Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Historical introgression and the persistence of ghost alleles in the intermediate horseshoe bat (Rhinolophus affinis)

Phylogenetic conflicts between genetic markers can help to disentangle complex histories of phylogeography and introgression among taxa. We previously proposed that the Chinese mainland subspecies of the intermediate horseshoe bat Rhinolophus affinis himalayanus colonized Hainan Island to form the subspecies R. a. hainanus. Subsequent recolonization of the mainland formed a third taxon, R. a macrurus, and a secondary contact zone with the ancestral himalayanus. To test for historical and recurrent genetic exchange between these mainland subspecies, we sampled populations of each from two parapatric zones and undertook analyses using one mtDNA marker, three nuclear genes and 14 microsatellites. Nuclear DNA, echolocation call frequencies and morphological data all recovered two taxa; however, a mtDNA phylogeny revealed two himalayanus clades, of which one clustered with macrurus, as well as some shared or related mtDNA haplotypes in eastern populations. Isolation‐with‐migration (IM) models suggested some mtDNA gene flow from macrurus to himalayanus. However, strong population structure in himalayanus raises the possibility that macrurus captured mtDNA from a coastal population of himalayanus that has since become rare or extinct. To reconcile these two sets of results, we suggest that the IM estimates might reflect historical mtDNA gene flow among populations of himalayanus, before mtDNA was subsequently captured by macrurus. Finally, microsatellite‐based ABC analyses supported the island origin of macrurus; however, mtDNA‐based ABC analyses suggest this taxon might have evolved on the mainland. Our findings highlight the importance of understanding population history and structure for interpreting hybridization and introgression events.
Financial Intermediation Development and Economic Growth: Does the Chinese Counterexample Exist?

In terms of the degree-of-freedom of bank loan decision-making, the ratio of loans of private enterprises and individuals to total loans is used to measure the development of China's financial intermediation. Applying generalized method of moments estimation developed for dynamic panel data models, the present paper finds that the effect of financial intermediation development on economic growth is positive and statistically significant when controlling for other variables, such as human capital, foreign direct investment, securitization and foreign trade. The empirical results indicate that the concept of the so-called Chinese counterexample in financial development is questionable. Financial system reforms, including encouraging banks to operate independently, reducing or eliminating mandatory loans, and making financial decision-making more market-oriented, are important for China's economic growth.
In search of relevance: The changing contract between science and society

This paper presents a framework to study the historical development of the relationship between science and society. We elaborate this relationship as a contract that specifies the mission of scientific research, the rationales for public support for science, and the conditions under which scientists work. These three structural elements will always be part of the contract, but their specific content can vary. The credibility cycle, as a model for scientific practice, helps to describe and understand the consequences of a changing contract for the work of individual scientists. A brief case study of chemistry in the Netherlands demonstrates the usefulness of the framework. We show how concepts of relevance have changed since 1975 and how this affects the practice of academic chemistry.
Le prêt à la création d'entreprises est-il efficace ?

Le pret a la creation d’entreprises (pce) a ete introduit en France en 2000 pour ameliorer les conditions du financement des entreprises nouvellement creees. Cet article etudie l’influence de l’acces de ces entreprises a ce programme sur leur survie, leurs problemes financiers et leur croissance percue par leur dirigeant. D’apres nos resultats, obtenus grâce a l’application d’un modele de score de propension sur les donnees Sine, le pce n’exerce aucune influence sur la survie des entreprises. Il n’ameliore pas non plus leur situation financiere. En revanche, la croissance percue par les dirigeants est superieure lorsque l’entreprise beneficie d’un pce relativement a la situation des entreprises sans credit bancaire ni pce.
R&D Spillovers to Agriculture: Measurement and Application

This paper discusses the measurement of R&D spillovers (specifically spill-ins) to the agricultural and food processing sectors. We report measures of direct inter-sectoral and international spillovers based on the Yale Technology Concordance (YTC) and patent data for 14 less developed countries(LDCs) and newly industrialized countries (NICs). We also provide an application of this type of data to six-nation study of agricultural productivity.
The expression patterns of Pax7 in satellite cells during overload‐induced rat adult skeletal muscle hypertrophy

Aim: Activated satellite cells (SCs) have the ability to reacquire a quiescent, undifferentiated state. Pax7 plays a crucial role in allowing activated SCs to undergo self‐renewal. Because the increase in the SC population is induced during overload‐induced skeletal muscle hypertrophy, it is possible that Pax7‐regulated SC self‐renewal is involved in the modulation of the SC population during the functional overload of skeletal muscles. However, the characteristics of the expression patterns of Pax7 in SCs during the functional overload of adult skeletal muscles are poorly understood.
Pricing American Options on Foreign Assets in a Stochastic Interest Rate Economy

