Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Individualistic Cultures and Crash Risk

This study examines whether individualistic national culture is associated with stock price crash risk (‘crash risk’) for a sample of firms from 36 countries over the period of 1990–2015. We find robust evidence that firms in more individualistic cultural settings exhibit higher future crash risk. Digging deeper, we find that earnings management, excessive managerial risk‐taking, and investors’ difference of opinion and overconfidence are all possible explanations for the positive effect of individualism on crash risk. Overall, our findings suggest that individualism, as a key cultural dimension, has an important impact on investor welfare, manifested through crash risk.
Body Mass Index Measures in Children with Cerebral Palsy Related to Gross Motor Function Classification: A Clinic-Based Study

Hurvitz EA, Green LB, Hornyak JE, Khurana SR, Koch LG: Body mass index measures in children with cerebral palsy related to gross motor function classification: a clinic-based study. Am J Phys Med Rehabil 2008;87:395–403. Objective:To investigate the prevalence of overweight in a clinic-based population of children with cerebral palsy (CP) and its association with gross motor function status. Design:Retrospective chart review. We calculated body mass index (BMI; kg/m2) from charted height and weight and recorded Gross Motor Function Classification Scale (GMFCS levels I–V) on the basis of clinical descriptions in clinic notes for 137 children (2–18 yrs old) with CP seen in a pediatric rehabilitation clinic at an academic medical center. BMI percentiles were reported according to sex-specific age group standards for growth set by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Associations were modeled by Pearson’s &khgr;2 distribution. Results:Out of the total CP subject group, 29.1% were considered overweight (>95th percentile) or at risk for overweight (85th to 95th percentile). Ambulatory children (GMFCS levels I and II) showed a trend (Pearson’s &khgr;2, P = 0.06) toward higher prevalence of overweight (22.7%) compared with nonambulatory children (levels IV and V, 9.6%). Underweight was more prevalent in nonambulatory children (P < 0.01). Logistic regression analysis did not identify any significant predictors for overweight. Conclusions:In our patient population, analysis of BMI suggests that children with CP have a high rate of overweight and are at risk of overweight, particularly among ambulatory children. More study is needed, using measures more accurate than BMI, to clarify risk.
Macroeconomic Indicators and their Impact on the Foreign Debt Burden: The Case of BRICS Countries

The main aim of this article is to analyse the macro indicators affecting the foreign debt burden of BRICS. It has been proven that it is required to design development scenarios in mid-term planning via forming a numerical estimate plane, taking into account expectations of economic variablesâ€™ behavior and other factors, which would stabilize the debt burden and other indicators at sensible levels. Using the elimination approach towards the impact of all factors on the amount on the end result except one, the article formulates and proves the hypothesis that market indicators in relation to GDP influence the size of the countryâ€™s debt.
Influence of Sublethal Total-Body Irradiation on Immune Cell Populations in the Intestinal Mucosa

Abstract The intestinal immune system is the largest in the body. This study analyzed changes in intestinal immune cell populations, cytokine protein levels, and transcript profiles after total-body irradiation (TBI) in CD2F1 mice. A single dose of 8.0 Gy γ radiation caused negligible 30-day lethality but induced significant histological damage in jejunal mucosa that was maximal at 3.5 days and that had seemingly recovered by day 21 after irradiation. These changes were accompanied by decreased numbers of mucosal macrophages, neutrophils, and B and T lymphocytes, mostly coinciding with similar reductions in peripheral blood cell counts. Recovery of mucosal macrophages occurred within 1 week, whereas mucosal granulocytes and lymphocytes remained low until 3 weeks after TBI. Maximal suppression of T-helper cell (TH)-related transcripts occurred at 3.5 days, but there was no obvious TH1 or TH2 bias. Genome-wide transcriptional profiling revealed a preponderance of differentially regulated genes involved in cell cycle control, cell death and DNA repair between 4 h and 3.5 days after irradiation. Genes involved in tissue recovery predominated from day 7 onward. We conclude that the intestinal immune system undergoes profound changes after sublethal TBI and that these changes likely contribute to postirradiation pathophysiological manifestations.
Women's political representation in Ecuador : Perspectives of five women legislators

