Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Helicobacter pylori CagA protein activates Akt and attenuates chemotherapeutics-induced apoptosis in gastric cancer cells

Infection with cagA-positive Helicobacter pylori is associated with a higher risk of gastric cancer. The cagA gene product, CagA, is translocated into gastric epithelial cells and perturbs host cellular biological functions. Etoposide, a topoisomerase II inhibitor widely used to couple DNA damage to apoptosis, is a common cytotoxic agent used for advanced gastric cancer. We investigate the effect of CagA on etoposide-induced apoptosis in gastric cancer cells to elucidate whether CagA play a role in gastric carcinogenesis via impairing DNA damage-dependent apoptosis. AGS cell lines stably expressing CagA isolated from H. pylori 26695 strain were established. In the presence of etoposide, viability of parental AGS cells was decreased in a time-and dose-dependent manner, whereas CagA-expressing AGS cells were less susceptible to etoposide induced cell-killing effect. Suppression of etoposide-induced apoptosis was shown in CagA-expressing but not in parental AGS cells by DNA fragmentation, cell cycle, and annexin-V assays. This inhibitory effect of etoposide-induced apoptosis conferred by CagA was also demonstrated in SCM1 and MKN45 gastric cancer cell lines, with two additional chemotherapeutics, 5-FU and cisplatin. The effect of Akt activation on inhibition of etoposide-induced cytotoxicity by CagA was also evaluated. CagA expression and etoposide administration activate Akt in a dose-dependent manner. Enhancement of etoposide cytotoxicity by a PI-3-kinase inhibitor, LY294002, was evident in parental but was attenuated in CagA-expressing AGS cells. CagA may activate Akt, either in the absence or presence of etoposide, potentially contributing to gastric carcinogenesis associated with H. pylori infection and therapeutic resistance by impairing DNA damage-dependent apoptosis.
In Search of Liquidity: Block Trades in the Upstairs and Downstairs Markets

We analyze the ability of various market mechanisms to provide liquidity for large equity trades. Using data on 21,077 block transactions in Dow Jones stocks, we find that the "down-stairs" NYSE floor market is a significant source of liquidity. Although negotiation in the informal "upstairs" market provides better execution than the downstairs market for large trades, these differences are economically small. We find, however, that upstairs markets are used by traders who can credibly signal that their trades are liquidity motivated. Thus, upstairs markets allow trades that may not otherwise occur. Article published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Financial Studies in its journal, The Review of Financial Studies.
Strategies for the Improvement of International Students' Academic and Cultural Experiences of Studying in the UK

The internationalisation of student cohorts at undergraduate and postgraduate levels poses challenges for students and tutors alike. This case study provides a qualitative analysis of some of the issues surrounding the international student experience of higher education in the UK in a large urban higher education institution, through the use of semi-structured interviews and focus groups. Based on the findings a number of recommendations are made to enable those who come to the UK from other educational backgrounds to adapt and make the transition necessary in order to enhance their experience of studying here. Rationale and Objectives of the Study
Reliability data calibration based on load point interruption indices using nonlinear and quadratic optimization

The predictive reliability assessment estimates the future performance of distribution networks, regarding to interruptions of power supply, based on components reliability data and system topology. The indices estimated by predictive models must match with their respective historical values otherwise the credibility of the model is compromised. An alternative to increase the accuracy of the predictive reliability models is to set reliability components data (failure rates and repair times) so that the estimated indices are near to their historical values. This process to adjust reliability data is called calibration. In this paper, nonlinear and quadratic optimization models are proposed to calibrate failure rates and repair times, respectively, of power distribution equipments. Both models are based on the load point reliability indices. The test results in a large scale distribution networks demonstrate that the proposed models can significantly reduce the mismatches between historical and predicted reliability indices.
Nonorthogonal Time–Frequency Training-Sequence-Based CSI Acquisition for MIMO Systems

