Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Investor State Dispute Settlement: Institutionalising "Corporate Exceptionality"

This paper scrutinises the Investor-State Dispute Settlement (ISDS) mechanism, which allows foreign investors to sue host governments for any regulations that might directly or indirectly affect private investments. It gives investors rights over host-states – and local populations – in international arbitration tribunals. The focus of this article is a critical examination of how the ISDS institutionalises a framework of exceptionality that is characteristic of neoliberal capitalism; one that centres upon the institutionalisation of subjecting public regulation to the rationality of the market. We argue that this privatised quasi-legal arena is incompatible with the rule of law, human rights and socially emancipatory practices. What this reveals is that the political and economic dynamics that mobilise and shape international investment law are characterised by capitalist class relations. The article concludes with some reflections upon the marketization of public regulation through the ISDS, where profitability and cost-reduction are prioritised over human and environmental rights. El articulo examina el mecanismo de Arbitraje de Diferencias Estado-Inversor (ISDS), que permite que inversores extranjeros demanden a los gobiernos anfitriones por cualquier regulacion que pueda afectar las inversiones privadas, y que otorga derechos a los inversores sobre los estados anfitriones y sobre las poblaciones locales en tribunales internacionales. Se realiza un analisis critico de como el ISDS institucionaliza un marco de excepcionalidad caracteristico del capitalismo neoliberal, y que somete la legislacion publica a la racionalidad de los mercados. Argumentamos que este ambito privatizado cuasi-legal es incompatible con el imperio de la ley, con los derechos humanos y con practicas de desarrollo social. Esto pone de manifiesto que las dinamicas politicas y economicas que modelan el derecho internacional de inversiones se caracterizan por relaciones capitalistas de clase. Se concluye con unas reflexiones sobre la mercantilizacion de regulaciones publicas a traves del ISDS. Available from: https://doi.org/10.35295/osls.iisl/0000-0000-0000-0970
Studies on the in vivo sensitivity of spindle microtubules to calcium ions and evidence for a vesicular calcium-sequestering system

I microinjected calcium ions into echinoderm eggs during mitosis to determine the calcium sensitivity of microtubules (Mts) in vivo. Spindle birefringence (BR), a measure of the number of aligned Mts in the spindle, is locally, rapidly, and reversibly abolished by small volumes of microinjected CaCl2 (1 mM). Rapid return of BR is followed by anaphase, and subsequent divisions are normal. Similar doses of MgCl2, BaCl2, KCl, NaCl, pH buffers, distilled water, or vegetable oil have no effect on spindle BR, whereas large doses of such agents sometimes cause slow, uniform loss in BR over the course of a minute or more. Of the ions tested, only Sr++ causes effects comparable to Ca++. Ca-EGTA buffers, containing greater than micromolar free Ca++, abolishes BR in a manner similar to millimolar concentrations of injected CaCl2. Caffeine, a potent uncoupler of the Ca++-pump/ATPase of sarcoplasmic reticulum, causes a local, transient depression in spindle BR in the injected region. Finally, injection of potassium oxalate results in the formation of small, highly BR crystals, presumably CA- oxalate, in Triton-sensitive compartments in the cytoplasm. Taken together, these findings demonstrate that spindle Mts are sensitive to levels of free Ca++ in the physiological range, provide evidence for the existence of a strong cytoplasmic Ca++-sequestering system, and support the notion that Mt assembly and disassembly in local regions of the spindle may be orchestrated by local changes in the cytoplasmic free Ca++ concentration during mitosis. An appendix offers the design of a new chamber for immobilizing echinoderm eggs for injection, a new method for determining the volume of the injected solution, and a description of the microinjection technique, which was designed, but never fully described, by Hiramoto (Y. Hiramoto, Exp. Cell. Res., 1962, 27:416-426.).
Regulatory B Cell (B10 Cell) Expansion during Listeria Infection Governs Innate and Cellular Immune Responses in Mice

