Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Altruistic Social Interest Behaviors Are Associated With Better Mental Health

Objective This study investigated whether altruistic social interest behaviors such as engaging in helping others were associated with better physical and mental health in a stratified random sample of 2016 members of the Presbyterian Church throughout the United States. Methods Mailed questionnaires evaluated giving and receiving help, prayer activities, positive and negative religious coping, and self-reported physical and mental health. Results Multivariate regression analysis revealed no association between giving or receiving help and physical functioning, although the sample was highly skewed toward high physical functioning. Both helping others and receiving help were significant predictors of mental health, after adjusting for age, gender, stressful life events, income, general health, positive and negative religious coping, and asking God for healing (R2 = .27). Giving help was a more important predictor of better reported mental health than receiving help, and feeling overwhelmed by others’ demands was an independent predictor of worse mental health in the adjusted model. Significant predictors of giving help included endorsing more prayer activities, higher satisfaction with prayer life, engaging in positive religious coping, age, female gender, and being a church elder. Frequency of prayer and negative religious coping were not related to giving help. Conclusions Helping others is associated with higher levels of mental health, above and beyond the benefits of receiving help and other known psychospiritual, stress, and demographic factors. The links between these findings and response shift theory are discussed, and implications for clinical interventions and future research are described.
Signal Transducer and Activator of Transcription 1 Plays a Pivotal Role in RET/PTC3 Oncogene-induced Expression of Indoleamine 2,3-Dioxygenase 1*

Indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase 1 (IDO1) is a single chain oxidoreductase that catalyzes tryptophan degradation to kynurenine. In cancer, it exerts an immunosuppressive function as part of an acquired mechanism of immune escape. Recently, we demonstrated that IDO1 expression is significantly higher in all thyroid cancer histotypes compared with normal thyroid and that its expression levels correlate with T regulatory (Treg) lymphocyte densities in the tumor microenvironment. BRAFV600E- and RET/PTC3-expressing PcCL3 cells were used as cellular models for the evaluation of IDO1 expression in thyroid carcinoma cells and for the study of involved signal transduction pathways. BRAFV600E-expressing PcCL3 cells did not show IDO1 expression. Conversely, RET/PTC3-expressing cells were characterized by a high IDO1 expression. Moreover, we found that, the STAT1-IRF1 pathway was instrumental for IDO1 expression in RET/PTC3 expressing cells. In detail, RET/PTC3 induced STAT1 overexpression and phosphorylation at Ser-727 and Tyr-701. STAT1 transcriptional regulation appeared to require activation of the canonical NF-κB pathway. Conversely, activation of the MAPK and PI3K-AKT pathways primarily regulated Ser-727 phosphorylation, whereas a physical interaction between RET/PTC3 and STAT1, followed by a direct tyrosine phosphorylation event, was necessary for STAT1 Tyr-701 phosphorylation. These data provide the first evidence of a direct link between IDO1 expression and the oncogenic activation of RET in thyroid carcinoma and describe the involved signal transduction pathways. Moreover, they suggest possible novel molecular targets for the abrogation of tumor microenvironment immunosuppression. The detection of those targets is becoming increasingly important to yield the full function of novel immune checkpoint inhibitors.
Requirement driven low-power LC and ring oscillator design

Receiver power consumption should be kept as low as possible in applications such as sensor networks. Zero-IF detection is preferred over the interferer-sensitive and modulation-restricted envelope-detection receiver. However, a disadvantage of the zero-IF topology is that it requires a power consuming oscillator. Therefore, minimal-power oscillator design is desired. This paper shows that the ring type of oscillator becomes more power efficient than the LC type when the maximal tolerated phase noise increases. Which is due to required impedance levels and thus related to technological limitations. This conclusion is contradictory to what is usually assumed, based on fundamental reasoning.
Retirement planning in individual asset-liability management

