Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Breaking constraint: axial patterning in Trichechus (Mammalia: Sirenia)

Meristic variation is often limited in serially homologous systems with high internal differentiation and high developmental modularity. The mammalian neck, an extreme example, has a fixed (at seven) count of diversely specialized segments. Imposition of the mammalian cervical constraint has been tentatively linked to the origin of the diaphragm, which is muscularized by cells that migrate from cervical somites during development. With six cervical vertebrae, the genus Trichechus (manatee) has apparently broken this constraint, although the mechanism of constraint escape is unknown. Hypotheses for the developmental origin of Trichechus cervical morphology include cervical rib 7 repatterning, a primaxial/abaxial patterning shift, and local homeosis at the cervical/thoracic boundary. We tested predictions of these hypotheses by documenting vertebral morphology, axial ossification patterns, regionalization of the postcranial skeleton, and the relationship of thoracic ribs to sternal subunits in a large data set of fetal and adult Trichechus and Dugong specimens. These observations forced rejection of all three hypotheses. We propose alternatively that a global slowing of the rate of somitogenesis reduced somite count and disrupted alignment of Hox‐generated anatomical markers relative to somite (and vertebral) boundaries throughout the Trichechus column. This hypothesis is consistent with observations of the full range of traditional cervical morphologies in the six cervical vertebrae, conserved postcranial proportions, and column‐wide reduction in count relative to its sister taxon, Dugong. It also suggests that the origin of the mammalian cervical constraint lies in patterning, not in count, and that Trichechus and the tree sloths have broken the constraint using different developmental mechanisms.
The role of sentiment in global risk premia

This article examines the role of sentiment for global risk premia. We analyse whether the global risk premia on macroeconomic fundamentals can be estimated more thoroughly if sentiment is included as additional conditioning information. The analysis is performed in the framework of a conditional multiple beta pricing model. The focus of analysis is the asset excess returns of the G-7 stock markets in the period from February 1999 to February 2012. The obtained results indicate that sentiment as conditioning information is able to contribute to the explanation of the general macroeconomic risk premia.
Founder team interaction, customer and competitor orientation in software ventures

Purpose – Developments in the software industry have shown the need for sustainable and effective management strategies, especially for new ventures. Entrepreneurship literature suggests marketing to be one of the pivotal predictors of business performance. Previous empirical studies have shown the importance of social interaction and team work quality for new venture performance. The purpose of this paper is to apply founder team interaction quality (IQ), and the customer and competitor orientation concept of marketing research to new software venture performance.Design/methodology/approach – An empirical study using a fully standardized questionnaire was conducted in 101 young software ventures. Two founders in each company filled out the questionnaire separately allowing superior tests for reliability and validity of the research framework.Findings – The results show team IQ to be a powerful predictor of both customer orientation and competitor orientation. Furthermore, a positive, linear relationship .
Research on Mutation Operator of Diploid Genetic Algorithm and its Dynamic Adaptation Strategy

Diploid genetic algorithm (DGA) is a double gene model for the genetic algorithm. This paper theoretically analyses influence of mutation operator on population diversity by introducing an average schema similar rate as the measure criteria of population diversity in DGA. A conclusion is drawn that DGA has a better performance in terms of preserving the diversity than HGA. Furthermore, a dynamic adaptation strategy is proposed to regulate the mutation operator by Mexican hat wavelet along with iterative generations. A simple optimal problem has been chosen to test and simulate on Matlab. Results show that the dynamic adaptation strategy has a better performance in terms of solution accuracy and convergence speed. The simulation results are found to be satisfactory
To LEED or Not to LEED: Analysis of Cost Premiums Associated With Sustainable Facility Design

