Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
GABA Mediates Autoreceptor Feedback Inhibition in the Rat Carotid Body Via Presynaptic GABAB Receptors and TASK‐1

Background K+ channels exert control over neuronal excitability by regulating resting potential and input resistance. Here, we show that GABAB receptor‐mediated activation of a background K+ conductance modulates transmission at rat carotid body chemosensory synapses in vitro. Carotid body chemoreceptor (type I) cells expressed GABAB(1) and GABAB(2) subunits as well as endogenous GABA. The GABAB receptor agonist baclofen activated an anandamide‐ and Ba2+‐sensitive TASK‐1‐like background K+ conductance in chemoreceptor cell clusters, but was without effect on voltage‐gated Ca2+ channels. Hydroxysaclofen (50 μm), 5‐aminovaleric acid (100 μm) and CGP 55845 (100 nm), selective GABAB receptor blockers, potentiated the hypoxia‐induced receptor potential; this effect was abolished by pre‐treatment with pertussis toxin (PTX; 500 ng ml‐1), an inhibitor of Gi, or by H‐89 (50 μm), a selective inhibitor of protein kinase A. The protein kinase C inhibitor chelerythrine chloride (100 μm) was without effect on this potentiation. GABAB receptor blockers also caused depolarisation of type I cells in clusters, and enhanced spike discharge in spontaneously firing cells. In functional co‐cultures of type I clusters and petrosal sensory neurones, GABAB receptor blockers potentiated hypoxia‐induced postsynaptic chemosensory responses mediated by the fast‐acting transmitters ACh and ATP. Thus GABAB receptor‐mediated activation of TASK‐1 or a related channel provides a presynaptic autoregulatory feedback mechanism that modulates fast synaptic transmission in the rat carotid body.
Large shareholders, bank ownership and informativeness of earnings

This paper analyses the influence of large shareholders and bank ownership on earnings informativeness, measured by the earnings-return relation, in Spain. The results suggest that the expropriation effect is dominant at any level of ownership concentration. Furthermore, bank ownership is positively associated with the explanatory power of earnings for returns, being consistent with the role of banks as shareholders that actively monitor the firm’s business performance. This effect is similar regardless of whether the bank is the major shareholder of the firm or not.
Vitamin K—what, why, and when

Policies for giving babies vitamin K prophylactically at birth have been dictated, over the last 60 years, more by what manufacturers decided on commercial grounds to put on the market, than by any informed understanding of what babies actually need, or how it can most easily be given. By a pure fluke a 1 mg IM dose, designed to prevent early vitamin deficiency bleeding (“haemorrhagic disease of the newborn”) has been found to protect against late deficiency bleeding—a condition unrecognised at the time this policy took hold. Alternative strategies for oral prophylaxis are now opening up (see pp 109 and 113), but these are also, at the moment, dictated more by what the manufacturers choose to provide than by what would make for ease of delivery either in poor countries, or in the developed world.
Is 75% of the Sales Promotion Bump Due to Brand Switching? No, Only 33% Is

Several researchers have decomposed sales promotion elasticities based on household scanner-panel data. A key result is that the majority of the sales promotion elasticity, approximately 74% on average, is attributed to secondary demand effects (brand switching) and the remainder is attributed to primary demand effects (timing acceleration and quantity increases). The authors demonstrate that this result does not imply that if a brand gains 100 units in sales during a promotion, the other brands in the category lose 74 units. The authors offer a complementary decomposition measure based on unit sales. The measure shows the ratio of the current cross-brand unit sales loss to the current own-brand unit sales gain during promotion; the authors report empirical results for this measure. They also derive analytical expressions that transform the elasticity decomposition into a decomposition of unit sales effects. These expressions show the nature of the difference between the two decompositions. To gain insight into the magnitude of the difference, the authors apply these expressions to previously reported elasticity decomposition results and find that approximately 33% of the unit sales increase is attributable to losses incurred by other brands in the same category.
NEUROBEHAVIORAL CORRELATES OF IMPULSIVITY: EVIDENCE OF PREFRONTAL INVOLVEMENT

Impulsivity is associated with the functioning of prefrontal-subcortical circuits particularly, the orbitofrontal circuit, which is shown in neuro-imaging studies of neurological and psychological disorders. Objective behavioral measures, such as go/no-go, antisaccades, and delayed alternation, have demonstrated sensitivity to prefrontal function. This study examined the relationship between orbitofrontal-sensitive measures and impulsivity in healthy adults, as measured by the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale-11 (BIS). Go/no-go and antisaccades correlated positively and delayed alternations correlated negatively with BIS subscales, even after controlling for demographic influences. The results add to the validity of the BIS and support a role for prefrontal cortex in impulse control
Detection of renal impairment as one specific comorbidity factor in multiple myeloma: multicenter study in 198 consecutive patients

