Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Reduction in Preretinal Neovascularization by Ribozymes That Cleave the A2B Adenosine Receptor mRNA

Abstract— Adenosine modulates a variety of cellular functions by interacting with specific cell surface G protein–coupled receptors (A1, A2A, A2B, and A3) and is a potential mediator of angiogenesis through the A2B receptor. The lack of a potent, selective A2B receptor inhibitor has hampered its characterization. Our goal was to design a hammerhead ribozyme that would specifically cleave the A2B receptor mRNA and examine its effect on retinal angiogenesis. Ribozymes specific for the mouse and human A2B receptor mRNAs were designed and cloned in expression plasmids. Human embryonic kidney (HEK) 293 cells were transfected with these plasmids and A2B receptor mRNA levels were determined by quantitative real-time RT-PCR. Human retinal endothelial cells (HRECs) were also transfected and cell migration was examined. The effects of these ribozymes on the levels of preretinal neovascularization were determined using a neonatal mouse model of oxygen-induced retinopathy (OIR). We produced a ribozyme with a Vmax of 515±125 pmol/min and a Kcat of 36.1±8.3 min−1 (P ≤1×10−5). Transfection of HEK293 cells with the plasmid expressing the ribozyme reduced A2B receptor mRNA levels by 45±4.8% (P =5.1×10−5). Transfection of HRECs reduced NECA-stimulated migration of cells by 47.3±1.2% (P =7×10−4). Intraocular injection of the constructs into the mouse model reduced preretinal neovascularization by 53.5±8.2% (P =4.5×10−5). Our results suggest that the A2B receptor ribozyme will provide a tool for the selective inhibition of this receptor and provide further support for the role of A2B receptor in retinal angiogenesis.
Infrastructure Public–Private Partnerships in the Developing World: Lessons from Recent Experience

Abstract Seeking to address inefficient and costly infrastructure delivery, governments over the past two decades have turned to public–private partnerships (PPPs) to build and operate infrastructure. The key characteristic of PPPs is the outsourcing and ‘bundling’ of project delivery components (for example, design, build, finance, operate), structured to incentivise the builder-operator to incorporate long-term operating cost considerations in the design and construction phases of a project and reduce coordination costs. This article reviews the benefits and drawbacks of PPPs and the experience to date, focusing in particular on developing economies. Relative to traditional procurement, PPPs are complex, and require governments to anticipate and plan for contingencies and conduct monitoring and enforcement of long-term contracts. We argue that institutional capacity is a key determinant of PPP success and in mitigating potentially welfare-reducing contract renegotiations evident in the Latin American experience.
Effect of Training on Interlimb Transfer of Dexterity Skills in Healthy Adults

Objective: To examine transference of dexterity skills to the contralateral hand after ipsilateral hand training, retention of skills at 1 mo, and the influence of hand dominance, sex, and age on interlimb transfer of these skills. Design: This is an interventional study involving 200 healthy adults in the age group of 20-30 yrs and >30 yrs, who were block randomized into experimental and control groups. Experimental group was further subdivided into dominant and nondominant hand training group and participants underwent 5 days unsupervised training on tasks aimed at improving precision and dexterity. Jebsen-Taylor hand function test was administered at baseline, postintervention, and 1-mo follow-up. Analysis was done by nonparametric tests of comparison. Results: One hundred sixty-nine subjects completed the study. Transfer effect was noted from the dominant to the nondominant hand (P ≤ 0.001) and vice versa (P = 0.003) on the total test scores. This effect was retained at 1-mo follow-up. Conclusions: Dexterity skills are not consistently transferred to the contralateral hand after ipsilateral hand training. However, transference of gross motor skills of hand function does occur with retention effects up to 1 mo. Transfer of skills differs based on the hand trained and age of the individual.
Spontaneous increases in alanine aminotransferase levels in asymptomatic chronic hepatitis B virus-infected patients.

BACKGROUND & AIMS No information is available about the frequency or factors that predict spontaneous increases in alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels in asymptomatic Indian patients with chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection who are HB e antigen (HBeAg) negative and have normal ALT levels. METHODS We followed 217 asymptomatic patients with chronic HBV who were HBeAg negative, anti-HBe antigen (anti-HBe) positive, and had normal ALT levels. Spontaneous increases in ALT levels (ALT flares) were considered to be >2-fold the upper limit of normal (ULN) and were accompanied by HBV DNA levels>or=10(5) copies/mL or a 100-fold increase from the previously measured level. RESULTS During a median follow-up period of 69.0 months, spontaneous ALT flares occurred in 43 patients (an annual rate of 4.3%), with cumulative probabilities of 10.8% and 47.3% after 5 and 10 years, respectively. Based on multinomial logistic regression, the probability of an ALT flare correlated with age>or=30 years at presentation (odds ratio [OR], 5.31; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.53-18.39; P=.008), male sex (OR, 4.54; 95% CI: 1.01-20.76; P=.05), and presence of a precore mutation (OR, 10.99; 95% CI: 3.67-32.92; P<.001). The median time to spontaneous ALT flare after enrollment was 25 months (range, 1-128 months; 10th percentile=3.4 months). CONCLUSIONS In asymptomatic patients with chronic HBV infection who have normal ALT levels and are HBeAg negative, the annual rate of ALT flares was 4.3%. Precore mutants, male sex, and age>or=30 years at presentation are independent predictors for an ALT flare. A follow-up every 3 months can capture up to 90% of flares and would help identify patients who require antiviral therapy.
Progress and prospects of regional financial arrangements and cooperation in East Asia: a critical survey