Pathogens use numerous methods to subvert host immune responses, including the modulation of host IL-10 production by diverse cell types. However, the B cell sources of IL-10 and their overall influence on innate and cellular immune responses have not been well characterized during infections. Using Listeria as a model pathogen, infection drove the acute expansion of a small subset of regulatory B cells (B10 cells) that potently suppress inflammation and autoimmunity through the production of IL-10. Unexpectedly, spleen bacteria loads were 92–97% lower in B10 cell–deficient CD19−/− mice, in mice depleted of mature B cells, and in mice treated with CD22 mAb to preferentially deplete B10 cells before infection. By contrast, the adoptive transfer of wild-type B10 cells reduced bacterial clearance by 38-fold in CD19−/− mice through IL-10–dependent pathways. B10 cell depletion using CD22 mAb significantly enhanced macrophage phagocytosis of Listeria and their production of IFN-γ, TNF-α, and NO ex vivo. Accelerated bacteria clearance following B10 cell depletion significantly reduced Ag-specific CD4+ T cell proliferation and cytokine production, but did not alter CD8+ T cell responses. B10 cell regulatory function during innate immune responses was nonetheless dependent on cognate interactions with CD4+ T cells because B10 cells deficient in IL-10, MHC-II, or IL-21R expression did not influence Listeria clearance. Thus, Listeria manipulates immune responses through a strategy of immune evasion that involves the preferential expansion of endogenous B10 cells that regulate the magnitude and duration of both innate and cellular immune responses.
Long‐term changes in connexin32 gap junction protein and mRNA expression following cocaine self‐administration in rats

Considerable evidence indicates a critical role for dopamine in the reinforcing effects of cocaine. Because dopamine has been shown to be a critical modulator of gap junction communication in both eye and brain, we sought to examine whether extended intravenous cocaine self‐administration would affect the expression of gap junction channel‐forming proteins (connexins). Using ELISA, Western analysis, immunohistochemistry, semi‐quantitative reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT‐PCR), and non‐radioactive in situ hybridization, we demonstrate that withdrawal from chronic cocaine self‐administration causes lasting changes in connexin32 (Cx32) expression in the nucleus accumbens and hippocampus at 2, 7 and 21 days after the last cocaine injection. A sustained decrease in Cx32 protein and mRNA levels is noted in areas that have been implicated in cocaine craving (i.e. nucleus accumbens and subfields of the hippocampal formation). A progressive increase in gap junction protein and mRNA expression is noted in areas that become hyperexcitable after chronic cocaine exposure (i.e. CA1 hippocampal neurons). We speculate that gap junction communication may be critically involved in reinforcement processes and neuroadaptive changes produced by drugs of abuse.
Variance risk premia for agricultural commodities

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to study the variance risk premium in corn and soybean markets, where the variance risk premium is defined as the difference between the historical realized variance and the corresponding risk-neutral expected variance. Design/methodology/approach The authors compute variance risk premiums using historical derivatives data. The authors use regression analysis and time series econometrics methods, including EGARCH and the Kalman filter, to analyze variance risk premiums. Findings There are moderate commonalities in variance within the agricultural sector, but fairly weak commonalities between the agricultural and the equity sectors. Corn and soybean variance risk premia in dollar terms are time-varying and correlated with the risk-neutral expected variance. In contrast, agricultural commodity variance risk premia in log return terms are more likely to be constant and less correlated with the log risk-neutral expected variance. Variance and price (return) risk premia in agricultural markets are weakly correlated, and the correlation depends on the sign of the returns in the underlying commodity. Practical implications Commodity variance (i.e. volatility) risk cannot be hedged using futures markets. The results have practical implications for US crop insurance programs because the implied volatilities from the relevant options markets are used to estimate the price volatility factors used to generate premia for revenue insurance products such as “Revenue Protection” and “Revenue Protection with Harvest Price Exclusion. ” The variance risk premia found implies that revenue insurance premia are overpriced. Originality/value The empirical results suggest that the implied volatilities in corn and soybean futures market overestimate true expected volatility by approximately 15 percent. This has implications for derivative products, such as revenue insurance, that use these implied volatilities to calculate fair premia.
Multi-scale decision level data fusion by means of spatial regularization and image weighting

