Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
THE SUBACUTE EFFECTS OF CADMIUM ON SEX HORMONES IN FEMALE RATS

Toxic effects of trace elements upon the hypothalamicpituitary­ testicular axis and sex hormones have been reported in recent years. It is generally considered that CdCl2 poisoning causes histopathological changes in the testicles of male rats. Little attention had been drawn to the possible toxic effects of CdCl2 on the ovary and female sex hormones. The purpose of the present study was to determine the subacute poisoning effects of CdCl2 (10 mg/kg I.P. for 15 days) on the female gonadotropins and sex hormones such as FSH, LH, progestrone, estradiol and prolactin. Female wi star rats 12 weeks of age (approximately 300g) were divided into two groups (10 in each group), one group received CdCl2 and the other received saline as a control. Serum hormones were measured by radioimmu­ noassay. In contrast to male animals, CdCl2 injection did not affect serum FSH and LH concentration in female rats, whereas serum prolactin concentration was signifiCantly elevated compared with that of control animals (p<0.05) after CdCl2 injection. This effect is not similar to the effect of CdCl2 on the prolactin of male rats which was reported by Chandler and coworkers. No marked differences were observed between the control and experimental values of serum estradiol and progestrone concentrations. MJ/R1, Vol. 6, No.2, 139-142, 1992 Volume6
Motorcycle helmet impact behavior depends on impact surface shape

Motorcycle helmets attenuate head accelerations through cracking and deformation of the outer shell and inner energy absorbing liner. Impacts with non-planar surfaces have been shown to result in more helmet damage and to be associated with an increased risk and severity of head and brain injury. Our goal was to determine the effect of impact surface shape on helmet damage and the resulting head acceleration response. Previously, we characterized the relationship between residual helmet damage and impact energy onto a flat impact surface (DeMarco et al., 2007). Here we continued this research by conducting helmet impacts onto a curbstone anvil. A total of nineteen drop tests were performed with identical motorcycle helmets impacting a flat (n=10 from DeMarco et al., 2007) or curbstone anvil (n=9) at impact speeds of 0.9-10.1 m/s (energy=2260J). Residual crush was defined as the maximum percent change in helmet thickness, measured from the interior of the inner liner to the exterior of the outer shell, between the preand post-impact conditions. A linear relationship (r=0.90) between maximum crush and impact energy was observed across all impact energies for flat anvil impacts. For curbstone anvil impacts, a bilinear relationship was observed, with one linear region up to 150J (r=0.99) and another at 180J and above (r=0.79). Between 150J and 180J, the residual crush decreased about 40% because of hidden deformation at the liner/shell interface related to penetration of the curbstone anvil. The peak linear head accelerations from the curbstone impacts were significantly less than those from the flat anvil impacts (p<0.02). Based on these tests, the relationship between residual helmet liner deformation and impact energy depends on the shape of the object being struck by the helmet. These data suggest that incident specific tests using a similar helmet and struck object may be needed to estimate the impact severity of a motorcycle helmet from its post-impact residual crush.
Distribution patterns of Yangtze finless porpoises in the Yangtze River: implications for reserve management

The Yangtze finless porpoise (Neophocaena asiaeorientalis asiaeorientalis) is a highly threatened cetacean endemic to the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River that has suffered a dramatic decline in recent decades. We characterize and quantify recent distribution patterns of porpoises in the Yangtze River in order to facilitate strategic management of existing in situ cetacean reserves and maximize effective utilization of limited conservation resources. We calculated porpoise relative abundance (encounter rate) using a 1‐km moving average along the Yangtze main stem based on a combined visual and acoustic survey conducted in 2006. We then evaluated conservation priority areas based on encounter rates along the river. High‐porpoise density areas (> 0.20 porpoises km−1) cover approximately one‐third (33.9%, 599 km) of the survey area and contain approximately two‐thirds of the porpoise population, making them priority areas for porpoise conservation. In contrast, low‐porpoise density areas (≤ 0.05 porpoises km−1) cover 28.8% (509 km) of the survey area but contain only 4.5% of the porpoise population, and may already be of little value for porpoise conservation. Five high‐priority porpoise conservation sites and five sections that now contain few or no surviving porpoises are identified. Proposed spatial modifications to existing reserves and associated conservation recommendations are made for five existing protected areas along the Yangtze main stem, and we emphasize that some additional river sections should urgently be designated as new protected areas given their high porpoise density. Our approach for identifying conservation priorities may provide lessons for reserve design and management in other protected area networks.
Global and Local Views of the Hilbert Space Associated to Gaussian Kernel

