Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Are Firms in "Boring" Industries Worth Less?

Using theories from the behavioral finance literature to predict that investors are attracted to industries with more salient outcomes and that therefore firms in such industries have higher valuations, we find that firms in industries that have high industry-level dispersion of profitability have on average higher market-to-book ratios than firms in low dispersion industries. This positive relation between market-to-book ratios and industry profitability dispersion is economically large and statistically significant and is robust to controlling for variables used to explain firm-level valuation ratios in the literature. Consistent with the mispricing explanation of this finding, we show that firms in less boring industries have a lower implied cost of equity and lower realized returns. We explore alternative explanations for our finding, but find that these alternative explanations cannot explain our results.
A prospective survey of the use of dexamethasone on a palliative care unit

One hundred and six consecutive patients started on glucocorticosteroids (steroids) according to a defined prescription policy were surveyed each week to document the indications for use, any beneficial effect, any toxicity incurred and the reason for stopping. All patients had advanced malignant disease and survived for a median of 40.5 days (range 1–398+ days) from the start of steroid treatment. Fifty-seven per cent of patients completed three or more assessments. The most common specific indications for starting steroids were spinal cord compression, cerebral metastases, lymphangitis carcinomatosa and intestinal obstruction. The most common non-specific indications were anorexia, nausea, low mood, pain and vomiting. The median duration of steroid use was 21.5 days (range 1–89 days). The most common reason for the discontinuation of steroids was death or deteriorating condition. Symptom scores improved at some stage for the majority of patients started on steroids for anorexia, nausea, pain, low mood, vomiting and weakness but not in patients complaining of dyspnoea or poor mobility. The most common side-effects that were most probably attributable to steroid therapy were oral candidosis and proximal myopathy. The benefits of steroids when used according to defined guidelines were thought to outweigh toxicity.
Carbon Chain Anions and the Growth of Complex Organic Molecules in Titan’s Ionosphere

Cassini discovered a plethora of neutral and ionized molecules in Titan’s ionosphere including, surprisingly, anions and negatively charged molecules extending up to 13,800 u q−1. In this Letter, we forward model the Cassini electron spectrometer response function to this unexpected ionospheric component to achieve an increased mass resolving capability for negatively charged species observed at Titan altitudes of 950–1300 km. We report on detections consistently centered between 25.8 and 26.0 u q−1 and between 49.0–50.1 u q−1 which are identified as belonging to the carbon chain anions, CN−/C3N− and/or C2H−/C4H−, in agreement with chemical model predictions. At higher ionospheric altitudes, detections at 73–74 u q−1 could be attributed to the further carbon chain anions C5N−/C6H− but at lower altitudes and during further encounters extend over a higher mass/charge range. This, as well as further intermediary anions detected at >100 u, provide the first evidence for efficient anion chemistry in space involving structures other than linear chains. Furthermore, at altitudes below <1100 km, the low-mass anions (<150 u q−1) were found to deplete at a rate proportional to the growth of the larger molecules, a correlation that indicates the anions are tightly coupled to the growth process. This study adds Titan to an increasing list of astrophysical environments where chain anions have been observed and shows that anion chemistry plays a role in the formation of complex organics within a planetary atmosphere as well as in the interstellar medium.
Class war

Except Proudhoun and M. Louis Blanc almost all the historians of the revolution of l848 and of the coup d'etat of December, 1851, as well as the greatest writers of bourgeois radicalism, the Victor Hugos, the Quinets, etc. have commented at great length on the crime and the criminals of December; but they have never deigned to touch upon the crime and the criminals of June. And yet it is so evident that December was nothing but the fatal consequence of June and its repetition on a large scale.
Polysomnographic characteristics of a referred sample of children with sickle cell disease.

