Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
THE EFFECT OF SOLID AND POROUS CHANNEL WALLS ON STEADY SWIMMING OF STEELHEAD TROUT ONCORHYNCHUS MYKISS

Kinematics and steady swimming performance were recorded for steelhead trout (approximately 12.2 cm in total length) swimming in channels 4.5, 3 and 1.6 cm wide in the centre of a flume 15 cm wide. Channel walls were solid or porous. Tail-beat depth and the length of the propulsive wave were not affected by spacing of either solid or porous walls. The product of tail-beat frequency, F, and amplitude, H, was related to swimming speed, u, and to harmonic mean distance of the tail from the wall, z. For solid walls: FH = 1.01(+/−0.31)u0.67(+/−0.09)z(0.12+/−0.02) and for grid walls: FH = 0.873(+/−0.302)u0.74(+/−0.08)z0.064(+/−0.024), where +/−2 s.e. are shown for regression coefficients. Thus, rates of working were smaller for fish swimming between solid walls, but the reduction due to wall effects decreased with increasing swimming speed. Porous grid walls had less effect on kinematics, except at low swimming speeds. Spacing of solid walls did not affect maximum tail-beat frequency, but maximum tail-beat amplitude decreased with smaller wall widths. Maximum tail-beat amplitude similarly decreased with spacing between grid walls, but maximum tail-beat frequency increased. Walls also reduced maximum swimming speed. Wall effects have not been adequately taken into account in most studies of fish swimming in flumes and fish wheels.
Cattle with flighty temperaments have increased muscle glycogen in the longissimus thoracis et lumborum at slaughter compared to calm cattle

This study measured the effect of cattle temperament on plasma lactate, muscle glycogen and muscle lactate at slaughter in commercial (n=547) and research (n=101) lot fed cattle. Temperament was measured using flight speed (FS) at induction into the feedlot for the commercial cattle, and at weaning for the research cattle. Muscle samples taken at slaughter from the semimembranosus (SM), semitendinosus (ST) and the longissimus thoracis et lumborum (LTL) were analysed for total muscle glycogen and lactate concentration. Blood was collected after exsanguination and analyzed for plasma lactate. As FS increased from 1 to 5 m/s, plasma and muscle lactate concentration increased by 44 and 11% respectively (P<0.05). On the contrary, as FS increased from 1 to 5 m/s, muscle glycogen concentration increased by 19% in the LTL muscle (P<0.05), but there was no effect in the SM or ST. The higher plasma and muscle lactate concentrations of the flighty cattle suggests they mobilize more muscle glycogen immediately before slaughter, but this did not influence total muscle glycogen concentration at slaughter. Thus in this study, it is apparent that flighty cattle are at lower risk of dark cutting, although the mechanisms through which animal temperament delivers variation in glycogen metabolism remain unclear.
17-β-Estradiol Inhibits Transforming Growth Factor-β Signaling and Function in Breast Cancer Cells via Activation of Extracellular Signal-Regulated Kinase through the G Protein-Coupled Receptor 30

Breast cancer development and breast cancer progression involves the deregulation of growth factors leading to uncontrolled cellular proliferation, invasion and metastasis. Transforming growth factor (TGF)-β plays a crucial role in breast cancer because it has the potential to act as either a tumor suppressor or a pro-oncogenic chemokine. A cross-communication between the TGF-β signaling network and estrogens has been postulated, which is important for breast tumorigenesis. Here, we provide evidence that inhibition of TGF-β signaling is associated with a rapid estrogen-dependent nongenomic action. Moreover, we were able to demonstrate that estrogens disrupt the TGF-β signaling network as well as TGF-β functions in breast cancer cells via the G protein-coupled receptor 30 (GPR30). Silencing of GPR30 in MCF-7 cells completely reduced the ability of 17-β-estradiol (E2) to inhibit the TGF-β pathway. Likewise, in GPR30-deficient MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells, E2 achieved the ability to suppress TGF-β signaling only after transfection with GPR30-encoding plasmids. It is most interesting that the antiestrogen fulvestrant (ICI 182,780), which possesses agonistic activity at the GPR30, also diminished TGF-β signaling. Further experiments attempted to characterize the molecular mechanism by which activated GPR30 inhibits the TGF-β pathway. Our results indicate that GPR30 induces the stimulation of the mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs), which interferes with the activation of Smad proteins. Inhibition of MAPK activity prevented the ability of E2 from suppressing TGF-β signaling. These findings are of great clinical relevance, because down-regulation of TGF-β signaling is associated with the development of breast cancer resistance in response to antiestrogens.
Deep Listening: Practicing Intellectual Humility in Geographic Fieldwork