Urban area extent extraction from Earth observation data is a procedure that requires a good deal of fusion. In this work we introduce and validate a novel decision level data fusion algorithm exploiting urban maps extracted from SAR as well as multispectral data sets, jointly considering different spatial resolutions between 12 and 75 m. Map weights are obtained under the assumption that their reliability depends on the intended scale of analysis, as well as on the sensor-specific advantages and limitations, in turn connected to the environmental characteristics of the test areas. Our results, validated for two Chinese ‘Megacities’ (Beijing and Guangzhou), show that improved built-up area extractions can be achieved with the proposed method.
Reliability of the Evoked Response in Determining the Paced Ventricular Rate and Performance of the QT or Rate Responsive (TX) Pacemaker

The TX pacemaker uses a conventional transvenous electrode to sense T‐waves of paced ventricular complexes and it adapts the pacing rate to varying physioiogical demands by responding to changes in the QT or, more correctly, the stimulus artifact‐to‐T‐wave (stimulus‐T) interval. This pacing system was assessed in 13 patients. The relation between heart rate and stimulus‐T interval and the effect of programming on the performance of this pacemaker were studied on several occasions in each patient. Treadmill exercise performance during TX pacing mode was compared with atrial synchronized ventricular (VAT) and asynchronous ventricular demand (VOO and VVI—70 beats per minute) pacing modes. T‐wave sensing problems arose in three patients. In one. this was overcome by reducing the pulse amplitude from 5.0 to 2.5 V. In another patient, spontaneous recovery of T‐wave sensing occurred 5 months after pacemaker implantation. T‐wave sensing deteriorated with the passage of time in most patients. Satisfactory rate response as assessed by treadmill exercise testing and Holter monitoring was achieved in 12 patients through adjustments of two programmable parameters: the slope that defines the alteration in heart rate in response to a millisecond change in stimulus‐T interval and the “sensing window” that is the interval during which T‐waves can be sensed and a rate response is possible. Exercise performance was significantly better during rate responsive pacing (TX) mode as compared with VVI pacing but was comparable to that during VAT pacing. The resting heart rate/stimulus‐T interval can be described by the following linear regression equation; stimulus‐T interval = 466 – 1.68 × paced‐rate, r2=–0.62. This relation, however, was subject to wide inter‐ and intra‐patient variation. Consequently, given identical programmed parameters and exercise protocol, the chronotropic response differed significantly from patient to patient and in the same patient from one occasion to another. Our results show that a physiologically beneficial chronotropic response can be achieved in most patients. However, reprogramming, based on results of exercise tests and Holter monitoring, may be necessary to adjust for changes in T‐wave sensing and the heart rate/stimulus‐T interval relation and, thus to ensure that the pacemaker continues to function optimally.
Chromatin as a Tool for the Study of Genome Function in Cancer

Abstract: The transition to malignancy requires an extensive reconfiguration of the genome's expression program that does not result entirely from actual changes in primary DNA sequence—i.e., mutation. Epigenetic—meta‐DNA—gene expression states result from an assembly over a given locus of a poorly understood nucleoprotein entity that includes histones and other architectural components of chromatin, nonhistone DNA‐bound regulators, and additional chromatin‐bound polypeptides. This structure is rapidly reestablished in the wake of the DNA replication fork, thus ensuring its persistence in rapidly proliferating cells and thereby yielding an exceptionally stable mode of gene expression. Chromatin is the perfect vehicle for enabling such genome control. During S phase both covalently modified histones and histone‐associated regulatory proteins distribute to the newly synthesized daughter chromatids in a form of ‘molecular dowry’ inherited from the G1 state of the genome, and impose a specific mode of function on the underlying DNA. An extensively studied example of chromatin‐based epigenetic inheritance connects DNA methylation to the targeting of chromatin remodeling and modification. In a broad sense, however, genome reprogramming in cancer is associated with the remodeling of a multitude of regulatory DNA stretches—e.g., promoters, enhancers, locus control regions (LCRs), insulators, etc.—into a specific chromatin architecture. This architectural entity provides a general molecular signature of the cancer epigenome that complements and significantly expands its DNA methylation‐based component.
Coalignment of the muscle cell and nucleus, cell geometry and Vv in the tunica media of monkey cerebral arteries, by electron microscopy

