Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Serum humanin concentrations in women with pre-eclampsia compared to women with uncomplicated pregnancies

Abstract Purpose: To compare serum humanin concentrations in pregnant women with and without pre-eclampsia (PE). Materials and methods: A case-control study where pregnant women (PE group, n = 37; control group, n = 34) studied through history parameters (gynecological, obstetrical, personal, and family), physical and sonographic examination parameters [body mass index (BMI), blood pressure obstetrical ultrasound], and biochemical/hormonal assays [creatinine, urea, serum glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase (SGOT), serum glutamic pyruvic transaminase (SGPT), uric acid, platelets, urinary protein, and humanin]. Results: There was no difference in basic characteristics between women with PE and control, except in parity and gravidity. Humanin concentrations were higher in women with PE compared to controls (422.2 ± 33.5 vs. 319.1 ± 28.1 pg/ml, p = 0.023). In a binary logistic analysis, humanin was associated with the presence of PE [odds ratio 1.003, 95% confidence interval (CI); 1.000–1.006]. The ability of humanin to discriminate between women with PE and controls was evaluated by receiver operation characteristics (ROC) analysis [area under the curve (AUC) 0.639, 95% CI; 0.510–0.768, p = 0.045]. Conclusions: Serum humanin concentrations are increased in women with PE, compared to women with uncomplicated pregnancies, suggesting a potential protective role of humanin against the oxidative stress and endothelial dysfunction occurring in PE.
Social Word of Mouth: How Trust Develops in the Market

Consumer trust is essential for a business to successfully promote new products and services. This paper develops a trust model from a social commerce perspective by investigating the influence of social commerce constructs on consumer trust in new products and services. By using an empirical study, the results of this research indicate that social commerce constructs could be measured using three dimensions; these are recommendations and referrals, ratings and reviews, and forums and communities. Furthermore, social commerce constructs have a significant positive influence on consumer trust in new products and service. Alternatively, social commerce constructs could generate social word of mouth among potential customers regarding new products and services; this in turn can shape consumer trust. The theoretical and practical implications of these results are discussed.
DIFFERENCES IN INITIAL TRAINING AND WAGES OF JAPANESE ENGINEERING AND RETAILING COMPANIES - WHO PAYS FOR HIGHER TRAINING COSTS?

The optimal human resource and skill development strategy is one important factor of economic success. This paper, therefore, analyzes industry-specific differences in the training provision between engineering and retailing companies in Japan and focuses in particular on the initial training provision for intermediate skills at the firm level. Based on 11 in-depth interviews in the retailing and the engineering sector in Japan, we find that gross training costs per basic trainee are significantly higher in engineering than in retailing. However, not only the engineering companies, but also their employees bear higher costs than their counterparts in retailing. The absolute and relative entrance wages for production employees are significantly lower than the entrance wages of employees in sale. Even though wages in engineering increase significantly stronger within the first five years, the absolute and relative wages in engineering remain still significantly lower. The results relate to the qualification levels of new trainees and the career paths.
The Sclerostin‐Independent Bone Anabolic Activity of Intermittent PTH Treatment Is Mediated by T‐Cell–Produced Wnt10b

Both blunted osteocytic production of the Wnt inhibitor sclerostin (Scl) and increased T‐cell production of the Wnt ligand Wnt10b contribute to the bone anabolic activity of intermittent parathyroid hormone (iPTH) treatment. However, the relative contribution of these mechanisms is unknown. In this study, we modeled the repressive effects of iPTH on Scl production in mice by treatment with a neutralizing anti‐Scl antibody (Scl‐Ab) to determine the contribution of T‐cell–produced Wnt10b to the Scl‐independent modalities of action of iPTH. We report that combined treatment with Scl‐Ab and iPTH was more potent than either iPTH or Scl‐Ab alone in increasing stromal cell production of OPG, osteoblastogenesis, osteoblast life span, bone turnover, bone mineral density, and trabecular bone volume and structure in mice with T cells capable of producing Wnt10b. In T‐cell–null mice and mice lacking T‐cell production of Wnt10b, combined treatment increased bone turnover significantly more than iPTH or Scl‐Ab alone. However, in these mice, combined treatment with Scl‐Ab and iPTH was equally effective as Scl‐Ab alone in increasing the osteoblastic pool, bone volume, density, and structure. These findings demonstrate that the Scl‐independent activity of iPTH on osteoblasts and bone mass is mediated by T‐cell–produced Wnt10b. The data provide a proof of concept of a more potent therapeutic effect of combined treatment with iPTH and Scl‐Ab than either alone. © 2014 American Society for Bone and Mineral Research.
Governance with Poor Investor Protection: Evidence from Top Executive Turnover