ABSTRACT The political and ethical quandaries of the “crisis of representation” that beset the social sciences from the 1980s on continue to reverberate in how geographers conduct their research today. Illustrated with two vignettes from my research in the UAE and Kazakhstan, this article explores the idea of “deep listening” as a methodological tack and mindset to guide geographic fieldwork, rooted in intellectual humility. Deep listening involves a critical reflexivity about our subject positions as researchers, as well as a suspicion of metanarratives that prevail in the media and academic debates, and a willingness to question our complicity in reproducing those narratives through our choice of research topics and methods. Deep listening is ultimately a way of practicing intellectual humility - which involves accepting that we could be incorrect at many levels, whether theoretical, factual, emotional, social, cultural, or political, and seeking out opportunities to change our mind.
Efficiency and Equity Implications of Carbon Tax in the Construction Industry

With an increasing American public desire to regulate carbon emissions from stationary and dynamic sources, and with more states adopting green energy and building legislation as an effort towards green environment initiative, there are imperative needs to evaluate the efficiency and equity implications of using market based mechanisms to reduce carbon emissions in the construction and facility management industry. After all, the facility construction and operation consist of more than one third of carbon emissions in the U.S. This paper develops models of market supply, price, capacity, and technology selection on a duopoly market structure to address these research questions. The U.S. housing market is used for theoretical analysis of emission reductions and industry fairness effects of carbon regulatory policies, e.g. carbon tax and pricing. The Nash-Cournot Equilibrium is determined to assess the behavior of the various sizes of builders. The analysis shows that 1) carbon tax will be an effective policy in terms of reducing emissions effectively and avoiding large fluctuation of the construction industry; 2) effects implications of the carbon regulations on small contractors are greater than large ones; 3) house market price will rise as a result of carbon tax and will be shared by contractors and customers; and 4) the reduction of carbon emissions is primarily due to the adoption of available cost-efficient technologies.
Structural studies demonstrating a bacteriophage-like replication cycle of the eukaryote-infecting Paramecium bursaria chlorella virus-1

A fundamental stage in viral infection is the internalization of viral genomes in host cells. Although extensively studied, the mechanisms and factors responsible for the genome internalization process remain poorly understood. Here we report our observations, derived from diverse imaging methods on genome internalization of the large dsDNA Paramecium bursaria chlorella virus-1 (PBCV-1). Our studies reveal that early infection stages of this eukaryotic-infecting virus occurs by a bacteriophage-like pathway, whereby PBCV-1 generates a hole in the host cell wall and ejects its dsDNA genome in a linear, base-pair-by-base-pair process, through a membrane tunnel generated by the fusion of the virus internal membrane with the host membrane. Furthermore, our results imply that PBCV-1 DNA condensation that occurs shortly after infection probably plays a role in genome internalization, as hypothesized for the infection of some bacteriophages. The subsequent perforation of the host photosynthetic membranes presumably enables trafficking of viral genomes towards host nuclei. Previous studies established that at late infection stages PBCV-1 generates cytoplasmic organelles, termed viral factories, where viral assembly takes place, a feature characteristic of many large dsDNA viruses that infect eukaryotic organisms. PBCV-1 thus appears to combine a bacteriophage-like mechanism during early infection stages with a eukaryotic-like infection pathway in its late replication cycle.
Money Demand and Supply in Saudi Arabia: An Empirical Analysis.

The main objectives of this study are: Firstly, to provide a clear picture of the Saudi money market in terms of its main characteristics, its financial institutions and the obstacles facing the market and its financial institutions. Secondly, to determine appropriate money demand functions for different money definitions in Saudi Arabia, using quarterly data which run from 1976:1 to 1986:4, and to test the stability and forcasting power of these functions. Thirdly, to determine theoretically and empirically the factors affecting the money supply in Saudi Arabia using annual data which run from 1967 to 1987. Finally, to determine empirically the factors affecting the Riyal market interest rate (domestic interest rate), using quarterly data which run from 1979:1 to 1988:2.
Cochlear implants in adults and children.

