Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Top incomes and income dynamics from a gender perspective : Evidence from Finland 1995-2012

In this paper I study Finnish top incomes from a gender perspective using the Finnish register-based panel data over the period of 1995-2012. I find that that the under-representation of women at the top has been quite persistent in the overall top but the proportion of women in the top 1% has increased over 18 years. Women’s wage share at the top has increased while the self-employment income has decreased. The top income females more often have an entrepreneurial background and are more often sharing a household with a high-income spouse. The gender-specific income distributions show that female incomes are less dispersed. In this study I also test whether top incomes can be assumed sumed to be Pareto distributed. While the joint and men’s top income distributions can be approximated with Pareto distribution throughout the observation period, the Pareto assumption gets more support for women after the year 2000. The female top income receivers have caught up with top earning men over time but I also show that females are more likely to move downwards from the top than men.
Effects of atorvastatin on fine particle-induced inflammatory response, oxidative stress and endothelial function in human umbilical vein endothelial cells

The study is to explore the toxicity of organic extracts and water-soluble fraction of fine particles on human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs). The exposure doses were 100, 200 and 400 μg/ml, respectively, for two kinds of fractions. Moreover, atorvastatin was used for intervention study. HUVECs were stimulated by 400 μg/ml organic and water soluble extracts, respectively, immediately followed by treatment with atorvastatin in concentrations of 0.1 μmol/L, 1 μmol/L and 10 μmol/L, respectively. Cell viability, malondialdehyde (MDA), nitric oxide (NO), superoxide dismutase (SOD), reactive oxygen species (ROS) and the expression of interleukin-6 beta (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), endothelin-1 and P-selectin were determined in cells. The results showed that MDA and ROS increased in HUVECs after exposed to organic extracts and water-soluble fraction, whereas cell viability, NO and SOD decreased. The mRNA expression of IL-6, TNF-α, endothelin-1 (ET-1) and P-selectin increased after exposed to different fractions. Meanwhile, at the same exposure dose, water-soluble fraction caused more significant increase of MDA, IL-6, TNF-α and P-selectin and decrease of cell viability and NO when compared to organic extracts. Compared to no atorvastatin group, the levels of MDA, ROS and the expression of IL-6, TNF-α, ET-1 and P-selectin decreased in HUVECs in adding atorvastatin group, but cell viability, NO and SOD increased, which indicated that atorvastatin attenuated fine particle-induced inflammatory response, oxidative stress and endothelial damage. The results hinted that the inflammatory response, oxidative stress and endothelial dysfunction might be the mechanisms of cardiovascular injury induced by different fractions of ambient fine particles.
Preventing Customer Churn in the Mobile Telecommunication Industry: Is Mobile Money Usage the Missing Link?

ABSTRACT The paper examines the influence of mobile money usage on customer continuance intention (CCI). The study conveniently sampled 507 mobile money users to test the research model using PLS-SEM. Satisfaction, trust and active usage of mobile money were found to influence CCI. Active usage of mobile money was also confirmed as a mediator in the relationship between satisfaction and trust, on customer continuance. The study thus validated a theoretical model of customer continuance intention as it relates to mobile money usage. It has also provided a new perspective on managing customer churn in an emerging market.
Causes and consequences of adult laryngotracheal stenosis

Laryngotracheal stenosis (LTS) is largely considered a structural entity, defined on anatomic terms (i.e., percent stenosis, distance from vocal folds, overall length). This has significant implications for identifying at‐risk populations, devising systems‐based preventive strategies, and promoting patient‐centered treatment. The present study was undertaken to test the hypothesis that LTS is heterogeneous with regard to etiology, natural history, and clinical outcome.
Effect of 13-cis-retinoic acid on the genetic expression profile of human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) determined by microarray

