Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A T Cell-specific Enhancer of the Human CD40 Ligand Gene*

We observed that the human CD40 ligand (CD40L) gene 5′-flanking region conferred weak promoter activity in activated CD4 T cells, suggesting that additional regions are required for optimal CD40L gene transcription. We therefore examined a 3′-flanking segment of the CD40L gene, which contained a putative NF-κB/Relcis-element, for its ability to enhance CD40L promoter function. This segment augmented CD40L promoter activity in an orientation-independent manner in CD4 T-lineage cells but not in human B cell or monocyte cell lines. Mapping of CD4 T-lineage cell nuclei identified a DNase I-hypersensitive site in the flanking region near the NF-κB/Rel sequence, suggesting a transcriptional regulatory role. This was further supported by truncation analysis and site-directed mutagenesis, which indicated that the CD40L 3′-flanking NF-κB/Relcis-element was critical for enhancer function. Electrophoretic mobility shift assays showed that thecis-element preferentially bound the p50 form of the NF-κB1 gene contained in human T cell nuclear protein extracts. This binding also appeared to occur in vivo in CD4 T cells based on chromatin immunoprecipitation assays using NF-κB p50-specific antiserum. Together, these results suggest that the CD40L gene 3′-flanking region acts as a T cell-specific classical transcriptional enhancer by a NF-κB p50-dependent mechanism.
Can Stock Price Manipulation be Prevented by Granting More Freedom to Manipulators

Allen and Gale (1992) construct a model to show that stock price manipulation is possible. The time structure of their model allows manipulators to pretend as “informed” traders, so that the local investors cannot distinguish what type of entrant they are facing. When the type of the entrant becomes known to the local investors it is already too late to make any use of that information. This paper shows an institution can be designed in a very natural fashion which induces different behaviors on the part of manipulators and “informed” traders at the beginning of the process. The institution designed roughly consists of entitling the entrants to resell stocks at a later date as well if they wish to do so. As this reasoning is also accessible to manipulators, the designed institution deters them from entering the market. Regarding the informed traders, their expected gain from entering the stock market may or may not be positive contingent on the basic parameters of the model. There are cases, however, when there is an improvement in the expected total gain of the local investors.
An Empirical Study of Court-Adjudicated Takings Compensation in New York City: 1990-2003

No empirical study on court-adjudicated condemnation compensation has been done in the past 30 years. To fill in the empirical gap, I first collect condemnation compensation cases in New York City between 1990 and 2003, finding that the court usually rules in favor of condemnors. Additionally, I use hedonic regression models and about 7,500 sales to estimate the fair market value (FMV) of 27 condemned properties and compare the FMV with condemnors' offered value, condemnees' claimed value, and court awards, finding that all condemnees' claims are above FMV, while many condemnors' offers and court awards are above FMV; moreover, condemnors' claims come closer to FMV than condemnees' claims and court awards. The court usually favors condemnors because condemnors have better incentives to produce unbiased assessed value and condemnors' offered value actually is closer to FMV. Offers, claims, and awards are inaccurate because bias-prone appraisal techniques have been used to assess property value.
Did the D.C. Tuition Assistance Grant Program Cause Out-of-State Tuition to Increase?

The District of Columbia Tuition Assistance Grant (DCTAG) program is a federally funded financial aid program that allows District residents to pay in-state tuition rates at public colleges and universities throughout the United States. One potential side effect of this program is that colleges and universities that enroll meaningful numbers of D.C. residents may have incentives to increase out-of-state tuition rates. We test this hypothesis empirically. Our preferred specification suggests that there is little evidence that colleges and universities that enroll a high percentage of out-of-state students from D.C. increased out-of-state tuition in response to the DCTAG program.
Supervisor and manager approaches to handling discipline and grievance: a follow‐up study

This paper reports the results of a follow‐up study to two linked articles appearing in earlier issues of this journal. It examines the relative influence of factors affecting the approach of supervisors or managers to dealing with disciplinary or grievance incidents. For discipline the most influential factors are identified as: the inconvenience of the employee rule transgression and the length of an employee’s service, with comparatively minor effects for employee gender, manager gender, prior training and experience in handling issues, and whether an organization is unionised. With grievance the most influential factors are: the challenge to management authority of an issue, length of employee service, employee gender and to a lesser extent the age and gender of the manager, and whether the organization is unionised. Implications for future research and the training of supervisors and managers are then outlined.
Collagen mediates adhesion of Streptococcus mutans to human dentin

