Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Silver nanoparticles do not influence stem cell differentiation but cause minimal toxicity.

AIMS To evaluate the toxicity and cellular uptake of both undifferentiated and differentiated human adipose-derived stem cells (hASCs) exposed to silver nanoparticles (Ag-NPs), and to assess their effect on hASC differentiation. MATERIALS & METHODS hASC were exposed to 10- or 20-nm Ag-NPs at concentrations of 0.1, 1.0, 10.0, 50.0 and 100.0 µg/ml either before or after differentiation down the adipogenic or osteogenic pathways. RESULTS Exposure of hASC to either 10- or 20-nm Ag-NPs resulted in no significant cytotoxicity to hASC, and minimal dose-dependent toxicity to adipogenic and osteogenic cells at 10 µg/ml. Each of the hASC, adipogenic and osteogenic cells showed cellular uptake of both 10- and 20-nm Ag-NPs, without causing significant ultrastructural alterations. Exposure to 10- or 20-nm Ag-NPs did not influence the differentiation of the cells, and at antimicrobial concentrations of Ag-NPs resulted in a minimal decrease in viability. CONCLUSION The biocompatibility of Ag-NPs with both undifferentiated and differentiated hASC establishes their suitability for incorporation into tissue-engineered graft scaffolds, for the prevention of bacterial contamination upon implantation.
Expanded Disclosures and the Increased Usefulness of Earnings Announcements

We investigate three explanations for prior studies' finding that the usefulness of earnings announcements, as measured by their absolute market responses, has increased over time. We confirm this increase for a sample of 426 relatively large, stable firms over 1980–1999. We find no evidence that this over‐time increase in the magnitude of the market reaction to our sample firms' earnings announcements is attributable to increases in the absolute amount of unexpected earnings conveyed in the announcements or to increases in the intensity of investors' average reaction to unexpected earnings. To test the third explanation—an over‐time expansion in the amount of concurrent (with bottom line earnings) information in earnings announcement press releases—we analyze and code the contents of 2,190 earnings announcement press releases made by 30 of our sample firms over 1980–1999. Concurrent disclosures increased significantly over this period and we find that these concurrent disclosures, especially the inclusio.
What Drives Stock Price Behavior Following Extreme One-Day Returns

We identify samples of losers and winners by selecting daily stock price returns in excess of ten percent (sign ignored) and determine whether these samples over- or underreact. We then identify "informed" events, which correspond to announcements in the Wall Street Journal (WSJ), and "uninformed" events, which are not explained in the WSJ. For winners, there is overreaction in response to uninformed events but no overreaction on average in response to informed events. This finding suggests the degree of overreaction to new information depends on whether the cause of the extreme stock price change is publicly released.
Military Expenditure; Econometric Testing of Economic and Political Influences

Econometric results from an analysis of the determinants of military expenditure in 125 countries during 1972-88 are presented. The dependent variable is the ratio of military expenditure to GDP; included among the explanatory variables are economic and financial indicators, political variables summarizing the form of government, and demographic and geographic features of nations. The results strongly confirm the importance of these variables in explaining cross-country differences in levels of military expenditure.
Tetrapyridinium μ-oxido-di-μ-sulfato-bis[chloridodioxidomolybdate(VI)]

The title salt, (C5H6N)4[Mo2Cl2O5(SO4)2], comprises four pyridinium cations for each [(MoClO2)2(μ-O)(μ-SO4)2]4− anionic unit. The asymmetric unit consists of three aggregates of the empirical formula. The tetraanionic bimetallic molybdenum(VI) cluster is unprecedented and contains two sulfate and one oxide bridges. This structure constitutes the first example of a non-polymeric compound with terminal oxide, sulfate and halide ligands bonded to the same metal. The hydrogen bonds connecting the pyridinium cations to the molybdenum clusters are diverse, varying from strong and directional interactions to bifurcated bonds with a subsequent loss of directionality.
Expression of murine Lhx5 suggests a role in specifying the forebrain

A LIM homeobox gene, Lim5, is known to be expressed in the forebrain of Xenopus and zebrafish (Toyama et al. [1995] Dev. Biol. 170:583–593). Results from developmental and comparative studies of its mouse ortholog, Lhx5, indicate that this gene may play important roles in forebrain development. Lhx5 expression is detected in the most anterior portion of the neural tube at the headfold stage, overlapping partially with Otx2 expression domain. After neural tube closure, Lhx5 is expressed as a transverse stripe, covering most of the diencephalic primordium. This expression recedes to restricted areas as Dlx gene expression occurs. By midgestation, both genes, Lhx5 and Dlx5, are expressed in the diencephalon and ventral telencephalon in an alternating complementary pattern. It may be that Dlx inhibits Lhx5, and this may represent a step of early regionalization of the forebrain. Lhx5 is also expressed in midbrain, hindbrain, and spinal cord, overlapping extensively with Lhx1 starting from day E10.5 of gestation. The early, persistent, and dynamic expression of Lhx5 suggests a regulatory function in forebrain formation. Dev. Dyn. 208:266–277, 1997. © Wiley‐Liss, Inc. This article is a government work and, as such, is in the public domain.
Speed sensorless estimation of AC induction motors using the fast orthogonal search algorithm