Objectives: Comorbidity factors have been reported in cancer patients to predict progression free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS). Renal impairment (RI) is postulated as one negative prognostic factor in multiple myeloma (MM). The study aim was to detect the best way to define RI and the impact of different RI stages on MM outcome.
Determination of Stock Closing Prices and Hedging Performance with Stock Indices Futures

This paper examines the impact of the determination of stock closing prices on futures price efficiency and hedging effectiveness with stock indices futures. The empirical results indicate that the increase in the length of the batching period of the stock closing call improves price efficiency in the futures closing prices and then enhances hedging performance in terms of the hedging risks. Additionally, from a utility-maximization point of view, hedging performance does not improve after the introduction of the 5 min stock closing call, which can be explained by an improvement in price efficiency at the futures market close.
Effects of Rice Proteins from Two Cultivars, Koshihikari and Shunyo, on Cholesterol and Triglyceride Metabolism in Growing and Adult Rats

The effect and mechanism of two types of rice protein, one from regular japonica rice Koshihikari and another from rice cultivar Shunyo, with low glutelin and high prolamin content, on cholesterol and triglyceride metabolism were compared by feeding casein and soy protein to male Wistar strain rats 7 and 20 weeks old ad libitum for 2 weeks. The results in adult rats clearly indicated that both rice proteins had cholesterol-lowering effects in the plasma and the liver, comparable to soy protein, and the effects were accompanied with TG-lowering effects in the liver. Similar effects were also observed in growing rats when the diets were supplemented with cholesterol. The mechanism of the cholesterol-lowering effects by these rice proteins cannot be explained solely by fecal steroid excretion, but the results indicate that not only regular rice protein but also Shunyo rice protein possesses improving effects on lipid metabolism, especially in the adult period.
Three Poverties in Urban China

Radical economic reform and rapid marketization in the late 1990s could be expected to create new poverty and insecurity in Chinese cities. Accordingly, the extent and nature of poverty in urban China is examined by means of a 1999 cross-section household survey. Three types of poverty-"income and consumption", "income not consumption" and "consumption not income"-are distinguished. A large proportion of the poor have income above, but consumption below, the poverty line. The estimated consumption function shows the importance of consumption smoothing, of precautionary considerations, of saving for investment opportunities, and of special needs related to the presence of children or sickness. An exercise is conducted to compare the three types of poverty by decomposing the divergence in the consumption of each poverty group from its benchmark consumption. Unpredicted financial assets and income, and differences in special needs, are important in contrasting and explaining the three poverties. Copyright © 2006 The Authors; Journal compilation © 2006 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.
The Consortium to Establish a Registry for Alzheimer's Disease (CERAD). Part V. A normative study of the neuropsychological battery

The neuropsychological tests developed for the Consortium to Establish a Registry for Alzheimer's Disease (CERAD) are currently used to measure cognitive impairments of Alzheimer's disease (AD) in clinical investigations of this disorder. This report presents the normative information for the CERAD battery, obtained in a large sample (n = 413) of control subjects (ages 50 to 89) who were enrolled in 23 university medical centers in the United States participating in the CERAD study from 1987 to 1992. We compared separately the performance of subjects with high (≥12) and low (<12) years of formal education. For many of the individual cognitive measures in the highly educated group, we observed significant age and gender effects. Only the praxis measure showed a significant age effect in the low-education group. Delayed recall, when adjusted for amount of material acquired (savings), was relatively unaffected by age, gender, and level of education. Our findings suggest that the savings scores, in particular, may be useful in distinguishing between AD and normal aging.
The impact of strategic human resource management on firm performance and HR professionals' work attitude and work performance

The impact of strategic human resource management (SHRM) on organizational performance is assessed. Additionally, the impact of a SHRM approach on the individual performance, organizational commitment and job satisfaction levels of human resource professionals is investigated. An organization exhibits SHRM when the human resources function is vertically aligned with the mission and objectives of the organization and horizontally integrated with other organizational functions. Data from a national sample of 269 human resource professionals from large US manufacturing firms were analyzed using structural equation modeling techniques. Results indicate that the direct impact of SHRM on organizational performance is positive and significant, as hypothesized. Further, SHRM was found to directly and positively influence individual performance, organizational commitment and job satisfaction. Top managers implementing a SHRM system can, therefore, expect improved organizational performance and improved levels of individual performance, job satisfaction and organizational commitment from the organization's human resource professionals.
Influencing climate change regulations: examining responses from large-scale firms

Recent climate change projections and a push towards a universal agreement on carbon emission reductions suggest that firms will need to respond to future regulatory changes. This paper employs an influencing strategies lens to examine how large-scale firms might respond to future climate change regulations. The study uses a structured qualitative methodology to explore and explicate the strategic responses from 21 international firms to the proposed emissions trading scheme outlined in Australia's Garnaut Climate Change Review. The results of the analysis show that firms can use pre-emptive influencing strategies in attempts to shape and mould regulatory design parameters, secure high levels of transitional economic support, and shift the balance of public policies and expenditure. Complementary defensive strategies may also target policy makers and regulators with some of the potential negative consequences of the new regulations.
Periodontal treatment needs and oral hygiene for institutionalized individuals with handicapping conditions.