Abstract Background: Treatment with isotretinoin (13-cis-retinoic acid; 13-cis RA) has been associated with hypertriglyceridemia and low levels of high-density lipoprotein (HDL)-cholesterol, which are well-established cardiovascular risk factors. The development of hypertriglyceridemia secondary to this treatment could predispose to the metabolic syndrome. Hence, because of the risk of atherosclerosis associated with this treatment and to help unravel the underlying mechanisms involved, we studied the effect of 13-cis RA on genetic expression in endothelial cells. Methods: Total RNA was isolated from human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) treated without 13-cis RA (control) or incubated with 13-cis RA (1 μM) for 6 and 24 h. Microarray analysis (Affymetrix U133A array) with >22,000 probes was used with real time RT-PCR of a series of genes selected because of their involvement in the RA signaling pathway. Results: The treatment of endothelial cells with 13-cis RA produced significant changes in the expression of genes implicated in cell adhesion and in lipid metabolism processes, specifically in the clearance of lipoprotein remnant particles and in HDL metabolism. Conclusions: Isotretinoin in the endothelium has an exacerbating effect on atherosclerosis risk factors. This is especially relevant in the regulation of expression of genes involved in the processes of cell adhesion and lipid metabolism. Clin Chem Lab Med 2007;45:829–34.
Olanzapine treatment of psychotic and behavioral symptoms in patients with Alzheimer disease in nursing care facilities: a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial. The HGEU Study Group.

BACKGROUND Patients with Alzheimer disease (AD) commonly exhibit psychosis and behavioral disturbances that impair patient functioning, create caregiver distress, and lead to institutionalization. This study was conducted to assess the efficacy and safety of olanzapine in treating psychosis and/or agitation/aggression in patients with AD. METHODS A multicenter, double-blind, placebo-controlled, 6-week study was conducted in 206 elderly US nursing home residents with AD who exhibited psychotic and/or behavioral symptoms. Patients were randomly assigned to placebo or a fixed dose of 5, 10, or 15 mg/d of olanzapine. The primary efficacy measure was the sum of the Agitation/Aggression, Hallucinations, and Delusions items (Core Total) of the Neuropsychiatric Inventory-Nursing Home version. RESULTS Low-dose olanzapine (5 and 10 mg/d) produced significant improvement compared with placebo on the Core Total (-7.6 vs -3.7 [P<.001] and -6.1 vs -3. 7 [P =.006], respectively). Core Total improvement with olanzapine, 15 mg/d, was not significantly greater than placebo. The Occupational Disruptiveness score, reflecting the impact of patients' psychosis and behavioral disturbances on the caregiver, was significantly reduced in the 5-mg/d olanzapine group compared with placebo (-2.7 vs -1.5; P =.008). Somnolence was significantly more common among patients receiving olanzapine (25.0%-35.8%), and gait disturbance occurred in those receiving 5 or 15 mg/d (19.6% and 17.0%, respectively). No significant cognitive impairment, increase in extrapyramidal symptoms, or central anticholinergic effects were found at any olanzapine dose relative to placebo. CONCLUSION Low-dose olanzapine (5 and 10 mg/d) was significantly superior to placebo and well tolerated in treating agitation/aggression and psychosis in this population of patients with AD.
Acupuncture and acupressure and massage health outcomes for patients with anorexia nervosa: findings from a pilot randomized controlled trial and patient interviews.