This paper presents a method of estimating the speed of an induction motor using a measurement of the stator current. Speed-induced current harmonics are identified in the stator current using the fast orthogonal search (FOS) algorithm. The frequencies of these estimated harmonics are in turn used to estimate the speed of the motor given the number of rotor slots in the motor. Several optimizations of the FOS algorithm are presented to allow for real-time performance on an embedded digital signal processor. Experimental results of speed estimates on a 1/4 horsepower motor are presented to verify this approach.
A study on the scattering of radio waves from buried spherical targets using the step frequency radar

The step frequency radar has been implemented and scattering experiments conducted on buried spherical targets to gather insight on the radar's limitations and target classification. Theoretical results are obtained using a combination of ray optics and a full wave solution for target scattering. These theoretical results are compared with experimental results to show the effect of target size on the received signal. >
Taxes, Natural Resource Endowment, and the Supply of Labor

We use the work-leisure choice model to compute equilibrium weekly hours worked for a number of Arab countries and compare them to the G7 countries. We show that the labor supply curve is elastic in all Arab countries, and provide a new measure of labor productivity. This finding confirms previous research that workers respond to incentives, which has serious implications for tax and social security policies. We also provide some policy simulations pertinent to the effects of taxation on welfare and poverty.
Information Technology and Economic Performance in U.S Industries

We study the relationship between information technology (IT) and economic performance, to explore whether IT-capital promotes productivity growth. We use a data set similar to that of previous researchers, but employ non-parametric estimation techniques in order to directly estimate the output elasticities of IT for each industry and time period. We find that IT has a positive effect on productivity, which varies among industries and time. Moreover, adjustment costs are important when identifying this effect. Finally, IT-capital growth appears to be raising income in all industries used in our sample, even those that experienced output reduction.
Structure-activity studies on the vasoactive intestinal peptide pharmacophore. 1. Analogs of tyrosine.

From previous work, the primary functional groups, i.e. side chains, of the vasoactive intestinal peptide which are responsible for interaction with the VIP receptor have been identified. One of these sites, the side chain of tyrosine22 is essential for high receptor affinity. The present work aims to examine this site in greater detail. Several Boc-substituted-phenylalanine derivatives were prepared and incorporated into VIP analogs as replacement for tyrosine22. These analogs, of the form Ac-[Lys12,Nle17,X22,Val26,Thr28]-VIP, were assayed as smooth muscle relaxants and found to be full agonists of native VIP. Most of the analogs, however, proved to be less potent than the parent analog by up to 300-fold. A few analogs, all possessing electron-donating substituents, retained nearly full potency. Two compounds, 3-F,4-OH-Phe, 42 and 3-OCH3,4-OH-Phe, 43, were found to be 1.5- and 3.4-fold more potent than the parent compound, which equates to being 8.9- and 20-fold more potent than native VIP. Compound 43 was also found to be active as a bronchodilator in vivo in guinea pigs, with slightly over 2-fold enhanced potency and a significantly longer duration of action (> 20 min) when compared to the parent compound (5 min). The physical characteristics of the various substituents and their effect on biological activity are discussed with a brief analysis by QSAR techniques.
Types of cluster adaptation to climate change. Lessons from the port and logistics sector of Northwest Germany

In this article, we argue that sectoral adaptation efforts to climate change, e.g. of the ports sector, are also struggles to reshape economic space according to sectoral needs. Addressing globalisation, the effects on economic spatial hierarchies among regions and the active promotion of regionalisation are seen as important. Applied to the port industry, this allows approaching the fierce competition among European north range ports from an action- and power-oriented perspective. Climate adaptation of ports is predominantly referred to as technical responses to extreme events (e.g. coastal protection). A differentiated conceptualisation (based on still ongoing research), however, also addresses impacts on specific elements of the transport chain, and effects on the spatial function of a port (e.g. the changing competitiveness within the European port system). Hence, the ability of a specific port to adapt will also encompass the management of regional target conflicts, and of multi-level relations. Thus, climate adaptation becomes part of positional struggles in spatial hierarchies among regions and of conflicts about political priorities within them. At the same time, the limits of exclusively regional approaches in addressing sustainability issues without higher level support become evident. The article gives an overview of the literature on climate adaptation and its application to ports and provides a preliminary typology of forms of sectoral adaptation to climate change.
Coping and Resilience during the Food, Fuel, and Financial Crises