Some strains of Streptococcus mutans were found to recognize and bind collagen type I. Binding of 125I-labeled collagen type I was specific in that collagen types I and II, but not unrelated proteins, were able to inhibit binding of the labeled ligand to bacteria. Collagen binding to S. mutans was partially reversible and involved a limited number of bacterial binding sites per cell. S. mutans UA 140 cells bound collagen type I with high affinity (Kd = 8 x 10(-8) M). The number of binding sites per cell was 4 x 10(4). Collagen-binding strains of S. mutans were found to adhere to collagen-coated surfaces as well as to pulverized root tissue. S. mutans strains that did not bind the soluble ligand were unable to adhere to these substrata. Adherence to collagen-coated surfaces could be inhibited with collagen or clostridial collagenase-derived collagen peptides. Adherence of S. mutans to dentin was enhanced by collagen types I and II but inhibited by collagen peptides. S. mutans UA 140 bound significantly less 125I-collagen type I following treatment with peptidoglycan-degrading enzymes. These enzymes released a collagen-binding protein (collagen receptor) with a relative molecular size of 16 kDa. The results of this study suggest that collagen mediates adhesion of S. mutans to dentin. This interaction may target collagen-binding strains of S. mutans to dentin in the oral cavity and may play a role in the pathogenesis of root surface caries.
Ex ante variables and carve-out parent returns

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to provide a comprehensive initial evaluation of the changing issuer objective and partial price adjustment hypotheses as applied to carve-out parent initial and three-year returns for the period 1988-2006. Design/methodology/approach - Using five primary variables: the percentage of the subsidiary retained by the parent, the ratio of offering size to parent market capitalization, filing range adjustments, the percentage of the offering used to retire subsidiary debt or to pay dividends, and the CBOE volatility index to predict initial and three-year returns, the paper shows that Findings - The paper shows that public information known prior to the offer date influences 7.52 percent of the variation in announcement, 5.57-38.31 percent of the variation in ex-date and 6 percent of the variation in three-year market-adjusted equity carve-out parent returns. Originality/value - This study makes several contributions to the literature. Although prior studies focus on
Study of the three‐dimensional geometry of the central conducting airways in man using computed tomographic (CT) images

Clinical research on the deposition of inhaled substances (e.g. inhaled medications, airborne contaminants, fumes) in the lungs necessitates anatomical models of the airways. Current conducting airway models lack three‐dimensional (3D) reality as little information is available in the literature on the distribution of the airways in space. This is a limitation to the assessment or predictions of the particle deposition in relation to the subject’s anatomy. Detailed information on the full topology and morphology of the airways is thus required to model the airway tree realistically. This paper presents the length, diameter, gravity, coronal and sagittal angles that together describe completely the airways in 3D space. The angle at which the airways branch out from their parent (branching angle) and the rotation angle between successive bifurcation planes are also included. These data are from the study of two sets of airways computed tomography (CT) images. One CT scan was performed on a human tracheobronchial tree cast and the other on a healthy male volunteer. The airways in the first nine generations of the cast and in the first six conducting generations of the volunteer were measured using a computer‐based algorithm. The data contribute to the knowledge of the lung anatomy. In particular, the spatial structure of the airways is shown to be strongly defined by the central airways with clear angular lobar patterns. Such patterns tend to disappear with a mean gravity, coronal and sagittal angles of 90° in each generation higher than 13–15. The mean branching angle per generation appears independent of the lobe to which the airways belong. Non‐planar geometry at bifurcation is observed with the mean (± SD) bifurcation plane rotation angle of 79 ± 41° (n = 229). This angle appears constant over the generations studied. The data are useful for improving the 3D realism of the conducting airway structure modelling as well as for studying aerosol deposition, flow and biological significance of non‐planar airway trees using analytical and computational flow dynamics modelling.
Wine Tourism in Champagne

The goal of this article is to expand the understanding of wine tourism in a European context (less closely researched than that of New World countries) by examining aspects of its operation in Champagne. Two separate studies contribute toward this goal. The first qualitative project examined the perceptions of small champagne producers on a range of tourism-related issues. The second quantitative project investigated the perspectives of visitors to the region. The article offers three conclusions. First, it suggests that producers show three varying approaches to wine tourism (related to structural factors in the businesses concerned) with most feeling it was not relevant to them even though they sell wine direct. Second, producers may have little idea of what tourists find acceptable. Finally, it demonstrates that tourism may be a way for smaller producers to add value to their product, as tourists display a propensity to pay more than local purchasers.
CROSS- SECTIONAL DETERMINANTS OF ANALYST RATINGS OF CORPORATE DISCLOSURES