Abstract This paper values American options on foreign assets in a stochastic interest rate economy using a two-point Geske and Johnson (1984) technique. The method requires the valuation of just two options: a European option and a twice-exercisable option. I first derive the risk-neutral distributions of asset prices under two forward risk-adjusted measures. Closed form solutions for European options on foreign assets are then obtained by applying these risk-neutral distributions. This article also provides analytic solutions for pricing twice exercisable options that are at most two-dimensional even though the valuation problem involves four risk factors at two exercise dates. I report the results of numerical evaluations of American option values using my method and show how they vary with the interest rate parameters. I also verify the accuracy of the proposed method by comparing with the benchmark values obtained from the least-square method of Longstaff and Schwartz (2001).
Effects of Public and Private R&D on Private-Sector Performance in the United States

This study analyzes the effects of public and private research and development (R&D) on private-sector output, employment, and investment using a multivariate time-series approach. This approach follows the conceptual argument that dynamic feedbacks are essential to understanding the relationship between public-funded R&D and private-sector performance. With this approach, the authors are able to measure the total effects of public and private R&D on private output. The results suggest that in the long term, public R&D does not affect employment but crowds in private investment, whereas private R&D is a substitute for both. As a consequence, the long-term effects of public R&D on output are positive and substantial, whereas the effects of private R&D are at best marginally positive. As a corollary, the authors argue that public R&D should be brought into the limelight as a leading candidate for explaining the growth slowdown in the past decades.
Medial transposition of the radial nerve for anterolateral plate fixation of the humerus: Cadaveric study

In the operative treatment of humeral shaft fractures the radial nerve may be injured during the reduction of fracture fragments or the application of plate and screws. Also, secondary surgical explorations due to delayed or non-union carry a high risk of radial nerve injury because of the scarring of the neighboring tissue and proximity of the nerve to the implants. Consequently, the need for the transposition of the radial nerve to a safer position arises. A total of 22 (11 right, 11 left) cadaveric upper extremities were studied to evaluate the medial transposition of the radial nerve during the open reduction and anterolateral plate fixation of humeral fractures. The radial nerve was transposed medially in a distal plate fixated humeral fracture model. Distance measurements of the radial nerve and the division points of its branches were carried out in the transposed position and in the original course of the nerve. There was no statistically significant difference between the original course and medially transposed measurements. The distances from the reference point to the division points of other branches (posterior antebrachial cutaneous nerve, motor branch to brachioradialis, most distal motor branch to triceps) were not altered. The mean length of the radial nerve was 185.2 ± 14.3 mm in its original course and 183.7 ± 13.8 mm in the medially transposed course. In conclusion, the present study shows that medial transposition of the radial nerve through the fracture line does not increase the nerve’s length and may be utilized in cases in which anterolateral plate fixation is indicated.
Outcomes after Massive Transfusion in Nontrauma Patients in the Era of Damage Control Resuscitation

There are little data regarding the use of massive transfusion protocols (MTP) outside of the trauma setting. This study compares the use of an MTP between trauma and non-trauma (NT) patients. Data were collected for trauma and NT patients from the prospectively maintained MTP database at a Level I trauma center over a 4-year period. Massive transfusion was defined as $ 10 units packed red blood cells (PRBCs) in a 24-hour period. Of 439 MTP activations, 37 (8%) were NT patients (64% male; mean age = 51 years, initial base deficit = -10.8). Activations were for gastrointestinal bleeding (n = 18), bleeding during surgery (n = 13), obstetrical complications (n = 5), and ruptured aortic aneurysm (n = 1). Over-activation of MTP (< 10 units PRBCs/24 hours) was higher in NT than trauma patients (19/37, 51% vs 118/284, 29%, P < 0.01). For massive transfusion patients, 24-hour mortality was higher in NT compared with trauma patients (10/17, 59% vs 100/284, 35%, P = 0.05), but there was no difference in 30-day mortality (10/17, 59% vs 144/284, 51%, P = 0.51). With over-activation in 51% of NT patients, MTP usage outside of trauma is inefficient. Outcomes in NT patients were worse than trauma patients, which may be related to the underlying disease processes.
Informed Trading on Debt Covenant Violations: The Long and Short of It

We examine whether disclosure of complex information events reduces information asymmetry by investigating the long- and short-term impact of firms' disclosure of debt covenant violations on the probability of informed trading. We argue debt covenant violation disclosures provide informed agents with a long window of opportunity to trade on their private information largely due to the uncertainty arising from the debt renegotiation process. We find the probability of informed trading is greater after the disclosure, particularly when the violation outcomes are unresolved or where there is concern about possible future violations.
What Explains the Canada-US Labour Productivity Gap?