OBJECTIVES This study examined the feasibility of conducting a randomized controlled trial of acupuncture compared with an active control in an inpatient setting, to examine individuals' experience of the interventions, clinical outcomes from the trial, and to integrate data to explain the trial findings. DESIGN This was a pilot randomized controlled trial with in-depth interviews with trial participants. SETTING The study was conducted at a private medical facility in Sydney, Australia. SUBJECTS Twenty-six (26) patients with anorexia nervosa who were medically stable were the subjects. INTERVENTIONS Treatment as usual was administered, and the intervention was delivered twice a week for the first 3 weeks, followed by weekly treatment for three weeks. The acupuncture group received acupuncture at the points Hegu (LI4), Zusanli (ST36), Neiguan (PC6), Taichong (LR3), Yanglingquan (GB34), and additional points based on the Traditional Chinese Medicine diagnosis. The control group received acupressure and massage. Acupressure involved consciously and gradually directing pressure to the center of the point being worked on. OUTCOME MEASURES Clinical outcomes were measured at baseline and at 6 weeks following completion of the intervention. The primary outcome measure was body-mass index (BMI), and secondary outcomes included eating disorder psychopathology, anxiety, and depression. A semistructured interview was conducted asking questions about their interaction with the practitioner, what happened, how they felt, whether it made them feel differently, and what they attributed any change to. RESULTS We found timely recruitment with the population recruited within a 5-month period. Study dropouts were 23% and treatment compliance was moderate, but acceptable for this challenging population. Participants in the control group demonstrated reduced eating concerns. Participants described both interventions positively, and experienced a sense of calmness and relaxation. CONCLUSIONS Acupuncture and acupressure and massage may improve the patient's subjective sense of wellbeing, and further research is needed.
Double complex mutations involving F8 and FUNDC2 caused by distinct break‐induced replication

Genomic rearrangements are a well‐recognized cause of genetic disease and can be formed by a variety of mechanisms. We report a complex rearrangement causing severe hemophilia A, identified and further characterized using a range of PCR‐based methods, and confirmed using array–comparative genomic hybridization (array‐CGH). This rearrangement consists of a 15.5‐kb deletion/16‐bp insertion located 0.6 kb from a 28.1‐kb deletion/263‐kb insertion at Xq28 and is one of the most complex rearrangements described at a DNA sequence level. We propose that the rearrangement was generated by distinct but linked cellular responses to double strand breakage, namely break‐induced replication (BIR) and a novel model of break‐induced serial replication slippage (SRS). The copy number of several genes is affected by this rearrangement, with deletion of part of the Factor VIII gene (F8, causing hemophilia A) and the FUNDC2 gene, and duplication of the TMEM185A, HSFX1, MAGEA9, and MAGEA11 genes. As the patient exhibits no clinically detectable phenotype other than hemophilia A, it appears that the biological effects of the other genes involved are not dosage‐dependent. This investigation has provided novel insights into processes of DNA repair including BIR and the first description of SRS during repair in a pathological context. Hum Mutat 28(12),1198–1206, 2007. © 2007 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Mild cognitive impairment: evaluation with 4-T functional MR imaging.

PURPOSE To prospectively assess abnormalities in brain activation patterns during encoding and retrieval in subjects with mild cognitive impairment by using 4-T functional magnetic resonance (MR) imaging. MATERIALS AND METHODS The institutional review board approved this HIPAA-compliant study; all subjects gave written informed consent. Twenty patients with mild cognitive impairment (12 men, eight women; mean age, 75.0 years +/- 7.6 [standard deviation]) and 20 elderly control subjects (nine men, 11 women; mean age, 71.2 years +/- 4.5) underwent functional MR imaging at 4 T during a novel-versus-familiar face-name encoding-retrieval task. The magnitude of blood oxygen level-dependent brain responses across the entire brain were compared within and between subjects with mild cognitive impairment and control subjects by using a voxelwise random-effects model. A one-sample t test was used for within-group analysis; an analysis-of-covariance model (with age as a covariate) was used for between-group analysis. RESULTS Brain regions activated by the task (prefrontal, medial temporal, and parietal regions) during encoding were similar to those activated during retrieval, with larger areas activated during retrieval. Subjects with mild cognitive impairment showed decreased magnitude of activation in bilateral frontal cortex regions (during encoding and retrieval), the left hippocampus (during retrieval), and the left cerebellum (during encoding) compared with magnitude of activation in control subjects (P < .001). Patients with mild cognitive impairment showed increased activation in the posterior frontal lobes (during retrieval) (P < .001). Lower hippocampal activation during retrieval was the most significant correlate of clinical severity of memory loss in mild cognitive impairment (P < .001). CONCLUSION A difference exists in the response of brain regions underlying encoding and retrieval in mild cognitive impairment. Memory deficits in mild cognitive impairment may be linked to functional alterations in several specific brain regions both inside and outside the medial temporal lobe.
Age differences in tactile pattern recognition at the fingertip