Increasing financial pressure on State controlled pension systems has caused, over the last two decades or so, an unprecedented effort by private pension funds (PFs) and insurance companies to issue new types of retirement vehicles. This article investigates the effects of such widespread phenomenon from the perspective of individual asset liability management. A multistage stochastic programming problem has been formulated with investment opportunities including PFs, unit-linked contracts and variable life annuities. The introduction of a specific risk measure with respect to a desirable retirement income stream and a planning horizon spanning the entire individuals’ working life helps to analyse the implications of observed market dynamics on retirement strategies. We present comparative results focusing on the retirement planning problem for three representative individuals carrying different time horizons but common retirement goals. The results show the benefits over traditional pension accumulation plans of dynamic strategies based on mixed portfolios of retirement products.
Microbiological assay on microtitre plates of folate in serum and red cells.

AIMS: To develop a simple microbiological assay for serum and red cell folates on 96-well microtitre plates, suitable for use in routine clinical diagnosis. METHODS: Use of a chloramphenicol resistant organism (NCIB 10463) saved time by avoiding aseptic precautions. Use of plate sealers facilitated mixing. Evaluation of assay performance included estimations of folate recovery, assay reproducibility, and response to reduced folate. Results obtained on sera (193) and red cell folates (150) were compared with those obtained using a traditional microbiological assay. RESULTS: Good recovery of folic acid added to serum and also good interassay and intra-assay precision were obtained with both serum (CV% of less than 5) and red cell folate pools (CV% of less than 5). Equimolar assay responses were obtained with folic acid, 5-formyltetrahydrofolate (L-form), and 5-methyltetrahydrofolate (L-form). The microassay correlated well with a traditional assay for estimation of folate in both serum (n = 193, r = 0.975) and red cells (n = 150, r = 0.96). CONCLUSIONS: This assay is more compact and less time consuming than the traditional assay. It is extremely economical and is easy to perform in a routine clinical laboratory.
Diversification Strategy and Practice in Small Firms

GEOFFREY ROBSON AND COLIN Gallagher are with the School of Business Management at the University of Newcastle-upon-Tyne, England. Michael Daly is senior statistician at the Department of Employment, England, at the time the paper was written with its Small Firms Division. In this paper, using the United Kingdom file of the Dun and Bradstreet credit rating organisation, the authors examine from a variety of standpoints the effect on small firm performance of either being or becoming diversified. The definition used is that a firm is classified as being diversified if it draws ten or more per cent of its total income from a secondary line of business. The period under examination is from December 1987 to December 1989. In a number of instances marked discrepancy is identified between the empirical findings of the study and the commonly accepted large firm diversification theory. Some hypotheses are put forward to explain the observed behaviour and some broad implications of the study for entrepreneurs are outlined. The major findings, however, was that a diversification strategy may only be useful to those small firms which have first built a strong foundation in their primary line of business; otherwise it is likely to endanger a firm's survival prospects and be a hindrance to future growth.
Farmers’ Preferences for Production Practices: A Choice Experiment Study in the Rhone River Delta

type="main" xml:id="jage12018-abs-0001"> This article examines farmers' preferences for both cropping and management practices, which are of policy interest because of their environmental impact. We present the results of a choice experiment survey of all agricultural decision makers in the Camargue region. A latent class model identified three classes. The main class encompasses farmers complying with the norms of the Protected Geographical Indication (PGI): Riz de Camargue. We estimated the monetary value of each of the relevant agricultural practices. Our results make a strong case for differentiating incentives to encourage environmentally friendly practices and identify the diversity of values attached to the main components of rice cropping technology in the area. Estimates of the implicit prices indicate that most rice growers can be persuaded to adopt environmentally friendly practices. These findings could help in designing targeted contracts according to farmers' preferences, in line with conservation or environmental objectives.
The Impact of Groundnut Trade Liberalization. Implication for the Doha Round