The main purpose of this paper is to provide a brief survey for the progress and prospects of regional financial arrangements/cooperation among the East Asian nations and present the summary of various conflicting points of discussion about the strategies on the establishment of an effective regional financial arrangement in the region. This critical survey derives a list of viable and practical strategies for establishing an effective RFA/RFC scheme in the East Asian region in order to prevent the reoccurrence of a financial/economic crisis and large-scale contagion in the region in the future.
Control of distributed generation systems under unbalanced voltage conditions

Managing power delivery from distributed generation systems is challenging when the grid voltages are unbalanced, since the negative sequence voltage causes power oscillations at twice the fundamental grid frequency. Current regulation using sequence components can be used to control these real and reactive power oscillations, and thus help mitigate the unbalanced network voltages. This paper presents a flexible control scheme using double sequence frame current regulators that can readily adjust between eliminating real or reactive power oscillations created by unbalanced grid voltages, or alternatively simply balancing the three phase currents. The mitigation influence of these alternative control strategies on unbalanced grid voltages is then examined for resistive and reactive distribution networks. Simulation results are presented to validate the proposed control strategies and illustrate their influence on unbalanced network voltages.
Optimal CNN Templates for Linearly-Separable One-Dimensional Cellular Automata

In this tutorial, we present optimal Cellular Nonlinear Network (CNN) templates for implementing linearly-separable one-dimensional (1-D) Cellular Automata (CA). From the gallery of CNN templates presented in this paper, one can calculate any of the 256 1-D CA Rules studied by Wolfram using a CNN Universal Machine chip that is several orders of magnitude faster than conventional programming on a digital computer.
Upgrading in the automotive industry: firm-level evidence from Central Europe

Drawing on the global value chains and global production networks perspectives and using financial indicators for individual firms, we evaluate industrial upgrading of 490 Czech-based automotive firms during the period of significant inflows of foreign direct investment into the Czech automotive industry between 1998 and 2006. We consider differences among process, product and functional upgrading and the effect of government policies on upgrading of Czech-based automotive firms. We also evaluate the differences between the domestic- and foreign-owned automotive firms and changes in the relative position of Czechia in European automotive value chains. Despite the documented major changes in the Czech automotive industry between 1998 and 2006, the analyzed data suggest the selective nature of industrial upgrading at the firm level.
Third World Urbanization and International Assistance

A summary of the situation regarding urbanization in developing countries is first presented by drawing on the published literature. Variations in the rate of urbanization around the world are noted and the impact of rural-urban migration and urban growth on urban poverty and employment is considered. The author examines urban development strategies under these conditions and the role that international assistance could play in helping to resolve such urban problems. (ANNOTATION)
An empirical study of the SO2 allowance market: Effects of PUC regulations

Abstract This paper investigates electric utility behavior under the SO 2 allowance market in Phase I. The probit model shows that cost recovery rules promoted high sulfur coal usage for utilities located in states with coal mines. A simulation shows that protecting these local coal industry increased high sulfur coal usage by 50%. Another finding is that the uncertainty of PUC regulations pushed utilities from the allowance market toward fuel switching/blending. Since the second effect was stronger than the first, the overall PUC regulations contributed to an unexpectedly low allowance price at the beginning of Phase I.
Barings — A Culture of Greed?

The collapse of Barings Brothers has been blamed on the unsupervised activities of a single ‘rogue trader’ in Singapore. This may have been the cause but it is definitely not the reason. While greed and complacency have played a part, the root of the problem lay in the bank's inability to assimilate and adjust to the widely different cultures within the bank, that came with the acquisition of stockbrokers Henderson Crosthwaite, back in 1984, in what then became Barings Securities.
Competition and Culture in an Evolutionary Process of Equilibrium Selection: A Simple Example

Abstract Competition tends to promote efficient (equilibrium) behavior through the higher survival of the organizations (say firms) that adopt it. On the other hand, culture (understood as the "inherited" social pattern of behavior) may induce certain short-run inertias. This paper analyzes a dynamic model of the struggle between these two forces in the evolution of alternative stable configurations of social behavior. Journal of Economic Literature Classification Numbers: C72, L20.
The dynamics of value creation: mapping your intellectual performance drivers

