Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
In vitro gonadotropin-releasing hormone release from hypothalamic tissues of ovariectomized estrogen-treated cynomolgus macaques.

The effects of in vivo 17 beta-estradiol (E2) treatment on in vitro GnRH release and serum LH levels were studied to determine the loci of E2 feedback actions and to examine the hypothalamic mechanisms by which this steroid may regulate LH secretion in monkeys. Ovariectomized cynomolgus macaques received sc Silastic capsule implants containing E2 and were killed 12, 36, 42, or 48 h later. At least one control (CTL) animal received a blank implant and was killed concurrently with each E2-treated monkey. Three untreated animals were used in validation experiments. Before death, each animal was anesthetized with ketamine (15 mg/kg, im), and blood samples were drawn for subsequent LH analysis by Leydig cell bioassay. A diencephalic tissue block was obtained at autopsy and immediately immersed in Krebs-Ringer-phosphate medium (KRP). Mediobasal hypothalamic (MBH) and anterior hypothalamic/preoptic (AH/POA) fragments were quickly dissected from the block and placed in separate superfusion chambers maintained at 37 C. Tissues were superfused at 50 microliter/min with KRP, and 10-min fractions were collected, acidified, and stored at -20 C for subsequent GnRH RIA. Basal immunoreactive GnRH (IR-GnRH) release was measurable from MBH (0.367 +/- 0.063 pg/min) and AH/POA (0.176 +/- 0.065 pg/min) fragments from CTL monkeys. In validation experiments, IR-GnRH release was increased 3- to 7-fold by superfusion with 60 mM K+-KRP only in the presence of Ca+2. Superfusate IR-GnRH coeluted with synthetic GnRH from a Sephadex G-25 chromatographic column, and superfusate and tissue extract GnRH showed appropriate LH-releasing capacities, as determined by rat pituitary cell culture assay. IR-GnRH release rates from MBH or AH/POA tissues varied as a function of in vivo estrogen treatment. GnRH release from both tissues was increased in the E2-treated group killed at 12 h when LH levels were suppressed. Thirty-six hours after E2 treatment, in vitro GnRH release was not significantly different from CTL values. GnRH release rates from MBH and AH/POA tissues obtained 42 h after E2 treatment were significantly greater than CTL release rates (P less than 0.01). This increased in vitro GnRH release at 42 h occurred during the apparent rising phase of the LH surge. Elevated GnRH release was not sustained at 48 h, when surge levels of LH were apparent. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
Safety and Efficacy of Raltegravir in HIV‐Infected Transplant Patients Cotreated with Immunosuppressive Drugs

Solid organ transplantations (SOT) are performed successfully in selected HIV‐infected patients. However, multiple and reciprocal drug–drug interactions are observed between antiretroviral (ARV) drugs and calcineurin inhibitors (CNIs) through CYP450 metabolization. Raltegravir (RAL), a novel HIV‐1 integrase inhibitor, is not a substrate of CYP450 enzymes. We retrospectively reviewed the outcomes of 13 HIV‐infected transplant patients treated by an RAL + two nucleosidic reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NRTI) regimen, in terms of tolerability, ARV efficacy (plasma viral load, CD4 cell count), drug interactions, RAL pharmacokinetics and transplant outcome. Thirteen patients with liver (n = 8) or kidney (n = 5) transplantation were included. RAL was initiated (400 mg BID) either at time of transplantation (n = 6), or after transplantation (n = 7). Median RAL trough concentration was 507 ng/mL (176–890), which is above the in vitro IC95 for wild type HIV‐1 strains (15 ng/mL). Target trough levels of CNIs were promptly obtained with standard dosages of tacrolimus or cyclosporine. RAL tolerability was excellent. There was no episode of acute rejection. HIV infection remained controlled. After a median follow‐up of 9 months (range: 6–14), all patients were alive with satisfactory graft function. The use of an RAL + two NRTI‐based regimen is a good alternative in HIV‐infected patients undergoing SOT.
What Reduces the Impact of Managerial Entrenchment on Agency Costs? Evidence for UK Firms

This paper examines how managerial entrenchment, defined as the extent to which managers are able to use their discretion and expropriate wealth from shareholders, influences agency costs. Using a cross-sectional regression framework and a large sample of UK listed firms, we show that there is a negative relationship between our inverse proxy for agency costs, namely asset turnover ratio, and managerial entrenchment. However, it seems that the relation between managerial entrenchment and agency costs depends on managerial incentives. Specifically, there is strong evidence that managerial incentive variables, such as executive ownership and market-to-book ratio, moderate the negative relationship between managerial entrenchment and asset turnover.
ISO 9000: What is its Impact on Performance?