This paper analyzes the reasons for the Canada-US labour productivity gap, which is mainly explained by the multifactor productivity (MFP) gap. Based on panel data for 41 industries, the regression results show that differences in the machinery and equipment (M&E) capital-labour ratio, trade openness, and capacity utilization explain differences in the Canada-US MFP gap across industries. The M&E capital intensity gap is the dominant source of the MFP gap. Lower wages, R&D intensity, and skills levels, as well as higher investment goods prices in Canada are the major determinants of the M&E capital intensity gap.
Repeated Stress‐Induced Stimulation of Catecholamine Response Is Not Followed by Altered Immune Cell Redistribution

Abstract: Stress response is considered an important factor in the modulation of immune function. Neuroendocrine hormones, including catecholamines, affect the process of immune cell redistribution, important for cell‐mediated immunity. This longitudinal investigation was aimed at evaluating the effect of repeated stress‐induced elevation of catecholamines on immune cell redistribution and expression of adhesive molecules. We assessed the responses of epinephrine (EPI), norepinephrine (NE), cortisol, changes in lymphocytes subpopulations, and percentages of CD11a+, CD11b+, and CD62L+ lymphocytes to a 20‐min treadmill exercise of an intensity equal to 80% of the individual's Vo2max. The exercise was performed before and after 6 weeks of endurance training consisting of a 1‐h run 4 times a week (ET) and after 5 days of bed rest (HDBR) in 10 healthy males. We did not observe any significant changes in the basal levels of EPI, NE, and cortisol in the plasma, nor in the immune parameters after ET and HDBR. The exercise test led to a significant (P < .001) elevation of EPI and NE levels after both ET and HDBR, a significant elevation (P < .01) of cortisol after HDBR, an increase in the absolute numbers of leukocytes, granulocytes, monocytes, CD3+, CD4+, CD8+, CD16+, CD19+ lymphocytes, percentage of CD11a+ and CD11b+ lymphocytes, and to a decrease of CD62L1 before, after ET, and after HDBR. We found comparable changes in all measured immune parameters after ET and HDBR. In conclusion, repeated stress‐induced elevation of EPI and NE was not associated with an alteration in immune cell redistribution found in response to the single bout of exercise.
Priorities, Resource Stocks, and Performance in Family and Nonfamily Firms

This article discusses how the performance of family firms and nonfamily firms might differ as a result of the different priorities flowing from family influence, even when the two types of firms possess comparable levels of resource stocks. Using hierarchical regression to analyze data from a national study of the Small Business Development Center program, we find that family influence has both a positive and a negative moderating effect on the relationships between different categories of resource stocks and performance. Specifically, family firms benefit more from resource stocks based on external relationships while nonfamily firms benefit more from resource stocks based on functional skills.
Accounting data and UK dividends

Purpose - Accruals data reflect managers’ judgements and estimates. The purpose of this paper is to examine whether they provide users of accounts with additional insight into a firm's dividends beyond that conveyed by cash flows alone. Design/methodology/approach - The authors employ regression analysis to examine the relative ability of earnings, cash flows and accruals to explain dividends. Findings - It is found that both cash flows and accruals (earnings) possess significant explanatory power for dividends indicating that, on average, UK financial statements provide users with improved insight beyond that conveyed by cash flows alone. Research limitations/implications - These results demonstrate the importance of accruals data for users of accounts. However, if accruals are manipulated for opportunistic purposes then their usefulness will likely be compromised and users of accounts will loose out. The study focuses on non-financial, UK dividend-paying firms only. Practical implications - These results provide direct evidence that UK financial statement data has significant explanatory power for dividend-paying activity, which may be viewed as good news. However, this paper reiterates the need for those who prepare and audit accounts to ensure that accruals truly reflect a firm's financial situation and are not being “managed” to artificially boost reported earnings. Short-term accruals are an obvious focus for such activities. Originality/value - The paper reports the first direct test of the link between disaggregated earnings components and UK dividends.
Capital Flows to Developing Economies: Implications for Saving and Investment

THE CURRENCY CRISES that broke out in East Asia in mid1997 have been followed by more than a year of tumult in international financial markets. These crises have had a serious impact on the emerging market economies, forcing many to raise domestic interest rates so as to stem an outflow of financial capital and prevent further exchange rate collapse. These interest rate increases have, in turn, depressed domestic economic activity. Not surprisingly, this severe financial instability has intensified discussions about the benefits and risks to developing economies from allowing capital to flow freely across national borders.1 For many developing countries, the ability to draw upon an international pool of financial capital offers large potential benefits. Low levels of capital per worker in these countries have long held output down. Net foreign resource inflows-current account deficits-can augment private saving and help these countries reach higher rates of capital accumulation and growth. Access to international capital markets provides the means to finance those resource flows. Some types of foreign capital inflows, principally foreign direct investment (FDI), may also facilitate the transfer of
Social welfare maximization in dynamic strategic decision problems

