Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Impairment of reward-related learning by cholinergic cell ablation in the striatum

The striatum in the basal ganglia-thalamocortical circuitry is a key neural substrate that is implicated in motor balance and procedural learning. The projection neurons in the striatum are dynamically modulated by nigrostriatal dopaminergic input and intrastriatal cholinergic input. The role of intrastriatal acetylcholine (ACh) in learning behaviors, however, remains to be fully clarified. In this investigation, we examine the involvement of intrastriatal ACh in different categories of learning by selectively ablating the striatal cholinergic neurons with use of immunotoxin-mediated cell targeting. We show that selective ablation of cholinergic neurons in the striatum impairs procedural learning in the tone-cued T-maze memory task. Spatial delayed alternation in the T-maze learning test is also impaired by cholinergic cell elimination. In contrast, the deficit in striatal ACh transmission has no effect on motor learning in the rota-rod test or spatial learning in the Morris water-maze test or on contextual- and tone-cued conditioning fear responses. We also report that cholinergic cell elimination adaptively up-regulates nicotinic ACh receptors not only within the striatum but also in the cerebral cortex and substantia nigra. The present investigation indicates that cholinergic modulation in the local striatal circuit plays a pivotal role in regulation of neural circuitry involving reward-related procedural learning and working memory.
Inflation Targeting and Communication: It Pays Off to Read Inflation Reports

Inflation-targeting central banks have a respectable track record at explaining their policy actions and corresponding inflation outturns. Using a simple forward-looking policy rule and an assessment of inflation reports, we provide a new methodology for the empirical evaluation of consistency in central bank communication. We find that the three communication tools-inflation targets, inflation forecasts, and verbal assessments of inflation factors contained in quarterly inflation reports-provided a consistent message in five out of six observations in our 2000-05 sample of Chile, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Thailand, and Sweden.
Missing Variation in the Great Moderation: Lack of Signal Error and OLS Regression

This paper studies measurement errors that subtract signal from true variables of interest, labeled lack of signal errors (LoSE). The effect on OLS regression of LoSE is opposite the conventional wisdom about classical measurement errors, with LoSE in the dependent variable, not the explanatory variables, causing attenuation bias under some conditions. The paper provides evidence of LoSE in US GDP growth during the period known as the Great Moderation (roughly the mid-1980s to the mid-2000s), illustrating attenuation bias in regressions of GDP growth on asset prices. These biases may have contributed to conventional macroeconomic analysis missing the severity of the adverse shocks hitting the economy in the Great Recession.
NZ IAS 32: An Evaluation of the Potential Impact on Financial Reporting by Issuers of Convertible Financial Instruments

We assess the impact of NZ IAS 32 on the financial reporting of convertible financial instruments by retrospective application of the standard to a sample of New Zealand companies over the period 1988 ‐ 2003. NZ IAS 32 has a broader definition of liabilities than does the corresponding current standard (FRS‐31) and it does not permit convertibles to be reported under headings that are intermediate to debt and equity. The results of the study indicate that in comparison with the reported financial position and performance, the reporting of convertibles in accordance with NZ IAS 32 would result in higher amounts for liabilities and higher interest. Thus, analysts using financial statement information to assess risk of financial distress will need to revise the critical values of commonly used measures of risk and performance when companies report under NZ IAS
Auditor Workload Compression and Busy Season Auditor Switching

SYNOPSIS This study investigates the impact of the busy season and concomitant concentrated demands on audit resources on the likelihood of auditor switching. Hereafter, we refer to the concentration of companies with the same fiscal year-end date within an auditor's client portfolio as “workload compression. ” Despite the economic significance of December year-end clients for audit firms and the challenges imposed by workload compression, the busy season remains a relatively unexplored area of study in the archival auditing literature (Sweeney and Summers 2002). This study represents an attempt to fill this void and validate some of the findings of prior behavioral studies from an empirical perspective. We employ a sample of 10,238 company-year observations for years 2004 through 2007 and find evidence consistent with December year-end companies having a lower likelihood of auditor switching than that of non-December year-end companies. However, we also find evidence of a significantly positive associatio.
Nonparametric conditional density estimation of labour force participation

