Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The effect of a bidding restriction on the audit services market

Central to debates about the audit services market is the effect of competition on auditor performance. The economic performance of auditors has been examined in studies of pricing, labor allocation, and concentration statistics. The purpose of this study is to document the price and quality effects of an unusual state-mandated market restriction that required nonprice competition and prohibited price competition among auditors. We adopt an industrial organization perspective, with particular emphasis on capture theory. Specifically, we analyze Section 473.317, Florida Statutes (Rule 21A24.03, Florida Administrative Code), which mandated that proposals to perform an audit not include fee information1 and specified the procedure to be used to select an external auditor. Basically, an auditee was required to rank prospective auditors in order of nonprice preference and
Childhood trauma and pain and pain catastrophizing in adulthood: a cross-sectional survey study.

OBJECTIVE Previous studies have indicated relationships between trauma in childhood and pain in adulthood, although some studies have reported no such relationships and challenge the methodologies of large-scale community samples. In this study involving a clinical sample, we examined relationships among (1) childhood trauma at ages 12 or younger, (2) rated pain for 3 time points in adulthood, and (3) pain catastrophizing (ie, catastrophic thoughts and feelings about pain). METHOD Using a cross-sectional approach and a self-report survey methodology in a consecutive sample of adult internal medicine outpatients (n = 243), we examined relationships among 5 types of childhood trauma (witnessing violence, physical neglect, emotional abuse, physical abuse, and sexual abuse); ratings of pain now, over the past month, and over the past year; and scores on the Pain Catastrophizing Scale (PCS) and its subscales (rumination, magnification, and helplessness). Data were collected in November 2012. RESULTS In univariate analyses, nearly all types of childhood trauma statistically significantly (P < .01) correlated with all self-ratings of pain, as well as the total PCS score and scores on the subscales of the PCS, with a few exceptions involving physical neglect, which demonstrated a weaker relationship. In multivariate analyses, emotional abuse (standardized β = 0.17, t = 2.37, P < .05) and sexual abuse (standardized β = 0.16, t = 2.26, P < .05) were uniquely predictive of the summed ratings of pain for each participant, and emotional abuse uniquely predicted catastrophic thoughts and feelings about pain (standardized β = 0.32, t = 4.58, P < .001). CONCLUSIONS In this clinical sample of adult outpatients, there were clear relationships between childhood trauma and all forms of pain assessment and pain catastrophizing. We discuss possible explanations and implications of these findings.
A Novel Reproductive Peptide, Phoenixin

Normal anterior pituitary function is essential for fertility. Release from the gland of the reproductive hormones luteinising hormone and follicle‐stimulating hormone is regulated primarily by hypothalamically‐derived gonadotrophin‐releasing hormone (GnRH), although other releasing factors (RF) have been postulated to exist. Using a bioinformatic approach, we have identified a novel peptide, phoenixin, that regulates pituitary gonadotrophin secretion by modulating the expression of the GnRH receptor, an action with physiologically relevant consequences. Compromise of phoenixin in vivo using small interfering RNA resulted in the delayed appearance of oestrus and a reduction in GnRH receptor expression in the pituitary. Phoenixin may represent a new class of hypothalamically‐derived pituitary priming factors that sensitise the pituitary to the action of other RFs, rather than directly stimulating the fusion of secretary vesicles to pituitary membranes.
Bone loss in long-term renal transplantation: histopathology and densitometry analysis.