This paper analyzes executive turnover and firm valuation in Italy, a country that features all the characteristics of the most common governance structure around the world, as described by La Porta, et al. (1999): low legal protection for investors, firms with large controlling shareholders and pyramidal groups. The main findings are that turnover is significantly lower and unaffected by performance when the controlling shareholder of the firm is also a top executive in the firm, while it is more sensitive to performance when control is, to some extent, contestable and when the controlling shareholder owns a larger fraction of the firm's cash-flow rights. The results on valuation are the mirror image of those on turnover: the firm's Q is lower for companies with the controlling shareholder as a top executive, larger when a voting syndicate controls the firm, and increases with the fraction of cash-flow rights owned by the controlling shareholder.
Corporate distinctive competence, strategy, industry and performance

Corporate distinctive competencies may facilitate effective management of interdependencies among multiple units. Relationships between corporate distinctive competencies and firm performance were examined in 185 industrial firms. Results suggested that distinctive competencies associated with performance vary according to the grand strategy used and the firm's principal industry. Specific distinctive competencies were identified for each strategy and industry type.
Association of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) with urolithiasis.

OBJECTIVE The NAFLD is related to metabolic disorders and is negatively associated with kidney function. Renal stone disease (urolithiasis) is an increasing form of a common renal disease that is a multifactorial disorder influenced by both intrinsic and extrinsic, mainly environmental factors. The association between the fatty liver and renal calculi, as a specific underlying risk factor, has received no attention, so far. Therefore, in this study, a possible relationship between fatty liver with renal calculi and urolithiasis is investigated. METHODS In a cross sectional study, a total of 11245 ultrasonography reports revealing the condition of fatty liver, kidney stones (urolithiasis), or a combination of both of them, were categorized and evaluated statistically. Descriptive statistics determined the number (frequency and percentage) of each condition. The statistical significance of the association between fatty liver and kidney stone, and vice versa, was evaluated using McNemar's test. The Chi Square Test assessed the relationship between genders. Odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) assessed the likelihood of characteristics of urolithiasis for fatty liver patients. RESULTS We found 8% frequency of urolithiasis among subjects with healthy liver. NAFLD was identified in 30%, while urolithiasis in 11% subjects from all individuals studied. The present study diagnosed urolithiasis in 17% of patients with fatty liver. Its occurrence was more common in men than women. Data revealed more common diagnosis of fatty liver (48%) in patients with urolithiasis, which was also higher in males than females. The higher NAFLD was linked with urolithiasis, indicating a greater chance of their association. Interestingly, the detection frequency of urolithiasis in the patients with NAFLD was also markedly higher (odds ratio: 2.4, 95% CI 2.1-2.7). The NAFLD appears to be an independent variable as a risk factor for stone formation. CONCLUSIONS The present study indicates that the prevalence of urolithiasis is significantly higher in the NAFLD than healthy subjects. This result suggests that NAFLD may be involved in the mechanism of the onset of the urolithiasis. It is suggested that lipid peroxidation, oxidative stress and changes in the urinary constituents in the NAFLD may be considered as a risk factor in the progression of stone formations.
Atmosphere perception of LED dynamic lighting with color varied in cool and warm hue

Take the perspective of cool hue and warm hue, this paper investigated atmosphere perception of LED dynamic colored lighting, as well as physical parameters effects. An experiment was carried out in a LED lighting lab with 8 fully functioned LED cubes, which can produce temporal color-varied lighting. 30 Chinese observers (14 males, 16 females, mean age=25.43, SD= 2.86) evaluated 36 Light conditions (2 lightness levels × 2 chroma levels × 3 hue range types × 3 speed) with 25 word pairs questionnaire. 4 atmosphere dimensions were extracted as coziness, soberness, liveliness and warmness. High speed and high chroma is helpful to create liveliness; low speed and low chroma is more cozy. Warm hue range makes intimate and warm space; cool hue range usually increase soberness. Differences caused by gender and design background were also found.
Social Influence Effects in Online Product Ratings

Websites prominently display consumers’ product ratings, which influence consumers’ buying decisions and willingness to pay. Few insights exist regarding whether a consumer's online product rating is prone to social influence from others’ online ratings. Examining this issue, the authors hypothesize that other consumers’ online ratings moderate the effects of positive and regular negative features of product experience, product failure, and product recovery (to address product failure) on the reviewer's online product rating. The results from a model using 7499 consumers’ online ratings of 114 hotels support the hypotheses. Other consumers’ online ratings weaken the effects of positive and regular negative features of product experience but can either exacerbate or overturn the negative effect of product failure, depending on the quality of product recovery. For marketing theory, the findings indicate that consumers who influence others are themselves influenced by other consumers and that this influence is contingent on their product experience. For managerial practice, the authors offer a method to estimate the effects of product experience characteristics on online product ratings and show that social influence effects make high online product ratings a double-edged sword, exacerbating the negative effect of product failure and strengthening the benefit of product recovery.
Genetic control of X inactivation and processes leading to X-inactivation skewing.

