Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
THE CEPHEID DISTANCE SCALE

classical Cepheids are discussed with particular emphasis on the fact that Cepheids continue to provide the most homogeneous and reliable set of distances to many nearby galaxies. Observational programs relating to extragalactic Cepheids are also reviewed, and new distances and reddenings to individual galaxies are determined from these data using multiwavelength PL relations, based for the first time on self-consistent calibrating data sets. Three recent promising secondary extragalactic distance indicators (Tully-Fisher, planetary nebula luminosity functions, and surface-brightness fluctuations) tie their zero points to the Cepheid distance scale and give globally consistent values for the Hubble constant of about 80 km sec-1^ Mpc-1^. Tying the Faber-Jackson relation and the supernova distance scales to the Leo and Virgo clusters yields similar results. Such a value for the Hubble constant is marginally inconsistent with new estimates of the ages of globular clusters, and it may prove to be a serious problem for standard cold dark-matter models of the universe.
Fragile X mental retardation protein is required for chemically‐induced long‐term potentiation of the hippocampus in adult mice

Fragile X syndrome (FXS), a common form of inherited mental retardation, is caused by the lack of fragile X mental retardation protein (FMRP). The animal model of FXS, Fmr1 knockout mice, have deficits in the Morris water maze and trace fear memory tests, showing impairment in hippocampus‐dependent learning and memory. However, results for synaptic long‐term potentiation (LTP), a key cellular model for learning and memory, remain inconclusive in the hippocampus of Fmr1 knockout mice. Here, we demonstrate that FMRP is required for glycine induced LTP (Gly‐LTP) in the CA1 of hippocampus. This form of LTP requires activation of post‐synaptic NMDA receptors and metabotropic glutamateric receptors, as well as the subsequent activation of extracellular signal‐regulated kinase (ERK) 1/2. However, paired‐pulse facilitation was not affected by glycine treatment. Genetic deletion of FMRP interrupted the phosphorylation of ERK1/2, suggesting the possible role of FMRP in the regulation of the activity of ERK1/2. Our study provide strong evidences that FMRP participates in Gly‐LTP in the hippocampus by regulating the phosphorylation of ERK1/2, and that improper regulation of these signaling pathways may contribute to the learning and memory deficits observed in FXS.
It Takes Two to Tango

The discovery of leptin in 1994 was a seminal event in obesity research. It helped to establish that body weight is tightly regulated by a complex neurohormonal feedback system and that obesity should be viewed as a disorder with a strong biological basis rather than simply the result of poor lifestyle choices and lack of willpower. Leptin, secreted from adipocytes, acts as a prototypic long-term (tonic) adiposity signal. Although nonclinical and clinical studies have provided unequivocal evidence that leptin plays a unique, pivotal role in body weight regulation, efforts to develop recombinant leptin (metreleptin) as a monotherapy for obesity have proven unsuccessful. Amylin, secreted from pancreatic β-cells, fulfills the criteria for a short-term (episodic) satiety signal. The amylin analog pramlintide elicits sustained reductions in food intake and body weight in obese rodents and humans. A translational research program aimed at elucidating the interaction between different islet-, gut-, and adipocyte-derived hormones led to the discovery that combined amylin/leptin agonism induces marked, synergistic, fat-specific weight loss in leptin-resistant diet-induced obese rodents. In obese humans, combination treatment with pramlintide/metreleptin led to an approximately 13% weight loss after 24 weeks, significantly more than after treatment with pramlintide or metreleptin alone. Collectively, these findings suggest that combined amylin/leptin agonism may have therapeutic utility as part of an integrated, neurohormonal approach to obesity pharmacotherapy.
THE FAILURE OF MICROGLIA IN NORMAL BRAIN TO EXHIBIT MONONUCLEAR PHAGOCYTE MARKERS

