Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Heat shock protein 70 gene transfection protects rat myocardium cell against anoxia-reoxygeneration injury.

BACKGROUND A number of studies suggest that the expression of heat shock protein 70 (HSP(70)) induced by heat stress are associated with protection against ischemia-reperfusion injury. But the protective effects may be contaminated by other factors in the same stress. This study was conducted to explore the protective role of HSP(70) expression in acute myocardial anoxia/reoxygeneration (A/R) injury with a liposome-mediated gene transfer technique for the introduction of pCDNA HSP(70) into the neonatal rat myocardial cells. In addition, heat shock stress cytoprotection was also investigated for comparison. METHODS The cultured primary neonatal rat myocardiocytes with an acute myocardial A/R injury model and the HS-treated rat myocardiocyte model were used. Three-day cultured myocardiocytes were randomly divided into four groups (n = 8): control group, A/R group, HS + A/R group and pCDNA HSP(70) + A/R group. A liposome-coated HSP(70) pCDNA plasmid was transfected into the primary neonatal rat myocardiocytes; HSP(70) mRNA and its protein were confirmed by reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and Western blotting. The cell viability was assayed by monotetrazolium (MTT) and the lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and creatine phosphokinase (CPK) activity of cells during incubation and the changes in cells ultrastructure were examined. NF-kappaB activity in the primary neonatal rat myocardiocytes was measured with flow cytometry. RESULTS Compared with viability in the A/R group ((35.4 +/- 6.9)%) the cell viability in the HS + A/R group ((72.8 +/- 11.6)%) and the pCDNA HSP(70) + A/R group ((76.3 +/- 12.2)%) was improved significantly (P < 0.05). The activity of LDH and CPK was significantly elevated in the A/R group. However, in the HS + A/R group and pCDNA HSP(70) + A/R group, significant decreases in activity were observed. The cell ultrastructure of the A/R group cells was abnormal, whereas nearly normal ultrastructure was observed in HS + A/R group and pCDNA HSP(70) + A/R group. HSP(70) mRNA and protein were slightly expressed in the myocardiocytes of the A/R group. However, obvious overexpression was observed in the HS + A/R group and in the pCDNA HSP(70) + A/R group (P < 0.01). And there was a significant difference between the HS + A/R group and the pCDNA HSP(70) + A/R group in the expression of HSP(70) mRNA and protein (P < 0.01). A high activity of NF-kappaB (5.76 +/- 0.64) was detected in the A/R group. But in the HS + A/R group there was a statistically significant decrease in the activity of NF-kappaB compared with the A/R group (3.11 +/- 0.52 vs 5.76 +/- 0.64, P < 0.01). The same statistically significant difference was also observed in the pCDNA HSP(70) + A/R group and A/R group (2.83 +/- 0.49 vs 5.76 +/- 0.64, P < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS Overexpression of HSP(70) alone by gene transfection leads to protection for cardiac myocyte against anoxia-reoxygeneration. These cardioprotective effects were related to the reduction in activation of NF-kappaB.
Antecedents and Outcomes of Exporter–Importer Relationship Quality: Synthesis, Meta-Analysis, and Directions for Further Research

The authors identify, synthesize, and evaluate antecedents, components, and outcome factors of exporter–importer relationship quality following a meta-analysis of the extant empirical studies on the subject. Using information extracted from a content analysis of 76 empirical studies, they propose and test an integrative conceptual model comprising five antecedents (i.e., opportunism, conflict, communication, distance, and adaptation) and two outcomes (i.e., relational performance and financial performance) of relationship quality (which consists of cooperation, trust, and commitment). Using structural equation modeling, the authors confirm the vast majority of the hypothesized associations between antecedent factors and relationship quality dimensions and between relationship quality dimensions and performance outcomes and verify a positive link between relational performance and financial performance. The authors conclude by offering both theoretical and managerial implications as well as directions for further research.
Inflation Targeting and Country Risk: An Empirical Investigation

The sovereign debt crisis in Europe has highlighted the role of country risk premia as a link between countries’ fiscal and external balances, financial conditions and monetary policy. The purpose of this paper is to estimate how adoption of inflation targeting (IT) affects spreads. It is hypothesized that country risk premia for IT countries (especially among emerging market economies) may be lower than for other countries owing to greater policy predictability and more stable long-term inflation. The findings suggest that IT reduces the risk premium, both through adoption of the IT regime, and through the observed track record in stabilizing inflation.
Agricultural Mechanization: A Comparative Historical Perspective

This article provides a detailed comparative historical review of the patterns of agricultural mechanization by operation. It reemphasizes the major conclusions of the induced innovation literature, and shows the similarity in the early mechanization experiences of the developed and developing countries. New mechanical power sources were first used on power-intensive operations such as processing, pumping, transport, and tillage, while mechanization of control-intensive operations came much later and usally in association with high wages. Finally, an investigation of the process of agricultural machinery innovation shows that the public sector and corporate research has contributed little to machinery invention. Machinery innovation has generally been the domain of small manufacturers, with corporations becoming significant in later stages of product development and engineering optimization.
Loan Sales and the Cost of Bank Capital