We use a partial-equilibrium multi-market international model to analyze trade and agricultural policies affecting peanut/groundnut products markets. The model covers four goods (food and crush quality groundnuts, groundnut oil and cake) in 13 countries/regions including a large set of developing countries (Argentina, China, the Gambia, India, Malawi, Mexico, Nigeria, Senegal, and South Africa). Welfare is evaluated by looking at the consumer's equivalent variation, quasi-profits in farming (groundnut farming, livestock), quasi-profit in crushing, and taxpayers' revenues and outlays implied by distortions. We calibrate the model on recent historical data. We analyze several groundnut trade liberalization scenarios. The impact of the reforms is measured in deviation from the recent historical baseline. Trade liberalization in groundnut markets has a strong South-South dimension opposing two large developing countries (India and China) to smaller developing countries mainly located in Africa. Current Chinese and Indian policies substantially depress the world prices of edible groundnuts, groundnut oil and groundnut meal. Following the removal of these distortions, African exporters present in these world markets would gain because they are net sellers of the cash crops. Consumers in China and India would be better off as well with lower consumer prices resulting from the removal of high tariffs more than offsetting the higher world prices of groundnut oil. The cost of adjustment would fall on farmers in India and China who would have to shift to other crops or activities. Crushing in India would also decrease because crushing margins would deteriorate. Net buyers of groundnut products in OECD countries will be worse off. We draw implications for Doha negotiations.
Automatic calibration of SWAT model in the head region of the Yellow River

This paper describes the application of Soil and Water Assessment Tool(SWAT) to the head region of the Yellow River, which is located in the eastern part of Tibetan plateau. Available weather data from 17 weather stations in and around the focus area and stream flow data from Tangnaihai stream gauge station for the period 1984–1997 were used in the flow calibration and validation. LH-OAT(Latin Hypercube one-factor-At-a-time) method was firstly employed to decide 12 most sensitive parameters. Subsequently, the Shuffled Complex Evolution algorithm(SCE-UA) was applied to SWAT model to get a group of optimized parameters. Three quantitative statistics, Nash-Sutcliffe efficiency, percent bias and coefficient of determination, in addition to the graphical techniques, were used in model evaluation. Nash-Sutcliffe efficiency for calibration and validation respectively, are greater than 0.7, implying good performance of SWAT model in the head region of the Yellow River.
Evidence for miR‐181 involvement in neuroinflammatory responses of astrocytes

Inflammation is a common component of acute injuries of the central nervous system (CNS) such as ischemia, and degenerative disorders such as Alzheimer's disease. Glial cells play important roles in local CNS inflammation, and an understanding of the roles for microRNAs in glial reactivity in injury and disease settings may therefore lead to the development of novel therapeutic interventions. Here, we show that the miR‐181 family is developmentally regulated and present in high amounts in astrocytes compared to neurons. Overexpression of miR‐181c in cultured astrocytes results in increased cell death when exposed to lipopolysaccharide (LPS). We show that miR‐181 expression is altered by exposure to LPS, a model of inflammation, in both wild‐type and transgenic mice lacking both receptors for the inflammatory cytokine TNF‐α. Knockdown of miR‐181 enhanced LPS‐induced production of pro‐inflammatory cytokines (TNF‐α, IL‐6, IL‐1β, IL‐8) and HMGB1, while overexpression of miR‐181 resulted in a significant increase in the expression of the anti‐inflammatory cytokine IL‐10. To assess the effects of miR‐181 on the astrocyte transcriptome, we performed gene array and pathway analysis on astrocytes with reduced levels of miR‐181b/c. To examine the pool of potential miR‐181 targets, we employed a biotin pull‐down of miR‐181c and gene array analysis. We validated the mRNAs encoding MeCP2 and X‐linked inhibitor of apoptosis as targets of miR‐181. These findings suggest that miR‐181 plays important roles in the molecular responses of astrocytes in inflammatory settings. Further understanding of the role of miR‐181 in inflammatory events and CNS injury could lead to novel approaches for the treatment of CNS disorders with an inflammatory component.
Live‐cell imaging of cell signaling using genetically encoded fluorescent reporters