Abstract Consider a nonlinear transform Φ(x) of x in R p to Hilbert space H and assume that the dot product betweenΦ(x) and Φ(x ′ ) in H is given by = K (x;x ′ ). The aim of this paper is to propose a mathematicaltechnique to take screen shots of the multivariate dataset mapped to Hilbert space H , particularly suited to Gaus-sian kernel K (·;·), which is deﬁned by K (x;x ′ ) = exp(−˙∥x − x ′ ∥ 2 ); ˙ > 0. Several numerical examples aregiven.Keywords: Data visualization, Hilbert space, Gaussian kernel, principal component analysis. 1. Background and Aim Suppose that one has a dataset containing p -variate n observations x 1 ;:::;x n and that all variablesbeing considered are numerical. Data analysts have always wanted eﬀective dimensional reductiontechniques for exploratory visualization.Gabriel’s (1971) biplot is certainly a handy tool for this purpose. The method produces a scatter-plot of observations overlaid with arrows for the directional ﬂow of respective variables. However,the biplot is eﬀective only for linearly structured datasets, because its mechanism consists of linearprojections in R
A Stochastic Model On The Time To Recruitment For A Single Grade Manpower System With Attrition Generated By A Geometric Process Of Inter-Decision Times Using Univariate Policy Of Recruitment

In this paper, the problem of time to recruitment is studied for a single grade manpower system with attrition, generated by a geometric process of inter-policy decision times, using a univariate policy of recruitment based on shock model approach. An alternate probabilistic analysis is used to derive the analytical result for variance of the time to recruitment for different cases on the distribution of the threshold for the cumulative loss of manpower in the organization.
Loss of tumorigenicity of stably ER β -transfected MCF-7 breast cancer cells

Proliferation of breast cancer cells is mediated by estrogen receptors (ER) - ER α and ER β . At present, contradictory observations complicate the understanding of involvement of ER β in breast cancer and functional definition of ER β as a prognostic marker. A stable expression of full length ER β was established in the ER α -positive MCF-7 breast carcinoma cell line to evaluate the role for ER β in maintenance of cell viability and estrogenic response, as well as proliferation, morphology and cell cycle progression. In order to verify in vivo tumourigenicity of ER β transfectants were transplanted into nude mice. Transfection of ER β in MCF-7 resulted in a marginal increase of gelsolin protein expression. Constitutive expression of ER β resulted in a significant 30% inhibition of cellular growth compared with transfection of the mock vector alone (p=0.043). This reduction in growth was associated a retardation of transition into S-phase of the cell cycle. The in vitro response to 17 β -estradiol was reversed in cells over-expressing ER β (p=0.016). However, no difference in response to the antiestrogens tamoxifen and ICI 182,780 were observed in the presence of ER β . Importantly, over-expression of ER β prevented establishment and growth of tumours as subcutaneous xenografts in immunodeficient mice in vivo . These observations support the notion that ER β is a tumour suppressor and be exploitable in terms of cancer prevention, improving therapeutic response or predicting disease progression.
Chapter 4 Predictors of occult metastasis in clinical stage I nonseminoma : a systematic review of 2500 patients

