Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The serotonin receptor 5-HT7R regulates the morphology and migratory properties of dendritic cells

ABSTRACT Dendritic cells are potent antigen-presenting cells endowed with the unique ability to initiate adaptive immune responses upon inflammation. Inflammatory processes are often associated with an increased production of serotonin, which operates by activating specific receptors. However, the functional role of serotonin receptors in regulation of dendritic cell functions is poorly understood. Here, we demonstrate that expression of serotonin receptor 5-HT7 (5-HT7R) as well as its downstream effector Cdc42 is upregulated in dendritic cells upon maturation. Although dendritic cell maturation was independent of 5-HT7R, receptor stimulation affected dendritic cell morphology through Cdc42-mediated signaling. In addition, basal activity of 5-HT7R was required for the proper expression of the chemokine receptor CCR7, which is a key factor that controls dendritic cell migration. Consistent with this, we observed that 5-HT7R enhances chemotactic motility of dendritic cells in vitro by modulating their directionality and migration velocity. Accordingly, migration of dendritic cells in murine colon explants was abolished after pharmacological receptor inhibition. Our results indicate that there is a crucial role for 5-HT7R–Cdc42-mediated signaling in the regulation of dendritic cell morphology and motility, suggesting that 5-HT7R could be a new target for treatment of a variety of inflammatory and immune disorders. Summary: 5-HT7R–Cdc42-mediated signaling regulates the morphology and motility of dendritic cells, suggesting that 5-HT7R could be a target for treatment in a variety of inflammatory disorders.
Financial Literacy, Pension Planning, and Investment Behavior - A Comparative Study between Austria and Switzerland

This paper analyzes the impacts of financial literacy on the investment and pension planning behavior in Austria and Switzerland. Based on survey data of 449 individuals from Austria and Switzerland, we first analyze which socio-demographic and country-specific factors determine financial literacy. In a second step, we explain the investment and pension planning behavior by the level of financial literacy as well as other relevant person- and country-specific characteristics. In particular, we investigate differences between the Austrian and the Swiss with respect to financial literacy and the respective pension system and derive potential impacts on the pension planning and investment behavior of the population. Our results show a higher level of financial literacy in Switzerland compared to Austria, and the difference is even larger for the factual compared to the self-assessed financial literacy. Also women are less financially literate than men. A higher financial literacy has a clear positive impact on the level of pension planning, whereas the effect of the self-assessed financial literacy is stronger than the impact of the factual one. Swiss people seem to care more about pension planning compared to Austrians, and the same holds for elder people compared to the younger persons in our sample. Overall, our results provide some potentially interesting insights on the impacts of institutional differences on pension planning, investment and information behavior.
PENGARUH CORPORATE GOVERNANCE TERHADAP MANAJEMEN LABA RIIL

This research aims to determine the effect of corporate governance on the real earnings management, occured in companies listed in Indonesia Stock Exchange during 2006-2010 period. Corporate governance measurement used structural approach consist of the percentage of institutional ownership, manajerial ownership, the proportion of the board independent commissioner, the size of board commissioners and the existence of an audit committee. While, earnings management measurement used real approach. This study used purposive sampling method. These samples are 160 companies. Analysis used multiple regression analysis. Research results indicate that corporate governance including institutional ownership, manajerial ownership,the proportion of the board independent commissioner, and the existence of an audit committee have effect on real earnings management. The greater the percentage of institutional ownership, managerial ownership, the proportion of board independent commissioner, and the existence audit committee mean the greater the level of real earnings management by the company. While, the size of board commissioners do not effect on the real earnings management. Regardless of the number of board commissioners do not effect to behavior manager to perform real earnings management. Keywords: corporate governance, real earnings management, audit committee board commissioners.
Preeclamptic nephropathy

With the recent discovery of potential serum ‘toxins’ in human preeclampsia, it is timely to consider how these might relate to preeclamptic nephropathy. This review will discuss the clinical presentation of preeclampsia with an emphasis on renal involvement. It will explore the nature of the renal histological changes including endothelial and the more recently discovered podocyte changes, the implications of elevated anti‐angiogenic molecules, anti‐angiotensin‐1 receptor agonistic antibodies and other proposed mechanisms in causing or exacerbating renal lesions. It will also explore the role of pre‐existing renal disease in causing preeclampsia and the potential for new biomarkers, both serum and urinary, to inform clinical practice with regard to differentiating preeclampsia from pre‐existing renal disease. Recommendations about the future of women who have had preeclampsia are unclear but the general consensus is that there are future cardiovascular risks, and to a lesser extent, future renal risks in these women. Regular review of proteinuria and glomerular filtration rate as well as overall cardiovascular risk status seems a logical step.
An efficient algorithm for dynamic key generation for image encryption