STUDY OBJECTIVES To describe polysomnographic parameters and their clinical correlates in a referred sample of children with sickle cell disease (SCD). METHODS This was a retrospective medical record review of 55 consecutive children aged 2-18 years with SCD (hemoglobin [Hb] SS and Hb SC genotypes) undergoing polysomnography for evaluation of sleep disordered breathing. Polysomnography values were compared between SCD genotypes, 4 age groups, and adenotonsillectomy status using descriptive and nonparametric statistics. RESULTS Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) was diagnosed in 38/55 (69%) children. Polysomnographic parameters differed significantly between Hb SS and Hb SC genotypes only on arterial oxyhemoglobin saturation (SpO2; 95.2 +/- 3.8 vs. 98.0 +/- 0.8, respectively, p < 0.01) and percent of sleep time below SpO2 90% (T90; 8.0 +/- 22.0 vs. 0.01 +/- 0.02, respectively, p < 0.05). Increasing age was associated with decreasing SpO2 (rho = -0.282, p < 0.05), obstructive apnea-hypopnea index (OAHI; rho = -0.364, p < 0.01), total arousal index (rho -0.272, p < 0.05) and respiratory arousal index (rho = -0.349, p < 0.01). Periodic limb movements in sleep (PLM) averaged 4.7 +/- 8.8/h, with a PLM index > 5/h in 5/17 children without OSA. Post- adenotonsillectomy, 8/10 children had OSA, but compared to untreated OSA-positive children they had a lower mean OAHI (4.4 +/- 5.5 vs. 8.9 +/- 12.5) and a lower T90 (1.6 +/- 4.2 vs. 9.2 +/- 24.9). CONCLUSIONS Both OSA and PLMs were common in children with SCD. Children with Hb SS experienced more severe nocturnal oxygen desaturation than did those with Hb SC. Post-adenotonsillectomy, most children had OSA, although they experienced fewer obstructive respiratory events and less severe nocturnal oxygen desaturation than did untreated OSA-positive children.
Host-related factors affectingisopod (Asellus aquaticus) susceptibility to and interaction with an acanthocephalan (Acanthocephalus lucii) parasite

Hasu, Tiina Host-related factors affecting isopod (Asellus aquaticus) susceptibility to and interaction with an acanthocephalan (Acanthocephalus lucii) parasite Jyväskylä: University of Jyväskylä, 2013, 46 p. (Jyväskylä Studies in Biological and Environmental Science ISSN 1456-9701; 263) ISBN 978-951-39-5306-5 (nid.) ISBN 978-951-39-5307-2 (PDF) Yhteenveto: Vesisiira (Asellus aquaticus) -isäntään liittyvien tekijöiden vaikutuksista väkäkärsämatoloisintaan (Acanthocephalus lucii) Diss. Trophically-transmitted Acanthocephalus lucii parasite castrates female isopod (Asellus aquaticus) hosts and manipulates the phenotypic traits of hosts making infected isopods more prone to predation. How certain host-related factors affect isopod susceptibility to the parasite and how A. lucii exposure and infection affect isopod survival, growth and female reproductive output were examined in this thesis. Under laboratory culture conditions growth factors did not affect the reproductive output of the isopods, but unfiltered tap water decreased the survival of the new-born offspring. Juvenile isopods were less susceptible to A. lucii and survived better than adults under exposure to the parasite. Furthermore, cystacanth-infected isopods were larger than uninfected isopods. Gravid isopods were susceptible to infection, but infected mothers survived well, although infection slightly decreased their offspring length, whereas resistant mothers paid survival costs and had significantly smaller offspring. These results suggest a functional or physiological mechanism that buffers juvenile isopods against A. lucii establishment and possible related harmful effects. The results further indicate the parasite’s ability to interfere with host energy allocation in a way that does not increase host mortality. Naïve isopods suffered from survival costs of A. lucii resistance and were more susceptible to A. lucii than isopods from allopatric populations having likely a long history with the parasite species. The isopod population sympatric to the A. lucii parasite used in the exposure was as susceptible to A. lucii as naïve populations but did not show survival costs of resistance, suggesting that co-existence with the parasite shapes the defences of the isopods. Behavioural manipulation was most intense in spring, the optimal time for A. lucii transmission to the definitive fish host and the time when isopod populations are dominated by large old adults.
Life skills and subjective well-being of people with disabilities: a canonical correlation analysis