Labour force participation decision has been studied primarily in a parametric framework. The weaknesses of the parametric estimators to misspecification of the error distribution and to functional form assumptions are well known. This paper compares the predictive performance of widely used parametric and semiparametric estimators with results obtained from nonparametric kernel conditional density estimation with likelihood cross-validated bandwidth selection and mixed data type. The results are striking. The predictive performance of the nonparametric estimator is 95% against 71% to 77% of the parametric and semiparametric estimators. The nonparametric estimator is able to correctly predict the outcome for 83% of non-participants in the labour force as against 15% by probit and logit models. This underscores the need to use nonparametric estimators in studying labour market behaviour.
Option listing, returns and volatility: evidence from Greece

This study examines the effect of the first introduction of Greek stock options (Greek Telecommunication Organisation, Intracom, National Bank of Greece and Alpha Bank) on stock prices and volatility for the period 1999 to 2002. We examine the asymmetric information hypothesis using a standard event study methodology and asymmetric Generalized Autoregressive Conditional Heteroscedasticity (GARCH) type models. Event study results indicate that abnormal returns existed in the prelisting period, but tend to disappear in the post listing period. Asymmetric component Threshold Generalized Autoregressive Conditional Heteroscedasticity (TGARCH) models with Generalized Error Distribution (GED) show that the introduction of stock options has led to increased volatility (positive effect) for Greek Telecommunication Organisation, Intracom and National Bank of Greece only (Alpha Bank shows a positive but insignificant effect). We argue that our results provide support to the asymmetric information hypothesis, suggesting that the Greek market has become more efficient after the introduction of stock options.
Special or mainstream? The views of disabled students

This article explores the recent policy concerning the education of disabled children and young people, and the debate of special education versus mainstream inclusion propelled by Warnock. It argues that the formal and informal practices, designed by non‐disabled adults, to facilitate the inclusion of disabled students in mainstream schools may be very similar to those which disabled students perceive as barriers to their full participation in mainstream education. This article presents empirical evidence, divided into three themes, to emphasise disabled children’s individual perceptions and experiences of mainstream and special school, as well as their preferences towards both. In so doing, it suggests that disabled children are not a homogeneous group and constructing them as such often overlooks the diversity and richness of their everyday lives. Further, it highlights the importance of including disabled children and young people in developing policy that impacts their lives.
Perceptions of Physician Order Entry: Results of a Cross-Site Qualitative Study

Summary Objective: To identify perspectives of success factors for implementing computerized physician order entry (POE) in the inpatient setting. Design: Qualitative study by a multidisciplinary team using data from observation, focus groups, and both formal and informal interviews. Data were analyzed using a grounded approach to develop a taxonomy of patterns and themes from the transcripts and field notes. Results: A taxonomy of ten high level themes was developed, including 1) separating POE from other processes, 2) terms, concepts, and connotations, 3) context, 4) tradeoffs, 5) conflicts and contradictions, 6) collaboration and trust, 7) leaders and bridgers, 8) the organization of information, 9) the ongoing nature of implementation, and 10) temporal concerns. Conclusion: The identified success factors indicate that POE implementation is an iterative and difficult process, but informants perceive it is worth the effort.
Estimation of epicardial strain using the motions of coronary bifurcations in biplane cineangiography