ISO 9000 is fast becoming a must for companies in both the manufacturing and service sectors. Some questions have been formulated on the basis of the debate around the effects of ISO 9000 on performance. Can certification help in improving quality performances? Are there reductions in costs? Is there any improvement in time performance? These topics are examined through analysis of data gathered by means of a survey based on a sample of 100 Italian manufacturing companies, all of which received ISO 9000 certification between June 1993 and June 1995. It was found that the impact of certification is clearest in the areas of quality (both internal and external quality and their related costs), punctuality, and throughput time, while there are no significant positive effects on other time and cost performances.
Use of femoral nail with spiral blade in subtrochanteric fractures.

OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to evaluate the outcome of acute subtrochanteric fractures managed with intramedullary nail and spiral blade fixation of the proximal fragment. METHODS Charts of 33 patients (17 males and 16 females) with acute subtrochanteric fractures operated with intramedullary nail and spiral blade at our institution between March 2006 and February 2011 were retrospectively reviewed. The most common (67%) mechanism of injury was ground-level fall, predominantly involving elderly patients. Results were evaluated in terms of union time, implant failure rate, infection rate and functional outcome. RESULTS Mean duration of surgery was 2.4 hours and average length of hospital stay was 7 days. Mean radiological healing time was 16 weeks. Good healing occurred in 31 (94%) patients within 6 months of surgery. Uneventful healing occurred in 28 (85%) patients and 3 (9%) had delayed healing requiring dynamization in two patients and bone grafting in one. Implant failure occurred in 2 (6%) patients within 2 months of index surgery requiring repeat surgery. One (3%) patient had varus malunion. CONCLUSION Intramedullary nailing with spiral blade is a good option for acute subtrochanteric fractures with promising results. We think that this is a superior device compared to conventional methods of fixation for subtrochanteric fractures.
The Role of Prestige and Networks in Outside Director Appointments

We study the role of prestige and social networks in the selection of outside directors, and the subsequent effect on firm value. Both prestige and social networks may act as barriers to good corporate governance, as merit based candidates might be disadvantaged when compared to candidates with a similar social background to the incumbent board. Using a unique database of U.K. directors, Lord or Sir titles (one of the proxies we use for prestige) and networks, we find evidence of such self-selection amongst outside directors that hold the same title. Contrary to popular suspicion, appointments of prestigious outside directors have no effect on firm value, with the exception of appointments to very large boards. We find that titled directors are more likely to hold more directorships, and retire later from their positions. In addition to prestige, a director's professional qualifications and higher education are positively related to the number of directorships they hold. We find no evidence that a shared social network or prestige of outside directors is contrary to shareholder interests.
Molecular Cloning and Functional Expression of zfCx52.6

Gap junction-mediated electrical coupling contributes to synchronous oscillatory activities of neurons, and considerable progress has been made in defining the molecular composition of gap junction channels. In particular, cloning and functional expression of gap junction proteins (connexins (Cx)) from zebrafish retina have shown that this part of the brain possesses a high degree of connexin diversity that may account for differential functional properties of electrical synapses. Here, we report the cloning and functional characterization of a new connexin, designated zebrafish Cx52.6 (zfCx52.6). This connexin shows little similarity to known connexins from fish and higher vertebrates. By combining in situ hybridization with Laser Capture Microdissection and RT-PCR, we found that this novel fish connexin is expressed in horizontal cells in the inner nuclear layer of the retina. Functional expression of zfCx52.6 in neuroblastoma cells and Xenopus oocytes led to functional gap junctional channels and, in single oocytes, induced large non-junctional membrane currents indicative of the formation of hemichannels, which were inhibited in reversible fashion by raising extracellular Ca2+ concentrations.
Opportunities to improve nitrogen utilisation in the rumen by reduction in plant-mediated proteolysis

The reaction of ingested forage plant fragments to the rumen environment may contribute to the rapid degradation of plant cell contents in the rumen. A series of experiments were used to explore the hypothesis that plant-mediated proteolysis (PMP) contributes to N loss from fresh forage entering the rumen, and to investigate the potential for identifying cultivars with reduced PMP. During an in sacco time-course experiment, chopped fresh field grown perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.) leaf samples lost 15% of their total N within the first 8 hours in the absence of rumen microbes; whereas 40% was lost from samples incubated with exposure to rumen microbes. Accumulation of free amino acids in the buffer accounted for 75% of the N loss after 24 hours. In a subsequent experiment, in vitro incubation of samples from five perennial ryegrass cultivars detected significant (P<0.05) differences in the extent of PMP for one cultivar. A further in vitro experiment detected significant (P<0.05) variation in PMP among ryegrass genotypes (n=24) within two cultivars. Percentage N loss was not correlated with N concentration in the fresh forage sample. These data indicate PMP contributes to N loss from intact fresh plant cells in the rumen, that it is possible to identify cultivars with reduced PMP, and that there may be potential to further reduce PMP by selection within ryegrass populations.
BRIC Companies Seeking Legitimacy Through Corporate Social Responsibility