BACKGROUND There is little information of the spectrum and factors implicated in the bone loss in long-term renal transplantation, and virtually no data using both histomorphometric and densitometric analysis. METHODS Twenty-three males and 22 females (13 postmenopausal) were studied with a bone biopsy and densitometry. Sixteen patients were on cyclosporine A monotherapy, 20 on azathioprine + prednisolone, and 9 on cyclosporine A + prednisolone or triple therapy. The mean time after transplantation was 127 +/- 70 months. RESULTS No group had a significant decrease in bone mineral density (BMD) of the axial skeleton compared with an age- and sex-matched normal population. Compared with sex-matched young controls, osteopenia was observed in all groups at the femoral neck (except premenopausal women and triple therapy) and in the triple-therapy group at the L1-L4 spine region. At the distal radius, osteopenia was found in all the groups. Histopathological diagnosis was mixed uremic osteodystrophy in 46.5%, adynamic bone in 23.2%, hyperparathyroid disease in 13.9%, and normal bone in 16.3%. The diagnosis was not different according to immunosuppressive therapy, but men tended to show more mixed uremic bone disease. There was no significant difference in BMD between histopathological subtypes. In general, patients showed slight osteoclast function increase, osteoblast function decrease, and marked retardation of dynamic parameters. The cyclosporine A monotherapy group had a significantly lower appositional rate than azathioprine + prednisolone. Men had a significantly lower bone volume than women, and premenopausal women had a significantly lower mineralizing surface than postmenopausal women and men. In the multivariate analysis, male gender, time after transplantation, old age, and time on dialysis prior to transplantation were significant predictive factors for a negative effect on bone mass. CONCLUSIONS Long-term renal transplant-patients showed reduced BMD in both trabecular and cortical bone. This reduction in BMD was not as severe as in short-term reports and was associated with osteoclast stimulation, osteoblast suppression, and retardation of mineral apposition and bone formation rates. Bone mass loss was not different between the immunosuppression therapy groups. Male gender and age were the strongest predictive factors for low bone mass.
Ionotropic receptors signal host recognition in the salmon louse (Lepeophtheirus salmonis, Copepoda)

A remarkable feature of many parasites is a high degree of host specificity but the mechanisms behind are poorly understood. A major challenge for parasites is to identify and infect a suitable host. Many species show a high degree of host specificity, being able to survive only on one or a few related host species. To facilitate transmission, parasite’s behavior and reproduction has been fine tuned to maximize the likelihood of infection of a suitable host. For some species chemical cues that trigger or attract the parasite in question have been identified but how metazoan parasites themselves receive these signals remains unknown. In the present study we show that ionotropic receptors (IRs) in the salmon louse are likely responsible for identification of a specific host. By using RNAi to knock down the expression level of different co-receptors, a significant change of infectivity and settlement of lice larvae was achieved on Atlantic salmon. More remarkably, knock down of the IRs changed the host specificity of the salmon louse and lice larvae settled at a significant rate on host that the wild type lice rejected within minutes. To our knowledge, this has never before been demonstrated for any metazoan parasite. Our results show that the parasites are able to identify the host quickly upon settlement, settle and initiate the parasitic life style if they are on the right host. This novel discovery opens up for utilizing the host recognition system for future parasite control.
Differences in the incidence rate of coronary heart disease between north and south European cohorts of the Seven Countries Study as partially explained by risk factors.

The mean values of risk factors have been examined, together with expected incidences of coronary heart disease, in the North and South European cohorts of the Seven Countries Study. The characteristics of the cohorts were markedly different. The differences in incidence which may be attributable to the levels of specific risk factors or groups of factors have been quantified. Serum cholesterol was shown to be the only really important factor in the different incidences. It is suggested that major risk factors exist other than the standard widely-used blood pressure, smoking, cholesterol and age, which accounted for approximately 50% of the different incidence between North and South European cohorts.
Analysis of a gap-coupled microstrip line leaky-wave antenna

In this work two models are described to characterize one-dimensional arrays of metallic patches on a grounded dielectric substrate. Both representations are based on a simple unit-cell equivalent network, which takes into account radiation from the periodic gap discontinuity through a lumped resistive element. The radiation conductance of the gap is derived by considering two different quasi-analytical approaches and is calculated numerically as a function of the frequency and of the geometrical and physical parameters of the structure. The Bloch-wave dispersion behavior obtained through the proposed equivalent network is shown to be in excellent agreement with the full-wave analysis.
A Comparative Study of Efficacy and Safety of Agomelatine and Escitalopram in Major Depressive Disorder.