In this paper, a spectrally efficient nonorthogonal time-frequency training sequence (TS)-based channel state information (CSI) acquisition approach is proposed for multiple-input-multiple-output orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (MIMO-OFDM) systems under the framework of structured compressed sensing (SCS). The scheme first relies on a time-domain TS that is identical for all transmit antennas to acquire the partial channel common support by utilizing the spatial correlation property of the MIMO channels and then uses the frequency-domain TS for accurate CSI recovery based on the proposed adaptive spatially-temporally joint simultaneous orthogonal matching pursuit algorithm. Here, the obtained partial channel common support can be utilized to reduce the complexity of the classical SCS algorithm and improve the signal recovery probability. Simulation results show that the proposed scheme could significantly reduce the TS overhead and demonstrate better performance than the existing MIMO-OFDM systems, which might be suitable for massive MIMO systems in future fifth-generation communications.
Game Theoretic Analysis of Carbon Emission Abatement in Fashion Supply Chains Considering Vertical Incentives and Channel Structures

We study an emission-dependent dyadic fashion supply chain made up of a supplier and a manufacturer, both of which can reduce their own component/product emissions to serve the carbon-footprint sensitive consumers. With Carbon Tax regulation, we consider four scenarios resulting from two ways in form of adopting transfer price contract and/or introducing third-party emission-reduction service (TPERS) to enhance the efficiency of systematic emission reductions. We refine four models from these corresponding scenarios, which in turn constitute a decision-making framework composed of determining vertical incentives and choosing supply chain structures. By exploiting Stackelberg games in all models, we compare their emission reduction efficiencies and profitability for each pair of settings. Theoretic analysis and numerical studies show that adopting vertical transfer payment schemes can definitely benefit channel carbon footprint reduction and Pareto improvement of supply chain profitability, regardless of whether the emission-reduction service exists or not. However, whether introducing TPERS or not is heavily depending on systematic parameters when the transfer payment incentive is adopted there. We also provide insights on the sensitivity of carbon tax parameters with respect to the supply chain performance, overall carbon emission reduction, vertical incentive and TPERS adopting decision-makings.
Review of FEWS NET biophysical monitoring requirements

The Famine Early Warning System Network (FEWS NET) provides monitoring and early warning support to decision makers responsible for responding to famine and food insecurity. FEWS NET transforms satellite remote sensing data into rainfall and vegetation information that can be used by these decision makers. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration has recently funded activities to enhance remote sensing inputs to FEWS NET. To elicit Earth observation requirements, a professional review questionnaire was disseminated to FEWS NET expert end-users; it focused upon operational requirements to determine additional useful remote sensing data and, subsequently, to assess whether such data would be beneficial as FEWS NET biophysical supplementary inputs. The review was completed by over 40 experts from around the world. Reviewers were asked to evaluate the relative importance of environmental variables and spatio-temporal requirements for Earth science data products, in particular for rainfall and vegetation products. The results showed that spatio-temporal resolution requirements are complex and need to vary according to place, time, and hazard; that high resolution remote sensing products continue to be in demand; and that rainfall and vegetation products are valued as data that provide actionable food security information.
Towards a better understanding of dynamic capabilities: considerations from a process management perspective

Although dynamic capabilities are acknowledged as being critical to organisations, their conceptualisation has repeatedly been criticised. The risk of tautology has been highlighted, as if the construct of dynamic capabilities contains the notion of performance, then no convincing argument can exist for establishing a relationship between dynamic capabilities and performance. The question to be addressed here is how dynamic capabilities can be redefined avoiding this tautology. The most prominent approaches are discussed with regard to their understanding of routine and change, the interplay between these and to performance. We observe a consensus that routines and change constitute the heart of dynamic capabilities, but that previous research has not specifically addressed the tautology trap. We draw on and extend existing knowledge by referring to processes to illustrate the functionality of dynamic capabilities. We open up avenues for measuring dynamic capabilities independently of performance and provide a discussion of the findings.
Baroreflex dysfunction in diabetes mellitus. I. Selective impairment of parasympathetic control of heart rate.