A quantitative method for estimating epicardial deformation from the motion of the superficial coronary arteries is described. A structural model of the time-varying surface is constructed using tensor product basis functions which are bicubic Hermite in the spatial domain and sinusoidal in the temporal domain. The locii of the superficial coronary arteries are reconstructed interactively at diastasis and the bifurcations are tracked semiautomatically throughout as cardiac cycle. An initial surface is fitted to the vessels at diastasis and is subsequently deformed under the influence of the bifurcations. The Lagrange-Green strain tensor is used to obtain a complete description of surface strain over the entire region spanned by the model. The calculated deformation field varies smoothly over space and time and is not constrained by assumptions of isotropy or piecewise homogeneity. Results for a single cycle of a human heart are presented. <<ETX>>
Supplemental antioxidants do not ameliorate colitis development in HLA‐B27 transgenic rats despite extremely low glutathione levels in colonic mucosa5

Background: Oxidative stress is presumed to play an important role in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Accordingly, antioxidant supplementation might be protective. Dietary calcium inhibited colitis development in HLA‐B27 transgenic rats, an animal model mimicking IBD. As antioxidants might act at mucosa level and calcium predominantly in the gut lumen, we hypothesize that the combination has additive protective effects on colitis development. Methods: HLA‐B27 rats were fed a control diet or the same diet supplemented with the antioxidants glutathione, vitamin C, and vitamin E, or supplemented with both antioxidants and calcium. Oxidative stress in colonic mucosa, colonic inflammation, intestinal permeability, and diarrhea were quantified. Results: Intestinal permeability, diarrhea, myeloperoxidase, and interleukin‐1&bgr; levels were significantly lower in rats fed both antioxidants and calcium compared to rats supplemented with antioxidants only. No beneficial effects were observed in rats fed the diet supplemented with antioxidants only. Strikingly, despite extremely low colonic mucosal glutathione levels in HLA‐B27 rats, there was no oxidative stress‐related damage. Subsequent analyses showed no defect in expression of glutathione synthesis genes. Additional experiments, comparing young and older HLA‐B27 rats, showed that glutathione levels and also reactive oxygen species production decreased with progression of intestinal inflammation. Conclusions: Antioxidant supplementation was ineffective in HLA‐B27 rats despite low mucosal glutathione levels, because colitis development did not coincide with oxidative stress in this model. This indicates that the neutrophilic respiratory burst, and thus innate immune defense, is compromised in HLA‐B27 rats. As supplementation with both calcium and antioxidants attenuated colitis development, we speculate that this protective effect is attributed to calcium only. (Inflamm Bowel Dis 2011;)
The Effect of Timing of Ondansetron Administration in Outpatients Undergoing Otolaryngologic Surgery

A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study was designed to compare the relative efficacy of prophylactic ondansetron, 4 mg intravenously (IV), when administered before induction of anesthesia or at the end of surgery to an outpatient population at high risk of developing postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV). Patients undergoing otolaryngologic surgery were randomly assigned to one of three different treatment groups: Group I (placebo) received saline 5 mL prior to induction of anesthesia and again at the end of surgery; Group II received ondansetron 4 mg in 5 mL prior to induction of anesthesia and saline 5 mL at the end of surgery; and Group III received saline 5 mL prior to induction of anesthesia and ondansetron 4 mg at the end of surgery. All patients received the same general anesthetic technique. A standardized regimen of rescue antiemetics was administered in the recovery room to patients with >or=to2 emetic episodes or at the patient's request for persistent nausea. Episodes of nausea and vomiting, as well as the need for rescue antiemetics, were recorded for 24 h after the operation. The incidences of nausea and emesis in the recovery room after prophylactic ondansetron, 4 mg IV, administered either before induction (68% and 20%, respectively) or at the end of surgery (60% and 4%, respectively) were not significantly decreased compared to the placebo control group (80% and 12%, respectively). However, when ondansetron was administered at the end of the operation, it significantly reduced the need for rescue antiemetics in the recovery room (36% vs 64% in the control group). The postanesthesia care unit and hospital discharge times were similar in all three study groups. One patient in Group II and one patient in Group III were hospitalized because of intractable symptoms related to PONV. After discharge from the ambulatory surgery unit, the incidence of nausea, vomiting, and the need for rescue antiemetic drugs were similar in all three treatment groups. In conclusion, ondansetron (4 mg IV) was more effective in reducing the need for rescue antiemetics in the recovery room when administered at the end versus prior to the start of otolaryngologic surgery. Therefore, when ondansetron is used for antiemetic prophylaxis in outpatients undergoing otolaryngologic procedures, it should be administered at the end of the operation rather than prior to induction of anesthesia. (Anesth Analg 1997;84:331-6)
Gender and managerial coaching across cultures: female managers are coaching more