Exchange of data over the open networks and internet is rapidly growing so security of the data becomes a major concern. One possible solution to this problem is to encrypt the data. The data can be text, image, audio, video etc. In today's world most of the multimedia applications involve images. Image encryption has applications in internet communication, multimedia systems, medical imaging, telemedicine, and military communication. Although we may use the traditional cryptosystems (such as RSA and DES) to encrypt images directly, it is not a good idea as image size is almost always greater than text. Therefore, traditional cryptosystems need much time to encrypt the image data. Security often depends on keeping the key secret. Cracking key used for encryption must be very difficult task. There have been many attacks or approach designed to crack the key for well-known algorithms. One way to make a system more secure is to change the key on periodic basis. Our work focuses on generating dynamic key using color image so that more security against many attacks can be achieved.
Organizational Determinants of Knowledge Inertia and their Effects on Innovation Performance in the Egyptian Government Service Sector: An Applied Study

In this study we suppose that knowledge inertia (KI) is a moderation between organizational factors and innovation performance. Therefore we attempt to explain relationships between organization factors (support, culture and empowerment) and innovation performance regarding knowledge inertia. A survey was conducted of 300 employees from Egyptian government service sectors (education and health sectors). It was found that knowledge inertia moderates the relationship between organizational factors and innovation performance. We also found a positive correlation between two dimensions of organizational factors (support and empowerment) and innovation performance and a negative correlation between organizational culture and innovation performance. Despite a positive correlation between organizational support and empowerment and innovation performance, when we controlled the effect of knowledge inertia we observed that the correlation was less. This indicates the significant effect knowledge inertia has on innovation performance. It is observed by regression analysis that KI as a moderated variable has a positive effect on innovation performance.
R&D Alliances & Firm Performance: The Impact of Technological Diversity and Alliance Organization on Innovation

In response to competitive pressures, firms increasingly use R&D alliances to complement in-house R&D efforts. However, empirical evidence to date provides little guidance on how firms can use this strategy effectively. Here, I examine why some R&D alliances contribute more than others to firm innovative performance. I suggest that technological diversity, or differences in technological capabilities between partners, determines firm benefits from such alliances. Further, I argue that how partners organize their alliance activities influences this relationship between technological diversity and firm innovation. To test these relationships, I examine firm patenting performance with a sample of 463 R&D alliances in the telecommunications equipment industry. I find that alliances contribute far more to firm innovative performance when technological diversity is moderate, rather than low or high. Some diversity is required, or firms have nothing to learn from their partners. However, when very diverse, firms have difficulty learning from their partners. While this relationship holds irrespective of alliance organization, I find that hierarchical organization, such as the equity joint venture, improves firm benefits from alliances with high levels of technological diversity. Thus, alliance organization likely influences partner ability and incentives to share information, which affects performance. Keywords: alliances, R&D, patents
ESSAYS IN COLLABORATIVE SUPPLY CHAINS: INFORMATION SHARING, EVENT MANAGEMENT AND PROCESS VERIFICATION

As supply chains evolve beyond the confines of individual organizations, information sharing has become the Holy Grail in supply chain technology. Although the value of information sharing is well recognized, there is little research on how to use it to configure supply chains. This essay proposes a parameterized model to capture information sharing in a supply chain. By changing the parameters of this model, we actually adjust information sharing and create supply chain configurations. Configurations are the means of responding to events or changes in supply chains in a timely manner. A complete example is used to demonstrate this methodology. We also perform simulation experiments to compare configurations and to understand the effect of information sharing on supply chain performance.
Development of managers' competencies model in knowledge based organizations by AHP and TOPSIS

In today's knowledge-based economic, R&Ds management should be considered as one of the main source of competitive advantage in various industries. According importance of research institute of petroleum industry as a main research center and knowledge based organization in Iran, in this article we tried to develop a valid competency model for selecting strategic business unit (SBU) managers in this organization. With reviewing human resource management literature, competency model was selected as a valid framework for selecting people in various jobs. After reviewing literature and by usage of analytic hierarchy process (AHP) technique, weight (importance) of each three dimensions of competency i.e. knowledge, skills and personality of a SBU manager were determined. After reviewing literature and analyzing SBU manager job, skills and knowledge required were identified and big five personal traits was employed for identifying required personality traits. In the following, all competencies in each category were ranked by usage of Technique for Order of Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS). Suggested competency model will be a valid tool in order to select and develop SBU managers in this organization.
Municipal Borrowing Costs and State Policies for Distressed Municipalities