Young (21–26 years, n = 20) and old (55–86 years, n = 25) participants were tested for their ability to recognize raised letters (6-mm high, 1-mm relief) by touch. Spatial resolution thresholds were also measured with grating domes to derive an index of the degree of afferent innervation at the fingertip. Letter recognition in the young group was very consistent and highly accurate (mean, 86% correct), contrasting with the performance of the old group, which was more variable and comparatively low in accuracy (mean, 53% correct). In both groups, spatial resolution thresholds accounted for a substantial portion of the variance in the performance, suggesting a strong link between age-dependent variations in tactile innervation and recognition accuracy. The patterns of errors in the old group showed that an inability to encode internal elements specific to certain letters was at the source of most confusion among letters. Whether this inability reflected only deficient peripheral encoding mechanisms or some other alterations at the central level is discussed.
Influence of Socio Economic Variables on Domestic Cooking Energy Choices of Rural Poor Households

Many households in developing countries are energy poor and are unable to make appropriate choices for cooking and heating. Because access to affordable and reliable energy source is essential for poverty reduction, it becomes imperative to understand the factors influencing households choice of cooking energy. This study investigated some socio-economic factors influencing the cooking energy choices of rural poor households. Through the multi-stage sampling procedure, the representative households were selected for the study. With the aid of questionnaire, primary data were collected from 120 households. Based on the household survey data, multinomial logit model was employed to estimate the factors influencing household choice of cooking energy. Results of analysis revealed that the most critical factors influencing domestic cooking energy choices included age of household head, housing type, household size, educational level, household income, occupation of household head and price of cooking energy. Results revealed that the choice of fuel wood as cooking energy indicate a negative relationship with age of household head, household type and household income at one percent level of significance. Findings further revealed that educational level of household heads was negatively related to choice of fuel wood and significant (p<0.05). For choice of kerosene, findings showed that age, household size, household income and price of kerosene were positively related the choice of kerosene and were significant (p<0.01) respectively. Improving the educational level of rural households and reducing the price of liquefied petroleum gas will be a rational policy decision to encourage the use of cleaner and efficient energy.
High Sensitivity of Refractive Index Sensor Based on Analyte-Filled Photonic Crystal Fiber With Surface Plasmon Resonance

Two kinds of novel plasmonic high sensitivity of refractive index (RI) sensors based on analyte-filled photonic crystal fiber (AF-PCF) are proposed in this paper. The metallic gold and silver is used as the surface plasmon resonance activity metal. A full-vector finite-element method is applied to analyze and investigate the sensing and coupling characteristics of this designed AF-PCF with the gold or silver layer. Phase matching between the second surface plasmon polariton and fundamental modes can be met at different wavelengths as the analyte of the RI is increased from 1.40 to 1.42. The phase-matching wavelength of the designed AF-PCF with the gold layer is shifted to the longer wavelength direction compared with that with the silver layer, and the resonance strength is much stronger. The average sensitivities of 7040 and 7017 nm/RIU in the sensing are arranged from 1.40 to 1.42 with high linearity are achieved for the designed sensors with the gold and silver layers, respectively, which are almost the same. However, the figure of merit with the silver layer is much better than that with the gold layer.
Genetic Regulation of Autoimmune Disease: BALB/c Background TGF-β1-Deficient Mice Develop Necroinflammatory IFN-γ-Dependent Hepatitis1