The chromosomal basis of sex determination (i.e., XX in females, XY in males) results in an inequality of gene copy number and content between males and females. In humans (and other mammals) the potential imbalance of gene expression from the two X chromosomes in females is resolved by inactivating one X in all the somatic tissues. Beginning in the late blastocyst stage of embryonic development, one of the two X chromosomes is globally down-regulated in each somatic cell, resulting in expression from only one allele at the vast majority of X-encoded loci. While the paternal X is selectively inactive in the extraembryonic tissues (vide infra), in the embryo proper the process of X inactivation is random between the maternal and paternal X chromosomes. The result is that most females have mosaic expression of maternal and paternal alleles of X chromosome loci. The mean contribution from each chromosome is 50%, but because the process is generally random, a normal female may vary considerably from the mean. 67 refs., 1 fig.
Retinal Ganglion Cells Survive and Maintain Normal Dendritic Morphology in a Mouse Model of Inherited Photoreceptor Degeneration

Retinitis pigmentosa (RP), a family of inherited disorders characterized by progressive photoreceptor death, is a leading cause of blindness with no available cure. Despite the genetic heterogeneity underlying the disease, recent data on animal models show that the degeneration of photoreceptors triggers stereotyped remodeling among their postsynaptic partners. In particular, bipolar and horizontal cells might undergo dendritic atrophy and secondary death. The aim of this study was to investigate whether or not concomitant changes also occur in retinal ganglion cells (RGCs), the only retinal projection neurons to the brain and the proposed substrate for various therapeutic approaches for RP. We assessed the retention of morphology, overall architecture, and survival of RGCs in a mouse model of RP at various stages of the disease. To study the morphology of single RGCs, we generated a new mouse line by crossing Thy1-GFP-M mice (Feng et al., 2000), which express GFP (green fluorescent protein) in a small number of heterogeneous RGCs types, and rd10 mutants, a model of autosomal recessive RP, which exhibit a typical rod–cone degeneration (Chang et al., 2002). We show remarkable preservation of RGC structure, survival, and projections to higher visual centers in the time span from 3 to 9 months of life, well beyond the death of photoreceptors. Thus, unlike second-order neurons, RGCs appear as a considerably stable population of cells, potentially constituting a favorable substrate for restoring vision in RP individuals by means of electronic prostheses or direct expression of photosensitive proteins.
Admission is Free Only If Your Dad is Rich! Distributional Effects of Corruption in Schools in Developing Countries

In the standard model of corruption, the rich are more likely to pay bribes for their children's education, reflecting higher ability to pay. This prediction is, however, driven by the assumption that the probability of punishment for bribe-taking is invariant across households. In many developing countries lacking in rule of law, this assumption is untenable, because the enforcement of law is not impersonal or unbiased and the poor have little bargaining power. In a more realistic model where the probability of punishment depends on the household's economic status, bribes are likely to be regressive, both at the extensive and intensive margins. Using rainfall variations as an instrument for household income in rural Bangladesh, this paper finds strong evidence that corruption in schools is doubly regressive: (i) the poor are more likely to pay bribes, and (ii) among the bribe payers, the poor pay a higher share of their income. The results indicate that progressivity in bribes reported in the earlier literature may be due to identification challenges. The Ordinary Least Squares regressions show that bribes increase with household income, but the Instrumental Variables estimates suggest that the Ordinary Least Squares results are spurious, driven by selection on ability and preference. The evidence reported in this paper implies that"free schooling"is free only for the rich and corruption makes the playing field skewed against the poor. This may provide a partial explanation for the observed educational immobility in developing countries.
Creative business entrepreneurship: the Portuguese creative business incubators

The paper presents the findings from a survey of Portuguese creative business incubators, as a strategy to promote and support the development of the creative industries at city-regional level. Incubators can create values in the incubation process through its entry and exit procedure and by providing start-ups with facilities, knowledge and networks. The shifting definitions of the creative industry and sectors adopted are discussed in the context of theory review. Case studies of ABC-Obidos e INSerralves are presented, and show two different approaches of business incubators to support the creative business development. These are non-profit incubators with a regional level model, both related to universities. ABC-Obidos is promoted by the town of Obidos and INSerralves is promoted by the Cultural Foundation of Serralves, in the city of Oporto.
Is the gas‐particle partitioning in alpha‐pinene secondary organic aerosol reversible?

