Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Ductal Injection of Preservation Solution Increases Islet Yields in Islet Isolation and Improves Islet Graft Function

For islet transplantation, it is important to obtain an available islet mass adequate for diabetes reversal from a single donor pancreas. A recent report demonstrated that the use of M-Kyoto solution instead of UW solution improved islet yields in the two-layer method for pancreas preservation. The present study investigated whether the ductal injection of a large volume of preservation solution (UW and M-Kyoto solution) before pancreas storage improves islet yields. Islet yield both before and after purification was significantly higher in the ductal injection (+) group compared with the ductal injection (–) group. TUNEL-positive cells in the ductal injection (+) group were significantly decreased in comparison to the ductal injection (–) group. The ductal injection of preservation solution increased the ATP level in the pancreas tissue and reduced trypsin activity during the digestion step. Annexin V and PI assays showed that the ductal injection prevents islet apoptosis. In a transplant model, the ductal injection improved islet graft function. These findings suggest that the ductal injection of preservation solution, especially the M-Kyoto solution, leads to improved outcomes for pancreatic islet transplantation. Based on these data, this technique is now used for clinical islet transplantation from non-heart-beating donor pancreata or living donor pancreas.
Role of Resorbable Plates and Screws in Craniofacial Surgery

Twenty patients underwent craniomaxillofacial fixation procedures with the use of the LactoSorb (Walter Lorenz Surgical, Jacksonville, FL) resorbable plating system. The patients ranged in age from 4 months to 67 years. No significant problems from the use of this plating system were noted. The resorbable plating system offers several distinct advantages over traditional metallic systems.
Lead-induced alterations in rat kidneys and testes in vivo

The purpose of this study was to assess the effects of lead administration on the kidney and testicular structure of adult rats. Rats received lead (PbNO3) in single intraperitoneal dose 50 mg/kg (group A), 25 mg/kg (group B) and 12.5 mg (group C) per kilogram of body weight and were killed 48 h following lead administration. After the preparation of histological samples the results were compared with control. After the lead administration dilated Bowman's capsules and blood vessels in interstitium of kidney with evident hemorrhagic alterations were noted. Quantitative analysis determined increased relative volume of interstitium and tubules. Also, the diameter of renal corpuscules, diameter of glomeruli and diameter of Bowman's capsule were significantly increased, especially in group A, with the highest lead concentration. In testes, dilatation of blood capillaries in interstitium, undulation of basal membrane and occurrence of empty spaces in seminiferous epithelium were detected. An apoptosis assay confirmed increased incidence of apoptosis in the spermatogenetic cells after the lead administration. Also further morphometric analysis showed significant differences in evaluated parameters between control and treated groups. The number of cell nuclei was decreased in lead-treated groups, which is concerned with the occurrence of empty spaces as well as with the higher apoptosis incidence in germinal epithelium. This study reports a negative effect of lead on the structure and function of kidney and testes.
Older consumer opportunities: small firm response in a selected group of UK service sector markets

Socio-demographic trends mean that the 50+ age group are wealthier and now enjoy high per capita incomes. Some large firms are now exploiting the opportunities within this market. This study aims to assess whether small UK service firms are also revising their marketing practices in response to socio-demographic change. A survey suggests most small firms have not yet recognised the opportunities available. The exceptions are the more entrepreneurially orientated small firms. Discussion is provided on the need for further research to small firm behaviour in the 50+ market.
Peak oxygen uptake and ventilatory anaerobic threshold in fibromyalgia.

OBJECTIVE To compare maximum oxygen uptake and anaerobic threshold in patients with fibromyalgia (FM) and healthy sedentary controls matched by sex, age, weight, and body mass index. METHODS Fifty women with FM aged 18-60 years and 50 healthy sedentary controls were studied. All were submitted to a maximum treadmill incremental test. Expired gas, ventilatory anaerobic threshold, and maximum oxygen uptake (VO2max) were evaluated. The influence of FM on quality of life was evaluated by questionnaires: the Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire and the Medical Outcomes Study Short-Form (SF-36). RESULTS In patients with FM, the anaerobic threshold and peak oxygen uptake were significantly reduced. Maximum heartbeat rate was significantly lower in FM, indicating submaximum effort. Linear regression data showed a correlation between peak VO2 and the "Role-physical" domain of the SF-36. No such correlations were noted with anaerobic threshold. CONCLUSION These results confirm the hypothesis of lower physical fitness in patients with FM. Considering that patients with FM do not achieve a maximum effort, ventilatory anaerobic threshold should be considered as a better fitness index than VO2max.
MEDIUM-TERM DETERMINANTS OF INTERNATIONAL INVESTMENT POSITIONS: THE ROLE OF STRUCTURAL POLICIES