SUMMARY Forty-five patients aged 3 to 22 who have handicapping conditions were examined to determine their oral hygiene leveis and periodontal treatment needs. This study shows that oral hygiene leveis for males and the older population were higher. Periodontal treatment needs were highly correlated to oral hygiene, and were much higher for males and older age groups. Various aspects were discussed and it was concluded that primary prevention is an immediate, although a partial solution. However, new aids and antibacterial solutions should be further investigated in this population to simplify plaque removal.
Development and characterization of Histoplasma capsulatum-reactive murine T-cell lines and clones

Experimental studies have suggested that antigen-specific T lymphocytes are important mediators of resistance to infection with the pathogenic fungus Histoplasma capsulation. To gain a better understanding of the role of T lymphocytes, we developed murine T-cell lines and clones that recognized Histoplasma antigens. These T cells were of the helper/inducer phenotype (Thy-1.2+ Lyt-1+ L3T4+ Lyt-2-) and exerted multiple immunological functions. T-cell lines and 12 clones proliferated vigorously in response to histoplasmin; the T-cell lines and 6 clones also were reactive with heterologous fungal antigens prepared from either Blastomyces dermatitidis or Coccidioides immitis. Recognition of antigen by T cells was H-2 restricted; in the absence of antigen, four clones demonstrated alloreactivity. All T-cell clones conferred local delayed-type hypersensitivity responses when injected with antigen into footpads of mice. Ten of 12 T-cell clones released interleukin-2 after stimulation with antigen, and all clones tested secreted interferon. Moreover, culture supernatants from antigen-stimulated clones armed peritoneal macrophages to inhibit intracellular growth of H. capsulatum yeast cells. All clones assayed exerted nonspecific help. Thus, development of T-cell clones should facilitate analysis of the regulatory properties of Histoplasma-specific T cells.
Sparse Bayes estimation in non-Gaussian models via data augmentation

In this paper we provide a data-augmentation scheme that unifies many common sparse Bayes estimators into a single class. This leads to simple iterative algorithms for estimating the posterior mode under arbitrary combinations of likelihoods and priors within the class. The class itself is quite large: for example, it includes quantile regression, support vector machines, and logistic and multinomial logistic regression, along with the usual ridge regression, lasso, bridge/‘ a estimators, and regression with heavy-tailed errors. To arrive at this unified framework, we represent a wide class of objective functions as variance‐mean mixtures of Gaussians involving both the likelihood and penalty functions. This generalizes existing theory based solely on variance mixtures for the penalty function, and allows the theory of conditionally normal linear models to be brought to bear on a much wider class of models. We focus on two possible choices of the mixing measures: the generalized inverse-Gaussian and Polya distributions, leading to the hyperbolic and Z distributions, respectively. We exploit this conditional normality to find sparse, regularized estimates using tilted iteratively re-weighted least squares (TIRLS). Finally, we characterize the conditional moments of the latent variances for any model in our proposed class, and show the relationship between our method and two recent algorithms: LQA (local quadratic approximation) and LLA (local linear approximation).
Selection for carcass lean content in a terminal sire breed of sheep.

A divergent selection experiment for carcass leanness in Texel-Oxford sheep was established to examine the differences between genetically lean and fat animals derived from the same base population. The selection criterion was designed to change body composition without a corresponding change in live weight, using an index of ultrasonic backfat depth and live weight at 20 weeks of age. The index was constructed using estimates of genetic and phenotypic parameters, which were available at the start of the experiment in 1985. The difference between the high and low lines, after 3 years of selection, for the selection index, live weight at 20 weeks of age, ultrasonic backfat and muscle depths was 0·59,1·30 kg, -0·76 mm and 0·88 mm respectively. The estimated difference for carcass lean and fat weight was 0·72 kg and -0·04 kg respectively with 13·5 g/kg and -13·8 g/kg for carcass lean and fat proportion. The realized heritability for the selection index, estimated from the regression of cumulative response on cumulative selection differential was 0·42, with a standard error of 0·25, after taking account of genetic drift. The selection index heritability, estimated with residual maximum likelihood (REML) methodology, was 0·46 (s.e. 0·14). REML heritability estimates for live weight at 20 weeks of age, ultrasonic backfat and muscle depths were 0·20 (s.e. 0·13), 0·35 (s.e. 0·14) and 0·43 (s.e. 0·14) respectively.
Setup cost reduction in an inventory model with finite-range stochastic lead times