Synergistic advances in fluorescent protein engineering and live‐cell imaging techniques in recent years have fueled the concurrent development and application of genetically encoded fluorescent reporters that are tailored for tracking signaling dynamics in living systems over multiple length and time scales. These biosensors are uniquely suited for this challenging task, owing to their specificity, sensitivity, and versatility, as well as to the noninvasive and nondestructive nature of fluorescence and the power of genetic encoding. Over the past 10 years, a growing number of fluorescent reporters have been developed for tracking a wide range of biological signals in living cells and animals, including second messenger and metabolite dynamics, enzyme activation and activity, and cell cycle progression and neuronal activity. Many of these biosensors are gaining wide use and are proving to be indispensable for unraveling the complex biological functions of individual signaling molecules in their native environment, the living cell, shedding new light on the structural and molecular underpinnings of cell signaling. In this review, we highlight recent advances in protein engineering that are likely to help expand and improve the design and application of these valuable tools. We then turn our focus to specific examples of live‐cell imaging using genetically encoded fluorescent reporters as an important platform for advancing our understanding of G protein‐coupled receptor signaling and neuronal activity.
Central Banks - Paradise Lost

The focus of the paper is to analyze how the concept behind central bank policy developed over time and how the recent financial crisis and its consequences will have an influence. While the principles of the institutional arrangement for central banks (independence, clear mandate, prohibition of monetary financing) are relevant as ever, pre- crisis consensus strategies of monetary policy have been revealed as flawed. The close monitoring of money and credit developments, a key lesson to be drawn from the crisis, however, does not imply the extension of the central bank fs mandate to financial stability. As much as central banks should demonstrate modesty in what they deliver, equally their reputation should not be challenged further by other tasks imposed upon them.
The effect of preferential trade agreements on monthly fruit exports to the European Union

This study assesses the effect of preferential trade agreements on monthly exports of fresh grapes, pears, apples, oranges and mandarins to the European Union (EU) during 2001--2004, using a gravity model. Preference margins are calculated to include quotas and the entry price system, and the model recognises that countries may have a choice among preferential schemes. The econometric methodology controls for heterogeneity, endogeneity and zero-trade flows. The effect of EU preferential policies is found to vary by commodity. The Generalised System of Preferences (GSP) seems to increase exports to the EU of fresh grapes only, while exports to the EU of oranges are favoured by the Cotonou Agreement. Regional trade agreements appear effective in expanding EU-bound exports from eligible countries for all fruits except oranges. Oxford University Press and Foundation for the European Review of Agricultural Economics 2011; all rights reserved. For permissions, please email journals.permissions@oup.com, Oxford University Press.
The Multiplier-Effects of Non-Wasteful Government Expenditure

Macroeconomic literature has traditionally regarded public expenditure as yielding no utility per se to any agent in the economy. In line with a few previous contributions (Linneman and Schabert 2004, Bouakez and Rebei 2007) we build a New Keynesian DSGE model with real and nominal rigidities and distortionary fiscal policy rules, calibrated on the Euro-area (1990:Q1-2008:Q4), where part of public spending is allowed to either Edgeworth complement or substitute private consumption by affecting its marginal utility. We show that the the interaction between the share of usefulness of public spending and the specification of fiscal and monetary policy rules is able to deliver private consumption multipliers which are in line with the empirical findings for the Euro-Area.
Wildlife tourism as a common pool resource issue: enabling conditions for sustainability governance