In this paper we examine cross-sectional variation in analysts' published evaluations of firms' disclosure practices and provide evidence that the analysts' ratings are increasing in firm size and in firm performance as measured by earnings and return variables, decreasing in the correlation between earnings and returns, and higher for firms issuing securities in the current or future period. Results based on the volatility of past performance are mixed. While the SEC's mandatory disclosure requirements provide a basic framework and minimum standard for many financial disclosures, considerable latitude remains in determining what information is actually provided. Some firms' annual and quarterly reports go well beyond the required disclosures, while others are extremely stark. Less formal communication channels, such as press releases and direct contact with analysts, allow even more discretion. This wide range of disclosure alternatives is aggregated by analysts in the Reports of the Financial Analysts
Improvements of Techniques to Estimate Migration Rates: An Application with Brazilian Censuses Data

This paper intends to develop procedures which can be applied to different countries and databases to estimate migration rates using information on place of previous residence (last-move data) and duration of residence. For this, some modifications are proposed to previous methods, in order to improve the measurement of migration rates. Other estimations were calculated with information on place of residence at some fixed date in the past. Results suggest that estimations with improved techniques using last-move data give similar results to those ones provided by techniques based on place of residence from a specified number of years preceding the Census enumeration. As a demonstration, 1970, 1980, 1991 and 2000 Brazilian Censuses are used to estimate both sets of rates.
The Equilibrium Yield Curve for Government Securities

* Above maturities of six months to a year, the equilibrium yield curve for government securities consists of two statistically independent components. The first, the so-called "consol yield," is the same for every maturity. Since changes in the consol rate have the same impact on yield for every maturity, mere knowledge of their sign dominates opportunities for trading profits. The absolute value of the second component, "spread," declines exponentially as maturity lengthens, and at a relative rate that is constant over time, despite variations in both its sign and magnitude. Examination of 20 years of evidence suggests that any departures of the actual yield curve from the exponential model are only temporary. The authors argue that their model satisfies the "no free lunch" property of efficient securities markets: There is no strategy that will increase expected total return in the absence of forecasting skill. They also argue that their model is consistent with the trading behavior of professional bond managers, who judge the yield on a bond by making "butterfly comparisons" with yields on bonds of greater and lesser maturity, disregarding investment horizon. O
AUDITORY EVENT‐RELATED POTENTIALS AND REACTION TIME IN CHILDREN EVALUATION OF COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT

The authors studied age‐related correlations of auditory event‐related potentials (ERPs) using the conventional ‘oddball’ paradigm and reaction time in 175 normal subjects, aged between four and 21 years. From four years, the latencies of N100, N200 and P300 in ERP progressively shortened until about 16 to 17 years, after which they reached adult level, but with a slight tendency to prolongation towards 20 years; there was no trend for amplitude changes. The reaction time was more rapid than that of P300 latency. These findings indicate that the cognitive function of children improves rapidly until 16 to 17 years. A reduced difference between P300 latency and reaction time with age implies additional progress in motor skill. Combining P300 latency and reaction‐time studies may provide more detailed information for the evaluation of the development of cognitive function and motor skill.
The Arbitrage Pricing Theory: Is It Testable?

This paper challenges the view that the Arbitrage Pricing Theory (APT) is inherently more susceptible to empirical verification than the Capital Asset Pricing Model (CAPM). The usual formulation of the testable implications of the APT is shown to be inadequate, as it precludes the very expected return differentials which the theory attempts to explain. A recent competitive-equilibrium extension of the APT may be testable in principle. In order to implement such a test, however, observation of the return on the true market portfolio appears to be necessary.
Effect of Taleeq (Leech Therapy) in Dawali (Varicose Veins)

Dawali (varicose vein) is first described in Ebers Papyrus over 3500 years ago. Dawali is a disease in which veins of legs and feet become dilated, tortuous, and greenish in colour due to excess accumulation of blood which is derived from saudavi madda & balgham ghaleez. The aetiology of varicose veins is still incompletely under stood, despite the fact that it is a very common disease affecting all ages from teenagers to elderly people. The complication of varicose veins like venous eczema, venous pigmentation, lipodermatosclerosis, superficial thrombophlebitis, venous ulceration, etc impair health related quality of life significantly. The objective of the study is to evaluate the efficacy of Taleeq in Dawali and to provide safe & cost effective alternative treatment. Randomized controlled clinical open trial was conducted in regimenal unit of NIUM Hospital. 50 patients were divided into 2 groups, 30 in test & 20 in control group. Test group was treated with Taleeq on alternate day & control group was treated with grade 2 compression stockings & limb elevation for 2 months. Response was measured by assessment of pain / leg discomfort, limb girth at calf, ankle, and feet, pigmentation area & colour on every 15th day. Hb% was assessed on every 15th day to check anaemia. Effect on anatomy of vein was assessed by colour flow Doppler USG. Test group showed significant reduction in pain, limb girth, pigmentation, number of perforators. Control group showed significant reduction in pain & limb girth, but there was no improvement on pigmentation. Both groups do not show significant improvement on SFJ & SPJ incompetency. Test group has major effects in improvement of all parameters. Study stresses that leech therapy should be administered in combination with compression stockings & other effective treatment modalities like weight normalization for obese patients, physical therapy, dietary modification etc for optimal results.
Delicate Metabolic Control and Coordinated Stress Response Critically Determine Antifungal Tolerance of Candida albicans Biofilm Persisters