SUMMARY Traditionally, upon solution, independent demand inventory models result in the determination of a closed form for the economic lot size. Generally, this is obtained from the result that holding costs and setup costs are constant and equal at the optimum. However, the experience of the Japanese indicates that this need not be the case. Specifically, setup cost may be reduced by investing in reduced setup times resulting in smaller lot sizes and increased flexibility. Various authors have investigated the impact of such investment on classical lot sizing formulas which has resulted in the derivation of modified relationships. A common assumption of this research has been that demand and lead time are deterministic. This paper extends this previous work by considering the more realistic case of investing in decreasing setup costs where lead time is stochastic. Closed form relationships for optimal lot size, optimal setup cost, optimal total cost, etc. are derived. Numerical results are presented for.
Optimal Investment Policies for Pollution Control in the Copper Industry

We developed a decision-support system for investment projects in pollution abatement plants at state-owned copper smelters in Chile. We formulated a mixed-integer linear model to determine the optimal investment policy for this interrelated production-environmental problem. Because of the significant differences between the model's solutions and the initial clean-up plans the smelters submitted to the environmental authorities, the government has revised the smelters' clean-up plans, initially working to obtain more complete and reliable information. Furthermore, it has put some of the projects presented in the original clean-up plans on hold until it has a refined version of the model. The Chilean budget director has approved other clean-up plans because, as the director of policy planning at Cochilco said, they are consistent with the model's recommendations.
Budget Support and Democracy: a twist in the conditionality tale

Abstract Budget support—aid delivered directly to developing country government budgets—accounts for a growing proportion of overseas development assistance. In theory it has multiple benefits over other forms of aid in terms of attaining poverty reduction and development objectives. However, recent years have seen several incidents of budget support being frozen, halted or redirected because of slippage in the democratic credentials of certain countries, including Ethiopia, Uganda, Nicaragua, Honduras, Madagascar and Rwanda. This article analyses these incidents in relation to debates over aid conditionality. It finds that donors are willing to apply political conditionality when otherwise good performing governments go politically astray, but it questions whether budget support is a viable instrument for pushing for democratic change. Co-ordinated donor action appears to be increasing, but aid flows to the countries discussed remain high and the governments in question tend to be dismissive in the face of such pressure.
The Determinants of Flexibility and Innovation in the Government Workplace: Recent Evidence from Canada

This article analyzes the adoption of flexible work design and employee involvement practices in Canadian government workplaces. It uses information from a representative survey of government middle managers. The survey, which was specially designed for the government sector, was carried out in five Canadian jurisdictions. A high incidence of both flexible work design and employee involvement practices, much higher than in the Canadian privatesector, was found in government workplaces. The most significant correlation between the two sets of practices is perceived public pressure for more better-quality services and for increased employee involvement in the design and implementation of these services. Budget constraints are important in explaining the adoption and spread of employee involvement techniques. There is also a strong positive association between the adoption of flexible work practices and the extent of managerial autonomy. Various supporting human resource management practices are also complementary to the successful adoption of flexible work practices in Canadian government workplaces. However, the characteristics of the work, the work unit, and the workforce have a rather limited effect on the adoption of these practices. Our findings indicate that there might be differences in the determinants of the adoption of flexible workplace practices in government and private-sectors, pointing to possible institutional forces at work in government workplaces.
A model for higher education policy review: the case study of an assessment policy

The development of a standards-based assessment policy represented a significant cultural shift in assessment practice at one university. Concurrently, the implementation of a policy framework represented a significant procedural shift in policy development and review. The assessment policy was the first policy scheduled to be reviewed through the new framework, specifically in recognition of the pivotal role of assessment to the credibility of qualifications and the academic reputation of the institution. However, the policy framework did not specify a review process. While examples of generic approaches to policy review methodology and process were provided in the literature, there were limited examples directly relevant to higher education. This paper presents a customised model for policy review developed and trialled through a higher education institution using an assessment policy as the case study.
The underground economy and its macroeconomic consequences

This study develops a dynamic general equilibrium model in which optimizing agents evade taxes by operating in the underground economy. The cost to firms of evading taxes is that they find themselves subject to credit rationing from banks. Our model simulations show that in the absence of budgetary flexibility to adjust expenditures, raising tax rates too high drives firms into the underground economy, thereby reducing the tax base. Aggregate investment in the economy is lowered because of credit rationing. Taxes that are too low eliminate the underground economy, but result in unsustainable budget and trade deficits. Thus, the optimal rate of taxation, from a macroeconomic point of view, may lead to some underground activity.