This study examined the canonical relationships between a set of life skill variables and a set of subjective well-being variables among a national sample of vocational rehabilitation clients in the USA. Self-direction, work tolerance, general employability, and self-care were related to physical, family and social, and financial well-being. This analysis also found that communication skill is related to family and social well-being, while psychological well-being is not related to any life skills in the set. The results showed that vocational rehabilitation services aimed to improve life functioning will lead to an improvement in subjective quality of life.
Endocytosis of GABAC receptors depends on subunit composition and is regulated by protein kinase C‐ζ and protein phosphatase 1

Neuronal excitability depends on the surface concentration of neurotransmitter receptors. Type C gamma‐aminobutyric acid receptors (GABACR) are composed of ρ subunits that are highly expressed in the retina. Molecular mechanisms that guide the surface concentration of this receptor type are largely unknown. Previously, we reported physical interactions of GABACR ρ subunits with protein kinase C‐ζ (PKCζ) via adapter proteins of the ZIP protein family, as well as of protein phosphatase 1 (PP1) via PNUTS. Here, we demonstrate that co‐expressing ρ1 with ZIP3 and PKCζ enhanced basal internalization of GABACR, while receptor internalization was reduced in the presence of PNUTS and PP1. Co‐expression of ρ1 with individual binding partners showed no alterations, except for PP1. Heterooligomeric GABACR composed of ρ1 and ρ2 subunits had a significant higher endocytosis rate than ρ1 containing homooligomeric receptors. Mutant constructs lacking binding sites for protein interactions ensured the specificity of our data. Finally, substitution of serine and threonine residues with alanines indicated that GABACR internalization depends on serine/threonine kinases and phosphatases, but not on tyrosine phosphorylation. We conclude that GABACR internalization is reciprocally regulated by PKCζ and PP1 that are anchored to the receptor via ZIP3 or PNUTS respectively. Endocytosis of GABACR depends on subunit composition and is reciprocally regulated by protein kinase C‐ζ and protein phosphatase 1 that are immobilized to intracellular receptor domains by scaffold proteins (ZIP3, PNUTS). Rho subunits of the pentameric GABACR (grey) offer intracellular phosphorylation sites (P). Our data propose a molecular mechanism that complements available electrophysiological data for GABACR turnover reported in the literature.
Nitrogen control of Salmonella typhimurium: co-regulation of synthesis of glutamine synthetase and amino acid transport systems

Nitrogen control in Salmonella typhimurium is not limited to glutamine synthetase but affects, in addition, transport systems for histidine, glutamine, lysine-arginine-ornithine, and glutamate-aspartate. Synthesis of both glutamine synthetase and transport proteins is elevated by limitation of nitrogen in the growth medium or as a result of nitrogen (N)-regulatory mutations. Increases in the amounts of these proteins were demonstrated by direct measurements of their activities, by immunological techniques, and by visual inspection of cell fractions after gel electrophoresis. The N-regulatory mutations are closely linked on the chromosome to the structural gene for glutamine synthetase, glnA: we discuss the possibility that they lie in a regulatory gene, glnR, which is distinct from glnA. Increases in amino acid transport in N-regulatory mutant strains were indicated by increased activity in direct transport assays, improved growth on substrates of the transport systems, and increased sensitivity to inhibitory analogs that are trnasported by these systems. Mutations to loss of function of individual transport components (hisJ, hisP, glnH, argT) were introduced into N-regulatory mutant strains to determine the roles of these components in the phenotype and transport behavior of the strains. The structural gene for the periplasmic glutamine-binding protein, glnH, was identified, as was a gene argT that probably encodes the structure of the lysine-arginine-ornithine-binding protein. Genes encoding the structures of the histidine- and glutamine-binding proteins are not linked to glnA or to each other by P22-mediated transduction; thus, nitrogen control is exerted on several unlinked genes.
Bowling alone: the collapse and revival of American community