Policies on financially distressed municipalities differ across US states, with some allowing unconditional access to Chapter 9 bankruptcy (Chapter 9 states) and others having proactive policies to assist distressed municipalities (Proactive states). These differences significantly affect borrowing costs. In Chapter 9 states, local municipal bond yields are higher, more cyclical, and more sensitive to default events than Proactive states. Default events have a contagion effect in Chapter 9 states, but not Proactive states. Lower local borrowing costs in Proactive states come at the expense of the state via higher intergovernmental revenue transfers in times of weak economic conditions.
Psychosocial Aspects of HIV / AIDS : Adults

1. Understand the complexity of factors that affect the life of an HIV-infected adult. 2. Evaluate and identify means of reducing the personal and socioeconomic effects of HIV/AIDS. 3. Identify and describe appropriate resources for care and support. 4. Identify how caring for people with HIV/AIDS affects health care providers. 5. Identify sources of stigma and discrimination and discuss ways of educing their negative effects on patients and health care workers.
The Impact of Organizational Culture on Job Satisfaction, Employess Commitment and Turn over Intention

The purpose of the present research was to explore the impact of organizational culture on the job satisfaction, employees' commitment and the retention of the employees in the organization. The research was based on primary data, and this research was conducted on the employee's working in different organizations within territory of Multan region, Punjab, Pakistan. Data was collected through questionnaire consisting of 24 questions; the sample consisted of 235 employees of different Organizations (MCB Layyah, U micro Finance Bank Layyah, Layyah Sugar Mill, Thermal Power Plant Muzaffar Garh, and NRSP DG Khan). The Correlation analysis test was applied through SPSS to find out the results of research. Results indicated that nature of organization significantly effects on Job Satisfaction and turnover intentions. So the findings of research proved that organizational culture is important element which highly influences the employee commitment, job satisfaction and retention.
Effects of regular walking on cardiovascular risk factors and body composition in normoglycemic women and women with type 2 diabetes.

OBJECTIVE To examine the impact of a 12-week walking program on body composition and risk factors for cardiovascular disease in women with type 2 diabetes and in normoglycemic women with first-degree diabetic relatives. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS There were 11 postmenopausal women with type 2 diabetes and 20 normoglycemic women of similar age and BMI who were asked to walk 1 h per day on 5 days each week for 12 weeks. Fitness (estimated VO2max) was assessed with a 1.6-km walking test; body composition was measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry; and sex hormone, metabolic, and lipid concentrations were measured in serum. RESULTS After 12 weeks, estimated VO2max improved in both groups (P < 0.005). In the diabetic women, BMI and fat content of the upper body and android waist region decreased (P < 0.05). Concentrations of fasting blood glucose (P < 0.05) HbAlc (P < 0.05), total cholesterol (P < 0.005), and LDL cholesterol (P < 0.05) decreased, while HDL cholesterol and sex hormones were unchanged. In contrast, normoglycemic women failed to lose body fat after 12 weeks of exercise in a walking program. However, their HbAlc, total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, sex hormone-binding globulin, and total testosterone concentrations decreased (P < 0.05). On pooling the data and including diabetes as a categorical grouping variable, stepwise multiple regression analysis indicated that the change in centralized body fat, but not the change in VO2max, was related to change in fasting blood glucose. CONCLUSIONS Twelve weeks of walking increased the fitness of diabetic and normoglycemic women. Improvement of fasting blood glucose was related to the loss of centralized body fat rather than to improved fitness.
Targeting PD-1 and Tim-3 Pathways to Reverse CD8 T-Cell Exhaustion and Enhance Ex Vivo T-Cell Responses to Autologous Dendritic/Tumor Vaccines

The paradoxical coexistence of spontaneous tumor antigen-specific immune response with progressive disease in cancer patients need to dissect the molecular pathways involved in tumor-induced T-cell dysfunction or exhaustion. Programmed cell death 1 (PD-1) has been identified as a marker of exhausted T cells in chronic disease states, and blockade of PD-1-PD-L1 interactions has been shown to partially restore T-cell function. We have found that T-cell immunoglobulin mucin (Tim) 3 is expressed on CD8+ tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) isolated from patients with colorectal cancer. All T-cell immunoglobulin mucin 3 (Tim-3+) TILs coexpress PD-1, and Tim-3+PD-1+CD8+TILs represent the predominant fraction of Tcells infiltrating tumors. Tim-3+PD-1+CD8+TILs exhibit the most severe exhausted phenotype as defined by failure to produce cytokines, such as interferon-&ggr;, tumor necrosis factor-&agr;, and interleukin-2. We further find that combined targeting of the Tim-3 and PD-1 pathways increased the frequencies of not only interferon-&ggr; and tumor necrosis factor-&agr; but also frequencies of proliferating tumor antigen-specific CD8+ T cells than targeting either pathway alone. A concomitant decrease in regulatory T cells and enhanced killing in a cytotoxicity assay was observed. Collectively, our findings support the use of Tim-3-Tim-3L blockade together with PD-1-PD-L1 blockade to reverse tumor-induced T-cell exhaustion/dysfunction in patients with colorectal cancer.
European banking supervision: the first eighteen months