The paper highlights the importance of visual representations of strategic intent in order to understand how organizational resources – especially intangible assets and intellectual capital – are used to create value. Based on the literature the paper provides a taxonomy of organizational value drivers. Grounded in the resource‐based view of the firm, which argues that organizational resources or assets are bundled together and interdependent, it then highlights shortcomings in the strategy map approach based on the balanced scorecard. The paper then introduces the value creation map that utilizes both direct and indirect dependencies to map value creation. It is suggested that this approach complements the strategy map approach by extending its view of value creation from direct to both direct and indirect dependencies. Subsequently, the paper presents a case study of how the value creation map was applied to understand the new product development process in a leading furniture manufacturing firm.
Individual investor portfolio performance in retirement savings accounts

We analyse the investment performance of a large sample of individuals investing in discretionary superannuation products offered by a large Australian financial institution. We do not find gender differences as has previously been reported but we do find evidence of a negative relationship between investor age and performance. Those residing in wealthier postcodes perform better. In terms of investment characteristics, wholesale investors perform better whereas those who are the most active perform worse.
Independent financial auditing and the crusade against government sector financial mismanagement in Ghana

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to explore the increasing role of financial auditing in the fight against government sector fraud and financial mismanagement in Ghana, Africa. Using a Foucauldian-inspired theoretical framing, the paper explores the growing cases of fraud in the Ghanaian public sector and the technologies of government that have been enlisted to combat it. The paper also discusses the particular interests that are likely served by the push for financial audits as the preferred weapon for fighting government sector fraud in the country. Design/methodology/approach - The approach of the paper is qualitative involving the use of a variety of archival material and interviews with employees of the Ghana Audit Service, the Controller and Accountant-General's Department, and global agencies like the World Bank and United States Agency for International Development (USAID). Findings - The paper finds that contrary to the view of “auditing as an alien phenomenon in most parts of the Third World, certainly Africa,” financial auditing is the preferred approach to fighting government sector fraud in Ghana. The paper also shows that financial auditing is privileged over other technologies of government, in this context, largely because it reinforces the hegemony of international development agencies like the World Bank and the imperialism of the big four accounting firms. Originality/value - The paper adds insight into the increasing role of financial auditing in the fight against government sector fraud and financial mismanagement in Ghana.
Environmental Strategies and the International Hotel Industry

Abstract Business enterprises worldwide have recognised that linking green objectives to profit goals can be a source of competitive advantage. This paper outlines the forces inducing corporations to adopt proactive stances to environmental strategic postures and the arguments for and against such postures. It presents an expanded concept of efficiency management and a related menu of environmental strategies that corporations can adopt. Empirical evidence of the environmental strategies that are being used and their outcomes is drawn from leading international hotel corporations and from smaller enterprises in this industry and the implications are discussed.
The Effects of External Inflationary Shocks

THE ECONOMY IS ALWAYS VULNERABLE to a variety of external influences or shocks that have important impacts on income, employment, and prices. While these external shocks are unforeseeable and unavoidable, economic policy must somehow deal with their consequences. Lately an alarming number of upward jolts to prices have come from sources beyond the normal interaction of production, wages, and prices. One was the relative decline in the value of the dollar following the abandonment of the system of fixed exchange rates, which raised the prices of imported goods and contributed to the rise in farm prices as exports competed with domestic consumption. A number of other events shook the economy at about the same time. Crop failures in the Soviet Union resulted in a gigantic sale of American grain. The Peruvian anchovy catch mysteriously
Diagnosis of Parkinson's disease by using neural networks ensemble

Diagnosis of Parkinson's, a neurological disease, is hard specifically at its early stages. Thus, research on computer based solutions to support clinical decision making has increased recently. In this study, a new classifier method that is an ensemble of different existing classifiers is utilized to diagnose Parkinson's disease in its early stages. Underlying algorithms behind the ensemble approach are three neural networks with different learning schemes. These learning methods are Levenberg-Marquardt, Fletcher-Powell and Resilient back-propagation algorithms. When the new ensemble method is compared with the used neural network structures separately, it is observed that the new approach is superior to all existing methods. An accuracy of %96.9 is obtained with the ensemble method. The new approach proves itself as a promising method in computer-aided early diagnosis of Parkinson's disease.
A Partial Revolution: The Diplomatic Ethos and Transparency in Intergovernmental Organizations