BOWLING ALONE warns Americans that their stock of "social capital", the very fabric of their connections with each other, has been accelerating down. Putnam describes the resulting impoverishment of their lives and communities. Drawing on evidence that includes nearly half a million interviews conducted over a quarter of a century in America, Putnam shows how changes in work, family structure, age, suburban life, television, computers, women's roles and other factors are isolating Americans from each other in a trend whose reflection can clearly be seen in British society. We sign 30 percent fewer petitions than we did ten years ago. Membership in organisations- from the Boy Scouts to political parties and the Church is falling. Ties with friends and relatives are fraying: we're 35 percent less likely to visit our neighbours or have dinner with our families than we were thirty years ago. We watch sport alone instead of with our friends. A century ago, American citizens' means of connecting were at a low point after decades of urbanisation, industrialisation and immigration uprooted them from families and friends. That generation demonstrated a capacity for renewal by creating the organisations that pulled Americans together. Putnam shows how we can learn from them and reinvent common enterprises that will make us secure, productive, happy and hopeful.
Association analysis of TIM-1 -232G > A and 5383_5397 insertion/deletion polymorphisms with childhood asthma and total serum immunoglobulin E levels in middle China.

BACKGROUND One of the members of the T cell immunoglobulin (Ig) domain and mucin domain (TIM) gene family, TIM-1, located in the chromosome 5q31-33 region, has been associated with the development of T helper (T(H)) 2-biased immune responses and may be selectively expressed in T(H)2 cells. Previous studies have also shown an association between polymorphisms in the TIM-1 gene and asthma or asthma-related phenotypes. OBJECTIVE The aim of the present study was to analyze the association between the TIM-1 polymorphisms -232G > A and 5383_5397 insertion/deletion (ins/del) and susceptibility to asthma in a group of patients from middle China. METHODS Polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis and PCR-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis were used to detect -232G > A and 5383_5397 ins/del genotypes in 302 asthmatic children and 206 controls. Serum total IgE was measured by chemiluminescence and specific IgE to common aeroallergens by immunoblot analysis. RESULTS We found no association between the -232G > A polymorphism and asthma or total serum IgE levels or statistically significant differences between asthma and control subjects in terms of genotype and allele frequency for the 5383_5397 ins/del polymorphism.We did, however, detect a difference in total serum IgE levels for 5383_5397 ins/ins genotypes in individuals with atopic asthma (P < .05) in that they had higher IgE levels than those with del/del and del/ins genotypes. CONCLUSION Our results suggest that the 5383_5397 ins/ins genotype in the TIM-1 gene is associated with elevated serum total IgE levels, particularly in individuals with atopic asthma. Further studies are needed to confirm such an association.
Chemical genetics to identify NFAT inhibitors: Potential of targeting calcium mobilization in immunosuppression

The development of more selective immunosuppressive agents to mitigate transplant rejection and autoimmune diseases requires effective strategies of blocking signaling pathways in T cells. Current immunosuppressive strategies use cyclosporin A (CsA) or FK506 to inhibit calcineurin, which dephosphorylates and promotes the nuclear import of nuclear factor of activated T cells (NFAT) transcription factors. These nuclear NFATs then transactivate cytokine genes that regulate proliferative responses of T cells. Both CsA and FK506 have debilitating side effects, including nephrotoxicity, hypertension, diabetes, and seizures, that argue for the development of alternative or complementary agents. To this end, we developed cell-based assays for monitoring NFAT dynamics in nonlymphoid cells to identify small molecules that inhibit NFAT nuclear import. Interestingly, we found that the majority of these small molecules suppress NFAT signaling by interfering with “capacitative” or “store-operated” calcium mobilization, thus raising the possibility that such mobilization processes are relevant targets in immunosuppression therapy. Further, these small molecules also show dose-dependent suppression of cytokine gene expression in T cells. Significantly, the IC50 of CsA in primary T cells was reduced by the addition of suboptimal concentrations of these compounds, suggesting the possibility that such small molecules, in combination with CsA, offer safer means of immunosuppression.
The role of diagnostic imaging in the evaluation of child abuse