This paper provides an empirical investigation of the medium-term determinants of international investment positions for a large sample of advanced and emerging economies. In addition to the usually considered drivers of foreign assets and liabilities, the analysis focuses on the role of structural policy indicators. Using cross-section and panel regression techniques the results suggest that structural policy settings are important medium-term drivers of capital flows, having a relatively large impact on gross and net foreign capital positions and on their composition. In particular, the results suggest that certain kinds of structural policy reform could help to narrow global imbalances, and to modify the composition of international capital flows towards more stable and productive sources.
Planning for environmental justice in an urban national park

Urban national parks were designed in the 1970s to bring nature and recreational opportunities to socio-economically disadvantaged communities in the USA. Using the theoretical frame of environmental justice, this paper discusses findings of a recent survey of visitors to Los Angeles' Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area – the United States' largest urban national park. Findings show park visitors were predominantly white, affluent, and lived nearby. People of colour travelled further, were significantly less likely to be return visitors, and were less inclined to use the park for active recreation. Seemingly, this park fails to meet the needs of the disadvantaged urban communities for whom it was created, a problem that may also affect other parks in the United States and potentially parks in other countries. Park planners and managers can take practical steps to increase accessibility to this park for people of colour and low-income earners, and should monitor other parks for patterns of ethno-racially differentiated access and utilisation.
Are Males' Incomes Influenced by the Income Mix of Their Male Neighbors? Explorations into Nonlinear and Threshold Effects in Stockholm

We investigate the degree to which neighborhood income composition affects the subsequent income of individual male residents, and test the degree to which these effects are characterized by nonlinear, threshold-like relationships. We specify a fixed-effects model to reduce potential bias arising from unmeasured individual characteristics affecting neighborhood selection and income. We employ annual data on 124 000 working-age males residing in Stockholm over the 1991–2006 period to estimate parameters for innovative variables measuring the sequence, duration, and intensity of neighborhood exposures. We find that two thresholds—one above 20 per cent and the other above 40 per cent—best describe the strong inverse relationship between consistent exposure to higher percentages of low-income male neighbors and subsequent earnings of individual male residents. We draw implications for potential causal mechanisms behind this relationship and formulating public policy towards places of concentrated disadvantage.
The existence and uniqueness of equilibrium in the international public good model

The international public good model is an extension of the public good model, allowing for different productivities of producing the public good across countries. By extending the proofs of Bergstrom et al. (1986, 1992), which are the seminal studies in the public good literature, this article develops an international public good model with proofs of the existence and uniqueness of equilibrium.
A New Method for Evaluation of Mechanical Stress Using the Reciprocal Amplitude of Magnetic Barkhausen Noise

This paper describes a method for detecting stress in the surface of magnetic materials, such as steels, based on the measurement of magnetic Barkhausen emissions. The paper presents a simple practical linear calibration curve that can be used to determine stress, and also provides a theoretical explanation of the reason for such a relationship. The influence of elastic tensile and compressive stresses of various magnitudes on the magnetic Barkhausen emissions was studied, with the objective of developing a technique for quantitative measurements of surface stress in machined steels. The peak amplitude of the Barkhausen emissions was found to correlate with both residual and applied stress, showing a clear rising trend for transition from compressive to tensile stress. The relationship between stress dependence of the maximum differential anhysteretic susceptibility and Barkhausen peak amplitude was observed. Plots of reciprocal values 1/χmax' and 1/VMBN max against stress showed a linear relationship providing a convenient method for detecting stress levels in near-surface regions from Barkhausen measurements.
An Empirical Study of an Online Travel Purchase Intention Model

ABSTRACT This study empirically tests a structural model of factors affecting consumers' online purchase intentions for travel products. The findings indicate that information quality, service quality, and system quality are valid measurements to evaluate the quality of travel-oriented website designs. In terms of travelers' perceptions, convenience, value, and merchandise options are three effective measurements of travelers' attitudes toward purchasing travel products online. Quality of travel website design, travelers' attitudes, and customers' satisfaction demonstrate significant influence on travelers' purchase intentions. Travelers' attitudes and customers' satisfaction also serve as strong mediators for the links between quality of travel website design and purchase intentions. Future research can capitalize on this study as a basis to formulate other models or to create a new model to test tactics that can increase travelers' repurchase intentions and strengthening consumers' e-loyalty.
Fatigue in Parkinson's disease: Prevalence and associated factors

The purpose of this study was to examine the prevalence of fatigue in Parkinson's disease (PD) patients and compare this to the general population. Factors associated with fatigue were investigated by linear regression. Fatigue was assessed by the fatigue questionnaire. The mean age of the 176 PD patients (41% women) was 69 years (range 35–90), and the mean UPDRSIII was 22.3 (SD 11.7). Fatigue levels (means) were significantly higher in PD patients compared with the general population; however, effect sizes were moderate for women for physical and total fatigue indicating clinically significant differences here only. Only female PD patients had more chronic fatigue than the general population. Fatigue was related to characteristics of PD but also to sleep disturbance, depression, and gender. This population‐based study demonstrates that fatigue is a common symptom in PD patients, but compared with the general population, clinically significant differences were only found for female PD patients. © 2010 Movement Disorder Society.
What's Behind the Decline in the NAIRU?

