Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Levodopa/DDCI and entacapone is the preferred treatment for Parkinson’s disease patients with motor fluctuations in routine practice: a retrospective, observational analysis of a large French cohort

Levodopa is the gold standard drug for the symptomatic control of Parkinson’s disease (PD). However, long‐term treatment with conventional formulations [levodopa and a dopa decarboxylase inhibitor (DDCI)], is associated with re‐emergence of symptoms because of wearing‐off and dyskinesia. Treatment with levodopa/DDCI and entacapone extends the half‐life of levodopa, avoiding deep troughs in levodopa plasma levels and providing more continuous delivery of levodopa to the brain. In this open‐label, retrospective, observational study we investigated the effects of levodopa/DDCI and entacapone therapy in 800 PD patients with motor fluctuations. Levodopa/DDCI and entacapone treatment was assessed as good/very good in improving motor fluctuations (64%) and activities of daily living (ADL; 62%). The therapeutic utility was considered to be good/very good in 70% of cases. Moreover, there was a reduction in levodopa dose in 20% of patients. Neurologists preferred levodopa/DDCI and entacapone compared with increasing levodopa dosage, dose‐fractionation or addition of a dopamine agonist (63%, 29% and 23% of patients respectively). Reasons included achieving more continuous dopaminergic stimulation (40%), reducing motor fluctuations (54%) and improving ADL (41%). This analysis reveals the preference of neurologists for levodopa/DDCI and entacapone over conventional levodopa‐modification strategies for the effective treatment of PD motor fluctuations in clinical practice.
Behind knowledge transfer

Purpose – Through an empirical inquiry into manufacturing joint ventures companies in Vietnam setting, this paper aims to examine the relationships among knowledge sharing and its antecedents such as organisational culture, ethics, and human resources localization.Design/methodology/approach – An analysis of data returned from a questionnaire survey among middle level managers in these manufacturing joint ventures companies was conducted via analysis of variance and structural equation modelling.Findings – The study findings display the correspondence between control culture and ethics of justice. Flexibility culture, on the other hand, tends to nurture ethics of care, which in turn positively impact localization of intellectual capital. The influence of intellectual capital localization on knowledge sharing is also discerned.Originality/value – The study offers insight into the linkage pattern of knowledge sharing and its antecedents, organisational culture, ethics, and human resources localization, in m.
Technology embeddedness, innovation differentiation strategies and firm performance: Evidence from Chinese manufacturing firms

Abstract Chinese manufacturing firms have been pursuing strategic upgrading from traditional low-cost manufacturing strategies to innovation differentiation strategies since China’s reforming and opening. Under such research backgrounds, using data from 182 Chinese sample firms in east China, this paper attests that relational technology embeddedness and structural technology embeddedness have positive impacts on firm performance, and such influences are mediated by innovation differentiation strategies. The result also shows that the interaction between relational technology embeddedness and structural technology embeddedness has a direct impact on firm performance, not being mediated by innovation differentiation strategies.
Social Capital and Civic Commitment: On Putnam's Way of Understanding

The paper addresses two dimensions of the debate on social capital – the analytical concept of Robert Putnam and the way it may become interrelated with political concerns debated in public. It is argued that in Putnams' concept two dimensions of social capital – social bonds and civic commitment – are interrelated in a way that suggests that social capital is something like the basis for good policy making. Against this, the open interrelationship between the two is stressed: one does not only need ‘social capital to make democracy work’ (Putnam) but often more democratic politics in order to make social capital work.
Speaking to Theorists and Searching for Facts: Tax Morale and Tax Compliance in Experiments

A significant body of research has been accumulated concerning tax morale and tax compliance. This paper takes a stroll through the experimental findings, focussing on personal income. After briefly discussing the traditional topic of deterrence the main focus is on the social and institutional factors which until now have received only limited attention. Copyright 2002 by Blackwell Publishers Ltd
The L/N-Type Calcium Channel Blocker, Cilnidipine, Reduces Heart Rate and Albuminuria in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes

This study was designed to investigate whether the L/N-type calcium channel blocker, cilnidipine, had a renoprotective effect compared with other calcium channel blockers. Twenty-five hypertensive patients with concomitant type 2 diabetes who had a urinary albumin-creatinine ratio (ACR) of 10 − 300 mg albumin/g creatinine and who had been treated with oral calcium channel blockers other than cilnidipine for more than 3 months were included. Patients' medication was changed to cilnidipine 10 mg/day or 20 mg/day without a washout period. Blood pressure and renal function were measured before and at 3 months after the new treatment. Heart rate was also determined as a marker for sympathetic nervous activity. After substitution of cilnidipine, blood pressure did not change significantly, but heart rate decreased significantly from 73.9 ± 7.1 beats/min to 72.0 ± 8.4 beats/min, and the log-transformed urinary ACR decreased to 82.9 ± 49.4% of baseline values. The changes in urinary ACR and heart rate showed a significant positive correlation. Thus, there was a strong indication that cilnidipine may exert its renoprotective effect by inhibiting sympathetic nervous activity.
One severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus protein complex integrates processive RNA polymerase and exonuclease activities

Significance The 2003 severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) epidemic and recent emergence of Middle East respiratory syndrome highlight the potential lethality of zoonotic coronavirus infections in humans. No specific antiviral treatment options are available. Coronaviruses possess the largest known RNA virus genomes and encode a complex replication machinery consisting of 16 viral nonstructural proteins (nsps). Our study reveals that the SARS-coronavirus RNA polymerase (nsp12) needs to associate with nsp7 and nsp8 to activate its capability to replicate long RNA. Moreover, this complex associates with nsp14, the proofreading subunit required to safeguard coronavirus replication fidelity. Our study thus defines the core of an RNA-synthesizing machinery that is unique in the RNA virus world and includes several key targets for antiviral drug development. In addition to members causing milder human infections, the Coronaviridae family includes potentially lethal zoonotic agents causing severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) and the recently emerged Middle East respiratory syndrome. The ∼30-kb positive-stranded RNA genome of coronaviruses encodes a replication/transcription machinery that is unusually complex and composed of 16 nonstructural proteins (nsps). SARS-CoV nsp12, the canonical RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp), exhibits poorly processive RNA synthesis in vitro, at odds with the efficient replication of a very large RNA genome in vivo. Here, we report that SARS-CoV nsp7 and nsp8 activate and confer processivity to the RNA-synthesizing activity of nsp12. Using biochemical assays and reverse genetics, the importance of conserved nsp7 and nsp8 residues was probed. Whereas several nsp7 mutations affected virus replication to a limited extent, the replacement of two nsp8 residues (P183 and R190) essential for interaction with nsp12 and a third (K58) critical for the interaction of the polymerase complex with RNA were all lethal to the virus. Without a loss of processivity, the nsp7/nsp8/nsp12 complex can associate with nsp14, a bifunctional enzyme bearing 3′-5′ exoribonuclease and RNA cap N7-guanine methyltransferase activities involved in replication fidelity and 5′-RNA capping, respectively. The identification of this tripartite polymerase complex that in turn associates with the nsp14 proofreading enzyme sheds light on how coronaviruses assemble an RNA-synthesizing machinery to replicate the largest known RNA genomes. This protein complex is a fascinating example of the functional integration of RNA polymerase, capping, and proofreading activities.
Connections of the retrosplenial dysgranular cortex in the rat