Abstract This article aggregates qualitative field research from sites in 17 developing countries to describe crisis impacts and analyse how people coped with the food, fuel, and financial crises during 2008–2011. The research uncovered significant hardships behind the apparent resilience, with widespread reports of food insecurity, debt, asset loss, stress, and worsening crime and community cohesion. There were important gender and age differences in the distribution of impacts and coping responses, with women often acting as shock absorbers. The more common sources of assistance were family, friends, community-based and religious organisations with formal social protection and finance less important. The traditional informal safety nets of the poor became depleted as the crisis deepened, pointing to the need for better formal systems for coping with future shocks.
Maturation of Paneth Cells Induces the Refractory State of Newborn Mice to Shigella Infection1

The intestinal tract of adult mice is naturally resistant to infection by Shigella, the causative agent of bacillary dysentery in humans. Conversely, newborn mice are highly susceptible to intragastric Shigella infection and develop inflammatory lesions of the jejunal mucosa, very similar to those observed in the colon of dysenteric patients. However, the susceptibility period is short and one week after birth, animals have acquired a status of resistance characteristic of adult animals. To identify the developmental changes controlling the switch from disease susceptibility to resistance, we performed global gene expression analysis on noninfected and infected intestinal tissues taken from 4-day- and 7-day-old animals. Transcriptomic analysis of 4-day-old mice infected with the invasive Shigella strain showed a profile reflecting a strong inflammatory response with no evidence for retro-control, suggesting that the invasive process had occurred, whereas inflammation had been controlled after infection with the noninvasive strain. Differences in gene expression profiles between noninfected 4-day- and 7-day-old mice corresponded mainly to genes encoding anti-microbial peptides and proteases, suggesting that these molecules could be candidates for host antimicrobial resistance in the course of shigellosis. Indeed, expression of genes specific of Paneth cells was higher in 7-day- than in 4-day-old mice, and histological analysis indicated that Paneth cells were present only at day 7. Finally, using Sox9flox/flox-vil-cre mice, we showed that depletion of Paneth cells restored the susceptibility to Shigella of 7-day-old mice, clearly indicating that Paneth cells development is crucial for the clearance of intestinal infection.
How does the Bond Market Perceive Government Interventions?

The ongoing threat of the U.S. public sector sliding over the 'fiscal cliff' urges financial economists to better understand the foundations for how government spending affects the real economy and financial markets. This paper is the first study to document that uncertainty about future government spending is a first-order risk factor in the bond market, leading to rising real and nominal interest rates, a steeper term spread, an increase in bond market volatility and bond premia. We study an equilibrium asset pricing model with a forward-looking representative agent and a forward-looking government to shed light on these empirical facts.
West Nile virus in Italy: a further threat to blood safety, a further challenge to the blood system.

Centro Nazionale Sangue, Istituto Superiore di Sanita, Roma; U.O. Immunoematologia e Trasfusionale, Ospedale "San Giovanni Calibita" Fatebenefratelli, Roma; Centro Regionale Sangue della Regione Emilia Romagna, Azienda USL Citta di Bologna, Bologna; Istituto Nazionale Malattie Infettive "L. Spallanzani", Roma; Centro Regionale di riferimento per le emergenze microbiologiche della Regione Emilia Romagna, Azienda Ospedaliera-Universitaria S. Orsola, Bologna, Italy.
Labor market consequences of accounting fraud

Purpose – This paper aims to examine the research questions: Do executive and non‐executive directors face similar labor market penalties upon revelation of accounting fraud? Are all executive directors treated by markets as a homogenous group? Or, do executive directors who are top managers face stiffer penalties than other executive directors? Design/methodology/approach – Board membership of incumbent directors in US firms accused of accounting fraud are tracked for three years after the revelation. Two labor market consequences/penalties are considered. Probability of losing internal, own firm board seat is the likelihood that incumbent directors leave the accused firm's board upon accounting fraud revelation. The likelihood of losing at least one external board seat (outside directorship) is also examined. Both univariate tests and multivariate LOGIT regressions are used to conduct the analysis.Findings – Compared to non‐executive directors, executive directors are more than twice as likely to lose ow.
Evaluation of Image Quality on Reflective-type LCD: Calibration Based on the PCA