This paper considers a model where banks may improve the returns on loans by monitoring borrowers. Bank regulation, together with compe titive deposit and equity financing, can give banks an incentive to s ell loans, but the extent of their loan selling is limited by a moral hazard problem. A solution is given for the optimal design of the ba nk-loan buyer contract which alleviates this moral hazard problem. An explanation is also given to why some banks might buy loans and why loan sales volume has recently increased. Copyright 1988 by American Finance Association.
Effect of black mulberry (Morus nigra) extract treatment on cognitive impairment and oxidative stress status of d-galactose-induced aging mice

Abstract Context: Morus nigra L. (Moraceae) has various uses in traditional medicine. However, the effect of M. nigra on cognitive impairment has not been investigated yet. Objective: The objective of this study is to determine the phenolic acid content and DNA damage protection potential of M. nigra leaf extract and to investigate the extract effect on cognitive impairment and oxidative stress in aging mice. Materials and methods: Phenolic acid content was determined by quantitative chromatographic analysis. DNA damage protection potential was evaluated on pBR322 plasmid DNA. Thirty-two Balb-C mice were randomly divided into four groups (control, d-galactose, d-galactose + M. nigra 50, and d-galactose + M. nigra 100). Mice were administered d-galactose (100 mg/kg, subcutaneous) and M. nigra (50 or 100 mg/kg, orally) daily for 8 weeks. Behavioral responses were evaluated with Morris water maze. Activities of antioxidant enzymes and levels of malondialdehyde (MDA) were assayed in serum, brain, and liver. Results: In extract, vanillic (632.093 μg/g) and chlorogenic acids (555.0 μg/g) were determined. The extract between 0.02 and 0.05 mg/mL effectively protected all DNA bands against the hazardous effect of UV and H2O2. Morus nigra significantly improved learning dysfunctions (p < 0.01), increased memory retention (p < 0.01), reduced MDA levels (p < 0.05), and elevated SOD, GPx, and CAT activities (p < 0.05) compared with the d-galactose group. Discussion and conclusion: These results show that M. nigra has the potential in improving cognitive deficits in mice and that M. nigra may be useful to suppress aging, partially due to its scavenging activity of free radicals and high antioxidant capacity.
Study of plasma adrenomedullin level in normal pregnancy and preclampsia.

AIM The aim of this study was to evaluate whether maternal circulating adrenomedullin (AM) values in patients with preeclampsia are different from those in normotensive pregnant women at different gestational ages. SUBJECTS AND METHODS In a prospective clinical study, 90 women aged 17 to 40 years old, were divided into 4 main groups: group I (45 women): Normotensive pregnant women at first trimester (15 women), second trimester (15 women), and third trimester (15 women) of pregnancies. Group II (15 women): Pregnant women with preeclampsia at 25 to 38 weeks of gestation. Group III (15 women): Normotensive healthy nonpregnant women. Group IV (15 women): Hypertensive nonpregnant women. The plasma AM concentration was measured in all women by using enzyme immunoassay kits. RESULTS Plasma AM levels in pregnant women with normal blood pressure at different gestational ages (first, second, and third trimesters) were statistically significantly higher than those detected in nonpregnant normotensive women and significantly increased with increasing gestational age (P < .001). Moreover, there was significant positive correlation between plasma AM levels and increasing gestational age (r = 0.915, P < .001). Preeclamptic patients had the highest mean plasma AM levels compared with all other groups, which is statistically significant (P < .001) and there was a significant positive correlation between plasma AM levels and systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, severity of preeclampsia, and proteinuria in pregnant patients with preeclampsia. CONCLUSION Maternal plasma AM concentration increases throughout pregnancy and increases as gestational age progresses. AM production starts very early in gestation, suggesting that it may have an important role in human reproduction, from implantation to delivery. Maternal plasma AM level in preeclampsia appears to be higher than that in normal pregnancy.
Options, futures, and other derivative securities

1. Introduction. 2. Futures Markets. 3. Forward and Futures Prices. 4. Interest Rate Futures. 5. Swaps. 6. Options Markets. 7. Properties of Stock Option Prices. 8. Trading Strategies Involving Options. 9. A Model of the Behavior of Stock Prices. 10. The Black-Scholes Analysis. 11. Options on Stock Indices, Currencies and Futures Contracts. 12. A General Approach to Pricing Derivative Securities. 13. Hedging Positions in Options and Other Derivative Securities. 14. Numerical Procedures. 15. Interest Rate Derivative Securities. 16. Alternatives to Black-Scholes for Option Pricing. 17. Credit Risk. 18. Exotic Options. 19. Review of Key Concepts.
The Repression of Dissent