Deriving effective group decision-making procedures for complex environments is hard but of fundamental importance, and the challenges grow significantly more daunting when individuals are self-interested. There is an inherent tension in striving to achieve social goals in decisions that will impact individuals who are only concerned with selfish objectives. Innumerable scenarios fit this mold, from resource allocation to coordinating behavior in the presence of global constraints. The field of mechanism design addresses such problems via specific payment schemes that disarm agent self-interest. This thesis attacks two fundamental issues in this area. First: How can one implement a decision-making mechanism that maximizes the net welfare of a group of self-interested agents? Classic solutions typically require agents to make large payments to a central coordinator which, from the agents' perspective, purely detracts from social welfare. This thesis provides a mechanism applicable to arbitrary group decision-making problems that yields drastically higher group welfare in important settings, including resource allocation. The redistribution mechanism uses structure inherent in the domain to give payments required in the classic solution back to the agents in a way that does not yield a budget deficit or distort their incentives to participate truthfully. Second: How can social welfare maximizing outcomes be reached with selfish agents in a setting that is dynamic and uncertain? In the real world, decisions do not exist in isolation, but rather are situated in a temporal context with other decisions. Individuals will act to maximize their utility over time, and decisions in the present influence how the world will look in the future, but rarely in completely predictable ways. This thesis addresses the problem of dynamic mechanism design for such settings and provides key results including: a characterization of the social welfare maximizing dynamic mechanisms that can be implemented in an ex post equilibrium; an extension to handle dynamically changing agent populations; an application to coordinating research preceding allocation of a resource. Finally, a dynamic redistribution mechanism unifies the two main focuses of the thesis, providing a solution with near-optimal social welfare properties for an array of important dynamic problems.
Characterization of a soft-tissue infection model in the horse and its response to intravenous cephapirin administration.

A soft-tissue infection model was created in eight horses by infecting subcutaneous tissue chambers with Streptococcus zooepidemicus organisms. Responses of the horses to the infections were determined by monitoring changes in the complete blood count and body temperature and by following changes in the cytology and protein content of the tissue chambers. Systemic reactions to the infections included a mild neutrophilia, mild pyrexia and mild anemia. There was a marked influx of neutrophils and protein into the chambers after they were seeded with bacteria and chamber neutrophil viability decreased markedly at the height of the infection. Subsequent to establishing tissue chamber infections four of the horses were treated with intravenous cephapirin t.d. at a dosage of 20 mg/kg for 5 days. Quantitative culturing of tissue chamber fluid was performed to analyze the efficacy of cephapirin therapy. Cephapirin therapy was accompanied by decreases in the systemic neutrophilia, pyrexia, anemia, and chamber bacterial counts. However, cephapirin did not eliminate the infection in any of the chambers. Chamber neutrophil viability was markedly increased during the cephapirin therapy period.
A novel pro-angiogenic function for interferon-γ-secreting natural killer cells.

PURPOSE To explore the function of natural killer (NK) cells in inflammatory angiogenesis in mice. METHODS To study ocular angiogenic responses we used the cornea BFGF micropellet and the laser-induced choroidal neovascularization (CNV) mouse models (C57BL/6). To deplete NK cells in these models, we injected an anti-NK1.1 antibody or an isotype antibody as a control. Corneas or choroids were immunohistochemically stained for blood vessels (CD31), macrophages (F4/80), or CNV (isolectin-IB4). Vascular endothelial growth factors (VEGF), IFN-γ, or TNF-α levels were measured by real-time quantitative PCR (qPCR) or flow cytometry. A coculture assay of macrophages, NK cells, and human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) was analyzed morphometrically to examine the ability of NK cells to induce angiogenesis in vitro. RESULTS Our data demonstrate that in vivo depletion of NK cells leads to a significant reduction of corneal angiogenesis and CNV. Furthermore, NK cell depletion reduces macrophage infiltration into the cornea and mRNA expression levels of VEGF-A, VEGF-C, and VEGFR3 at day 7 after micropellet insertion. In the laser-induced CNV model, our data show that NK cell depletion leads to decreased areas of CNV and significantly reduced mRNA expression of VEGFs and IFN-γ in the choroid. An in vitro coculture assay shows an IFN-γ-dependent increase in VEGF expression levels, thereby increasing endothelial cell proliferation. CONCLUSIONS Our findings demonstrate a novel pro-angiogenic function for NK cells, indicating that IFN-γ-secreting NK cells can induce angiogenesis by promoting enhanced VEGF expression by macrophages.