The origin of brain macrophages or “reactive microglia” has been the subject of considerable controversy. The fundamental question is whether or not there is a morphologically and functionally distinct population of cells, called microglia, which are resident in normal brain and differentiate into macrophages in response to inflammatory stimuli. The present study was performed to determine if any cells in the normal brain have the common markers of mononuclear phagocytes; phagocytosis, IgGFc receptors or macrophage specific antigens. In studies of the newborn and the adult murine brain and adult human brain no cells were detected which had any of those markers, although the highly sensitive marker methods were capable of detecting mononuclear phagocytes in all other tissues where they are known to occur. The results suggest that microglia, if they exist as a distinct cell type, are unrelated to mononuclear phagocytes. Furthermore, they suggest, but do not prove, that all inflammatory macrophages are derived form hematogenous precursors.
Does Complexity Deter Customer-Focus?

Economic models suggest that firms use a simple cost-benefit calculation to evaluate customer requests for new product features, but an extensive organizational literature shows the decision to implement innovation is more nuanced. We address this theoretical tension by studying how firms respond to customer requests for incremental product innovations, and how these responses change when the requested innovation is complex. Using large-sample empirical analyses combined with detailed qualitative data drawn from interviews, we find considerable variance in the relationship between customer demands, complexity, and investments in incremental innovations. The qualitative study revealed the importance of organization structures, competitive pressures, and incentives for resource allocation processes.
Residents’ Attitudes Toward Perceived Tourism Benefits

Despite the increasing research on host community perceptions toward tourism development, there is limited research on small island developing states (SIDS). This study aims to investigate the residentsâ€™ attitudes toward tourism development in Mauritius, a small island developing state. Using a face-to-face questionnaire, data was collected from local residents in a community situated in the north of the country. Following data collection from a questionnaire, factor analysis and regression analyses were conducted. The results revealed that the majority of residents are supportive of tourism development in the region. Socio-cultural and economic impacts had significant and positive influence on tourism development, while environmental impacts had a negative influence on future tourism growth.
Do Acquiring Firms Manage Earnings?

We investigate possible earnings management by inflating discretionary accruals in a sample of 1,719 cash acquirers and 895 stock acquirers during 1989-2005. Following previous literature, we document higher ROA-matched discretionary accruals for stock acquirers than for cash acquirers. However, simulation evidence with quarterly data shows that ROA-matched discretionary accruals are misspecified for both high-growth and low-growth firms. This is relevant to the current investigation because the median sales growth rate equals 12.1% for cash acquirers and 38.5% for stock acquirers (besides similar differences in other growth measures). We propose a new discretionary accrual measure that controls for both ROA and sales growth. This measure is well-specified and powerful in detecting earnings management in stratified random samples, and it leads to an insignificant difference between discretionary accruals of cash and stock acquirers. Other tests of acquirer incentives to manage earnings, market reaction to earnings management, and time delay between earnings announcement and merger announcement strengthen the evidence against earnings management attributed to stock acquisitions.
Reliability of single-layer MoS2 field-effect transistors with SiO2 and hBN gate insulators

We study the hysteresis and bias-temperature instabilities in single-layer MoS2 FETs with SiO2 and hBN gate insulators and attempt to capture the correlation between these phenomena. In agreement with previous literature reports, our results show that the use of hBN as a gate insulator reduces the hysteresis. Furthermore, we show that the impact of the bias-temperature instabilities is weaker for MoS2/hBN transistors. However, at higher temperature the reliability of MoS2/hBN FETs is reduced due to thermally activated charge trapping.
Socio-Economic Differences in the Satisfaction of High-Pay and Low-Pay Jobs in Europe

This paper investigates whether any significant differences in the job satisfaction of high- and low-paid workers exist in eleven European labour markets. Using data from six waves (1996-2001) of the ECHP, it is shown that low-paid employees are significantly less satisfied with their jobs compared to the high-paid in the periphery of Southern European countries, as opposed to those in the North. This evidence suggests that in the face of an increasing flexibility in labour markets, low-paid jobs in the EU are not inevitably of low quality, though in some countries low-wage workers have experienced the full brunt of both lower-paid and bad quality jobs. For these countries policies that centre on the quality of work are essential. Evidence indicates that the cross-country differences reflect the disparate manner with which the flexibility-security nexus has been confronted.
The Effect of Immunomodulators and Biologics on Indication for Surgical Bowel Resection in Children with Crohn's Disease