Abstract: Many organizations have established policies authorizing a “green” cost premium to fund sustainable design. In order to determine whether or not this practice is supported, we collected construction, cost, and utility data on a sample of 160 LEED certified buildings. Using simple correlation and descriptive statistics to analyze the resulting database, we found operating costs in LEED certified buildings were $0.70 per square foot less than non-LEED buildings, energy costs were 31% lower, and cost premiums ranged from 2.5 to 9.4% with a mean of 4.1%. Correlation analysis suggests there are very few statistically significant correlations among the design variables.
21.4 A microfluidic-CMOS platform with 3D capacitive sensor and fully integrated transceiver IC for palmtop dielectric spectroscopy

Quantitative measurement of the complex relative dielectric permittivity (εr) of a material vs. frequency (i.e., dielectric spectroscopy, or DS) is a powerful monitoring technique that extracts key information on molecular characteristics of the material-under-test (MUT) via its interactions with electromagnetic waves in a broad frequency range. Despite its potential as a label-free, nondestructive, real-time and fully electrical monitoring modality for myriad applications, including structural biology, fermentation monitoring for alcoholic beverages, food safety control and clinical diagnostics, DS is still underutilized as an analytic tool in scientific research or clinical settings. This is due to the dearth of an autonomous, small-sized, low-power and portable instrument to conduct MHz-to-GHz DS measurements without requiring a microwave probe station, benchtop vector network analyzer (VNA) equipment, or large (100's of ml) sample volume.
IL‐15 Is a Growth Factor and an Activator of CD8 Memory T Cells

Abstract: Memory lymphocytes, arising from naïve lymphocytes after antigenic stimulation and being long‐lived, are the cellular basis for immunological memory. Recent studies of CD8 T cells suggest that generation of CD8 memory T cells requires the engagement of T cell antigen receptors (TCR) with antigen, yet the maintenance of CD8 memory T cells appears to be dependent on cytokines, such as IL‐15, independent of TCR. Although considerable progress has been made in understanding the molecular and cellular events of TCR‐induced differentiation and proliferation in the past decade, less is known about the mechanisms of IL‐15 action. From a kinetic and comparative analysis of the responses of memory phenotype CD8 T cells to IL‐15 and TCR stimulation in vitro, we found that IL‐15 and anti‐CD3 induce highly similar responses in memory phenotype CD8 T cells as measured by general gene expression profiles, synthesis of effector molecules (IFNγ, TNFβ, granzyme B and perforin), induction of cytotoxicity, and cellular proliferation. These findings indicate that IL‐15 is not only a growth factor but also an antigen‐independent activator for CD8 memory T cells.
Characteristics of the env Genes of HIV Type 1 Quasispecies in Long-Term Nonprogressors With Broadly Neutralizing Antibodies

Primary isolates of different subtypes of HIV-1 can be neutralized in vitro by the broadly neutralizing antibodies (NAbs) found in the sera of a small number of HIV-1-infected patients. This broad response is most frequent in long-term nonprogressors (LTNPs). We investigated whether the presence of NAbs in the sera of some LTNPs was associated with particular properties of the envelope glycoproteins of the variants found in these patients. Toward that aim, 147 env gene fragments (encoding almost the entire gp120) amplified from the proviral DNA of 5 LTNPs who developed broadly NAbs (NAb+) and of 4 LTNPs who did not develop such broadly NAbs (NAb-) were cloned, sequenced, and compared. We found that the development of broadly NAbs was associated with high viral loads, greater diversity in the gp120 of the viruses infecting these patients, and longer V1 sequences and additional N-gly sites in V1. In addition, a higher proportion of defective clones was found among the env genes of NAb- patients (25% to 93%)-particularly those with lower viral loads and low levels of env diversity-than among those of NAb+ patients (7% to 19%).
Should We Be Concerned about the Distribution of Literacy across Households? An Axiomatic Investigation

This paper proposes a class of literacymeasures that takes into account the externality generated by the presence of literates in the household. It is claimed that such externality is increasing in the number of literates in the household, has characteristics of rivalry in consumption, and therefore is a function of the distribution of literates and illiterates in the household. The measure is given a full axiomatic characterization, and it is shown that its use may reverse the ranking of geographical areas obtained by using other literacy measures.
Factors Affecting E-Business Diffusion in Organizations: Differences between Developed and Developing Countries

