appeared to have accumulated favourable genotypes of TLR9, perhaps because of their longer exposure to malaria.
A Unified Theory of Forward‐ and Backward‐Looking M&As and Divestitures

In a unified theory of forward‐ and backward‐looking mergers and acquisitions (MA conversely a divestiture today may be a consequence of an M&A in the past. M&As and divestitures are not only two sides of the same coin, they are also causes and consequences of each other. In this paper, in a two‐period model, two firms consider integrating or separating in each period. We analyze forward‐ and backward‐looking M&As and divestitures, and compare them with static M&As and divestitures.
Geometry-Oblivious FMM for Compressing Dense SPD Matrices

We present GOFMM (geometry-oblivious FMM), a novel method that creates a hierarchical low-rank approximation, or “compression,” of an arbitrary dense symmetric positive definite (SPD) matrix. For many applications, GOFMM enables an approximate matrix-vector multiplication in N logN or even N time, where N is the matrix size. Compression requires N logN storage and work. In general, our scheme belongs to the family of hierarchical matrix approximation methods. In particular, it generalizes the fast multipole method (FMM) to a purely algebraic setting by only requiring the ability to sample matrix entries. Neither geometric information (i.e., point coordinates) nor knowledge of how the matrix entries have been generated is required, thus the term “geometry-obliclious. ” Also, we introduce a shared-memory parallel scheme for hierarchical matrix computations that reduces synchronization barriers. We present results on the Intel Knights Landing and Haswell architectures, and on the NVIDIA Pascal architecture for a variety of matrices.CCS CONCEPTS• Theory of computation $\rightarrow$ Numeric approximation algorithms; Sketching and sampling; • Mathematics of computing $\rightarrow$ Mathematical software performance; Kernel density estimators; • Computing methodologies $\rightarrow$ Linear algebra algorithms; Parallel algorithms; Kernel methods; • Computer systems organization $\rightarrow$Multicore architectures; Heterogeneous (hybrid) systems;
Adjuvant Therapy on Cancer of the Lower Rectum. Evaluation of the Effects of Preoperative Radiotherapy on the Prognosis of Patients with Cancer of the Lower Rectum

Aims: The prognosis on treatment of the cancer of the rectum has not changed in the last fifty years. Survival rates of 50 to 55% seems immutable in several published series. The main cause for those results is the high incidence of recurrence, either local or widespread. Local recurrence is directly related to the number of undifferentiated cells and to the grade of wall invasion. Widespread recurrence depends specifically on the lymphatic and vascular spreading. So any kind of treatment that would diminish the number of undifferentiated cells and the size or the tumor wall penetration would certainly decrease the local recurrence rate, lengthening the interval free from cancer and, perhaps, modifying the long term survival rate. Between 1978 and 2009, a total of 538 patients with adenocarcinoma of the lower rectum (from the pectinate line to 10 cm above) were treated by preoperative radiotherapy. Methodology: The same protocol was used in all the patients – 400 cGy, 200 cGy/day, during 4 consecutive weeks (anterior and posterior pelvic fields) by means of a Linear Megavoltage Accelerator (25 MeV). Surgery was performed 2 months after completion of the radiotherapy. Results: Statistical analysis of the whole group showed that preoperative radiotherapy does decrease frequency of undifferentiated cells. Moreover, the incidence of local recurrence diminished after irradiation by 3.4%. Preoperative radiotherapy reduces tumor volume (ERUS) and wall invasion, as well as the mortality rate due to local recurrence (2.4%) and alters long-term survival rate (80.1%). Conclusion: Preoperative radiotherapy is really effective in reducing the number of undifferentiated cells and in diminishing the tumor volume and the carcinomatous infiltration of the rectal wall.
Fungal Types and Concentrations from Settled Dust in Normal Residences

Analysis of settled dust collected from carpeting and furnishings is occasionally used by investigators to determine whether an environment contains unusual fungi. Little information is available concerning the types and concentrations of culturable fungi present on textile surfaces in normal residential settings not affected by unusual mold reservoirs, such as from fungal growth sites within the built environment. This study presents the results of the collection and analysis of surface dust from 26 residential environments that were prescreened by interview, physical inspection, and air sampling to limit the surface dust collection to structures in which there was no history of water intrusion, flooding, plumbing leaks, signs of mold growth, or evidence of unusual airborne fungal spore types or concentrations. In those structures found to have no history or indications of water events or unusual fungi, surface dust was vacuumed from prescribed horizontal areas on carpet and textile-covered furnishings. These samples were then subjected to fungal culture, from which viable colonies were enumerated and identified. Based on the study results, it does not appear reasonable that the frequently quoted total fungi concentration exceeding 105 CFU/g is definitive evidence that a residential surface is contaminated with unusual amounts of culturable fungi. Collocated samples collected from eight side-by-side carpets sections revealed poor reproducibility. While settled dust sampling may be appropriate for determining the fungal status of a localized area, or as a gross screening tool, using settled dust results alone to establish the presence of unusual fungal types or concentrations within a structure appears to be inappropriate, and using settled dust results with other investigative methods, such as visual observations and air sampling, requires cautious interpretation.
Depth perception: the need to report ocean biogeochemical rates as functions of temperature, not depth

For over 50 years, ocean scientists have oddly represented ocean oxygen consumption rates as a function of depth but not temperature in most biogeochemical models. This unique tradition or tactic inhibits useful discussion of climate change impacts, where specific and fundamental temperature-dependent terms are required. Tracer-based determinations of oxygen consumption rates in the deep sea are nearly universally reported as a function of depth in spite of their well-known microbial basis. In recent work, we have shown that a carefully determined profile of oxygen consumption rates in the Sargasso Sea can be well represented by a classical Arrhenius function with an activation energy of 86.5 kJ mol−1, leading to a Q10 of 3.63. This indicates that for 2°C warming, we will have a 29% increase in ocean oxygen consumption rates, and for 3°C warming, a 47% increase, potentially leading to large-scale ocean hypoxia should a sufficient amount of organic matter be available to microbes. Here, we show that the same principles apply to a worldwide collation of tracer-based oxygen consumption rate data and that some 95% of ocean oxygen consumption is driven by temperature, not depth, and thus will have a strong climate dependence. The Arrhenius/Eyring equations are no simple panacea and they require a non-equilibrium steady state to exist. Where transient events are in progress, this stricture is not obeyed and we show one such possible example. This article is part of the themed issue ‘Ocean ventilation and deoxygenation in a warming world’.