Background:Despite advances in medical therapies, many children with Crohn's disease (CD) will require bowel resection. Although previous registry studies have attempted to identify risk factors for surgery, the effect of immunomodulators and biologics (IMB) on surgical indications has not been well characterized. Methods:We reviewed a series of 125 children with CD who underwent bowel resection with reanastomosis between 1977 and 2011 and were followed up for at least 6 months. We compared patients who underwent surgery for perforating disease (abscess or internal fistula) and patients who were operated on for medically refractory or fibrostenosing disease. Between these 2 groups, we examined medications received before surgery. Other demographic and disease-specific covariates were examined. Results:Of the 82 patients who received IMB before surgery, only 19 patients (23%) required surgery for a perforating complication of CD, whereas 63 patients (77%) required surgery for strictures or medically refractory disease. In contrast, of the 43 patients who did not receive IMB preoperatively, 20 patients (45%) developed a perforating complication and 23 patients (53%) required surgery for strictures or refractory disease. These differences across groups were significant, with a lower rate of operation for perforating disease among patients receiving preoperative IMB therapy (P = 0.007). Conclusions:In our surgical cohort, children with CD who were treated with IMB were less likely to have surgery for perforating disease. This finding raises the possibility that the administration of IMB in children who require surgery may be associated with a difference in disease behavior.
Corporate governance structures and financial performance: A comparative study of publicly listed companies in Singapore and Vietnam

III THESIS RELATED RESEARCH OUTCOMES . VII ACKNOWLEDGMENTS . IX GENERAL TABLE OF CONTENTS . XI DETAILED TABLE OF CONTENTS . XIII LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS . XIX LIST OF TABLES . XXI LIST OF FIGURES . XXV LIST OF APPENDICES . XXVII CHAPTER
Seroprevalence of Toxoplasma gondii Antibodies in the Rodent Capybara (Hidrochoeris hidrochoeris) From Brazil

Capybaras (Hidrochoeris hidrochoeris) are 1 of the largest rodents used for meat in South and Central America. Prevalence of anti–Toxoplasma gondii antibodies in 149 feral H. hidrochoeris from the state of São Paulo, Brazil, was evaluated using the indirect immunofluorescent antibody test (IFAT) and the modified agglutination test (MAT). Using IFAT, antibodies (>1:16) were found in 104 (69.8%) and with the MAT, antibodies (>1:25) were found in 63 (42.3%) capybaras. This is the first report of prevalence of T. gondii antibodies in this host.
Recovery potential after postnatal shoulder paralysis. An animal model of neonatal brachial plexus palsy.

BACKGROUND Injury to the brachial plexus during birth results in paralysis of the upper extremity in as many as one in 250 births and can lead to substantial functional deficits in the shoulder. The goal of this study was to characterize the development of bone and joint deformities in paralyzed neonatal shoulders and to assess the improvement of these deformities after muscle function recovery with use of an animal model. METHODS Intramuscular injections of botulinum toxin were used to paralyze the supraspinatus, infraspinatus, and posterior deltoid of the left shoulders of mice at birth. Seventy mice were divided into three groups: Botox, recovery, and normal. The twenty-five mice in the Botox group received botulinum toxin injections until they were killed. The twenty mice in the recovery group received botulinum toxin injections for different durations and then were allowed injection-free recovery periods until they were killed. The twenty-five mice in the normal group received saline solution injections until they were killed. Radiographs were used to measure shoulder and elbow contractures. Microcomputed tomography was used to examine anatomical parameters of the supraspinatus muscle, humerus, and scapula. RESULTS The Botox group showed bone and joint deformities including delayed mineralization and flattening of the humeral head, hypoplasia, and introversion (i.e., anteversion) of the humerus, contractures of the shoulder and elbow, hypoplasia of shoulder muscles, hypoplasia of the scapula, and hypoplasia and retroversion of the glenoid. In the recovery group, a significant trend toward normal properties was observed with longer recovery periods (p<0.05). However, only soft-tissue contractures of the shoulder and elbow were resolved completely with the longest recovery period. CONCLUSIONS This mouse model successfully simulates human neonatal brachial plexus palsy, reproducing most of the bone and joint deformities found in the human condition. The deformities started to develop early in the postnatal period in the paralyzed shoulders and progressed with longer durations of paralysis. Early restoration of muscle function completely resolved the soft-tissue contractures of the shoulder and elbow. However, osseous deformities of the humerus and scapula were never resolved completely. These findings demonstrate the time-dependence of reversibility of musculoskeletal deformities in developing shoulders with neurological deficits.
Characteristics of management accounting systems in portuguese industry