Autoimmune hepatitis (AIH) in humans arises spontaneously in genetically susceptible individuals and is associated with the presence of Th1 cells in the liver. The understanding of AIH has advanced more slowly than that of other organ-specific autoimmune diseases, however, largely because of the lack of an appropriate animal model. We now describe a new mouse model characterized by spontaneous development of necroinflammatory hepatitis that is restricted by genetic background. Mice deficient in the immunomodulatory cytokine TGF-β1 were extensively back-bred to the BALB/c background. The BALB/c background dramatically modified the phenotype of TGF-β1−/− mice: specifically, BALB/c-TGF-β1−/− mice developed a lethal necroinflammatory hepatitis that was not observed in TGF-β1−/− mice on a different genetic background. BALB/c background TGF-β1−/− livers contained large numbers of activated CD4+ T cells that produced large quantities of IFN-γ, but little IL-4, identifying them as Th1 cells. BALB/c background TGF-β1−/−/IFN-γ−/− double knockout mice, generated by cross-breeding, did not develop necroinflammatory hepatitis, demonstrating that IFN-γ is mechanistically required for its pathogenesis. This represents the first murine model of hepatitis that develops spontaneously, is restricted by genetic background, and is dependent upon the Th1 cytokine IFN-γ, and that thus recapitulates these important aspects of AIH.
THE INDUCTION EXPERIENCES OF BEGINNING ELEMENTARY TEACHERS IN THE NORTHWEST TERRITORIES

This qualitative study involves five women elementary teachers who began their teaching careers in 2001in various communities across the Northwest Territories, Canada. Semi-structured interviews at three stages during the year provide a window into their personal, professional and cultural experiences as they built on their pre-service identities and worked toward developing individual teaching styles. Phase one reveals initial impressions of their schools, community cultures and teaching assignments. Phase two presents a dynamic process of adjustment to the demands of teaching. In phase three, the five teachers reflect on their learning journey through pre-service education, learning through practice, and professional development. Finally they describe the induction supports they received and the areas where they felt they needed more assistance. The experiences of the five teachers ,are paralleled by the researcher's induction experience in Baker Lake, Northwest Territories in 1969. In addition to adjusting to the role of teacher, the five participants in this study describe their introduction to cross-cultural communities and the lessons they learned from the ambiguities of conflicting world views and outcomes ofpost-colonialism played out in their classrooms and in their communities.
The Economics of Renaissance Art

I analyzed the market of paintings in Florence and Italy (1285–1550). Hedonic regressions on real prices allowed me to advance evidence that the market was competitive and that an important determinant of artistic innovation was driven by economic incentives. Price differentials reflected quality differentials between painters as perceived at the time (whose proxy is the length of the biography of Vasari) and did not depend on regional destinations, as expected under monopolistic competition with free entry. An inverse-U relation between prices and age of execution is consistent with reputational theories of artistic effort, and prices increased since the 1420s.
Yersinia pestis YopJ Suppresses Tumor Necrosis Factor Alpha Induction and Contributes to Apoptosis of Immune Cells in the Lymph Node but Is Not Required for Virulence in a Rat Model of Bubonic Plague

ABSTRACT The virulence of the pathogenic Yersinia species depends on a plasmid-encoded type III secretion system that transfers six Yop effector proteins into host cells. One of these proteins, YopJ, has been shown to disrupt host cell signaling pathways involved in proinflammatory cytokine production and to induce macrophage apoptosis in vitro. YopJ-dependent apoptosis in mesenteric lymph nodes has also been demonstrated in a mouse model of Yersinia pseudotuberculosis infection. These results suggest that YopJ attenuates the host innate and adaptive immune response during infection, but the role of YopJ during bubonic plague has not been completely established. We evaluated the role of Yersinia pestis YopJ in a rat model of bubonic plague following intradermal infection with a fully virulent Y. pestis strain and an isogenic yopJ mutant. Deletion of yopJ resulted in a twofold decrease in the number of apoptotic immune cells in the bubo and a threefold increase in serum tumor necrosis factor alpha levels but did not result in decreased virulence, systemic spread, or colonization levels in the spleen and blood. Our results indicate that YopJ is not essential for bubonic plague pathogenesis, even after peripheral inoculation of low doses of Y. pestis. Instead, the effects of YopJ appear to overlap and augment the immunomodulatory effects of other Y. pestis virulence factors.