In the past women were excluded from politics, it was unimaginable that one day women could rule a country. Nevertheless, today in 2018, through the quota policy, the presence of women in the parliaments of several countries has increased significantly. But it is a moment to think one step further than numbers. In a representative democracy not only the number is a victory, the diversity of women matters, as the personal background of representatives. This research explores how the identity and personal experiences of representatives have direct implications on how women represent. Thus, it is necessary to re-think beyond quotas for women. This investigation focuses on the case of the National Assembly of Ecuador in the period 2013-2017. The political representation of women is analysed through the perspectives of five different Assemblywomen. Women's political representation is explored from three different angles: formal, descriptive and substantive, complemented by an intersectional approach regarding race, age, feminist identity, origin, and personal experiences. This will be used as the frame for the debate in order to challenge current notions of women´s political representation on a paradigmatic context.
Congenic C57BL/6 µ opiate receptor (MOR) knockout mice: baseline and opiate effects

Homozygous µ‐opioid receptor (MOR) knockout (KO) mice developed on a chimeric C57B6/129SV background lack morphine‐induced antinociception, locomotion and reward. Therefore it appears that MOR largely mediates these morphine actions. However, one factor that could affect the extent of knockout deficits in morphine‐induced behavior is the genetic background against which the gene deletion is expressed. To examine the effect of genetic background chimeric C57B6/129SV MOR knockout mice from the 15th generation of those developed in our laboratory were backcrossed for 10 successive generations with C57BL/6 mice, a strain which is more sensitive to many of the properties of morphine, to produce congenic MOR (conMOR) KO mice. Heterozygote conMOR KO mice display attenuated morphine locomotion and reduced morphine analgesia compared to wild‐type mice. Homozygote conMOR KO mice display baseline hyperalgesia, no morphine place preference, no morphine analgesia and no morphine locomotion. These results are not qualitatively different from those observed in the MOR KO strain with a chimeric C57B6/129SV background, and suggest that although the strain has separate influences on these functions, it does not substantially interact with deletion of the µ opiate receptor gene.
Inflammation decreases keratin level in ulcerative colitis; inadequate restoration associates with increased risk of colitis-associated cancer

Background Keratins are intermediate filament (IF) proteins, which form part of the epithelial cytoskeleton and which have been implicated pathology of inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD). Methods In this study biopsies were obtained from IBD patients grouped by disease duration and subtype into eight categories based on cancer risk and inflammatory status: quiescent recent onset (<5 years) UC (ROUC); UC with primary sclerosing cholangitis; quiescent long-standing pancolitis (20–40 years) (LSPC); active colitis and non-inflamed proximal colonic mucosa; pancolitis with dysplasia-both dysplastic lesions (DT) and distal rectal mucosa (DR); control group without pathology. Alterations in IF protein composition across the groups were determined by quantitative proteomics. Key protein changes were validated by western immunoblotting and immunohistochemical analysis. Result Acute inflammation resulted in reduced K8, K18, K19 and VIM (all p<0.05) compared to controls and non inflamed mucosa; reduced levels of if– associated proteins were also seen in DT and DR. Increased levels of keratins in LSPC was noted relative to controls or ROUC (K8, K18, K19 and VIM, p<0.05). Multiple K8 forms were noted on immunoblotting, with K8 phosphorylation reduced in progressive disease along with an increase in VIM:K8 ratio. K8 levels and phosphorylation are reduced in acute inflammation but appear restored or elevated in subjects with clinical and endoscopic remission (LSPC) but not apparent in subjects with elevated risk of cancer. Conclusions These data suggest that keratin regulation in remission may influence subsequent cancer risk.
Proteomics reveals selective regulation of proteins in response to memory‐related serotonin stimulation in Aplysia californica ganglia