Grounded in the innovation process model and the technology-organization-environment framework, we develop a research model to investigate factors influencing e-business diffusion in organizations. We formulate a series of hypotheses associated with seven contextual factors (technology readiness, technology integration, firm size, global scope, managerial obstacle, competition intensity, and regulatory environment) that may shape organizational assimilation of e-business. The research model is tested using survey data (1,857 firms) collected in three major industries from ten countries. Based on structural equation modeling, our empirical analyses have identified contextual factors that may have varying effects at different assimilation stages and in different economic environments. The paper concludes with a discussion on major findings and implications.
Accounting for One-Off Operations When Assessing Underlying Fiscal Positions

Frequent recourse to large one-off operations in a number of OECD countries has undermined the accuracy of cyclically adjusted fiscal balances as a measure of both the sustainability of public finance and the fiscal stance. This paper first provides detailed information on the nature and amount of these one-offs for 9 OECD countries. The paper then presents a new indicator – the “underlying” fiscal balance – which effectively eliminates the impact of one-offs and cyclical developments. One-offs are derived as the deviations from trend in net capital transfers, i.e. from widely available national account data. This approach provides a consistent treatment of one-offs both across countries and over time, avoiding the potential information biases which could result from an individual identification of one-offs. Evaluer les positions budgetaires sous-jacentes en presence de mesures ponctuelles Le recours frequent a des mesures ponctuelles dans certains pays de l’OCDE a rendu caduque l’utilisation du solde budgetaire corrige des variations cycliques pour evaluer tant la soutenabilite des finances publiques que l’impact des politiques budgetaires discretionnaires sur l’activite economique. Ce document presente des informations detaillees sur la nature et le montant de ces mesures ponctuelles pour 9 pays de l’OCDE. Il propose ensuite un nouvel indicateur – le solde budgetaire sous-jacent – qui corrige le solde budgetaire des effets des mesures ponctuelles et du cycle economique. Les mesures ponctuelles sont assimilees aux ecarts a la tendance des transferts en capitaux, series facilement disponibles dans les comptes nationaux. Cette approche assure un traitement symetrique tant entre les pays qu’au cours du temps, evitant ainsi les biais potentiels qui decouleraient d’une identification individuelle des mesures ponctuelles.
Selective Inhibition of Early—but Not Late—Expressed HIF‐1α Is Neuroprotective in Rats after Focal Ischemic Brain Damage

The expression of hypoxia‐inducible factor‐1‐alpha (HIF‐1α) is upregulated in ischemic stroke, but its function is still unclear. In the present study, biphasic expression of HIF‐1α was observed during 1–12 h and after 48 h in neurons exposed to ischemic stress in vitro and in vivo. Treating neurons with 2‐methoxyestradiol (2ME2) 0.5 h after ischemic stress or pre‐silencing HIF‐1α with small interfering RNA (siRNA) decreased brain injury, brain edema and number of apoptotic cell, and downregulates Nip‐like protein X (Nix) expression. Conversely, applying 2ME2 to neurons 8 h after ischemic stress or silencing the HIF‐1α with siRNA 12 h after oxygen–glucose deprivation (OGD) increased neuron damage and decreased vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) expression. Taken together, these results demonstrate that HIF‐1α induced by ischemia in early and late times leads cellular apoptosis and survival, respectively, and provides a new insight into the divergent roles of HIF‐1α expression in neurons after ischemic stroke.
Application of the three-stage DEA in measuring efficiency – an empirical evidence

This article investigates the effects of the environmental factors and statistical noise on the efficiency of 89 global forest and paper companies in 2001 using the three-stage DEA method. Empirical evidences indicate the existence of environmental effects on the variation in the efficiency scores measurement. Furthermore, the final adjusted efficiency scores are lower than those scores measured in the traditional first-stage DEA.
Selection and Sanctioning in European Parliamentary Elections