BRIC countries have generally gone through a process of liberalization and rapid economic growth that has allowed their major companies to acquire increasing weight in the global marketplace. However, they are still striving to achieve full legitimacy in the international arena. In a bid to close this legitimacy gap, BRIC firms are making efforts to align with the Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) global norms of doing business, and recently have adopted a portfolio of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives. In this paper we provide a deeper exploration into the factors that relate to BRIC firms’ adoption of different types of CSR initiatives — i.e. social policies (philanthropic projects favoring different stakeholders); publication of CSR reports; adoption of GRI standards; adherence to and financial support for the UN Global Compact. We carry out an empirical analysis on 60 large public BRIC companies, and find support for the idea that different kinds of CSR initiatives may be subject to different pressures and may serve different legitimization strategies.
Marketing: Contemporary Concepts and Practices

I. MARKETING: ITS ENVIRONMENT AND MANAGEMENT. 1. What is Marketing? 2. The Global Environment of Marketing. 3. Marketing Management and the Planning Process. II. UNDERSTANDING AND SELECTING TARGET MARKETS. 4. Marketing Research. 5. The Consumer Market and Buying Behavior. 6. Organizational Markets and Buying Behavior. 7. Market Segmentation. 8. Target Marketing. III. DEVELOPING PRODUCTS AND SERVICES. 9. The Product Offering. 10. Product Development and Management. 11. Services and Nonprofit Marketing. IV. DISTRIBUTION. 12. Marketing Channels. 13. Wholesaling and Logistics. 14. Retailing. V. PROMOTION. 15. The Promotion Effort. 16. Advertising. 17. Direct Marketing, Sales Promotion, and Public Relations. 18. Personal Selling. VI. PRICING. 19. Pricing Procedures. 20. Pricing Administration. VII. EFFECTIVE MARKETING STRATEGIES. 21. Marketing Implementation and Control. 22. International Marketing. Appendixes: A. Financial Analysis and Marketing Management B. Careers in Marketing. Glossary. Indexes.
Feasibility study of robot-assisted stroke rehabilitation at home using RUPERT

Task based repetitive therapy has been proposed as a promising approach to train stroke survivors to regain functional control of arm movement. The hypothesis is that such intensive therapeutic approach can induce the desirable neural plasticity or adaptation to compensate for the damage in central nervous system. We have developed a wearable exoskeleton rehabilitation robot, the associated control algorithm, the framework for automated and customizable therapy sessions, safety protection mechanisms, and a graphic user interface that is easy to use and intuitive to the patients and therapists.
Management accounting roles in supporting servitisation: Implications for decision making at multiple levels

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to analyse the potentially supportive roles of management accounting (MA) in the servitisation of manufacturers.Design/methodology/approach – The paper is a conceptual analysis supported by empirical examples.Findings – The potentially supporting roles of MA are here connected to the process of justifying, defining, and controlling servitisation. The potential units of analysis for MA in such a process are explored by going through the different viewpoints regarding service. The actual roles of MA within the process are examined both conceptually and in light of empirical experience. The paper acknowledges MA as a social phenomenon, taking multiple roles in supporting decision making. Essentially, MA can be used as a source of restricting and enabling, and the roles of MA may range from that of “answer machine” to the subjective and interactive use of MA information.Research limitations/implications – The paper represents a starting point for studying the variety of .
Epidemiological features and case management practices of imported malaria in northern Italy 1991–1995

Summary We report the results of a retrospective analysis of the clinical charts of imported malaria cases notified during the period 1991–95 in the Lombardy region of northern Italy. We analysed 694 admissions related to 683 individuals. The proportion of immigrants increased during the observation period from 34.4% in 1991 to 59.9% in 1995 (P = 0.002). P. falciparum was the causative species in 534 cases (78.2%), and 591 (90.1%) of 656 cases with a full travel history had travelled to Africa. Information on chemoprophylaxis was available in 604 cases: 429 (71.0%) reported no drug intake, 140 (23.2%) an incomplete, and 35 (5.8%) a complete chemoprophylactic course. The proportion of subjects who had initiated malaria chemoprophylaxis was significantly lower among immigrants (7.4%) than nonimmigrants (50.2%) (P < 0.001). Severe disease was diagnosed in 26 (4.7%) of 551 cases of falciparum malaria, with a significantly lower incidence among immigrants (1.3%vs. 9.2%; P < 0.001). Eight deaths were recorded, all among nonimmigrants, whose fatality rate was significantly higher (P = 0.02). Mefloquine treatment of cases of uncomplicated falciparum malaria was associated with a significantly shorter fever clearance time (2.8 days ± 1.5 vs. 3.5 days ± 1.9; P < 0.001) and mean hospital stay (5.9 days ± 4.4 vs. 8.3 days ± 5.1; P < 0.001) compared to quinine treatment.
A Cactus Theorem for End Cuts