The marine mollusk Aplysia californica (Aplysia) is a powerful model for learning and memory due to its minimalistic nervous system. Key proteins, identified to be regulated by the neurotransmitter serotonin in Aplysia, have been successfully translated to mammalian models of learning and memory. Based upon a recently published large‐scale analysis of Aplysia proteomic data, the current study investigated the regulation of protein levels 24 and 48 h after treatment with serotonin in Aplysia ganglia using a 2‐D gel electrophoresis approach. Protein spots were quantified and protein‐level changes of selected proteins were verified by Western blotting. Among those were Rab GDP dissociation inhibitor alpha (RabGDIα), synaptotagmin‐1 and deleted in azoospermia‐associated protein (DAZAP‐1) in cerebral ganglia, calreticulin, RabGDIα, DAZAP‐1, heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein F (hnRNPF), RACK‐1 and actin‐depolymerizing factor (ADF) in pleural ganglia and DAZAP‐1, hnRNPF and ADF in pedal ganglia. Protein identity of the majority of spots was confirmed by a gel‐based mass spectrometrical method (FT‐MS). Taken together, protein‐level changes induced by the learning‐related neurotransmitter serotonin in Aplysia ganglia are described and a role for the abovementioned proteins in synaptic plasticity is proposed.
Fecal Corticosterone Reflects Serum Corticosterone in Florida Sandhill Cranes

Florida sandhill cranes (Grus canadensis pratensis) were conditioned to confinement 6 hr/day for 7 days. On day 8, each bird's jugular vein was catheterized, blood samples were drawn, and each crane was confined for 6 hr. Using a randomized, restricted cross-over design, cranes were injected intravenously with either 0.9% NaCl solution or ACTH (cosyntropin; Cortrosyn®; 0.25 mg). During the 6 hr of confinement, fecal samples (feces and urine) were collected from each of five cranes immediately after defecation. Individual fecal samples were collected approximately at hourly intervals and assayed for corticosterone. We showed previously that serum corticosterone did not vary significantly following saline injection, but peaked significantly 60 min after ACTH injection. Maximal fecal corticosterone concentrations (ng/g) were greater (P < 0.10; median 1087 ng/g) following ACTH stimulation compared to maximal fecal corticosterone concentrations at the end of acclimation (day 7; median 176) and following saline treatment (median 541). In cranes under controlled conditions, fecal corticosterone concentration reflects serum corticosterone levels.
Evaluation of Microleakage with Total Etch, Self Etch and Universal Adhesive Systems in Class V Restorations: An In vitro Study.

INTRODUCTION Adhesive dentistry is overwhelmingly evolving with respect to the dental surgeon's and patient's perspective. Embracing the concept of minimally invasive dentistry which follows minimum intervention performed to produce good adhesion and tooth coloured restoration, in turn makes the newer generation bonding agents more acceptable and appropriate withstanding the demand for stable restoration. AIM To study and compare the extent of microleakage between tooth and restoration interface in class V composite resin restorations applying one Total Etch (AdperTM single bond), two Self Etch (AdperTM SE Plus, AdperTM Easy One) and Universal bonding agents using dye penetration method. MATERIALS AND METHODS A total of 120 freshly orthodontically extracted human maxillary and mandibular premolars were included in the study. Class V cavities were prepared with a cylindrical diamond bur on the facial surface of each tooth, having approximate dimensions of 3 mm × 2.5 mm × 1.5 mm. Teeth were divided into four groups (30 in each group). Group A AdperTM single bond 2 (3M ESPE), Group B AdperTM SE Plus (3M ESPE), Group C AdperTM Easy One (3M ESPE), Group D AdperTM Single Bond Universal (3M ESPE) bonding agents were applied as per the manufacturer's instructions and the cavities were then restored with nanohybrid composite resin (Tetric N Ceram Ivoclar Vivadent). Teeth were then thermocycled for 200 cycles at 5°-55°C with 60 seconds of dwell time. Specimens were subjected to a dye leakage test. Microleakage was evaluated using a stereomicroscope. Data was analysed using Kruskal- Wallis, Dunn and Mann-Whitney test to assess the difference in microleakage among various adhesives. RESULTS The present study revealed that the microleakage was more at the gingival margin when compared with occlusal and this was found to be statistically significant. At the occlusal margin statistical significant difference was found only between AdperTM Easy one and AdperTM SE Plus, on the other hand at gingival margin no statistical significant difference was found. CONCLUSION One step self etch agents showed less microleakage than total etches and universal adhesive at occlusal margin. Higher degree of microleakage was observed at gingival margin compared to occlusal margin.
Military Service and Future Earnings: Evidence from An Informed Difference-In-Differences (IDID) Approach