OBJECTIVE To provide clinicians and other health care providers with a current consensus on the benefits, limitations, and technical and safety issues that need to be considered in the use of cochlear implants. PARTICIPANTS A non-Federal, nonadvocate, 14-member consensus panel representing the fields of otolaryngology, audiology, speech-language pathology, pediatrics, psychology, and education and including a public representative. In addition, 24 experts in auditory anatomy and physiology, otolaryngology, audiology, aural rehabilitation, education, speech-language pathology, and bioengineering presented data to the consensus panel and a conference audience of 650. EVIDENCE The literature was searched through Medline and an extensive bibliography of references was provided to the panel and the conference audience. Experts prepared abstracts with relevant citations from the literature. Scientific evidence was given precedence over clinical anecdotal experience. CONSENSUS The panel, answering predefined consensus questions, developed its conclusions based on the scientific evidence presented in open forum and the scientific literature. CONSENSUS STATEMENT The panel composed a draft statement that was read in its entirety and circulated to the experts and the audience for comment. Thereafter, the panel resolved conflicting recommendations and released a revised statement at the end of the conference. The panel finalized the revisions within a few weeks after the conference. CONCLUSIONS Cochlear implantation improves communication ability in most adults with severe to profound deafness and frequently leads to positive psychological and social benefits as well. Currently, children at least 2 years old and adults with profound deafness are candidates for implantation. Cochlear implant candidacy should be extended to adults with severe hearing impairment and open-set sentence discrimination that is less than or equal to 30 percent in the best aided condition. Access to optimal education and (re)habilitation services is important for adults and is critical for children to maximize the benefits available from cochlear implantation.
Weighted Radon transform for line detection in noisy images

Abstract. In the practice of line detection applications based on Radon transform (RT), noise and clutter decrease the sharpness of the RT local peaks, which correspond to linear edges in the original image. We suggest a new approach to line detection on gray-scale images using the so-called weighted Radon transform (WRT). The proposed WRT-based approach exploits gradient direction information in such a way that only the gradient component perpendicular to the line direction is integrated to form a local peak corresponding to the line. Theoretical and experimental studies have shown the effectiveness of the suggested WRT-based line detection method.
Central bank tenders: three essays on money market liquidity auctions

Most OECD central banks implement monetary policy by supplying reserves to the banking sector with the aim of influencing short-term interbank interest rates.To interpret the monetary policy stance accurately, one needs to be familiar with the mechanism for determining the money market equilibrium.The aim of this study is to deepen our understanding of the various effects of different intervention styles on the short-term money market when monetary policy is implemented with an operational framework similar to that of the European Central Bank (ECB). In the first essay of this study, we model banks' demand for central bank reserves (liquidity) for each day of an n-day reserve maintenance period and analyse liquidity determination under alternative liquidity policy rules that a central bank might apply in fixed rate tenders.It is shown that there is a tradeoff between the central bank's ability to keep a market interest rate close to the tender rate and the stability of liquidity holdings within a maintenance period.The second essay presents a model of a single bank's optimal bidding in the context of fixed rate liquidity tenders.It is shown that banks' bidding crucially depends on the central bank's liquidity policy for tender allotments. This essay also analyses ECB liquidity policy in terms of the model.The final essay models the money market equilibrium and analyses Banks' bidding when the central bank uses variable rate tenders.The liquidity supply is fully endogenised by having the central bank minimise a loss function the includes deviations-from-target of interest rate and liquidity.ECB experiences with variable rate tenders are also studied in this essay. Key words: central bank operational framework, short-term interest rates, money markets, tenders, liquidity policy, bidding.
Novel SiC Power Devices utilizing a Si/4H-SiC Heterojunction

We have developed novel SIC devices, both a diode and a transistor, utilizing a Si/4H-SiC heteroj unction. A heterojunction diode (HJD) was fabricated with P+ polycrystalline silicon on an N- epitaxial layer of 4H-SiC. The HJD achieved lower Von and higher reverse blocking voltage than a commercial Schottky barrier diode (SBD) of SiC. Switching charcteristics of the HJD indicated almost zero reverse recovery similar to that of a SBD. A hetero junction tunneling transistor (HETT) was driven by an insulated gate electrode. The width of the heterojunction barrier was controlled by the gate bias to allow tunneling current to flow. The HETT was fabricated with N+ polycrystalline silicon on an N- 4H-SiC epitaxial layer. The channnel length of the HETT was almost zero and was expected to have low on-resistance.
Corporate governance and finance in East Asia : a study of Indonesia, Republic of Korea, Malaysia, Philippines, and Thailand