Despite the increasing popularity of managerial coaching in organizations worldwide, little is known with regard to how gender and culture may affect managerial behavior. The present study is the first empirical study on managerial coaching on a global scale. Based on social role theory, role congruity theory, and cross-cultural theory, we first expect female leaders to engage in more coaching behavior than male leaders. Second, we expect that male leadership, particularly coaching behavior, is more influenced by societal culture than female leadership. Survey data were obtained from more than 600,000 employees, assessing coaching behavior of more than 130,000 practicing managers from 51 countries/areas. Results support both expectations. Taken together, this study has advanced our empirical and theoretical understanding of managerial coaching on a global scale.
The Neural Correlates of Object Familiarity and Domain Specificity in the Human Visual Cortex: An fMRI Study

Ventral occipito-temporal cortex is known to play a major role in visual object recognition. Still unknown is whether object familiarity and semantic domain are critical factors in its functional organization. Most models assume a functional locus where exemplars of familiar categories are represented: the structural description system. On the assumption that familiarity should modulate the effect of visual noise on form recognition, we attempted to individualize the structural description system by scanning healthy subjects while they looked at familiar (living and nonliving things) and novel 3-D objects, either with increasing or decreasing visual noise. Familiarity modulated the visual noise effect (particularly when familiar items were living things), revealing a substrate for the structural description system in right occipito-temporal cortex. These regions also responded preferentially to living as compared to nonliving items. Overall, these results suggest that living items are particularly reliant on the structural description system.
Accounts of Sustainable Development: The Construction of Meaning within Environmental Reporting

This paper seeks to explore how the concept of sustainable development has been written about by United Kingdom corporations in their environmental reports. This paper draws on the accounting literature which characterises explores how an account of a phenomena socially constructs our understanding of the phenomena. In addition, how such accounts emerge from an interplay of social forces is also considered. A semiotic based analysis is used attempt to categorise and explain disclosures regarding sustainable development found in UK corporate environmental reports for the period 1991 to 1996. Four areas are focused on in order to dissect the nature of the accounts constructed: (i) what definitions of sustainability are visible and which bodies champion the concept in environmental report disclosures? (ii) what detailed statements are corporations making with regard to sustainability? (iii) what longer term requirements for sustainability are highlighted in environmental reports? and (iv) to what extent are corporations expressing views on the implementation of sustainable development which suggests that radical changes need to be made to business activities? Broadly speaking, the results of the analysis suggest that corporate disclosures are heavily influenced by the ICC's Business Charter for Sustainable Development and that the conceptions of sustainability which emerge in the reports are partial. In particular, environmental elements of sustainability are being emphasised at the expense of its social elements and there is very limited recognition of the radical nature of sustainable development. There are, however, some organisations who provide more radical accounts of what sustainability may entail and these accounts are in stark contrast to the mainstream picture of sustainability. Further, implicit within the accounts of sustainability examined are a range of ideological commitments which provide an insight into the assumptions business makes when it considered the implications of sustainable development as a policy goal. We conclude this paper by suggesting that these are commitments which will require further consideration if business is to engage with the sustainable development agenda.
Atrial natriuretic peptide and long-acting natriuretic peptide inhibit ras in human prostate cancer cells.