Elections are inherently about selecting good candidates for public office and sanctioning incumbents for past performance. Yet, in the low salience context of ‘second-order elections’ to the European Parliament, empirical evidence suggests that voters sanction first-order national incumbents. However, no previous study has examined whether voters also use these elections to select good candidates. This article draws on a unique dataset on the political experience of party representatives in eighty-five national elections to the European Parliament to evaluate the extent to which voters prefer candidates with more political experience. The results show that selection considerations do matter. Parties that choose experienced top candidates are rewarded by voters. This effect is greatest when European elections are held in the middle of the national electoral cycle.
Fetal Response to Live and Recorded Maternal Speech

The purpose of this study was to compare the fetal response to live and recorded maternal speech following a lengthy history of exposure to a passage spoken by the mother. Participants comprised a convenience sample of 21 pregnant women. The women recited an assigned passage (nursery rhyme) twice daily from 28 to 34 weeks’ gestational age (GA), and their fetuses were tested at 34 weeks’ GA. During testing, fetal heart rate and movement were measured in response to two different formats of the assigned passage: maternal live voicing and a recording of the mother speaking the passage. The fetal cardiac response varied depending upon the format; however, fetal movement did not. A minimal cardiac deceleration occurred in response to live voicing compared to a cardiac acceleration in response to the recorded format. This is the first study to show differences in the fetal cardiac response to a passage spoken live compared to a recording of the passage following a lengthy history of controlled fetal exposure to the multimodal characteristics of maternal speech. Given the differential response to a live voicing compared to a recorded format, future study that incorporates lengthier exposure to the multimodal characteristics of maternal speech may be warranted.
PP is closed under truth-table reductions

R. Beigel et al. (1991) showed that PP is closed under intersection and a variety of special cases of truth-table closure. In the present work, the authors extend the techniques of Beigel et al. to show that PP is closed under general polynomial-time truth-time reductions. <<ETX>>
Eddy current loss minimization in rotor magnets of PM machines using high-efficiency 12-teeth/10-slots winding topology

Using winding coils with different turns per coil side for the fractional slots, tooth-concentrated winding it is possible to reduce or even to cancel some space harmonics of low order resulting in lower rotor losses induced by the armature reaction field. This technique is applied to the 12-teeth/10-slots winding during investigation of the eddy current losses for two PM machines. The obtained results show that, using the new winding the magnet losses are reduced by about 80% compared with the conventional winding.
Clearing the air: public opinion and public policy on the environment

The heavy use of public opinion polls to support opposing positions in the debate over Clean Air Act amendments is a new development. Supporters of environmental regulations cite polls showing that Americans want strict environmental protection, while opponents cite other polls which show the people are receptive to changing and updating regulations. The author's view of current surveys concludes that there is a broad support for environmental protection that is evenly distributed across population groups. This parallels the shft in emphasis from material well-being and security toward the quality of life as economic-security issues have given way to those of life-style differences. The American willingness to buy a clean environment, however, reflects more a continuation of the material than a post-material emphasis. Many surveys of public opinion are confusing because of the way questions and responses are worded and how they are interpreted. (DCK)
Pyrimidine biosynthesis links mitochondrial respiration to the p53 pathway

While many functions of the p53 tumor suppressor affect mitochondrial processes, the role of altered mitochondrial physiology in a modulation of p53 response remains unclear. As mitochondrial respiration is affected in many pathologic conditions such as hypoxia and intoxications, the impaired electron transport chain could emit additional p53-inducing signals and thereby contribute to tissue damage. Here we show that a shutdown of mitochondrial respiration per se does not trigger p53 response, because inhibitors acting in the proximal and distal segments of the respiratory chain do not activate p53. However, strong p53 response is induced specifically after an inhibition of the mitochondrial cytochrome bc1 (the electron transport chain complex III). The p53 response is triggered by the deficiency in pyrimidines that is developed due to a suppression of the functionally coupled mitochondrial pyrimidine biosynthesis enzyme dihydroorotate dehydrogenase (DHODH). In epithelial carcinoma cells the activation of p53 in response to mitochondrial electron transport chain complex III inhibitors does not require phosphorylation of p53 at Serine 15 or up-regulation of p14ARF. Instead, our data suggest a contribution of NQO1 and NQO2 in stabilization of p53 in the nuclei. The results establish the deficiency in pyrimidine biosynthesis as the cause of p53 response in the cells with impaired mitochondrial respiration.
Pricing Composite and Quanto Derivatives under Stochastic Correlation and Stochastic Volatility