Corporate governance has become a major policy concern in the wake of the Asian financial crisis. Weak governance structure, poor investment, and risky financing practices of the corporate sector in the affected countries contributed to their sharp economic recession in 1997-1998. The weaknesses in corporate governance and finance undermined the capacity of these countries to withstand the combined shocks of depreciated currencies, mass capital outflows, increased rates, and large contraction in domestic demand. To help understand the corporate governance issues and their impact, as well as to identify needs for interventions in addressing policy and institutional weaknesses, the Economics and Development Resource Center of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) undertook a regional study on corporate governance and finance in selected developing member countries. The countries covered are Indonesia, Republic of Korea, Malaysia, Philippines, and Thailand. This book presents the major findings of the study. The policy recommendations will support ADB's financial sector work in its developing member countries.
The influence of the global leadership and organizational behavior effectiveness project’s cultural dimensions on strategy execution: the example of German companies in India and Indian companies in Germany

1 1 INTRODUCTION 2 1.1 RESEARCH BACKGROUND 2 1.2 RESEARCH OBJECTIVE 4 1.3 JUSTIFICATION OF THE RESEARCH 4 1.4 METHODOLOGY 5 1.5 OUTLINE OF THE DISSERTATION 6 2 LITERATURE REVIEW 7 2.1 GLOBALIZATION AND THE IMPLICATIONS OF CULTURAL DIVERSITY ON BUSINESS 7 2.2 THE GLOBE STUDY 9 2.3. GERMANY: TECHNICAL VERSUS SOCIAL SKILLS 14 2.3.1 THE ECONOMICAL AND HISTORICAL BACKGROUND OF GERMANY 14 2.3.2 THE GLOBE CULTURAL SCORES FOR GERMANY – ‘TOUGH ON THE ISSUE, TOUGH ON THE PERSON’ 17 2.3.3 THE ‘HUMBLE COLLABORATOR’ – LEADERSHIP IN GERMANY 26 2.3.4 SUMMARY 29 2.4 INDIA – WHERE TRADITION MEETS MODERNIZATION 29 2.4.1 THE ECONOMICAL AND HISTORICAL BACKGROUND OF INDIA 30 2.4.2 THE GLOBE CULTURAL SCORES FOR INDIA – ASIA’S HUMANE SUBCONTINENT 32 2.4. 3 THE CHARISMATIC VISIONARY – LEADERSHIP IN INDIA 40 2.4. 4 SUMMARY 43 2.5 WHEN EAST MEETS WEST 44 2.6 SUMMARY 46 3 METHODOLOGY 47 3.1 EPISTEMOLOGY 47 3.2 RESEARCH METHOD 48 3.3 CASE STUDY LAYOUT 49 3.4 DATA COLLECTION 50 3.4.1 SECONDARY DATA 50 3.4.2 PRIMARY DATA 50 3.5 DATA ANALYSIS 51 4 ANALYSIS 53 4.1 GERMAN MANAGERS IN INDIA 53 4.1.1 PARTICIPANTS’ DEMOGRAPHICS AND INFORMATION ABOUT THEIR COMPANIES 53 4.1.2 ASSERTIVENESS 56 4.1.3 UNCERTAINTY AVOIDANCE 58 4.1.4 COLLECTIVISM 59 4.1.5 HUMANE ORIENTATION 60 4.1. 6 GENERAL DIFFERENCES IN REGARD TO BUSINESS MATTERS 60 4.1. 7 CULTURAL AWARENESS TRAINING 62 4.2 INDIAN MANAGERS IN GERMANY 63 4.2.1 PARTICIPANTS’ DEMOGRAPHICS AND INFORMATION ABOUT THEIR COMPANIES 63 4.2.2. ASSERTIVENESS 66 4.2.3 UNCERTAINTY AVOIDANCE 66 4.2.4 COLLECTIVISM 67 4.2.5 HUMANE ORIENTATION 68 4.2.6 GENERAL DIFFERENCES IN REGARD TO BUSINESS MATTERS 69 ii 4.2. 7 CULTURAL AWARENESS TRAINING 69 5 DISCUSSION 70 5.1 CULTURAL DIFFERENCES – NOT AS DISTANT AS ANTICIPATED 70 5.2 STANDARDIZED EXPANSION STRATEGIES 72 5.3 MODERATING CULTURAL PERCEPTION: AGE AND PRIOR EXPERIENCE 73 5.4 ADAPTING TO NEW SURROUNDINGS – TIME AS A MODERATOR 73 5.5 A PATCHWORK: ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE IN THE HOST COUNTRY 74 5.6 INEFFECTIVENESS OF CULTURAL AWARENESS TRAINING 75 5.7 ARE INDIAN MANAGERS TOO POLITE TO BE HONEST? 75 5.8 THE GLOBE DIMENSIONS AND THEIR EFFECT ON BUSINESS PRACTICES 76 6 LIMITATIONS AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR FURTHER RESEARCH 77 6.1 DATA LIMITATION 77 6.2 DIVERSITY IN COMPANY SPECIFICS 78 6.3 HOW TO TALK TO INDIAN MANAGERS 78 6.4 TAKING OTHER APPROACHES INTO ACCOUNT 79 6.5 FROM A DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE: INTERVIEWING LOCAL EMPLOYEES 79
Competition Via Shopping Hours: A Case For Regulation?