Although the retrosplenial dysgranular cortex (Rdg) is situated both physically and connectionally between the hippocampal formation and the neocortex, few studies have focused on the connections of Rdg. The present study employs retrograde and anterograde anatomical tracing methods to delineate the connections of Rdg. Each projection to Rdg terminates in distinct layers of the cortex. The thalamic projections to Rdg originate in the anterior (primarily the anteromedial), lateral (primarily the laterodorsal), and reunions nuclei. Those from the anteromedial nucleus terminate predominately in layers I and IV‐VI, whereas the axons arising from the laterodorsal nucleus have a dense terminal plexus in layers I and III‐IV. The cortical projections to Rdg originate primarily in the infraradiata, retrosplenial, postsubicular, and areas 17 and 18b cortices. The projections arising from visual areas 18b and 17 predominantly terminate in layer I of Rdg, axons from contralateral Rdg form a dense terminal plexus in layers I‐IV, with a smaller number of terminals in layers V and VI, afferents from postsubiculum terminate in layers I and III‐V, and the projection from infraradiata cortex terminates in layers I and V‐VI. The efferent projections from Rdg are widespread. The major cortical projections from Rdg are to infraradiata, retrosplenial granular, area 18b, and postsubicular cortices, Subcortical projections from Rdg terminate primarily in the ipsilateral caudate and lateral thalamic nuclei and bilaterally in the anterior thalamic nuclei. The efferent projections from Rdg are topographically organized. Rostral Rdg projects to the dorsal infraradiata cortex and the rostral postsubiculum, while caudal Rdg axons terminate predominately in the ventral infraradiata and the caudal postsubicular cortices. Caudal but not rostral Rdg projects to areas 17 and 18b of the cortex. The Rdg projections to the lateral and anterior nuclei also are organized along the rostral‐caudal axis. Together, these data suggest that Rdg integrates thalamic, hippocampal, and neocortical information.
The Stomatal Ontogeny and Structure of the Liassic Pteridosperm Sagenopteris (Caytoniales) from Hungary

Stomatal ontogeny is often inferred but rarely documented for extinct fossil plants because it requires observations from young leaves that are rarely preserved as fossils. The discovery of several very young leaves of the Jurassic plant Sagenopteris (Caytoniales) in the Mecsek Mountains (southern Hungary) in a good state of preservation provides the opportunity for studying the stomatal ontogenesis of this genus. The specimens show perigenous anomocytic stomata. This feature confirms the evolutionarily high position of Sagenopteris among fossil gymnosperms and supports the opinion that the ancestors of angiosperms and some groups of pteridosperms might be closely related. Such clear examples of stomatal development have not previously been documented for fossil material.
SPORADIC, FLUID AND CONSTRICTED PROCESSES: THREE TYPES OF STRATEGIC DECISION MAKING IN ORGANIZATIONS[1]

Using 136 cases of strategic decision-making described by a number of variables drawn from the literature, three distinct types of decision-making processes are found. These are termed sporadic, fluid and constricted processes. They are parsimonious characterizations of decision-making processes which, given the variety of the 30 organizations from which the cases are drawn, should be generalizable to a wide range of contexts.
Clinical practice. Precocious puberty.

Precocious puberty (PP) is defined as the onset of clinical signs of puberty before the age of 8 years in girls and 9.5 years in boys. It may be caused by central or peripheral mechanisms. Central PP (CPP) results from premature reactivation of the hypothalamo–pituitary–gonadal axis, with a hormonal pattern similar to that of normal puberty. CPP may be due to hypothalamic lesions or idiopathic in most cases, particularly in girls. It may have consequences for growth and psychosocial development. Thorough evaluation is required to identify its cause and potential for progression. Gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonists are the standard treatment for progressive CPP. The available data indicate that this treatment does not seem to cause or aggravate obesity or have repercussions for body composition, bone mineral density and fertility. Recent studies have implicated a genetic cause for paternally transmitted familial CPP, but such defects do not underlie maternally transmitted CPP and are rarely involved in sporadic forms.
Country Risk: The Significance of the Country Factor for Share-Price Movements in the United Kingdom, Germany, and Japan

In another place I have shown that share prices in the equity markets of the United States, United Kingdom, Germany, and Japan do behave as if there exists one multinational equity market. ' Share prices in the non-U.S. countries were shown to be related to, and affected by, the price changes in the U.S. equity market. This, however, does not rule out the possibility that share prices in each national component of the market move together in addition to the market-wide movements. The purpose of this paper is to measure and describe those share-price fluctuations associated uniquely with their country of origin, and then, on the basis of those price changes, to identify and estimate the country factor in share-price movements in the equity markets of the United Kingdom, Germany, and Japan. In this paper the position is taken that each of the non-U.S. markets has a "character" of its own as a geopolitical entity, but this does not necessarily mean that the world market must therefore be segmented. This argument is similar to the one that the existence of different industries in the United States does not negate the possibility of the functioning of one American equity market.
Geotourism and geoparks as novel strategies for socio‐economic development in rural areas