This article describes a substitution model of states' responses to dissident behavior and a statistical test of some sequential hypotheses that are derived from the model. It is motivated by an interest in understanding the sequential response of states to dissident activity. That is, if dissidents protest, what will the state do next? Similarly, if dissidents are cooperative, what will the state do next? The author argues that the answer to both of these questions depends on the interaction of the state's most recent behavior (i.e., repression or accommodation) and the dissident's response. The model produces the hypothesis that states substitute repression for accommodation, and vice versa, in response to dissident protest. Statistical analysis of evidence from Peru and Sri Lanka, 1955 to 1991, suggests that the model captures well the sequential responses of the Peruvian and Sri Lankan governments to dissident behavior during that period.
Clinical and cytogenetic aspects of X‐chromosome deletions

Karyotype/phenotype correlations in six non‐mosaic patients with dysgenetic ovaries and partial deletions of the X‐chromosome (three patients with short arm, and three with long arm deletions) are presented and the pertinent literature is analysed. It would appear that functioning ovarian tissue is present more often in patients with a short arm deletion than in those with a deleted long arm. This may represent a difference in the strength of two sets of controlling factors, but it can also be related to break point position. This in turn may be misinterpreted due to the difficulty in distinguishing between terminal and interstitial deletions in the long arm. Stature may be a heterochromatic effect, but if specific genetic factors influencing stature exist, then they would appear to be situated mostly on the short arm of the X‐chromosome, although some ‘statural determinants’ occur also on the long arm and could be located rather close to the centromere. Deletions of the short arm of the X‐chromosome were almost always associated with some features of the Turner phenotype, and could possibly be related to a gene dosage effect.
Corporate Governance and the Informativeness of Disclosures in Australia: A Re‐Examination

We re-examine the association between corporate governance and disclosures reported by Beekes and Brown (2006), using an extended time series of Australian data. Since the ASX corporate governance guidelines were introduced in 2003, firms generally have increased their disclosure frequency and demonstrated an improvement in the timeliness of bad news relative to good news, indicating a levelling of disclosure practices and greater transparency. Better governed firms have become more cautious in their disclosure practices. However they continue to be more balanced with respect to good and bad news timeliness. Changes to disclosure laws have also influenced company practices.
The Context of Training Teachers to Implement A Socially Relevant Science Education in Africa

Abstract The underlying assumption to this paper is that learners' ability to appreciate the relevance of school science and its importance to socio-economic development of their communities to a large extent depends on the quality of instruction they receive from their teachers. A popular conundrum is that no country is greater than the calibre of its teachers. However, a sort of Mathew's principle of the “haves” having more and the “have-nots” losing even what they do have tends to hold. Hence, learners of well-trained teachers tend to outperform those of poorly trained teachers on most tasks. A vivid example here in South Africa is the usual wide chasm between the matriculation results of learners from the former well-resourced Model C schools and those (with few exceptions due to massive support) from the previously disadvantaged schools. In pursuit of relevance many African political leaders and policy makers have called on teacher training institutions to produce teachers who are capable of making school science relevant to learners' home environment. This paper reports an attempt that has been made to equip teachers in such a way that makes science accessible, interesting and complementary to learners' indigenous knowledge and life worlds in general.
The Deal Structuring Stage of the Venture Capitalist Decision‐Making Process: Exploring Confidence and Control**

This exploratory study examines the deal structuring stage of the venture capitalist decision‐making process. Here, the primary issues of concern are investor confidence and potential control of a venture in relation to the level of financing the investor provides and the structure with which the funding is delivered. Confidence comes in support of the entrepreneur, the venture itself, or a combination of the two, prior to capital transfer, but after the initial “invest or not invest” decision has already occurred. Findings support a multicriteria perspective of the pre‐investment decision‐making process and a distinct difference between entrepreneur confidence and venture confidence in the deal structuring stage.
Conceptual Framework for Financial Reporting—Chapter 8: Notes to Financial Statements

as part of a bigger project to revise the Framework the IASB revised the objective of general purpose financial reporting and the qualitative characteristics of useful information. The remaining of the document from 1989 remains effective. This Conceptual Framework sets out the concepts that underlie the preparation and presentation of financial statements for external users. The Conceptual Framework deals with: (a) the objective of financial reporting; (b) the qualitative characteristics of useful financial information; (c) the definition, recognition and measurement of the elements from which financial statements are constructed; and (d) concepts of capital and capital maintenance. The objective of general purpose financial reporting is to provide financial information about the reporting entity that is useful to existing and potential investors, lenders and other creditors in making decisions about providing resources to the entity. Those decisions involve buying, selling or holding equity and debt instruments, and providing or settling loans and other forms of credit. Many existing and potential investors, lenders and other creditors cannot require reporting entities to provide information directly to them and must rely on general purpose financial reports for much of the financial information they need. Consequently, they are the primary users to whom general purpose financial reports are directed. General purpose financial reports do not and cannot provide all of the information that existing and potential investors, lenders and other creditors need. Therefore those users need to consider pertinent information from other sources. Other parties, such as regulators and members of the public other than investors, lenders and
Exchange Rate Exposure at the Firm and Industry Level