We consider a market for a homogeneous good with consumers who differ only with respect to their preferred shopping times. The length of the shopping day affects costs in two ways : operating costs are increasing and capacity costs are decreasing, in trading hours. We show that a pure monopolist keeps his shop open for longer than is socially optimal. Under perfect competition the equilibrium is not unique, and shopping hours may differ from the social optimum. Hence, trading hours regulations may be justified, but a liberalization of existing restrictions can only be harmful in a market with a pure monopolist. (JEL: L51)
Knowledge management, organizational innovativeness, business competitiveness and potential operations of electrics and electronics businesses in Thailand

Knowledge management is an important topic in modern organizational management. Knowledge management is considered as a strategy developed along superior business performance. Knowledge management is also considered as an organizational competitive advantage. Research aims and objectives is to investigate influences of knowledge management on organizational innovativeness, business competitiveness and potential operation via competitive intensity and market turbulence as a moderator. Research data was collected from 104 electrics and electronics businesses in Thailand. Multiple linear regression was performed in this study. The results indicated dimensions of knowledge management, namely, knowledge transfer influencesproduct innovativeness and knowledge application affect product innovativeness, process innovativeness, and potential operation. While the competitive intensity and market turbulence did not indicate moderator effect. The implications of the study are discussed.
It is that Dreaded Error Report: An Empirical Assessment of Error Reporting Behavior

Software companies are currently using the Internet to solicit information from users about errors in the applications and using this information to prioritize further development efforts. To increase the likelihood of error reporting by users, it is important to systematically understand user perceptions that drive their intention to use an error reporting system (ERS). We theorize that perceived expected benefits of using ERS, the user’s value system, and design elements of the ERS are factors that drive ERS usage intentions. The results show that the users find ERS useful, if they believe that ERS is congruent with their values and will benefit them in future. While clarity of role and process transparency were identified as important factors, the ability to examine information transmitted through the ERS was not found to influence ERS usefulness. Prescriptive guidelines on effective design of the ERS and discussion on avenues of future research are offered.
An early developmental vertebrate model for nanomaterial safety: bridging cell-based and mammalian toxicity assessment.

AIM With the rise in production of nanoparticles (NPs) for an ever-increasing number of applications, there is an urgent need to efficiently assess their potential toxicity. We propose a NP hazard assessment protocol that combines mammalian cytotoxicity data with embryonic vertebrate abnormality scoring to determine an overall toxicity index. RESULTS We observed that, after exposure to a range of NPs, Xenopus phenotypic scoring showed a strong correlation with cell based in vitro assays. Magnetite-cored NPs, negative for toxicity in vitro and Xenopus, were further confirmed as nontoxic in mice. CONCLUSION The results highlight the potential of Xenopus embryo analysis as a fast screening approach for toxicity assessment of NPs, which could be introduced for the routine testing of nanomaterials.