We undertook to ascertain how well aligned is the rod‐shaped nucleus within the spindle‐shaped cell of vascular muscle in order that we might use the darkly staining nucleus in histological sections to indicate precisely the directional alignment of the cell. We fixed cerebral arteries from five monkeys under physiological pressure and embedded portions of the tissue so that mid‐plane longitudinal sections of the arteries were obtained; the circumferentially arranged muscle cells were cut in cross‐section. From the electron micrographs we obtained the cross‐sectional profile of the cell and its nucleus, determining that the centre of the nucleus was on average 9·5 ± 5·8% (SD) away from the centre of the cell (expressed as a ratio of the cellular diameter). We calculated the alignment between the cell and nucleus to be from 0 to 3°, and obtained a volume fraction of 59% for muscle tissue in the tunica media of these arteries.
Managerial Perceptions on Employee Misconduct and Ethics Management Strategies in Thai Organizations

Of the recent trends in Corporate Social Responsibility within the business sector, the ethical conduct of employees is one of the most challenging tasks facing organizations. Based on the theoretical framework of agency theory and psychological contract theory, exploratory research was conducted among 229 managers to identify the reasons behind employee misconduct in Thailand. The findings reveal that agency theory was the dominating theory explaining the reasons behind serious unethical behavior by employees. The results indicate that employees committed acts of misconduct because of greed, financial benefits, or other individual motivations. As regards the ethics management approach adopted by organizations, it was found that companies are employing compliance strategy with other various tactics to improve corporate governance. In order to improve compliance, it is recommended for companies to improve management control system to minimize wrongdoing and to be responsive to misconduct incidents. Organization development can be improved by fostering desired corporate culture, religious and philosophical beliefs.
Integrated Outcome Assessment After Anterior Cervical Discectomy and Fusion: Myelocompression But Not Adjacent Instability Affect Patient-Reported Quality of Life and Cervical Spine Symptoms

Study Design. The authors conducted a cross-sectional study. Objective. Integrated assessment of adjacent instability (AI), myelocompression (MC), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) signs of myelopathy (MRISM), physician-assessed clinical signs and symptoms, including clinical signs of myelopathy (CSM), patients’ self-reported symptoms and quality of life after anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF). Materials and Methods. Fifty-four patients who had ACDF between 1986 and 1995 received MRI scans, conventional and flexion/extension radiographs to assess myelocompression, MRISM, fusion, and AI. Clinical outcome was assessed using signs and symptoms based on selected items of Odom’s criteria, Oswestry low back pain disability questionnaire, and the neck disability index. Patients reported their quality of life (QL) on a standardized instrument (Profiles of QL of Chronically Ill [PLC]) and by a specific validated Cervical Spine Symptom Scale (CSSS). Results. Myelocompression was found more frequently than expected (24%). MRISM were seen in 2 patients (4%). One of the 2 patients developed CSM. Fusion was achieved in 94% (with kyphosis in 17%). AI was found in 30%. However, only myelocompression but not AI was associated with statistically significant decreases in most QL scores (i.e., everyday capabilities, positive mood) and high cervical spine symptom burden (all P’s < 0.05). Conclusions. The study results underline the need for a better understanding of the biomechanical changes in the adjacent unfused segments. Consensus is needed on postoperative follow-up guidelines, including pain management strategies. Future studies on the outcome of ACDF will profit from an integrated outcome approach, including assessments based on imaging, physicians, and patients.
Studies on the ability of a 98-kilodalton pseudorabies virus diagnostic antigen to detect latent infections induced by low-dose exposure to the virus.