Wildlife tourism is potentially a common pool resource (CPR) issue when the following are applicable: it is difficult to exclude tourists; their experiences are affected by others’ activities; and adverse impacts on the wildlife occur. CPRs are typified by non-excludability and subtractability. Relatively few efforts have been made to consider tourism in this way or to use the concept of CPR in tourism management schemes. This paper (1) explores the possibility of wildlife tourism being a CPR issue, (2) derives a list of enabling conditions required for the sustainability of such resources and (3) determines the applicability of the conditions through a case study. Having described the potential for wildlife tourism to be a CPR issue, the enabling conditions explored in the rest of the paper follow: the characteristics of the tourism resource system and its user groups, the associated institutional arrangements and the external environment. The application of CPR thinking to the case study, whale shark tourism in Ningaloo Marine Park, Western Australia, revealed the contribution of institutional arrangements, particularly those associated with the State Government, to sustainable management. The use of the enabling conditions as a tool for managing wildlife tourism is discussed.
Nine-year prospective relationship between parental smoking cessation and children's daily smoking.

AIMS The first prospective investigation of the extent to which parental smoking cessation predicts their children's daily smoking. DESIGN Parental smoking status was assessed when children were aged 8/9 years and children's smoking status was assessed at age 17/18 years. SETTING Twenty Washington State school districts in the control group of the Hutchinson Smoking Prevention Project. PARTICIPANTS AND MEASUREMENTS Questionnaire data were gathered on 3012 children (49% female and 91% Caucasian) and both of their parents in a cohort with a 95% retention rate. FINDINGS When both parents quit smoking, children's odds of daily smoking were reduced by 39% (95% CI = 15%,56%) compared to when both parents were current smokers.Furthermore, when both parents never smoked then children's odds of daily smoking were reduced by 71% (95% CI = 62%,78%). CONCLUSIONS Parental smoking cessation is associated with reduced risk of their children's daily smoking. Parents who quit still place children at substantially higher risk compared to parents who never smoked.
An empirical study of online shopping: a service perspective

This paper employs the Technology Acceptance Model and the Theory of Reasoned Action to better address consumers' online behaviour, and investigates the appropriateness of several hypotheses. We propose including web design, risk and perceived service quality in the TAM model in an effort to adapt it to an online shopping environment. A survey was developed and structural equation modelling was used to validate the research models. A revised model suggesting additional paths from service to web design and from service to perceived usefulness of online shopping is proposed and tested. The findings support the importance of service in an online shopping environment. Service affects not only customer loyalty, but also perceived usefulness of online shopping. As a result, e-commerce sites should consider service when being designed.
Essays in Dynamic Games

iii Acknowledgments . x Introduction 1 1 Innovation Adoption by Forward-Looking Social Learners 3 1.
Participation in Complex and Social Everyday Activities Six Years after Stroke: Predictors for Return to Pre-Stroke Level

Background Long-term disability following stroke can lead to participation restrictions in complex and social everyday activities, yet information is lacking on to what extent stroke survivors return to their pre-stroke levels of participation. Objectives The objectives of this study were to investigate the level of participation in complex and social everyday activities 6 years after stroke, to compare this with pre-stroke participation and to identify predictors of returning to pre-stroke levels of participation. Method All patients admitted to Karolinska University Hospital's stroke units during a 1-year period were eligible to participate and 349 patients were recruited. Assessments were made at base-line, 3 months and 6 years using self-reported outcome measures. Participation was assessed using the Frenchay Activities Index (FAI). The 6-year score for each participant was compared to the pre-stroke score, both for the total score and for each domain (domestic chores, leisure/work and outdoor activities). Predictors of having the same or better level of participation at 6 years were identified using logistic regression. Results At 6 years, 121 participants were followed up, 166 were deceased, 44 declined to take part and 18 could not be traced. At 6 years 84% could be described as active (FAI≥15). The same level of participation or better than pre-stroke was found in 35% of participants, in 65% the level was lower. Similar predictors were identified for achieving the same or better level of participation at 6 years for FAI total and the three domains; ability to walk without aids and a lower age at stroke onset, and perceived mobility, participation and recovery at 3 months. Conclusion Six years after stroke, 35% of participants had the same or better level of participation as pre-stroke. Rehabilitation after stroke to improve walking ability and participation might improve long-term participation in complex and social everyday activities.