There is growing trade in options whose payoffs are a function of multiple stochastic variables. One common type is an option on an asset denominated in one currency with a payoff in a different currency. Two closely related structures of this kind are quantos and composite options. Pricing formulas for European payoff contracts are available under Black–Scholes assumptions, but they require the assumption of constant volatility and correlations, neither of which is supported empirically. Romo develops a model of time-varying volatilities and correlations under a multiasset Wishart process, which is solved using Fourier and Laplace transform methods to produce semi-closed-form valuation equations. One structure especially exposed to stochastic correlation risk is a forward-starting quanto, which is easily priced in this framework.
The effect of neglecting the slope parameters’ heterogeneity on dynamic models of corporate capital structure

We present a parsimonious representation of debt-ratio dynamics that is able to nest the Trade-Off, Pecking-Order and Market-Timing theoretical models, at the same time avoiding the poolability of the slope parameters. The inference on the heterogeneous speed of adjustment of the firm towards the target debt ratio is based on a comparison of the unit root results from both individual company and (this is a relative novelty in the case of micro-data) panel data. Results show that company behavior is largely heterogeneous with regard to the theory underlying the historical data. Our proposed methodology may be usefully employed in order to identify sub-samples of companies behaving in an homogeneous manner, and can be extended to study the empirical capital structure models with more appropriate quantitative instruments. This would avoid the arbitrary a priori selection of sub-samples and the imposition of untested poolability assumptions as commonly occurs in the empirical literature.
Organizational Ambidexterity at the Local Government Level: The effects of managerial focus

Abstract The aim of this article is to explore how managerial focus influences organizational ambidexterity in different organizational forms at the local government level. An entrepreneurial, leadership, or stakeholder managerial focus will each find reflection in the simultaneous pursuit of exploration and exploitation of resources, and the influence will differ with the organizational form, i.e. whether a local government administration (LGA), or a local government corporation (LGC). Hypotheses are tested on Swedish public organizations operating in the waste management and water and sewerage industries. The findings indicate that LGCs have higher levels of organizational ambidexterity, and that the determinants differ from those in LGAs.
Production of Protective Human Antipneumococcal Antibodies by Transgenic Mice with Human Immunoglobulin Loci

ABSTRACT Infections with Streptococcus pneumoniae remain a significant cause of morbidity and mortality. To gain insight into structure-function relationships for human antibodies to pneumococcal capsular polysaccharide (PPS), we studied the response of transgenic mice reconstituted with human immunoglobulin loci, XenoMouse, to PPS antigens in a pneumococcal vaccine. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays of sera from mice vaccinated with a 23-valent pneumococcal vaccine revealed that they produced serotype-specific human antibodies, with the greatest response being to the PPS of serotype 3 (PPS 3). Molecular sequence analysis of three monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) to PPS 3 generated from lymphoid cells from mice vaccinated with a 23-valent pneumococcal vaccine or a PPS 3-bovine serum albumin conjugate revealed that they all used heavy-chain immunoglobulin genes from the VH3 family, two expressed light chain genes from the human Vκ1 family, and one expressed a mouse λ light chain. The protective efficacy of the two MAbs was examined in mice. A 10-μg dose of both, and a 1-μg dose of one, significantly prolonged survival from a lethal serotype 3 infection in CBA/N mice. Our data show that XenoMouse mice produced protective, serotype-specific human antibodies to PPS 3, and they lend support to the proposal that these animals represent a useful model to study the human antibody response to PPS antigens.