Geoparks, as an innovation for the protection of natural and geological heritages, play an important role in the development of geotourism. While developing geotourism, the establishment of geoparks can generate new job opportunities, new economic activities and additional sources of income, especially in rural regions. It encourages the production of local products and local handicrafts involved in geotourism and geoproducts. This paper discusses the role played by geoparks in improving the economy of local populations. To this end, 25 geopark strategies were analysed (20 in Europe and 3 in Asia [Malaysia, Japan and Iran], 1 in Australia and 1 in South America [Brazil]). Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Binocular rivalry from invisible patterns

Significance Here we investigated a key question regarding how the brain resolves conflicting information—specifically, does binocular rivalry competition require conscious awareness of interocular conflicting information? We first showed that a chromatic grating counterphase flickering at 30 Hz became invisible but could induce a significant tilt aftereffect and orientation-selective adaptation. The invisible gratings produced significant BOLD activities in the early visual cortex but not in frontoparietal cortical areas. Further experiments revealed that although the pattern information was not consciously perceived, invisible orientation conflict between the two eyes could induce rivalry competition. Thus, visual competition could occur without conscious representation of the conflicting visual inputs, presumably in the sensory cortex with minimal engagement of high-level cortex and related top-down feedback modulations. Binocular rivalry arises when incompatible images are presented to the two eyes. If the two eyes’ conflicting features are invisible, leading to identical perceptual interpretations, does rivalry competition still occur? Here we investigated whether binocular rivalry can be induced from conflicting but invisible spatial patterns. A chromatic grating counterphase flickering at 30 Hz appeared uniform, but produced significant tilt aftereffect and orientation-selective adaptation. The invisible pattern also generated significant BOLD activities in the early visual cortex, with minimal response in the parietal and frontal cortical areas. Compared with perceptually matched uniform stimuli, a monocularly presented invisible chromatic grating enhanced the rivalry competition with a low-contrast visible grating presented to the other eye. Furthermore, switching from a uniform field to a perceptually matched invisible chromatic grating produced interocular suppression at approximately 200 ms after onset of the invisible grating. Experiments using briefly presented monocular probes revealed evidence for sustained rivalry competition between two invisible gratings during continuous dichoptic presentations. These findings indicate that even without visible interocular conflict, and with minimal engagement of frontoparietal cortex and consciousness related top-down feedback, perceptually identical patterns with invisible conflict features produce rivalry competition in the early visual cortex.
Overreaction: the sensitivity of defining the duration of the formation period

Prior research provides evidence suggesting that losers tend to continue to be losers in the short and medium term, whereas there is evidence showing that losers outperform winners in the long term. However, there are some differences in methodology used in the studies, particularly in their definition of the duration of the formation period as well as the definition of returns. This paper aims to investigate the underreaction/overreaction hypothesis and in particular to examine the sensitivity of defining the duration of the formation period. The results confirm that losers tend to continue to be losers when cumulative excess return is calculated over short and medium periods. There is evidence, however, suggesting that losers outperform winners when cumulative excess returns are calculated over a long period, even after six months up to five years of portfolio formation. Furthermore, the results show that neither the size effect nor the January effect has a role in explaining the difference in returns between winners and losers. Moreover, the difference in returns between winners and losers cannot be attributed to change in risk or to change in illiquidity. However, I provide evidence that some part of the winner–loser effect can be attributed to leverage effect.
Meta-analytic comparison on the influencing factors of knowledge transfer in different cultural contexts