ABSTRACT Candida infection has emerged as a critical health care burden worldwide, owing to the formation of robust biofilms against common antifungals. Recent evidence shows that multidrug-tolerant persisters critically account for biofilm recalcitrance, but their underlying biological mechanisms are poorly understood. Here, we first investigated the phenotypic characteristics of Candida biofilm persisters under consecutive harsh treatments of amphotericin B. The prolonged treatments effectively killed the majority of the cells of biofilms derived from representative strains of Candida albicans, Candida glabrata, and Candida tropicalis but failed to eradicate a small fraction of persisters. Next, we explored the tolerance mechanisms of the persisters through an investigation of the proteomic profiles of C. albicans biofilm persister fractions by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. The C. albicans biofilm persisters displayed a specific proteomic signature, with an array of 205 differentially expressed proteins. The crucial enzymes involved in glycolysis, the tricarboxylic acid cycle, and protein synthesis were markedly downregulated, indicating that major metabolic activities are subdued in the persisters. It is noteworthy that certain metabolic pathways, such as the glyoxylate cycle, were able to be activated with significantly increased levels of isocitrate lyase and malate synthase. Moreover, a number of important proteins responsible for Candida growth, virulence, and the stress response were greatly upregulated. Interestingly, the persisters were tolerant to oxidative stress, despite highly induced intracellular superoxide. The current findings suggest that delicate metabolic control and a coordinated stress response may play a crucial role in mediating the survival and antifungal tolerance of Candida biofilm persisters.
Destination marketing: competition, cooperation or coopetition?

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to understand the business relationships among the tourism industry stakeholders in conducting collaborative destination marketing activities.Design/methodology/approach – This research takes a case study approach by focusing on the investigation of the business relationships among tourism industry stakeholders in Elkhart County, Indiana. Interviews with five staff members from the Elkhart County Convention and Visitors Bureau as well as 32 tourism industry representatives were conducted in order to answer the research questions.Findings – The interview results indicate that different relationships of cooperation, competition and coopetition coexist among the tourism stakeholders. Four cooperative relationships with various degrees of formalization, integration, and structural complexity are involved. In addition, four factors have been identified as affecting this relationship configuration. The perceived relationship between cooperation and competition was also fou.
Financial integration and exchange rate determination: a Brazilian case study

This paper investigates the impact on exchange rate determination of two recent changes in developing and emerging countries’ financial integration: first, the rising volume and heterogeneity of short-term portfolio flows; second, foreign investors’ increased exposure to domestic rather than foreign currency assets. In its analysis of Brazil, the paper shows that both changes have potentially destabilizing implications for the exchange rate and may create the risk of self-feeding bubble dynamics leading to large and sudden swings in exchange rates. The results have important implications for the regulation of international capital movements and choice of exchange rate regime.
Associations between Childhood Obesity and the Availability of Food Outlets in the Local Environment: A Retrospective Cross-Sectional Study

Purpose. Examine whether individual-level childhood obesity is related to residential availability of fast food and healthy food outlets. Design. Retrospective cross-sectional study. Setting. Perth, Western Australia Subjects. A total of 1850 children aged 5 to 15 years in 2005–2010 who participated in the Western Australian Health and Wellbeing Surveillance System survey. Measures. Geographical Information Systems were used to calculate a range of measures of fast food and healthy food outlet access and availability. For example, distance to nearest and access and density measures within 800 m and 3 km of each child's residence were all tested. Analysis. Multivariate logistic regression analysis, controlling for individual-level sociodemographic factors and lifestyle behaviors. Results. An increasing number of healthy food outlets within 800 m of a child's home was associated with a significantly reduced risk of being overweight/obese in all models tested. After controlling for age, physical activity, time spent sedentary, weekly takeaway consumption, area disadvantage, and count of fast food outlets, each additional healthy food outlet within 800 m was associated with a 20% decrease in the likelihood of a child being overweight or obese (odds ratio: .800, 95% confidence intervals: .686–.933). Conclusion. The local food environment around children's homes has an independent effect on child weight status. These findings highlight the importance of the built environment as a potential contributor towards child health, which should be considered when developing community health promotion programs.