A new measurement method of EOTF (Electro Optical Transfer Function) based on the PCA (Principal Component Analysis) is proposed for colorimetry of RLCD (Reflective type Liquid Crystal Display). Spectral radiance of primary color with different reflectance displayed onto the RLCD under D65 illuminant were measured and analyzed by PCA. It is shown that the reflectance spectra of arbitrary color on the RLCD can be estimated with high accuracy by using those obtained eigen vectors. The new model named PCA model is compared to the conventional GOG (Gain Offset Gamma) model. As a result, it is shown that the PCA model is very significant to the colorimetry of both RLCD and CRT. Introduction In recent years, many kinds of display and printer have been developed to get color image with high quality. Therefore, it is increased to exchange and transform color picture between different devices, particularly from color image onto the CRT and LCD to printer. Therefore it has become increasingly important to do the research on the color management and it is required to develop accurate method for colorimetry of CRT and LCD. One of the most important characteristics of EOTF is a transfer function from digital data to XYZ tristimulus values and spectral radiance of display devices. GOG-model defined as Eq.1 has been widely used to colorimetry of CRT.
The effects of the inhalation of vomitus on the lungs: clinical considerations.

The problem of the incidence and dangers of inhalation of gastric contents are considered not only as an accompaniment of general anaesthesia but also as a complication in comatose and debilitated states. The values of some of the methods which may be used for the prevention of such inhalation during anaesthesia are discussed. The immediate and late effects of aspiration on the patient are described. Special reference is made to Mendelson's syndrome. A method of treatment of inhalation is given and the value of the use of bronchial lavage and hydrocortisone is noted.
Clinicians' Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices regarding Infections with Multidrug-Resistant Gram-Negative Bacilli in Intensive Care Units

Objective. To assess how healthcare professionals caring for patients in intensive care units (ICUs) understand and use antimicrobial susceptibility testing (AST) for multidrug-resistant gram-negative bacilli (MDR-GNB). Design. A knowledge, attitude, and practice survey assessed ICU clinicians' knowledge of antimicrobial resistance, confidence interpreting AST results, and beliefs regarding the impact of AST on patient outcomes. Setting. Sixteen ICUs affiliated with NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital. Participants. Attending physicians and subspecialty residents with primary clinical responsibilities in adult or pediatric ICUs as well as infectious diseases subspecialists and clinical pharmacists. Methods. Participants completed an anonymous electronic survey. Responses included 4-level Likert scales dichotomized for analysis. Multivariate analyses were performed using generalized estimating equation logistic regression to account for correlation of respondents from the same ICU. Results. The response rate was 51% (178 of 349 eligible participants); of the respondents, 120 (67%) were ICU physicians. Those caring for adult patients were more knowledgeable about antimicrobial activity and were more familiar with MDR-GNB infections. Only 33% and 12% of ICU physicians were familiar with standardized and specialized AST methods, respectively, but more than 95% believed that AST improved patient outcomes. After adjustment for demographic and healthcare provider characteristics, those familiar with treatment of MDR-GNB bloodstream infections, those aware of resistance mechanisms, and those aware of AST methods were more confident that they could interpret AST results and/or request additional in vitro testing. Conclusions. Our study uncovered knowledge gaps and educational needs that could serve as the foundation for future interventions. Familiarity with MDR-GNB increased overall knowledge, and familiarity with AST increased confidence interpreting the results.
The Impact of Skill‐Specific Migration on Regional Unemployment Disparities in Germany

Differences in regional unemployment are still pronounced in Germany, especially between eastern and western Germany. Although the skill level seems important for the relationship between regional disparities and labor migration, corresponding empirical evidence is scarce. Applying dynamic panel models, we investigate the impact of labor mobility differentiated by educational attainment of the workers on regional unemployment disparities between 2000 and 2008. The impact of low- and medium-skilled migration is consistent with traditional neoclassical reasoning, suggesting that labor mobility reduces differences in regional unemployment rates. In contrast, the migration of high-skilled workers tends to reinforce disparities.
Mitochondrial DNA phylogeny and sequential colonization of Canary Islands by darkling beetles of the genus Pimelia (Tenebrionidae)

Fifteen species of the darkling beetle genus Pimelia (Tenebrionidae: Coleoptera) have been sequenced for a 365 b. p. portion of the mitochondrial Cytochrome Oxidase I gene. Thirteen of these are endemic species inhabiting the Canarian archipelago in the Atlantic and the other two are continental conspecifics. This data set has been phylogenetically analysed by maximum parsimony and distance approaches and the resulting trees used to deduce sequential interisland colonization. This suggests patterns compatible with the geological dating of the islands, but with increasing uncertainty when older events are considered. A colonization sequence from Fuerteventura to Tenerife followed by Tenerife to Gran Canaria and La Gomera, and from the latter to La Palma and then to El Hierro is proposed for the genus. A relatively recent secondary colonization from Gran Canaria to Gomera is deduced.