ABSTRACT: The assessment of suspected child physical abuse relies heavily on the use of diagnostic imaging. The skeletal survey, bone scan, cross-sectional intracranial and body imaging, and the recent use of bedside diagnostic ultrasound all present advantages and disadvantages in the investigation of child maltreatment. Since physicians may be expected to provide evidence in court, it is mandatory that they work in close collaboration with radiologists experienced in pediatric imaging to ensure that imaging studies are performed to the highest possible standard, and reported in a thorough and informed fashion. Consultation and communication with the radiologist is invaluable in coming to an accurate diagnosis in these challenging cases. R adiological investigations are absolutely essential when assessing children who may have been subjected to physical abuse. These investigations play a key role in child abuse cases because the history provided is often incomplete or misleading and the physical examination may not readily identify occult injuries, especially in infants and young children. Diagnostic imaging can provide objective information about skeletal trauma, head trauma, and thoraco-abdominal trauma. This information is of greatest benefit when high-quality images have been obtained by trained staff and the images have been interpreted by a radiologist who is familiar with the findings seen in child abuse. It is important to emphasize that diagnostic imaging not only helps to identify the extent of injury when physical abuse is present, but it may also point to a medical diagnosis when abuse is not present. Fortunately, pre-existing medical conditions that result in increased bone fragility are very rare, occurring in less than 1% of children presenting with fractures. Imaging skeletal trauma In cases of suspected physical abuse, the radiographic skeletal survey is the first choice for imaging the entire bony skeleton in children. To ensure consistent quality, the American College of Radiology has joined with the Society for Pediatric Radiology to publish a practice parameter for skeletal surveys in children. It is important to note that although bony injuries are rarely life threatening, they can provide compelling evidence for the diagnosis of physical abuse. Skeletal surveys can help to identify characteristic injury patterns such as the classic metaphyseal lesion in long bones, previously referred to as “bucket-handle” and “corner” fractures ( Figure 1 ) , or posterior rib fractures ( Figure 2 ), both of which are strongly suggestive of abuse even when clinical information is lacking. Radiological investigations can provide important information on the dating of skeletal Nita Jain, MD, FRCPC
Hereditary multiple exostoses in a 15-year-old boy: A case report and review of literature

Background: Hereditary Multiple Exostoses (HME) is a rare bone disease, usually associated with deformity and pressure symptoms. It is an autosomal dominant disorder characterized by the development of benign tumours growing outward from the metaphyses of long bones and can lead to considerable psychosocial problems. This paper aims at reporting a case of HME with some peculiar features. Methods: A case report of a 15- year-old Nigerian male with Hereditary Multiple Exostoses is presented to highlight the clinical, radiological features and management challenges of the condition. Results: The patient presented with multiple hard, bony and ridge-like growth along the spine, scapula and para-vertebral region which gradually increased in size. These swellings were non-tender, not attached to the overlying skin and immobile, had no differential warmth and appeared to be continuous with the underlying bony structures. A striking feature was exostoses that extended from the lumbar spine towards the left scapula. He also had brachymetatarsia of the first ray of both feet. Skeletal survey confirmed the diagnosis. Conclusion: Though rare, HME do occur in our environment. The treatment is individualized, with small asymptomatic or minimally symptomatic lesions followed up and only supportive care provided. Larger symptomatic lesions may cause major physical handicap and may be resected. Keywords: Hereditary, Multiple, Exostoses, Deformity
Terahertz wave generation by plasmonic-enhanced difference-frequency generation

We propose an efficient and compact plasmonic surface-enhanced terahertz generation scheme based on nonlinear difference-frequency generation inside a metal–insulator–metal structure. Gold nanowire arrays are planted on top of the surface of a lithium niobate (LN) substrate with second-order nonlinearity to enhance both the nonlinear wavelength conversion and waveguide terahertz waves at the same time. Our numerical simulations show that our structures are capable of generating both tunable continuous and ultrafast-pulsed terahertz sources. We also discuss further improvements on the conversion efficiency by combining with Ti-diffusing LN waveguides.