BACKGROUND Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a mental disorder characterized by episodes of depressed mood, loss of interest or pleasure, feeling of guilt or low self-esteem, loss of energy, altered sleep patterns and difficulty in concentration. OBJECTIVE This study was carried out to compare the efficacy and safety of Agomelatine with Escitalopram in the treatment of major depressive disorder. DESIGN AND SETTING This is a prospective study conducted at Outpatient Department of Psychiatry, GSL Medical College & General hospital, Rajahmundry, India. MATERIALS AND METHODS Patients with newly diagnosed major depressive disorder (DSM-IV-TR) with minimum score of 20 in Hamilton depression rating scale were randomly assigned Agomelatine (25-50 mg/day) or Escitalopram (10-20 mg/day) for a period of 8 weeks. The main efficacy outcome considered was the mean change of HAM-D17 score from baseline to end of therapy. Secondary outcome measures were Clinical Global Impressions-improvement (CGI) and severity (CGI-S) rating scales. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS Student t-test was used for comparing the groups and chi-square test was used for assessing the qualitative variables. For all statistical analysis p<0.05 was considered statistically significant. RESULTS The drugs under study effectively reduced depressive symptoms at all the time points. The percentage of responders at 8weeks (last post baseline value) was 65.38% with Agomelatine and 57.40% with Escitalopram. The difference between the drugs was statistically not significant in all evaluations (p>0.05). The mean CGI-S and CGI-I scores were decreased in both the groups (p<0.05) and there was no statistically significant difference between the groups at any assessment during the study period. Both the treatment groups showed favourable safety profile. CONCLUSION The study results supported that Agomelatine is therapeutically similar to Escitalopram in terms of antidepressant effect.
Promoting Social Support: The Impact of California's "Friends Can be Good Medicine" Campaign

Increasing recognition of the importance of social support for health has not been accompanied by commensurate increases in knowledge about how to strengthen natural support networks on a large scale. This study evaluated the impact of California's innovative "Friends Can Be Good Medicine" public education campaign in promoting social support. Campaign impact was as sessed with pre-, post-, and long-term follow-up interviews with a panel sample of 340 adults in the six county Fresno media market area. Comparisons of exposed and unexposed individuals found that the campaign appeared to have measurable impact on knowledge, attitudes, behavioral intentions, and support enhancing behavior. Follow-up interviews indicated that these gains maintained themselves over the course of a year. The campaign was most effective when it utilized multiple channels of communication. In Fresno City, where there was the most intensive combination of community activities and media exposure, respondents indicating substantial likelihood of engaging in support enhancing behavior increased from 42% to 59% compared to smaller gains in areas which relied primarily on community implementation, and no gains in areas where exposure to the campaign was limited to mass media. The campaign appeared particularly effective with people who had experienced the death of someone close to them during the past year, and within that group, gains were largest among respondents below average in initial levels of social support.
VEGF‐induced paracellular permeability in cultured endothelial cells involves urokinase and its receptor

Vascular endothelial growth factor/vascular permeability factor (VEGF) has been implicated in blood/tissue barrier dysfunctions associated with pathological angiogenesis, but the mechanisms of VEGF‐induced permeability increase are poorly understood. Here, the role of VEGF‐induced extracellular proteolytic activities on the endothelial cell permeability increase is evaluated. Confluent monolayers of bovine retinal microvascular endothelial (BRE) cells grown on porous membrane were treated with VEGF or urokinase plasminogen activator (uPA), and permeability changes were analyzed. uPA‐induced permeability was rapid and sustained, but VEGF‐induced permeability showed a biphasic pattern: a rapid and transient phase (1–2 h) followed by delayed and sustained phase (6–24 h). The delayed, but not the early phase of VEGF‐induced permeability, was blocked by anti‐uPA or anti‐uPAR (uPA receptor) antibodies and was accompanied by reduced transendothelial electrical resistance, indicating the paracellular route of permeability. Confocal microscopy and Western blotting showed that VEGF treatment increased free cytosolic β‐catenin, which was followed by β‐catenin nuclear translocation, upregulation of uPAR, and downregulation of occludin. Membrane‐bound occludin was released immediately after uPA treatment, but with a long delay after VEGF treatment, suggesting a requirement for uPAR gene expression. In conclusion, VEGF induces a sustained paracellular permeability in capillary endothelial cells that is mediated by activation of the uPA/uPAR system.
Control of High Affinity Interactions in the Talin C Terminus