Previous work on the exposure of firms to exchange rate risk has primarily focused on U.S. firms and, surprisingly, found stock returns were not significantly affected by exchange-rate fluctuations. The equity market premium for exposure to currency risk was also found to be insignificant. In this paper we examine the relation between Japanese stock returns and unanticipated exchange-rate changes for 1079 firms traded on the Tokyo stock exchange over the 1975-1995 period. Second, we investigate whether exchange-rate risk is priced in the equity market of Japan using both unconditional and conditional multifactor asset pricing testing procedures. We find a significant relation between contemporaneous stock returns and unanticipated yen fluctuations. The exposure effect on multinationals and high-exporting firms, however, is found to be greater in comparison to low-exporting and domestic firms. Lagged-exchange rate changes on firm value are found to be statistically insignificant implying that investors are able to assess the impact of exchange-rate changes on firm value with no significant delay. The industry level analysis corroborates the cross-sectional findings for Japanese firms in that they are sensitive to contemporaneous unexpected exchange-rate fluctuations. The co-movement between stock returns and changes in the foreign value of the yen is found to be positively associated with the degree of the firm's foreign economic involvement and inversely related to its size and debt to asset ratio. Asset pricing tests show that currency risk is priced. We find corroborating evidence in support of the view that currency exposure is time varying Our results indicate that the foreign exchange-rate risk premium is a significant component of Japanese stock returns. The combined evidence from the currency exposure and asset pricing analyses, suggests that currency risk is of hedging concern to investors with implications for corporate and portfolio management.
Effects of ring diameter and wire tension on the axial biomechanics of four-ring circular external skeletal fixator constructs.

OBJECTIVE To determine relative effects of ring diameter and wire tension on axial biomechanical properties of 4-ring circular external skeletal fixator constructs. SAMPLE POPULATION 4-ring circular external skeletal fixator constructs and artificial bone models. PROCEDURE 4-ring constructs were assembled, using 50-, 66-, 84-, or 118-mm-diameter rings. Two 1.6-mm-diameter fixation wires were attached to opposing surfaces of each ring at intersection angles of 90 degrees and placed through a gap-fracture bone model. Three examples of each construct were loaded in axial compression at 7 N/s to a maximum load of 400 N at each of 4 wire tensions (0, 30, 60, and 90 kg). Response variables were determined from resulting load-displacement curves (construct stiffness, load at 1 mm of displacement, displacement at 400 N). RESULTS Ring diameter and wire tension had a significant effect on all response variables and had a significant interaction for construct stiffness and displacement at 400 N. Significant differences within all response variables were seen among all 4 ring diameters and all 4 wire tensions. As ring diameter increased, effect of increasing wire tension on gap stiffness and gap displacement at 400 N decreased. Ring diameter had a greater effect than wire tension on all response variables. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE Although effects of wire tension decrease as ring diameter increases, placing tension on wires in larger ring constructs is important because these constructs are inherently less stiff. The differential contribution of ring diameter, wire tension, and their interactions must be considered when using circular external skeletal fixators.
Pediatric lupus nephritis: more options, more chances?

Lupus nephritis (LN) is more common and severe in childhood-onset systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) than in adults. It is one of the major causes of acute kidney injury (AKI) and chronic kidney disease (CKD) in children. Steroid therapy has been used as the first-line treatment for SLE since 1970, and has improved the survival of SLE patients from ∼ 50% to >80%. Over the years many immunosuppressive drugs, including pulse methylprednisolone, oral cyclophosphamide, pulse intravenous cyclophosphamide, mycophenolate mofitil, rituximab, and tacrolimus, have been combined with prednisolone, further improving survival rates to 90%–95%. However, the effectiveness of these drugs is still uncertain, as most seem very good in the beginning, but in studies examining longer-term follow-up the remission of disease does not remain. Fatal infection is still a major complication of aggressive chemotherapy, and the potential benefits as well as adverse events from each drug need to be considered. Induction of remission is the major aim of therapy, with safe and effective maintenance therapy for long-term remission. The survival rates of many published studies vary widely because of differences in patients and treatment modalities, severity of disease, renal histopathology, racial factors, and duration of follow-up. Finding the optimal treatment for SLE and related co-morbidities is highly challenging, and will likely involve a complex combination of different drugs for different patients in the search for giving them an opportunity to be free from this debilitating disease.