This paper discusses the reversibility of gas‐particle partitioning in secondary organic aerosol (SOA) formed from α‐pinene ozonolysis in a smog chamber. Previously, phase partitioning has been studied quantitatively via SOA production experiments and qualitatively by perturbing temperature and observing particle evaporation. In this work, two methods were used to isothermally dilute the SOA: an external dilution sampler and an in‐chamber technique. Dilution caused some evaporation of SOA, but repartitioning took place on a time scale of tens of minutes to hours–consistent with an uptake coefficient on the order of 0.001–0.01. However, given sufficient time, α‐pinene SOA repartitions reversibly based on comparisons with data from conventional SOA yield experiments. Further, aerosol mass spectrometer (AMS) data indicate that the composition of SOA varies with partitioning. These results suggest that oligomerization observed in high‐concentration laboratory experiments may be a reversible process and underscore the complexity of the kinetics of formation and evaporation of SOA.
Compact Dual Band-Notched Printed Monopole Antenna for UWB Application

A compact printed ultrawideband (UWB) monopole antenna with dual band-notched characteristics is presented. By inserting two I-shaped notches in both sides of the microstrip feed line on the ground plane, additional resonances are excited, and hence the bandwidth is increased up to 123%. Two notched frequency bands are achieved by embedding a pair of Γ-shaped stubs in the radiation patch and a modified G-slot defected ground structure in the feeding line. The designed antenna has a small size of 20 × 18 mm2 and operates over the frequency band between 2.8 and 11.8 GHz for VSWR <; 2, with one notch frequency band at 3.3-3.8 GHz (WiMAX band) and the other at 5.1-6 GHz (WLAN band). The VSWR and radiation patterns of the fabricated antenna are presented, which prove that the designed antenna is a good candidate for various UWB applications.
The Special Features of Sport

Abstract While most sport administrators acknowledge the advantages of managing sport organisations as businesses, or at least the need to use good management practices, they are frequently unaware of the features that distinguish sport from other forms of business (Smith, 1998). This paper aims to review these distinct features which make sport a special enterprise. These features include an intense emotional relationship between members, fans and their clubs, and ongoing tension between the sometimes competing goals of on-field success and profitability. The other major features are the importance of a balanced competition, the difficulties in ensuring constant quality, the frequent need for collaboration between competing clubs, the desire of members and fans to publicly display their club and player affiliations, and the difficulty in meeting sharp increases in demand.
Antimicrobial Resistance in Wildlife: Implications for Public Health

The emergence and spread of antimicrobial‐resistant (AMR) bacteria in natural environments is a major concern with serious implications for human and animal health. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of AMR Escherichia coli (E. coli) in wild birds and mammalian species. Thirty faecal samples were collected from each of the following wildlife species: herring gulls (Larus argentatus), black‐headed gulls (Larus ridibundus), lesser black‐back gulls (Larus fuscus), hybrid deer species (Cervus elaphus x Cervus nippon) and twenty‐six from starlings (Sturnus vulgaris). A total of 115 E. coli isolates were isolated from 81 of 146 samples. Confirmed E. coli isolates were tested for their susceptibility to seven antimicrobial agents by disc diffusion. In total, 5.4% (8/146) of samples exhibited multidrug‐resistant phenotypes. The phylogenetic group and AMR‐encoding genes of all multidrug resistance isolates were determined by PCR. Tetracycline‐, ampicillin‐ and streptomycin‐resistant isolates were the most common resistant phenotypes. The following genes were identified in E. coli: blaTEM, strA, tet(A) and tet(B). Plasmids were identified in all samples that exhibited multidrug‐resistant phenotypes. This study indicates that wild birds and mammals may function as important host reservoirs and potential vectors for the spread of resistant bacteria and genetic determinants of AMR.
Top-Down Attentional Modulation in Autistic Spectrum Disorders Is Stimulus-Specific

This study investigated top-down modulation of bottom-up attentional capture in children with autistic spectrum disorders (ASDs) and in a typically developing (TD) comparison group using a spatial-cuing task (Experiment 1) and a series of visual search tasks (Experiment 2) employing task-irrelevant distractors. The effect of color and onset singleton distractors was investigated. The TD group showed similar top-down modulation of color and onset stimuli. The ASD group showed typical top-down modulation of color stimuli, but impaired top-down modulation of onset stimuli. The results suggest that children with ASDs may be impaired at prioritizing dynamic stimuli; this has implications for social processing impairments in ASDs.