This paper assesses the apparent decline during the 1990s in the unemployment rate associated with stable inflation≥the so-called "NAIRU. " The paper argues that supply shocks alone are not sufficient to account for this decline and that changes in labor markets are in part responsible. I consider several popular labor-market explanations for the decline. Although a demographic shift toward a more experienced workforce, a growing use of temporary employees, and a skyrocketing prison population probably have contributed to the decline in the NAIRU, they do not adequately explain the timing of an acceleration in that decline during the mid-1990s. I propose an alternative explanation based on evidence showing an increase during the 1990s in the synchronization of regional economic conditions. In particular, I suggest that greater uniformity in economic conditions across regions during the current business expansion has limited spillovers of wage and price pressures from one region of the country to another, thereby lowering the national NAIRU.
Do personal resources mediate the effect of perceived organizational support on emotional exhaustion and job outcomes

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine personal resources as a mediator of the effect of perceived organizational support on emotional exhaustion, extra-role customer service and turnover intentions. Design/methodology/approach – Using data collected from frontline hotel employees with a one-month time lag in Cameroon, the relationships were assessed via structural equation modeling. Positive affectivity, intrinsic motivation and self-efficacy were treated as the indicators of personal resources. Findings – The results suggest that positive affectivity, intrinsic motivation and self-efficacy are significant indicators representing personal resources. As hypothesized, personal resources fully mediate the effect of perceived organizational support on emotional exhaustion, extra-role customer service and turnover intentions. Specifically, frontline employees who receive sufficient support from the organization are high in positive affectivity, intrinsically motivated and self-efficacious at elevat.
City Spending on Economic Development versus Affordable Housing: Does Inter-City Competition or Local Politics Drive Decisions?

Public choice theory predicts that interjurisdictional competition and the need for a strong tax base severely limit local policy making. City decision makers must pursue developmental or economically advantageous policies such as economic development initiatives and avoid redistributive or fiscally harmful policies such as affordable housing programs. Many social scientists object to the deterministic argument of public choice theory and emphasize the importance of politics in the policy making process. Using regression analysis, I investigate the factors that influence cities to pursue a limited strategy as predicted by public choice theory versus a balanced or more progressive approach favoring affordable housing programs over economic development programs. The results show that inter-city competition increases the likelihood cities will pursue a limited strategy versus a balanced or more progressive approach. However, political variables also influence local policy decisions. In fact, this analysis indicates that political factors are more important than inter-city competition in explaining city policy choices.
Mutational spectrum at the Hprt locus in splenic T cells of B6C3F1 mice exposed to N-ethyl-N-nitrosourea.

We have determined the mutational spectrum of N-ethyl-N-nitrosourea (ENU) in exon 3 of the hypoxanthine (guanine) phosphoribosyltransferase gene (Hprt) in splenic T cells following in vivo exposure of male B6C3F1 mice (5-7 weeks old) to ENU. Hprt- mutants were isolated by culturing splenic T cells in microtiter dishes containing medium supplemented with interleukin 2, concanavalin A, and 6-thioguanine. DNA was extracted from 6-thioguanine-resistant colonies and amplified by the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) using primers flanking Hprt exon 3. Identification of mutant sequences and purification of mutant DNA from contaminating wild-type Hprt DNA was accomplished by denaturing-gradient gel electrophoresis. Purified mutant DNA was then sequenced. Treatment of mice with ENU at 40 mg/kg of body weight produced a Hprt- mutant frequency of 7.3 x 10(-5) in splenic T cells, approximately 35-fold above background levels. Sixty-nine of the 521 Hprt- mutants analyzed contained mutations in exon 3 (13%). Transversions and transitions at A.T base pairs dominated the spectrum; 62 of the 69 exon 3 mutations were at A.T base pairs (14 different sites). Thirteen of 14 thymine bases undergoing mutation (61 of 62 mutations at A.T bases) were located on the nontranscribed strand of exon 3. The majority of the remaining mutations (6 of 69) were transitions at a single G.C base pair. These results suggest the importance of thymidine alkylation in ENU-induced mutagenesis in vivo. The mouse Hprt- T-cell cloning/sequencing assay described here may represent a useful system for studying the molecular mechanism of chemically induced mutation occurring in vivo in an endogenous gene.
Mentalizing Another's Visual World—A Novel Exploration via Motion Aftereffect