In cell-extracellular matrix junctions (focal adhesions), the cytoskeletal protein talin is central to the connection of integrins to the actin cytoskeleton. Talin is thought to mediate this connection via its two integrin, (at least) three actin, and several vinculin binding sites. The binding sites are cryptic in the head-to-rod autoinhibited cytoplasmic form of the protein and require (stepwise) conformational activation. This activation process, however, remains poorly understood, and there are contradictory models with respect to the determinants of adhesion site localization. Here, we report turnover rates and protein-protein interactions in a range of talin rod domain constructs varying in helix bundle structure. We conclude that several bundles of the C terminus cooperate to regulate targeting and concomitantly tailor high affinity interactions of the talin rod in cell adhesions. Intrinsic control of ligand binding activities is essential for the coordination of adhesion site function of talin.
Toward an Automated Setup for Magnetic Induction Tomography

Magnetic induction tomography is a noncontact electromagnetic imaging technique that has potential applications in security, industry, and medicine. This paper describes an automated setup developed to image metallic objects. The instrument employs a pair of coils in the Helmholtz configuration for the driving field and a planar array of 400 sensor coils. The sample object is imaged via phase variation measurements between the driver and sensor coils' potential difference, due to inductive coupling between the coils and sample object. The imaging system is automated via LabVIEW. A multiplexer with 400 channels automatically connects each sensor coil to a dual-phase lock-in amplifier, so that measurements of voltage phase-difference between the sensor and driver coils could be taken. These measurements were used to generate an image of the sample object. The planar geometry of the sensor coil array makes the system scalable to a full 3-D imaging system, by simply adding two more driver and sensor assemblies orthogonally to the existing one. However, this requires the ability to image objects at a finite distance from the array plane. An experiment was conducted to explore the imaging capability for various heights of sample-lift-off above the array. This proved that the system is scalable to a full 3-D imaging system.
The length of spells of unemployment in ireland

This paper examines the average length of a spell of unemployment in the Irish Republic. The analysis is conducted using two measures, one emphasising the flow of persons into unemployment and the other concentrating on the stock of currently unemployed individuals. These measures imply long average durations for the unemployed in Ireland both in absolute terms and relative to their British counterparts. Some of the traditional structural aspects of Irish unemployment, i.e., the high proportion of unskilled, elderly or regionally disadvantaged persons among the unemployed, provide a partial explanation of these long spell lengths. he unemployment rate is typical ly used as an indicator of labour market X conditions. However, i t is an ambiguous indicator since a given annual average unemployment rate could be consistent bo th w i t h a large number of persons unemployed for short durations and a much smaller number unem­ ployed for very long periods of t ime. To overcome this ambiguity economists have in recent years focused on the length of a typical spell of unemployment. The measures of the average duration of unemployment which have emerged are the subject of this paper. The next section contains a brief review of the literature on unemployment duration. Section I I I applies the measures of spell length to Irish data and Section I V looks at some additional informat ion on the characteristics of the long-term unemployed. I I N T R O D U C T I O N *This study was undertaken when the author was a Research Assistant at the Economic and Social Research Institute, Dublin. The author wishes to thank J . Devereux, G. Hughes, B. Walsh and T. Corcoran and two anonymous referees for helpful comments. The usual disclaimer applies. I I S U M M A R Y MEASURES OF U N E M P L O Y M E N T D U R A T I O N I n the literature on unemployment durat ion, three measures o f spell length have emerged. The relationship between these three statistics can best be illustrated w i t h the aid o f Figure 1 which is adapted f rom a similar diagram contained i n Salant (1977). 1 Past Figure 1: The Length of Unemployment Spellsl
Effect of sulphur on growth, productivity and economics of aerobic rice (Oryza sativa)