Purpose – This paper provides a comprehensive assessment of the influencing factors on knowledge transfer through meta-analysis with an emphasis on the influence of cultural contexts. Design/methodology/approach – The approach involved the evaluation and analysis of 69 published empirical studies and the categorization of these studies into two groups based on different cultural contexts as described by Hofstede. A meta-analytic approach was then employed to provide a comparative analysis of the categorized studies. Findings – The results of the meta-analysis of the influencing factors of knowledge transfer are consistent with the results obtained in most previous studies, indicating a maturation of research in this area. Influencing factors such as knowledge ambiguity, tie strength, trust, and common cognition are shown to impact knowledge transfer in different cultural contexts, particularly with regard to the individualism-low power distance and collectivism-high power distance dimensions defined by Ho.
Two Strikes and You’re Out? The Pathogenic Interplay of Coinhibitor Deficiency and Lymphopenia-Induced Proliferation

Lymphopenia-induced proliferation (LIP) occurs when resources for T cell survival in a host are in excess. LIP has been associated with the development of inflammatory disease in situations where an additional disease-predisposing cofactor is present during LIP. This has led to the view of LIP-driven autoimmunity as a two hit model; however, not all cofactors have equal ability to precipitate autoimmunity and we have recently shown that in some circumstances, such as the absence of the coinhibitory molecule PD-1, additional hits are required. Herein we review factors controlling LIP, including coinhibitory molecules and other attenuators of TCR signaling, with a focus on their contribution to LIP-driven autoimmunity. Rather than viewing LIP-associated autoimmunity as an n-hit model, we suggest a more quantitative view of lymphopenia with respect to the factors that promote LIP as a tool to predict autoimmune potential and to inform tumor immunotherapy approaches.
A randomized controlled trial of the effect of thyroxine replacement on cognitive function in community-living elderly subjects with subclinical hypothyroidism: the Birmingham Elderly Thyroid study.

CONTEXT Subclinical hypothyroidism (SCH) and cognitive dysfunction are both common in the elderly and have been linked. It is important to determine whether T4 replacement therapy in SCH confers cognitive benefit. OBJECTIVE Our objective was to determine whether administration of T4 replacement to achieve biochemical euthyroidism in subjects with SCH improves cognitive function. DESIGN AND SETTING We conducted a double-blind placebo-controlled randomized controlled trial in the context of United Kingdom primary care. PATIENTS Ninety-four subjects aged 65 yr and over (57 females, 37 males) with SCH were recruited from a population of 147 identified by screening. INTERVENTION T4 or placebo was given at an initial dosage of one tablet of either placebo or 25 microg T4 per day for 12 months. Thyroid function tests were performed at 8-weekly intervals with dosage adjusted in one-tablet increments to achieve TSH within the reference range for subjects in treatment arm. Fifty-two subjects received T4 (31 females, 21 males; mean age 73.5 yr, range 65-94 yr); 42 subjects received placebo (26 females, 16 males; mean age 74.2 yr, 66-84 yr). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Mini-Mental State Examination, Middlesex Elderly Assessment of Mental State (covering orientation, learning, memory, numeracy, perception, attention, and language skills), and Trail-Making A and B were administered. RESULTS Eighty-two percent and 84% in the T4 group achieved euthyroidism at 6- and 12-month intervals, respectively. Cognitive function scores at baseline and 6 and 12 months were as follows: Mini-Mental State Examination T4 group, 28.26, 28.9, and 28.28, and placebo group, 28.17, 27.82, and 28.25 [not significant (NS)]; Middlesex Elderly Assessment of Mental State T4 group, 11.72, 11.67, and 11.78, and placebo group, 11.21, 11.47, and 11.44 (NS); Trail-Making A T4 group, 45.72, 47.65, and 44.52, and placebo group, 50.29, 49.00, and 46.97 (NS); and Trail-Making B T4 group, 110.57, 106.61, and 96.67, and placebo group, 131.46, 119.13, and 108.38 (NS). Linear mixed-model analysis demonstrated no significant changes in any of the measures of cognitive function over time and no between-group difference in cognitive scores at 6 and 12 months. CONCLUSIONS This RCT provides no evidence for treating elderly subjects with SCH with T4 replacement therapy to improve cognitive function.