The effect of low-dose challenge of immunity with pseudorabies virus (PRV) on subunit-vaccinated pigs was studied in 2 experiments. In the first experiment, we studied the effect of challenge dose on the antibody response to an early excreted 98-kilodalton PRV-glycoprotein that was used as a diagnostic antigen in the ELISA. In the second experiment, we studied the effect of low doses of virus on the establishment of latent infections in subunit-vaccinated pigs. The relationship of virus exposure dose and vaccine dose to the response of pigs to diagnostic antigen was studied in 18 pigs. Two groups of 3 pigs were vaccinated with a total of 200 micrograms of a lectin-derived PRV subunit vaccine over a 5-week period. Two groups of 3 pigs were similarly vaccinated with a total of 100 micrograms. Two groups of 3 pigs served as nonvaccinated controls. One group of pigs from each of the preceding categories was intranasally exposed to 10(6.0) and 10(2.7) plaque-forming units (PFU) of virus. Antibody to diagnostic antigen was detected by the ELISA and radioimmunoprecipitation 3 to 7 days earlier in pigs exposed to 10(6.0) PFU, demonstrating that the size of the virus challenge dose affects the antibody response to diagnostic antigen. The establishment of latent infections by low PRV doses and the ability to detect these infections was studied in 10 subunit-vaccinated pigs. Each pig was intranasally exposed to 10(2.3) PFU of virus (day 0). (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Quantifying the seasonal and interannual variability of the formation and migration pattern of North Brazil Current Rings

The complex nature of the North Brazil Current (NBC) has lead to various studies regarding its seasonal variations and eddy-shedding regime. Horizon Marine, Inc. has conducted operational analysis of the NBC for the past 8 years, making use of drifting buoys, satellite imagery, and ADCP data. We have validated observations made by previous studies such as references [1–5] during this time period. Energy fluctuations within the NBC Retroflection can create a closed circulation at the point of inception of the North Equatorial Counter Current (NECC). This closed circulation can spin off as it gains momentum to create a separate anticyclonic eddy, known as an NBC ring. Our observations indicate that the NBC Retroflection sheds between 5 and 8 NBC rings over the period of 1 year. These rings vary from 100 to 500 km in diameter and 70 to 200 cms"1 in surface intensity. The depth of the coherent velocity structure can vary from 200m to 1000m as described in [1] and [4]. The structure and intensity of each ring varies seasonally as does its migration rate and trajectory. The energy sector offshore Trinidad and Tobago is most strongly impacted by the NBC ring influence on local océanographie conditions, most critically the vigorous near-surface currents associated with the rings' strong vertically coherent velocity fields. The extent of this influence depends on the NBC ring proximity to the shelf break, the ring swirl velocity, and vertical variation in the ring velocity field. In this study, we quantify characteristic patterns of océanographie variation imposed by NBC rings observed in our operational dataseis. Of central importance is determining the variations in migration patterns of NBC rings with changing seasonality.
An empirical analysis of price and income elasticities of Papua New Guinea's exports

Pacific Economic Bulletin Volume 25 number 2 © 2010 the australian national university A large body of trade literature focuses on analysing aggregate trade relationships, ignoring the sectoral dynamics. This study estimates both aggregated and disaggregated price and income elasticities of demand for Papua New Guinea’s exports. We use co-integration and error-correction techniques under a singleequation functional form, with quarterly data spanning 1994 to 2006. Our results suggest that a long-run equilibrium relationship exists for total exports and for the two subsectors of exports: farming, forestry and fisheries, and minerals and petroleum. The results also suggest that the magnitude of the aggregated elasticities is significantly different from that of the disaggregated exports, implying that subsectors respond differently for identical changes in world prices and economic growth. Giles Dickenson-Jones is currently employed as an Economist and is a former University of New England Research Student.