Introducing a new informed difference-in-differences (IDID) approach, and utilizing particularities in the Israeli laws and regulations that exempt married women from military service, we provide evidence about the effects of compulsory military service on future earnings of veterans. The IDID estimates suggest that women experience a highly statistically and economically significant 9.9 percent increase in their wages due to their military service. These effects are smaller than those experienced by minority groups, in common with the evidence from this literature. Finally, the discrepancies we found between the naA¯ve and the consistent estimates suggest that people who voluntarily avoid military service are those who face the highest opportunity costs of service.
Comparative Whole-Genome Analysis of Virulent and Avirulent Strains of Porphyromonas gingivalis

ABSTRACT We used Porphyromonas gingivalis gene microarrays to compare the total gene contents of the virulent strain W83 and the avirulent type strain, ATCC 33277. Signal ratios and scatter plots indicated that the chromosomes were very similar, with approximately 93% of the predicted genes in common, while at least 7% of them showed very low or no signals in ATCC 33277. Verification of the array results by PCR indicated that several of the disparate genes were either absent from or variant in ATCC 33277. Divergent features included already reported insertion sequences and ragB, as well as additional hypothetical and functionally assigned genes. Several of the latter were organized in a putative operon in W83 and encoded enzymes involved in capsular polysaccharide synthesis. Another cluster was associated with two paralogous regions of the chromosome with a low G+C content, at 41%, compared to that of the whole genome, at 48%. These regions also contained conserved and species-specific hypothetical genes, transposons, insertion sequences, and integrases and were located adjacent to tRNA genes; thus, they had several characteristics of pathogenicity islands. While this global comparative analysis showed the close relationship between W83 and ATCC 33277, the clustering of genes that are present in W83 but divergent in or absent from ATCC 33277 is suggestive of chromosomal islands that may have been acquired by lateral gene transfer.
Optimal Choice of Transmission Parameters for LDPC-Coded CPM

Continuous phase modulation (CPM) has attractive features such as spectral efficiency and constant envelope making it attractive for tactical waveforms. Serial concatenation of CPM with Low Density Parity Check Codes (LDPCs) provides a superior performance due to coding gains of this powerful code family. The choice of proper combination of LDPC and CPM is crucial to satisfy the targeted tactical waveform requirements of spectral efficiency, power efficiency and receiver complexity. In this paper, we address the problem of selecting the optimal transmission parameters in an LDPC-coded CPM system to satisfy a given spectral efficiency subject to a constraint on the demodulator complexity. Specifically, we consider modulation index, alphabet size, pulse shape duration, and code rate as transmission parameters. Utilizing a systematic search procedure, we identify the proper transmission parameters to achieve a targeted spectral efficiency and error rate. Finally, we present a Monte Carlo simulation study to demonstrate the performance of selected LDPC-CPM schemes with and without jamming.
Envelope glycoproteins from human immunodeficiency virus types 1 and 2 and simian immunodeficiency virus can use human CCR5 as a coreceptor for viral entry and make direct CD4-dependent interactions with this chemokine receptor