Dinits–Karzanov–Lomonosov showed that it is possible to encode all minimal edge cuts of a graph by a tree-like structure called a cactus. We show here that minimal edge cuts separating ends of the graph rather than vertices can be "encoded" also by a cactus. As a corollary, we obtain a new proof of Stallings' ends theorem. We apply our methods to finite graphs as well and we show that several types of cuts can be encoded by cacti.
Competition, Capital Market Feedback, and Earnings Management: Evidence from Economic Deregulation

Using economic deregulation as a quasi-natural experiment for increasing product market competition, we find increases in earnings manipulation and accounting frauds following deregulation. This “dark-side” of product market competition is particularly evident for deregulated firms in high market-to-book industries, where we find evidence of short-termism in the capital market. We further find that firms in these industries, if actively manage earnings, tend to make more acquisitions and have higher survival rates. Overall, our results are largely consistent with Shleifer (2004), who predicts an important interplay between product market competition and capital market valuation feedback that could induce misbehaving incentives among firms in competitive industries.
Entrepreneurship, Dynamic Capabilities and New Firm Growth

This paper applies the dynamic capability framework to the study of new firm growth. Using a longitudinal database of 354 firms over their first ten years, we provide an explanation of new firm growth in terms of new product development, R&D, inter-firm alliancing, and exporting, activities that have been identified as denoting dynamic capabilities. In addition, an overview of empirical studies on employment growth in new firms is provided. The empirical evidence for this study shows that general firm resources have a much stronger effect on growth than the dynamic capabilities measured here (mainly inter-firm alliancing). High levels of human capital of the entrepreneur or resourcemunificence of the firm does not improve the value of dynamic capabilities for growth. Environmental dynamism ? a supposed boundary condition of the dynamic capability approach ? is not revealed to be a moderating factor on the effect of dynamic capabilities on new firm growth.
Impact of Anonymity on Liquidity in Limit Order Books: Evidence from Cross-listed Stocks

This paper examines anonymity effects on liquidity migration of cross-listed stocks using a natural experiment created by the staggered move to anonymity regime undertaken by ASX and NZX. The 2SLS instrumental variable estimation shows two interesting trends. When considering liquidity impact on cross-listed stocks after ASX switched to anonymous trading, bid-ask spreads, quoted depth and trading volume improve on ASX, but deteriorate on NZX. On the other hand, when considering NZX’s adoption of anonymous trading, liquidity decreases on ASX, but increases on NZX. Consistent with our hypothesis, anonymity attracts the trading of cross-listed stocks from the foreign counterparty. Results also suggest the existence of commonality in liquidity in financial markets, and the inclusion of this commonality in natural experiment studies may be necessary.
Resources and Signalling to attract Venture Capital: University Spin-Outs in the UK

This study explores why some university spin-outs (USOs) are able to attract first venture capital (VC) investment. Furthermore, factors including first VC investment are associated with USO’s superior firm performance. The resource-based view (RBV) of the firm is replicated and extended with signalling theory. VC firms (supply-side seeking to reduce uncertainty and information asymmetry problems request positive ‘signals’ from entrepreneurs and firms (demand-side). Entrepreneurs can provide such ‘signals of quality’ relating to their own as well as their firms’ resources. Hypotheses were derived accordingly. This is the first nationwide study using cross-sectional data from British USOs on a firm and founder level related to attracting first VC investment and firm performance. A population of 505 British USOs founded between 1990 and 2007 that were still active in 2008 was identified. Founders of 125 USOs participated in an online survey (25% response rate). No response biases were detected. Secondary data sources provided information on financing and performance. Hypotheses were tested with regression techniques. Key findings on the attraction of first VC investment support the joint framework of the RBV of the firm and signalling theory. The most prominent signals of quality were experienced and reputable founding teams (specific human capital), network links to VC investors (networks), firm-owned IP, patented IP (intellectual capital) and founders who were professor (general human capital). USOs with public backed equity (finance) avoided an ‘equity gap’ when seeking less than £500,000 of VC. USOs with radical innovation (intellectual capital) were less likely to attract generalist VC firms. Key findings on factors related to superior firm performance suggest the importance of USO’s internal resources as implied by the RBV of the firm. Strategic alliances (networks) and USOs with VC investment reported superior firm performance. However, generalist VC firms performed better than industry specialists. VC investment reduced the direct influence of experienced and reputable founding teams (specific human capital) and founders who were professors (general human capital) related to firm performance. Former important signals to attract first VC investment such as patented IP, firm-owned IP (intellectual capital) and public backed equity investments (finance) were not related to firm performance. Best practices and recommendations on how USOs can overcome barriers to attracting first VC investment and achieve superior firm performance are made for several practitioner groups. Limitations and areas of future research are discussed.