European banking supervision, also known as the Single Supervisory Mechanism, is the first and arguably the main component of European banking union. In late 2014, the European Central Bank became the supervisor for the region’s largest banking groups; the ECB also oversees the supervision by national authorities of smaller banks. This 'Blueprint' is the first in-depth study of how this ground-breaking reform is working in practice. It includes a euro-area overview and chapters on nine countries covering 95 percent of the area’s banking assets, illustrating the diversity of experiences, situations and perceptions in different member states. Despite teething troubles and occasional misjudgements, this assessment finds that overall European banking supervision has been effective, demanding and broadly fair, at least for the banks under the ECB’s direct watch. Even so, achieving a truly single market in banking services will require more time, further supervisory initiatives and new Europe-wide regulatory and legislative steps.
Binomial Regression with Misclassification

Summary. Motivated by a study of human papillomavirus infection in women, we present a Bayesian binomial regression analysis in which the response is subject to an unconstrained misclassification process. Our iterative approach provides inferences for the parameters that describe the relationships of the covariates with the response and for the misclassification probabilities. Furthermore, our approach applies to any meaningful generalized linear model, making model selection possible. Finally, it is straightforward to extend it to multinomial settings.
Cardiorespiratory Responses to Continuous and Intermittent Exercises in Children

Abstract The aim of the study was to characterize aerobic responses to high intensity intermittent (HIIE) and continuous (CE) exercises in prepubertal children. 26 children aged 8 to 11-year-old took part in a preliminary session to determine peakVO2 and Maximal Aerobic Velocity (MAV). In 5 subsequent experimental visits, the participants completed 2 CE and 3 HIIE sessions in a randomized order. HIIE consisted of short intermittent 10-s and 20-s running bouts at 100 to 130% MAV, interspersed with recovery periods of equal duration (S-HIIE1 and S-HIIE2 respectively) and 5-s of sprinting and jumping at maximal intensity with 15-s recovery periods (S-HIIE3). CE consisted of 2 10-min running periods at 80% and 85% MAV with a 5-min recovery period. CE protocols elicited higher average VO2 and exercise time spent above 95% of peakVO2 compared to the HIIE protocols. S-HIIE 1 and S-HIIE 2 elicited similar average VO2 response, higher than S-HIIE 3. Our study shows that CE activated the aerobic system to a greater extent than S-HIIE in prepubertal children, as reflected by the time above 95% of peakVO2 during exercise. However, isotime S-HIIE protocols comprising 10-s or 20-s exercise bouts at an intensity above MAV result in similar times above 95% of peakVO2 during exercise.
Monkey hippocampal neuron responses to complex sensory stimulation during object discrimination

The purpose of this study was to investigate, during the performance of an object discrimination task, responses of neurons in the monkey hippocampal formation to the sight of several objects that have biological meaning, and compare these responses with those of amygdalar neurons studies previously using the same task. Neuronal activity in the hippocampal formation of conscious monkeys was recorded during performance of a task that led to presentation of familiar rewarding, familiar aversive, or unfamiliar objects. Of 864 neurons recorded in the hippocampal formation and adjacent cortices, 160 (18.5%) responded to the sight of a certain object(s). Responses to the sight of different kinds of objects were analyzed in detail. Nondifferential neurons (n = 73) responded to different objects with no significant difference in response magnitudes, and differential neurons (n = 87) responded to different objects with different response magnitudes. Of the differential neurons, 23 responded more strongly to rewarding objects than to other objects (rewarding‐object‐dominant neurons), but the magnitude of responses to objects did not necessarily correlate with the order of preference to the objects as determined from observation of animal behavior. Aversive‐object‐dominant neurons (n = 13) responded more to aversive objects than to other objects. Unfamiliar‐object‐dominant neuron (n = 7) responded more to unfamiliar objects than to familiar objects. Selective neurons (n = 10) responded selectively to only one object or one category of objects. Fourteen of the rewarding‐ or aversive‐object‐dominant neurons were tested in extinction or reversal trials. In 12 of 14 neurons, responses to a rewarding or aversive object did not change, or slightly weakened, in extinction or reversal trials. The results suggest the following. (1) Responses of rewarding‐or aversive‐object‐dominant neurons may be involved in object‐reward or object‐aversion association. However, responses of many of these neurons might reflect past inputs related to reinforcement rather than extant emotional processing. (2) Responses of unfamiliar‐object‐dominant neurons may be involved in recognition of objects based on their familiar or unfamiliar aspects. These results are further discussed and compared with responsiveness of amygdalar neurons.