BACKGROUND Atrial natriuretic peptide and long-acting natriuretic peptide have anticancer effects in human prostate adenocarcinoma. MATERIALS AND METHODS The effects of atrial natriuretic peptide and long-acting natriuretic peptide and cyclic GMP on Ras were examined in human prostate adenocarcinoma cells. RESULTS Atrial natriuretic peptide and long-acting natriuretic peptide reduced the activation of Ras-GTP over a concentration range of 0.01 microM to 1 microM. Atrial natriuretic peptide and long-acting natriuretic peptide (each 0.1 microM) inhibited the phosphorylation of Ras 90% (p<0.0001) and 83% (p<0.0001), respectively. At 0.01 microM of long-acting natriuretic peptide, the maximal inhibition was 89%, which occurred within 5 minutes. Both peptide hormones inhibited Ras for 24 hours. Their ability to inhibit Ras was inhibited by cyclic GMP antibody and cyclic GMP itself inhibited Ras phosphorylation (72%; p=0.009). CONCLUSION Atrial natriuretic peptide and long-acting natriuretic peptide both inhibit Ras partially mediated via cyclic GMP as part of their anticancer mechanism(s) of action.
Social welfare and marine reserves: Is willingness to pay for conservation dependent on management process? A discrete choice experiment of the ningaloo marine park in australia

The creation of a marine reserve network is an active area of policy in Australia. Here, a discrete choice experiment is used to estimate how the community values the ecology of the Ningaloo Marine Park, with a view to understanding the drivers of social welfare in relation to marine conservation. A novel aspect of this research is that it not only considers the values people hold for conservation outcomes, but also their preferences for how those outcomes are achieved. The results indicate that management process does have an impact on individuals’ preferences for conservation. By considering management process within the choice model, we gain a richer understanding of the relationship between social welfare and marine conservation. La creation d'un reseau de reserves marines est un secteur de politique actif en Australie. Dans la presente etude, nous avons utilise un modele de choix discrets pour estimer l'importance que la communaute accorde a l'ecologie du parc marin de Ningaloo et pour comprendre les elements du bien-etre collectif par rapport a la conservation marine. Cette etude comporte un nouvel aspect, en ce sens qu'elle ne tient pas compte uniquement de la valeur que la communaute accorde aux resultats de la conservation, mais aussi de leurs preferences quant aux moyens mis en œuvre pour les obtenir. Les resultats de notre etude indiquent que le processus de gestion a un impact sur les preferences des individus en matiere de conservation. Le fait d'inclure le processus de gestion dans le modele de choix discrets permet de mieux comprendre le lien qui existe entre le bien-etre collectif et la conservation marine.
Blood Glucose Prediction Using Stochastic Modeling in Neonatal Intensive Care

Hyperglycemia is a common metabolic problem in premature, low-birth-weight infants. Blood glucose homeostasis in this group is often disturbed by immaturity of endogenous regulatory systems and the stress of their condition in intensive care. A dynamic model capturing the fundamental dynamics of the glucose regulatory system provides a measure of insulin sensitivity (SI). Forecasting the most probable future SI can significantly enhance real-time glucose control by providing a clinically validated/proven level of confidence on the outcome of an intervention, and thus, increased safety against hypoglycemia. A 2-D kernel model of SI is fitted to 3567 h of identified, time-varying SI from retrospective clinical data of 25 neonatal patients with birth gestational age 23 to 28.9 weeks. Conditional probability estimates are used to determine SI probability intervals. A lag-2 stochastic model and adjustments of the variance estimator are used to explore the bias-variance tradeoff in the hour-to-hour variation of SI. The model captured 62.6% and 93.4% of in-sample SI predictions within the (25th-75th) and (5th-95th) probability forecast intervals. This overconservative result is also present on the cross-validation cohorts and in the lag-2 model. Adjustments to the variance estimator found a reduction to 10%-50% of the original value provided optimal coverage with 54.7% and 90.9% in the (25th-75th) and (5th-95th) intervals. A stochastic model of SI provided conservative forecasts, which can add a layer of safety to real-time control. Adjusting the variance estimator provides a more accurate, cohort-specific stochastic model of SI dynamics in the neonate.