Patients with clinical stage I nonseminomatous testicular germ cell tumour should ideally only receive adjuvant therapy when they are at high risk for occult metastasis. We aimed to quantify the importance of predictors for occult metastasis by performing a systematic review of the relevant literature. In addition, we reviewed published multivariable models and risk-adapted treatment policies. We identified 23 publications between 1979 and 2001, reporting in total 2587 patients. 29% (759/2587) of the patients had occult metastases, which was diagnosed either at retroperitoneal lymph node dissection (n = 193) or during follow-up (n = 566). Odds ratios (OR) were pooled using meta-analysis techniques. Vascular invasion of the primary tumour cells had the strongest effect (OR: 5.2 [95% confidence interval: 4.0 – 6.8]). MIB-1 staining of the primary tumour cells was a promising predictor (OR: 4.7 [2.0 – 11]). Intermediate effects were found for embryonal carcinoma in the primary tumour (OR: 2.9 [2.0 – 4.4]), and a high pathological stage of the tumour (OR: 2.6 [1.8 – 3.8]). Size of the primary tumour and age of the patient showed weaker though also statistically significant effects. Until now, multivariable models often included vascular invasion and embryonal carcinoma with one or two weaker predictors. None of the published risk-adapted treatment policies included MIB-1 staining. A risk-adapted treatment policy should be developed that incorporates all relevant predictors, such that adjuvant therapy is targeted better to those with occult metastases. Introduction Most patients with clinical stage I nonseminomatous testicular germ cell tumour (NSGCT) can be cured by orchidectomy alone. Approximately 30% have occult metastatic disease, which can be detected at retroperitoneal lymph node dissection (RPLND) or on surveillance. Some consider RPLND as a staging procedure which might be followed by adjuvant chemotherapy, if metastases are revealed. Others prefer surveillance with chemotherapy administration after detection of relapse. Both treatment policies have excellent long-term survival rates (98% to 99%), but each has important drawbacks. RPLND and chemotherapy can induce morbidity. In particular, chemotherapy may have long-term adverse effects. Conversely, surveillance can lead to detecting relapses at a more advanced disease stage, if compliance is poor. Therefore, efforts have been made to select patients at
Reliability of structural shocks estimates from a bivariate SVAR model: the case of Southeast Asian Countries

In order to assess the symmetry in the nature of structural shocks for a bloc of countries to form a currency union, long-run identifying restrictions to simple bivariate models are often used. This study attempts to assess the reliability of the estimated structural shocks produced from applications of these kinds of models by looking at their consistency in representing the designated shocks. The case examined covers some countries in the Southeast Asian bloc. The finding suggests that the commingling shocks problems exist. Exercise using larger models and higher frequency data is then advisable.
Role of Corporate Image, Product Quality and Customer Value in Customer Loyalty: Intervening Effect of Customer Satisfaction

With the advent of globalization the geographic boundaries have lost their significance, which started a battle between companies for new markets. The only way a company can ensure customer satisfaction is by developing a system of performance indicators. Companies recognize that quality can be an important differentiator between their own offerings and those of their competitors. Today’s consumers are more worried about the quality of end product rather than the processes which turn it into a reality. Hence, the basic purpose of this research is to find out the relative impact of corporate image, product quality and customer value on customer loyalty in the presence of customer satisfaction as mediating variable. The data was collected from 294 consumers who used different brands of FMCG companies operated in Pakistan. Factor analyses, regression analyses and mediating regression analyses were conducted to analyze the data. Study findings claimed that customer satisfaction proved as partial mediating variable in independents and dependent variables relationships. This research was also presented significant implications for practicing managers and future research directions.
A Virtual Observatory Census to Address Dwarfs Origins (AVOCADO) - I. Science goals, sample selection, and analysis tools