Several members of the chemokine receptor family have recently been identified as coreceptors, with CD4, for entry of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) into target cells. In this report, we show that the envelope glycoproteins of several strains of HIV-2 and simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV) employ the same chemokine receptors for infection. Envelope glycoproteins from HIV-2 use CCR5 or CXCR4, while those from several strains of SIV use CCR5. Our data indicate also that some viral envelopes can use more than one coreceptor for entry and suggest that some of these coreceptors remain to be identified. To further understand how different envelope molecules use CCR5 as an entry cofactor, we show that soluble purified envelope glycoproteins (SU component) from CCR5-tropic HIV-1, HIV-2, and SIV can compete for binding of iodinated chemokine to CCR5. The competition is dependent on binding of the SU glycoprotein to cell surface CD4 and implies a direct interaction between envelope glycoproteins and CCR5. This interaction is specific since it is not observed with SU glycoprotein from a CXCR4-tropic virus or with a chemokine receptor that is not competent for viral entry (CCR1). For HIV-1, the interaction can be inhibited by antibodies specific for the V3 loop of SU. Soluble CD4 was found to potentiate binding of the HIV-2 ST and SIVmac239 envelope glycoproteins to CCR5, suggesting that a CD4-induced conformational change in SU is required for subsequent binding to CCR5. These data suggest a common fundamental mechanism by which structurally diverse HIV-1, HIV-2, and SIV envelope glycoproteins interact with CD4 and CCR5 to mediate viral entry.
Humoral immune response against lipopolysaccharide and cytoplasmic proteins of Brucella abortus in cattle vaccinated with B. abortus S19 or experimentally infected with Yersinia enterocolitica serotype 0:9

The humoral immune responses against three different antigens of Brucella abortus were monitored by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay in cattle vaccinated with B. abortus S19 or experimentally infected with Yersinia enterocolitica serotype 0:9. Immunoglobulin G (IgG) and IgM responses against (i) B. abortus lipopolysaccharide (LPS), (ii) total cytoplasmic proteins depleted of LPS (LPS-free CYT), and (iii) B. abortus 18-kDa cytoplasmic protein were measured. Vaccinated animals and Yersinia-infected animals developed high anti-LPS IgM and IgG titers, which overlapped with those obtained with sera from B. abortus 544-infected animals used as positive controls. In contrast, only a slight or negative IgG and IgM response against LPS-free CYT and the 18-kDa protein was detected in vaccinated or Yersinia-infected cattle, although its levels were always significantly lower than those of B. abortus 544-infected animals. These data indicate that cytoplasmic proteins of B. abortus could be useful for the differential diagnosis of bovine brucellosis.
Adsorption of Dissolved Organic Matter to the Inorganic Filter Substrate and Its Implications for 14C Uptake Measurements

Inorganic carbon uptake rates for glass fiber-filtered samples are higher than those for membrane-filtered samples because of adsorption of dissolved organic matter to the filter substrate. Experimentally derived values for adsorption onto filters were as follows (relative units): GF/F filter, 1, quartz filter, 1.1, GF/C filter, 0.6; GN-6 Gelman filter, 0.1; Nuclepore and Poretics filter, 0.0; Anodisc filter, 0.4 to 1.9.
Skillex: a graph-based lexical score for measuring the semantic efficiency of used verbs by human subjects describing actions

Dictionaries are sociocultural objects that can be used as underlying structures of cognitive science models. We first show that the lexical networks constructed from dictionaries, despite a surface disagreement at links level, share a common topological structure. We assume that this deep structure reflects the semantic organisation of the lexicon shared by the members of a linguistic community. We propose a model based on the exploration of this specific struc- ture to analyse and compare the semantic efficiency of [Children/Adults] productions in action labelling tasks. We define a generic score of semantic efficiency, S KILLEX. Assigned to partic- ipants of the A PPROX protocol, this score enables us to accurately classify them into Children and Adults categories.
The Influence of Firm Efficiency on Agency Credit Ratings

This paper examines the relationship between relative efficiency and credit ratings using a sample of Korean listed firms and finds a positive relationship in the subsequent period after adjusting for absolute efficiency. The results suggest that credit rating agencies consider relative efficiency as a variable that influences a firm’s ability to survive a business cycle. Interestingly, when we divide our samples into investment- grade and non-investment-grade firms, we find a different relationship. While we continue to find consistent results for the investment-grade group, we find a negative relationship between relative efficiency and credit ratings for non-investment-grade firms. We suggest “higher” levels of efficiency by non-investment-grade firms can be considered opportunistic or a form of distress, and potentially be the result of ineffective decision making. We conjecture that credit rating agencies have the ability to impose penalties of lower credit ratings on firms that engage in such behavior.