Past research on level 2 visual perspective-taking (VPT) has mostly focused on understanding the mental rotation involved when one adopts others' perspective; the mechanisms underlying how the visual world of others is mentally represented remain unclear. In three studies, we addressed this question by adopting a novel VPT task with motion stimuli and exploring the aftereffect on motion discrimination from the self-perspective. Overall the results showed a facilitation aftereffect when participants were instructed to take the avatar's perspective. Meanwhile, participants' self-reported perspective-taking tendencies correlated with the aftereffect for both instructed and spontaneous VPT tasks, when the “to-be-adopted” perspective required the participants to mentally transform their self-body clockwise. Specifically, while facilitation was induced for participants with low self-reported perspective-taking tendencies (e.g., viewing a leftward motion stimulus under another's perspective enhanced subsequent perception of leftward motion from the self-perspective), those with high self-reported perspective-taking tendencies showed an adaptation aftereffect (e.g., viewing a leftward motion stimulus under another's perspective weakened subsequent perception of leftward motion from the self-perspective). For these individuals, the adaptation effect indicated the engagement of direction-selective neurons in processing of the subsequent congruent-direction motion from self's perspective. These findings suggest that motion perception from different perspectives (self vs. another) may share the same direction-selective neural circuitry, and this possibility depends on observers' general perspective-taking tendencies.
Probabilidade de informação privilegiada no mercado de ações, liquidez intra-diária e níveis de governança corporativa

Non-traditional listing rules on stock exchanges based on corporate governance practices criteria may ensure investors a higher level of protection and constrain expropriation of minority shareholders. We investigate how distinct listing levels, according to the quality of corporate governance practices, a natural experiment provided by the Brazilian stock exchange (Bovespa), and liquidity levels are associated to the probability of informed trading (PIN). We find that PIN is lower in stricter corporate governance practices listing levels, after controlling for liquidity. Greater liquidity is associated to a lower PIN particularly due to the presence of non-informed investors.
Investor Mood and the Determinants of Stock Prices: An Experimental Analysis

We examine, in a controlled experimental setting, whether changes in investor mood cause changes in the determinants of stock prices. Our results show that a deterioration in mood, reflected in the negative dimensions of mood state, increases the level of risk aversion in male, but not female, investors. We find no evidence to suggest that a change in mood impacts on investors' forecasts of future earnings or future cash flows. By establishing the causal impact of a change in mood on risk aversion, our study provides support for archival research that relates various market anomalies to investor mood.
Augmented reality and language learning: From annotated vocabulary to place-based mobile games

The Pokémon GO craze in the summer of 2016 focused public attention on augmented reality (AR). As always occurs with newly popular uses of technology, the education community soon started to explore how to use the game in teaching and learning, including in second language learning. Through its ability to use add-on digital assets to explore and expand scenes and locales from the real world, there is an obvious connection between AR and current theories of second language acquisition which emphasize localized, contextual learning and meaningful connections to the real world. In fact, AR has been in use for some time in language learning applications. Especially well-known are mobile, place-based games created with the ARIS platform. In this column we will explore the variety of ways in which AR is being used by language educators and look as well at other ways in which language learning is tied to digitally enhanced spaces.
A tumorigenic actin mutant alters fibroblast morphology and multicellular assembly properties

Tumor initiation and progression are accompanied by complex changes in the cytoarchitecture that at the cellular level involve remodeling of the cytoskeleton. We report on the impact of a mutant β‐actin (G245D‐actin) on cell structure and multicellular assembly properties. To appreciate the effects of the Gly245Asp substitution on the organization of the actin cytoskeleton, we examined the polymerization properties of G245D‐actin in vitro by pyrene polymerization assays and total internal reflection fluorescence microscopy (TIRF). The mutant actin on its own has a significantly reduced polymerization efficiency compared to native actin but also modifies the polymerization of actin in copolymerization experiments. Comparison of the structure of Rat‐2 fibroblasts and a stably transfected derivate called Rat‐2‐sm9 revealed the effects of G245D‐actin in a cellular environment. The overall actin levels in Rat‐2‐sm9 show a 1.6‐fold increase with similar amounts of mutant and wild‐type actin. G245D‐actin expression renders Rat‐2‐sm9 cells highly tumorigenic in nude mice. In Rat‐2‐sm9 monolayers, G245D‐actin triggers the formation of extensive membrane ruffles, which is a characteristic feature of many transformed cells. To approximate complex cell–cell and cell‐matrix interactions that occur in tumors and might modulate the effects of G245D‐actin, we extended our studies to scaffold‐free 3D spheroid cultures. Bright field and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) show that Rat‐2‐sm9 and Rat‐2 cells share essential features of spheroid formation and compaction. However, the resulting spheroids exhibit distinct phenotypes that differ mainly in surface structure and size. The systematic comparison of transformed and normal spheroids by SEM provides new insights into scaffold‐free fibroblast spheroid formation. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.