Context. In spite of being, by far, the most abundant of all galaxy types, the detailed properties of dwarf galaxies are still poorly characterised ‐ especially due to the observational challenge that their intrinsic faintness and weak clustering properties represent. Aims. AVOCADO aims at establishing firm conclusions on the formation and evolution of dwarf galaxies by constructing and analysing a homogeneous, multiwavelength dataset for a statistically significant sample of approximately 6500 nearby dwarfs (Mi 5 logh100 > 18 mag). The sample is selected to lie within the 20 < D < 60 h 1 100 Mpc volume covered by the SDSS-DR7 footprint, and is thus volume-limited for Mi 5 logh100 < 16 mag dwarfs ‐ but includes 1500 fainter systems. We will investigate the roles of mass and environment in determining the current properties of the di erent dwarf morphological types ‐ including their structure, their star formation activity, their chemical enrichment history and a breakdown of their stellar, dust and gas content. Methods. We present the sample selection criteria and describe the suite of analysis tools, some of them developed in the framework of the Virtual Observatory. We make use of optical spectra and UV-to-NIR imaging of the dwarf sample to derive star formation rates, stellar masses, ages and metallicities ‐ which are further supplemented with structural parameters that are used to classify them morphologically. This unique dataset, coupled with a detailed characterisation of each dwarf’s environment, allows for a fully comprehensive investigation of their origins and to track the (potential) evolutionary paths between the di erent dwarf types. Results. We characterise the local environment of all dwarfs in our sample, paying special attention to trends with current star formation activity. We find that virtually all quiescent dwarfs are located in the vicinity (projected distances . 1:5h 1 100 Mpc) of & L companions, consistent with recent results. While star-forming dwarfs are preferentially found at separations of the order of 1h 1 100 Mpc, there appears to be a tail towards low separations (. 100h 1 100 kpc) in the distribution of projected distances. We speculate that, modulo projection e ects, this probably represents a genuine population of late-type dwarfs caught upon first infall about their host and before environmental quenching has fully operated. In this context, these results suggest that internal mechanisms ‐such as gas exhaustion via star formation or feedback e ects‐ are not su cient to completely cease the star formation activity in dwarf galaxies, and that becoming the satellite of a massive central galaxy appears to be a necessary condition to create a quiescent dwarf.
Does Bid/Ask Spread React to the Increase of Internet Search Traffic? (pp 181-196)

This article solely examines the effect of investor attentions on bid-ask spread. We find that investors’ attention surrogated by Internet Search Traffic (IST) contribute positively and significantly toward bid-ask spread (SPREAD). This result indicates that the incoming information directs the market within the stack circumstance and thin trading activity. Here, our samples were obtained from the manufacturing index, in the Indonesia Stock Exchange (IDX) during the period of observation ranging from 2009 to 2011. The hypothesis testing in this research is performed by using panel data regression analysis (Fixed Effect Model). Test result reveals that the search of online information through Google is beneficially one of the efforts to reduce asymmetry information between informed investors and uninformed investors. Besides, we also note that asymmetric information not only exists between the informed and uninformed investors, but also happens to market makers and informed investors. Finally, our findings lead to a conclusion, in which the high search of information tends to help investors in making appropriate investment decisions. Keywords: Investors’ Attention, Internet Search Traffic, Google Trend, Bid-Ask Spread
Fading Evaluation in the 60GHz Band in Line-of-Sight Conditions

An exhaustive analysis of the small-scale fading amplitude in the 60 GHz band is addressed for line-of-sight conditions (LOS). From a measurement campaign carried out in a laboratory, we have estimated the distribution of the small-scale fading amplitude over a bandwidth of 9 GHz. From the measured data, we have estimated the parameters of the Rayleigh, Rice, Nakagami-m, Weibull, and - distributions for the small-scale amplitudes. The test of Kolmogorov-Smirnov (K-S) for each frequency bin is used to evaluate the performance of such statistical distributions. Moreover, the distributions of the main estimated parameters for such distributions are calculated and approximated for lognormal statistics in some cases. The matching of the above distributions to the experimental distribution has also been analyzed for the lower tail of the cumulative distribution function (CDF). These parameters offer information about the narrowband channel behavior that is useful for a better knowledge of the propagation characteristics at 60 GHz.
Structural properties of cooperation networks in Germany: From basic to applied research

Economists pay more and more attention to knowledge networks and drivers of their development. Consequently, a rich literature emerged analyzing factors explaining the emergence of intra-organizational links. Despite substantial work focusing on the dyad level, only little is known about how and why (global) network structures differ between technologies or industries. The study is based on a new data source on subsidized R&D cooperation in Germany, which is presented in detail and discussed with respect to other types of relational data. A comparison of networks within ten technologies allows us to identify systematic differences between basic and applied research networks.
The Autoregressive Conditional Marked Duration Model: Statistical Inference to Market Microstructure