This article summarises the results of a survey on the accounting systems implemented in large Portuguese manufacturing firms. The literature review was used to define the hypotheses of the study and the analysis of data characterises the state of art of management accounting systems of the surveyed firms. The data was gathered by postal questionnaire. The study shows a preference for simple criteria in costing inventory-flow and in cost allocation methods for determining the cost of the product. The major conclusion is that simplicity is preferred over technical and statistical rigor.
The cymA Gene, Encoding a Tetraheme c-Type Cytochrome, Is Required for Arsenate Respiration in Shewanella Species

ABSTRACT In Shewanella sp. strain ANA-3, utilization of arsenate as a terminal electron acceptor is conferred by a two-gene operon, arrAB, which lacks a gene encoding a membrane-anchoring subunit for the soluble ArrAB protein complex. Analysis of the genome sequence of Shewanella putrefaciens strain CN-32 showed that it also contained the same arrAB operon with 100% nucleotide identity. Here, we report that CN-32 respires arsenate and that this metabolism is dependent on arrA and an additional gene encoding a membrane-associated tetraheme c-type cytochrome, cymA. Deletion of cymA in ANA-3 also eliminated growth on and reduction of arsenate. The ΔcymA strains of CN-32 and ANA-3 negatively affected the reduction of Fe(III) and Mn(IV) but not growth on nitrate. Unlike the CN-32 ΔcymA strain, growth on fumarate was absent in the ΔcymA strain of ANA-3. Both homologous and heterologous complementation of cymA in trans restored growth on arsenate in ΔcymA strains of both CN-32 and ANA-3. Transcription patterns of cymA showed that it was induced under anaerobic conditions in the presence of fumarate and arsenate. Nitrate-grown cells exhibited the greatest level of cymA expression in both wild-type strains. Lastly, site-directed mutagenesis of the first Cys to Ser in each of the four CXXCH c-heme binding motifs of the CN-32 CymA nearly eliminated growth on and reduction of arsenate. Together, these results indicate that the biochemical mechanism of arsenate respiration and reduction requires the interactions of ArrAB with a membrane-associated tetraheme cytochrome, which in the non-arsenate-respiring Shewanella species Shewanella oneidensis strain MR-1, has pleiotropic effects on Fe(III), Mn(IV), dimethyl sulfoxide, nitrate, nitrite, and fumarate respiration.
Oscillatory potential analysis and ERGs of normal and diabetic rats.