The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of diabetes mellitus on baroreflex control of heart rate. Diabetes (blood glucose = 378 +/- 21 mg/dl) was induced in rabbits by alloxan (n = 9). Alloxan-treated rabbits that remained normoglycemic (n = 9) and rabbits given saline instead of alloxan (n = 5) served as controls. Baroreflex control of heart rate was evaluated in conscious rabbits by measuring changes in heart rate during phenylephrine-induced increases and nitroglycerin-induced decreases in arterial pressure. In diabetic rabbits, the gain of the baroreflex-mediated bradycardia in response to increased pressure decreased significantly from -1.8 +/- 0.3 beats.min-1 x mmHg-1 before alloxan (n = 9) to -0.9 +/- 0.1 and -0.9 +/- 0.3 beats.min-1 x mmHg-1 after 12 and 24 wk of diabetes, respectively (n = 8; P < 0.05). There was no significant change in baroreflex gain in either alloxan-treated or saline-treated normoglycemic rabbits. Baroreflex-mediated bradycardia was not influenced significantly after beta-adrenergic blockade with propranolol (1 mg/kg) and was still impaired in diabetic vs. control rabbits after propranolol. The gain of the baroreflex-mediated tachycardia in response to decreased pressure was not altered in any of the three groups. Propranolol significantly decreased but did not abolish baroreflex-mediated tachycardia. Neither the vagal nor the sympathetic component of the tachycardia was altered significantly by diabetes. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Optimality of (s, S) Policies in the Infinite Horizon Dynamic Inventory Problem

The optimal ordering policy for a n-period dynamic inventory problem in which the ordering cost is linear plus a fixed reorder cost and the other one-period costs are convex is characterized by a pair of critical numbers, (s n , S n ); see Scarf, [4]. In this paper we give bounds for the sequences {s n } and {S n } and discuss their limiting behavior. The limiting (s, S) policy characterizes the optimal ordering policy for the infinite horizon problem. Similar results are obtained if there is a time-lag in delivery.
Hemochromatosis and Iron Overload Screening (HEIRS) Study Design for an Evaluation of 100,000 Primary Care-Based Adults

BackgroundThe HEIRS Study will evaluate the prevalence, genetic and environmental determinants, and potential clinical, personal, and societal impact of hemochromatosis and iron overload in a multiethnic, primary care-based sample of 100,000 adults over a 5-year period. Participants are recruited from 5 Field Centers. Laboratory testing and data management and analysis are performed in a Central Laboratory and Coordinating Center, respectively. MethodsParticipants undergo testing for serum iron measures and common mutations of the hemochromatosis gene (HFE) on chromosome 6p and answer questions on demographics, health, and genetic testing attitudes. Participants with elevated values of transferrin saturation and serum ferritin and/or C282Y homozygosity are invited to undergo a comprehensive clinical examination (CCE), as are frequency-matched control subjects. These examinations provide data on personal and family medical history, lifestyle characteristics, physical examination, genetic counseling, and assessment of ethical, legal, and social implications. Primary and secondary causes of iron overload will be distinguished by clinical criteria. Iron overload will be confirmed by quantification of iron stores. Recruiting family members of cases will permit DNA analysis for additional genetic factors that affect iron overload. ResultsOf the first 50,520 screened, 51% are white, 24% are African American, 11% are Asian, 11% are Hispanic, and 3% are of other, mixed, or unidentified race; 63% are female and 37% are male. ConclusionsInformation from the HEIRS Study will inform policy regarding the feasibility, optimal approach, and potential individual and public health benefits and risks of primary care-based screening for iron overload and hemochromatosis.
Simulation-Based Comparison of Existent IAS 19 Accounting Options

ABSTRACT We focus on accounting for unfunded defined benefit pension plans according to IAS 19 and compare the option to recognise any actuarial gain or loss immediately outside profit or loss in a separate statement within equity (‘equity approach’) with the ‘corridor approach’. The objective is to detect systematic differences in long-term pure accounting effects, which can be seen by the different cumulated net-amounts not (yet) recognised in profit or loss. Due to the complexity and the probabilistic elements, human expectations on system behaviour often fail. Therefore, we have performed the first Monte-Carlo-simulation study of the accounting options. The assumptions concerning input data are based on official German statistics and, therefore, are representative at least for Germany and similar countries. As a result, the belief of long-term offsetting of cumulated actuarial gains and losses is not accurate. The former unforeseeable consequences are the following: if we apply the equity approach we identify a tendency for a quasi-permanent cumulated actuarial net-gain (regenerating workforce) or a permanent cumulated actuarial net-loss (degenerating workforce) recognised outside profit or loss. If the corridor approach is applied, a tendency for quasi-permanent cumulated unrecognised net-gains is reported while amortising any corridor excess in the case of a regenerating workforce.
Experimental Evaluation of Effects of Channel Doping on Characteristics of FinFETs