We consider the Autoregressive Conditional Marked Duration (ACMD) model and apply it to 16 stocks traded in Hong Kong Stock Ex- change (SEHK). By examining the orderings of appropriate sets of model parameters, market microstructure phenomena can be explained. To sub- stantiate these conclusions, likelihood ratio test is used for testing the sig- nificance of the parameter orderings of the ACMD model. While some of our results resolve a few controversial market microstructure hypotheses and echo some of the existing empirical evidence, we discover some interesting market microstructure phenomena that may be characteristic to SEHK.
Atlantic Southern Ocean productivity: Fertilization from above or below?

Primary productivity and the associated uptake of atmospheric carbon dioxide in the Southern Ocean (SO) is thought to be generally limited by bioavailable iron (Fe). Two sources of Fe for the surface waters of the SO have been proposed: (1) oceanic input of nutrient‐rich (i.e., Fe) waters from upwelling and lateral flows from continental margins; and (2) atmospheric input from the deposition of mineral dust emanating from the arid regions of South America and Australia. In this work, analysis of weekly remotely sensed sea surface temperature (SST), ocean chlorophyll a content [Chl a] and model‐derived atmospheric dust‐Fe fluxes are used to identify the predominant source of Fe during phytoplankton blooms in the surface waters of the south Atlantic Ocean between 40°S and 60°S. The results of our study suggest that oceanic source through upwelling of nutrient‐rich waters due to mesoscale frontal dynamics is the major source of bioavailable Fe controlling biological activity in this region. This result is consistent with the idea that acidification of aeolian dust prior to its deposition to the ocean may be required to solubilize the large fraction of mineral‐iron and make it bioavailable.
Incorporating Quadratic Scale Curves in Inverse Demand Systems

In this paper we introduce inverse demand systems that include quadratic scale terms. These systems are similar to regular quadratic demand systems introduced by Howe, Pollack, and Wales. A unique feature of these specifications is that they maintain linear scale curves as a special case. For illustrative purposes we estimate the Normalized Quadratic Inverse Demand-Quadratic Scale System using monthly South Atlantic fish landings and valuation data, 1980-1996. In estimation concavity is maintained locally, and the rank reduction procedures advocated by Diewert and Wales (1988b) are employed. The estimated model is then used to obtain welfare estimates associated with catch restrictions.
Intergranular flow velocity through salmonid redds: sensitivity to fines infiltration from low intensity sediment transport events

This paper presents results from a novel technique allowing continuous monitoring through multiple storm events of interstitial flow in salmonid redds. Previous studies have shown that long‐term increases in fine sediment inputs into rivers can silt up spawning beds, reduce intergravel flow and threaten egg survival. Not enough is known, however, about the temporal and spatial scales of the physical processes affecting spawning habitat. The short‐term sensitivity of intergravel flow through salmon nests to low‐intensity sediment transport events has not been documented. Furthermore, it is unclear if the egg pocket flow vital to incubation is principally controlled by the hydraulic conductivity of the redd patch or by that, generally lower, of the ambient riffle substrate. The purpose of this study was to determine if individual runoff events could affect intergravel flow in salmon nests and to investigate the sensitivity of interstitial flow to the fines content and conductivity of the redd patch.
Misallocation of Talent in Competitive Labor Markets

We develop a model in which competition in the labor market may produce worker-firm matches that are inferior to those obtained in the absence of competition. This result contrasts with the conventional wisdom that competition among employers allocates scarce talent efficiently. In a model in which employers asymmetrically learn about the ability of their workers, we show that constraining labor market competition may be socially desirable precisely because it leads to better talent allocation. The model provides a cautionary counterpoint to one of the most popular arguments against the regulation of pay, i.e., the argument that price-distorting regulation leads to inefficient matches of workers and firms.