A field experiment on rice (Oryza sativa L.)–wheat [Triticum aestivum (L.) emend. Fiori & Paol. ] cropping system was conducted during the rainy season (kharif) of 2010 and 2011 with 5 treatments in rice (viz. control and 30 and 60 kg S/ha each through gypsum and phosphogypsum) and 3 treatments in wheat (viz. 0, 15 and 30 kg S/ha through elemental sulphur) at New Delhi. Irrespective of the sources, sulphur application had a positive and significant influence on growth parameters, sulphur uptake, sulphur-use efficiency, yield attributes and grain yield of aerobic rice. The sulphur uptake by grain and straw of rice increased with sulphur applied through gypsum or phosphogypsum. The highest agronomic efficiency, crop-recovery efficiency and physiological efficiency was observed with S applied @ 30 kg S/ha through gypsum. Averaged across 2 years, application of sulphur through gypsum @ 30 kg S/ha, gypsum @ 60 kg S/ha, phosphogypsum @ 30 kg S/ha and phosphogypsum @ 60 kg S/ha increased the grain yield of rice by 9.5, 11.2, 8.7 and 10.7% respectively, over the control (no sulphur). However, significant response to sulphur was observed only up to 30 kg S/ha applied through either of the sources. Sulphur application @ 60 kg S/ha gave the highest net returns but statistically not superior to 30 kg S/ha. The highest benefit: cost ratio was recorded with application of sulphur @ 30 kg/ha through gypsum.
Effects of endurance exercise and half-bath on body composition, cardiorespiratory system, and arterial pulse wave velocity in men with intellectual disabilities

[Purpose] The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of endurance exercise and half-bath on body composition, cardiorespiratory system, and arterial pulse wave velocity of men with intellectual disabilities. [Subjects and Methods] Twenty-four men with intellectual disabilities, but capable of learning, were randomly assigned to aerobic exercise (N=8), half-bath (N=8), or control (N=8) treatment groups. Over the 12-week treatment period, the aerobic exercise group did treadmill and stationary bicycle. The half-bath treatment group was placed in a sitting position in a 39–40°C bath for 10 minutes. [Results] The aerobic exercise group showed a significant decrease in body fat than those in the half-bath and control groups. In addition, there was an increase in the respiratory system of the aerobic exercise group but no increase in the half-bath and control groups. The arterial pulse wave velocity change was greatest in the aerobic exercise group, but the half-bath group also showed a velocity change from that in the control group. [Conclusion] Aerobic exercise and a half-bath can have positive effects on improving body composition, respiratory system, and vascular function of people with intellectual disabilities.
Rethinking Organic Aerosols: Semivolatile Emissions and Photochemical Aging

Most primary organic-particulate emissions are semivolatile; thus, they partially evaporate with atmospheric dilution, creating substantial amounts of low-volatility gas-phase material. Laboratory experiments show that photo-oxidation of diesel emissions rapidly generates organic aerosol, greatly exceeding the contribution from known secondary organic-aerosol precursors. We attribute this unexplained secondary organic-aerosol production to the oxidation of low-volatility gas-phase species. Accounting for partitioning and photochemical processing of primary emissions creates a more regionally distributed aerosol and brings model predictions into better agreement with observations. Controlling organic particulate-matter concentrations will require substantial changes in the approaches that are currently used to measure and regulate emissions.
2-Maximum spanning fuzzy values-based splitting: an iterative clustering algorithm

Clustering has always been an important research topic that plays an important role in a broad range of applications, from information retrieval to CRM (Customer Relationship Management). It can be described as the process of dividing or grouping a set of data into classes of similar objects. The main goal of this paper is to develop an enhanced fuzzy clustering algorithm which determines the optimal number of clusters based on the detection of the two maximum values to split the worst clusters. For this, we use a new method incrementing the number of clusters in the main loop of an iterative clustering algorithm. Experimental results and comparisons are given to illustrate the performance of the new splitting method compared to the iterative one.