We investigated channel doping in fin-type double-gate (DG) MOSFETs. We demonstrated through experiments that the threshold voltage was more sensitive to the dopants in the accumulation mode than in the inversion mode. We also found that significant deviation in the threshold voltage from the expected value arose in ultrathin fin-type DG MOSFETs. We attributed this phenomenon to the unexpected dopant loss from the ultrathin channels due to segregation. This finding means that careful doping adjustments must be made in ultrathin-channel devices.
Whither e-learning? Conceptions of change and innovation in higher education

Abstract E-learning, as an innovation, has been associated with radical change, but many of the accepted organisational strategies for managing such change have failed to deliver the expected benefits and advantages. There is a pressing requirement to understand better the nature of e-learning, as an educational innovation, and to evolve contextually derived frameworks for change which align with organisational culture and practice. This paper proposes a processual change framework for embedding e-learning, derived from a longitudinal study of four Australian universities, each adopting a different approach to implementing e-learning across their respective institutions.
Evolution of the specific star formation rate function at z< 1.4 Dissecting the mass-SFR plane in COSMOS and GOODS

The relation between the stellar mass (M⋆) and the star formation rate (SFR) characterizes how the instantaneous star formation is determined by the galaxy past star formation history and by the growth of the dark matter structures. We deconstruct the M⋆-SFR plane by measuring the specific SFR functions in several stellar mass bins from z = 0.2 out to z = 1.4 (specific SFR = SFR/M⋆, noted sSFR). Our analysis is primary based on a 24 μm selected catalogue combining the COSMOS and GOODS surveys. We estimate the SFR by combining mid- and far-infrared data for 20500 galaxies. The sSFR functions are derived in four stellar mass bins within the range 9.5 < log (M⋆ /M⊙) < 11.5. First, we demonstrate the importance of taking into account selection effects when studying the M⋆-SFR relation. Secondly, we find a mass-dependent evolution of the median sSFR with redshift varying as sSFR ∝ (1 + z)^b, with b increasing from b = 2.88^(±0.12) to b = 3.78^(± 0.60) between M⋆ = 10^(9.75) M⊙ and M⋆ = 10^(11.1) M⊙, respectively. At low masses, this evolution is consistent with the cosmological accretion rate and predictions from semi-analytical models (SAM). This agreement breaks down for more massive galaxies showing the need for a more comprehensive description of the star formation history in massive galaxies. Third, we obtain that the shape of the sSFR function is invariant with time at z< 1.4 but depends on the mass. We observe a broadening of the sSFR function ranging from 0.28 dex at M⋆ = 10^(9.75) M⊙ to 0.46 dex at M⋆ = 10^(11.1) M⊙. Such increase in the intrinsic scatter of the M⋆-SFR relation suggests an increasing diversity ofstar formation histories (SFHs) as the stellar mass increases. Finally, we find a gradual decline of the sSFR with stellar mass as log _(10)(sSFR) ∝ −0.17M⋆. We discuss the numerous physical processes, as gas exhaustion in hot gas halos or secular evolution, which can gradually reduce the sSFR and increase the SFH diversity.
Propensity to Pay Dividends: Evidence from US Banking Sector

Using Fama and French’s (2001) methodology, this paper attempts to shed light on dividend policy and propensity to pay cash dividends implemented by U.S. commercial banks as a possible alternative choice for dividend-seeking investors. The results show that most banks pay dividends at increasing rates, more banks have started paying dividends, while a few have stopped paying dividends. The findings also indicate that the main explanatory variables in predicting cash dividends are: the total assets, return on equity, and equity to liability ratio.
Intranasal Budesonide Treatment for Children With Mild Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome

OBJECTIVES. Intranasal corticosteroids have been advanced as a nonsurgical therapeutic alternative for pediatric obstructive sleep apnea syndrome, particularly for patients with mild disease, and aims at reducing the size of hypertrophic adenotonsillar tissue. METHODS. Of 71 possible candidates, 62 children with polysomnographically diagnosed mild obstructive sleep apnea syndrome were recruited onto a double-blind, randomized, crossover trial of intranasal budesonide (32 μg per nostril at bedtime) or placebo for 6 weeks followed by an additional 6-week treatment in the alternative treatment arm after allowing for a 2-week washout period. Polysomnographic assessment and radiographs for assessment of adenoid size were performed after completion of each phase. RESULTS. There were significant improvements in both polysomnographic measures (sleep latency, slow-wave sleep, and rapid-eye-movement sleep), in the magnitude of respiratory disturbance (apnea/hypopnea index, nadir pulse oxygen saturation), and in adenoid size among the 48 children who completed the treatment phase compared with 32 children who received placebo in their initial arm, with normalization of sleep measures in 54.1% of the treated children. Furthermore, discontinuation of treatment for 8 weeks for 25 children revealed a sustained duration of the initial treatment effect. CONCLUSIONS. A 6-week treatment with intranasal budesonide effectively reduced the severity of mild obstructive sleep apnea syndrome and the magnitude of the underlying adenoidal hypertrophy, and this effect persisted for at least 8 weeks after cessation of therapy. These findings justify the use of topical steroids as the initial therapeutic option in otherwise healthy children with mild obstructive sleep apnea.
A Disintegrin and Metalloprotease 10 Is a Novel Mediator of Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor–Induced Endothelial Cell Function in Angiogenesis and Is Associated With Atherosclerosis

Objective—To elucidate the downstream mechanisms of vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2 (VEGFR2), a key receptor in angiogenesis, which has been associated with atherosclerotic plaque growth and instability. Methods and Results—By using a yeast–2-hybrid assay, we identified A Disintegrin And Metalloprotease 10 (ADAM10) as a novel binding partner of VEGFR2. ADAM10 is a metalloprotease with sheddase activity involved in cell migration; however, its exact function in endothelial cells (ECs), angiogenesis, and atherosclerosis is largely unknown. For the first time to our knowledge, we show ADAM10 expression in human atherosclerotic lesions, associated with plaque progression and neovascularization. We demonstrate ADAM10 expression and activity in ECs to be induced by VEGF; also, ADAM10 mediates the ectodomain shedding of VEGFR2. Furthermore, VEGF induces ADAM10-mediated cleavage of vascular endothelium (VE)-cadherin, which could increase vascular permeability and facilitate EC migration. Indeed, VEGF increases vascular permeability in an ADAM10- and ADAM17-dependent way; inhibition of ADAM10 reduces EC migration and chemotaxis. Conclusion—These data provide the first evidence of ADAM10 expression in atherosclerosis and neovascularization. ADAM10 plays a functional role in VEGF-induced EC function. These data open perspectives for novel therapeutic interventions in vascular diseases.
pMesogenin1 and 2 function directly downstream of Xtbx6 in Xenopus somitogenesis and myogenesis

T‐box transcription factor tbx6 and basic‐helix‐loop‐helix transcription factor pMesogenin1 are reported to be involved in paraxial mesodermal differentiation. To clarify the relationship between these genes in Xenopus laevis, we isolated pMesogenin2, which showed high homology with pMesogenin1. Both pMesogenin1 and 2 appeared to be transcriptional activators and were induced by a hormone‐inducible version of Xtbx6 without secondary protein synthesis in animal cap assays. The pMesogenin2 promoter contained three potential T‐box binding sites with which Xtbx6 protein was shown to interact, and a reporter gene construct containing these sites was activated by Xtbx6. Xtbx6 knockdown reduced pMesogenin1 and 2 expressions, but not vice versa. Xtbx6 and pMesogenin1 and 2 knockdowns caused similar phenotypic abnormalities including somite malformation and ventral body wall muscle hypoplasia, suggesting that Xtbx6 is a direct regulator of pMesogenin1 and 2, which are both involved in somitogenesis and myogenesis including that of body wall muscle in Xenopus laevis. Developmental Dynamics 237:3749–3761, 2008. © 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.