The World Trade Organization and other intergovernmental organizations confront a crisis of legitimacy that is partly rooted in their perceived secretiveness. These organizations have attempted to address this crisis by promising "the maximum possible level of transparency. " In fact, improvements in transparency have been modest. Policies regarding access to information about IGO operations continue to accommodate conventions of diplomatic confidentiality. Such conventions are more likely to be breached in areas where disclosure of information is essential to the project of economic liberalization. A true "revolution" in transparency would require more rigorous policies on disclosure of information held by IGOs such as the World Trade Organization, and could be justified as a prerequisite for the exercise of basic human rights, such as the right to participate fully in the policymaking process
Internal Charging Measurements in Medium Earth Orbit Using the SURF Sensor: 2005–2014

The SURF internal charging monitor that measures deposited currents in three shielded aluminum plates is one of the sensors within the Merlin radiation monitoring instrument launched on Giove-A in December 2005 into a 23300-km circular 56° inclination medium earth orbit. The instrument has now completed 8.5 years in orbit despite being originally intended for a two-year operational life. Here, we report on the instrument's health, provide further recent data, and review the overall results in terms of their engineering significance. It is concluded that the instrument remains in good health, with no significant deterioration, and a near continuous data set from December 2005 to April 2014 is now available. The maximum plate currents to date were recorded over the period April 6-8, 2010, during a significant outer electron belt enhancement (also observed by Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES)-12 in geostationary orbit), which persisted for several days. From April 7 to April 9, 2010, the current in the most shielded plate (1.0-mm thickness with 1.5-mm shielding) exceeded the widely used 0.1-pA cm-2 safety threshold for internal charging (the only days in the mission where this occurred), and on these days, it also exceeded the reasonable worst case current predications given by the DICTAT internal charging tool (the other plate currents remained within DICTAT predictions). The 0.02-pA cm-2 safety threshold used in European ECSS charging standards for dielectrics below 25 °C has been exceeded on a far larger number of days; for example, in the most shielded plate, it has been exceeded on 55 days (8% of the total).
Lipoprotein lipase gene polymorphisms in ischaemic stroke and carotid stenosis

Ischaemic stroke is pathogenetically heterogeneous, but there is strong evidence that genetic as well as environment factors contribute to the risk of the individual. Here we report the similar distribution of polymorphic markers of the lipoprotein lipase (LPL) gene in 128 patients with ischaemic stroke, 56 patients with carotid artery stenosis and 95 healthy control subjects, in spite of a significant influence of the Asn291→ Ser mutation on serum levels of triglycerides. We conclude that these LPL polymorphisms do not contribute greatly to the overall risk of ischaemic stroke in the general population.
Effects of S+ and S- Separation on Gradient Shifts in Humans

Following single stimulus training, responding during a generalization test tends to be distributed around the positive stimulus (S+). However, if participants are trained instead to discriminate the S+ from a negative stimulus (S-), the response gradient often shifts away from the S- and toward the opposite end of the stimulus continuum. In this experiment, the author examined the basis of gradient shifts with 72 college undergraduates. The research especially examined how gradient shifts are affected by the physical similarity of the S+ and the S- and by the ease with which the two stimuli can be compared. For the former manipulation, the author randomly assigned participants to either a control condition in which only the S+ was shown or a discrimination condition in which the S-was either near to or far from the S+ on the continuum. For the latter manipulation, the author randomly assigned participants to a condition in which S+ and S- presentations were separated by intervals of 1, 15, or 30 s. The results showed that marked shifts occurred when the S+ and S- were relatively similar, but temporal separations did not affect responding.
Demographics of Head and Neck Cancer Patients: A Single Institution Experience

Introduction Head and neck cancer (HNC) comprises a diverse group of oncological entities, originating from various tissue types and organ localizations, situated in the topographical regions of the head and neck (H&N). This single institution retrospective study was aimed at establishing the HNC patient demographics and categorizing the individual incidence of H&N malignancies, regarding their organ of origin and main histopathological type. Materials and methods All histologically verified cases of HNC from a single tertiary referral center were reviewed in a descriptive retrospective manner. Data sampling period was 47 months. Results Male to female ratio of the registered HNC cases was 3.24:1. The mean age of diagnosis was 63.84 ± 12.65 years, median 65 years. The most common HNC locations include the larynx 30.37% (n = 188), lips and oral cavity 29.08% (n = 180), pharynx 20.03% (n = 124) and salivary glands 10.94% (n = 68), with other locations such as the external nose, nasal cavity and sinuses and auricle and external ear canal harboring a minority of the cases. The main histopathological groups include squamous cell carcinoma 76.74% (n = 475) and adenocarcinoma 6.14% (n = 38), with other malignant entries such as other epithelial malignancies, primary tonsillar, mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue or parenchymal lymphomas, connective tissue neoplasias, neuroendocrine and vascular malignancies diagnosed in a minority of cases. Conclusion Considered to be relatively rare, HNC represents a diverse group of oncological entities with individual and specific demographic characteristics. The reported single institution results appear representative of the national incidence and characteristics of HNC.