PURPOSE To identify and characterize the early alterations of the ERG oscillatory potentials (OPs) under conditions of poor glycemic control associated with diabetes in an animal model. To characterize and correlate the a- and b-wave properties of the ERGs of diabetic animals in parallel with the changes in oscillatory potentials. METHODS Blood sugars, weights, and ERGs were measured for a group of rats each week for 3 weeks to obtain baseline information. A single injection of streptozotocin was given to the experimental animals. Weights, blood sugar, glycosylated hemoglobin, and detailed ERGs were recorded weekly for up to 12 weeks in control and experimental animals. RESULTS OP kinetics were found to be inherently related to amplitude. Amplitude-matched OPs were delayed in diabetic animals when compared with baseline data from the same animal. The kinetics of OPs in control animals stayed the same or were slightly accelerated relative to their baseline values. For a given recording condition, OP kinetics were very stable over time and this stability was not disturbed in diabetic animals. Diabetic animals showed a small but significant delay in the a-wave, but no change in b-wave timing. The sensitivity of the b-wave was reduced twofold, but that of the a-wave was not changed. CONCLUSIONS OPs have been used to evaluate retinal function in both diabetic models and patients. The comparison of amplitude-matched OPs is a robust determinant of changes in kinetics. Researchers and clinicians who use OPs may wish to consider the relationship between OP amplitude and kinetics to avoid confounding assessments of abnormalities. The amplitude versus kinetics relationship does not change form in diabetic animals; it is merely shifted (delayed) on the time axis.
Rapid Identification of Virulent Type I Strains of the Protozoan Pathogen Toxoplasma gondii by PCR-Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism Analysis at theB1 Gene

ABSTRACT Sequence analysis at the 35-fold-repetitive B1 locus identified three restriction sites capable of discriminating type I (mouse-virulent) from type II or III (mouse-avirulent) strains ofToxoplasma gondii. B1 PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis of 8 type I, 17 type II, and 8 type III strains confirms the specificity of the assay. It should now be possible to ask whether strain genotype affects the severity and type of clinical disease in humans.
Similar hypercoagulable state and thrombosis risk in type I and type III protein S-deficient individuals from families with mixed type I/III protein S deficiency

Background Protein S, which circulates in plasma in both free and bound forms, is an anticoagulant protein that stimulates activated protein C and tissue factor pathway inhibitor. Hereditary type I protein S deficiency (low total and low free protein S) is a well-established risk factor for venous thrombosis, whereas the thrombosis risk associated with type III deficiency (normal total and low free protein S) has been questioned. Design and Methods Kaplan-Meier analysis was performed on 242 individuals from 30 families with protein S deficiency. Subjects were classified as normal, or having type I or type III deficiency according to their total and free protein S levels. Genetic and functional studies were performed in 23 families (132 individuals). Results Thrombosis-free survival was not different between type I and type III protein S-deficient individuals. Type III deficient individuals were older and had higher protein S, tissue factor pathway inhibitor and prothrombin levels than type I deficient individuals. Thrombin generation assays sensitive to the activated protein C- and tissue factor pathway inhibitor-cofactor activities of protein S revealed similar hypercoagulable states in type I and type III protein S-deficient plasma. Twelve PROS1 mutations and two large deletions were identified in the genetically characterized families. Conclusions Not only type I, but also type III protein S deficiency is associated with a hypercoagulable state and increased risk of thrombosis. These findings may, however, be restricted to type III deficient individuals from families with mixed type I/III protein S deficiency, as these represented 80% of type III deficient individuals in our cohort.
A novel multi-objective decomposition particle swarm optimization based on comprehensive learning strategy

Comprehensive learning particle swarm optimization (CLPSO) algorithm has a good performance in overcoming premature convergence and avoiding getting stuck in local minima, which are shortcomings in particle swarm optimization. It can solve complex, multi-modal of single-objective problems, but it has not such performance in handling multi-objective optimization problems because of the difficulty of selective solution mechanism. In this article, a multi-objective decomposition particle swarm optimization based on comprehensive learning strategy is proposed, which uses a comprehensive learning strategy for multi-objective problems to prevent premature convergence; updates the leading particles by decomposition method to enhance the distribution of solutions; adds the archive to preserve non-dominated solutions, and adopts mutation in archive to avoid falling into local optimum. The proposed approach is compared with three multi-objective evolutionary algorithms and the results indicate that the proposed approach is competitive respect to which it is compared in most of the test problems adopted.