Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Management Strategies for Peripheral Iatrogenic Nerve Lesions

For diagnostic or therapeutic reasons, various medical procedures may cause iatrogenic injury of peripheral nerves. The authors treated 82 patients for iatrogenic nerve injury between 1990 and 2000. The main reasons for iatrogenic nerve injury were surgical failure, traction or pressure lesions, hematoma, or inadequate positioning of the patient. The authors performed neurolysis in 67 cases, which included reconstruction by nerve graft in 26 patients and direct coaptation of the nerve in 3 patients. Their postoperative results emphasize the importance of early diagnosis and adequate treatment of iatrogenic peripheral nerve damage for optimal functional recovery. The authors highlight the different causes for iatrogenic injury in this study to alert surgeons as well as other medical specialists to simple strategies for avoiding nerve injury. They also indicate the need for physicians to make themselves familiar with early diagnostic steps for detecting iatrogenic injuries, like electroneurographic studies, and to document physical examinations well, to deal with this problem most effectively.
Commission-Revenue Maximization in a General Equilibrium Model of Asset Creation

Abstract A general equilibrium model of endogenous asset formation is given in which a monopolistic agent, called the designer, can create any types of assets and charage commissions as long as the total number of the types of assets does not exceed some given constant. When the designer can create at most two assets, a commission-revenue maximizers always exists. Otherwise, it may not. Moreover, the so-called ϵ-maximizers may be badly behaved. A (profit) maximiser may not exist even when the number of types of assets is endogenously determined from a positive fixed costs of creating an asset. Journal of Economic Literature Classification Numbers: D52, D80.
Neurons Promote the Translocation of Peripheral Myelin Protein 22 into Myelin

Schwann cells express low levels of myelin proteins in the absence of neurons. When Schwann cells and neurons are cultured together the production of myelin proteins is elevated, and myelin is formed. For peripheral myelin protein 22 (PMP22), the exact amount of protein produced is critical, because peripheral neuropathies result from its underexpression or overexpression. In this study we examined the effect of neurons on Schwann cell PMP22 production in culture and in peripheral nerve using metabolic labeling and pulse-chase studies as well as immunocytochemistry. Most of the newly synthesized PMP22 in Schwann cells is rapidly degraded in the endoplasmic reticulum. Only a small proportion of the total PMP22 acquires complex glycosylation and accumulates in the Golgi compartment. This material is translocated to the Schwann cell membrane in detectable amounts only when axonal contact and myelination occur. Myelination does not, however, alter the rapid turnover of PMP22 in Schwann cells. PMP22 may therefore be a unique myelin protein in that axonal contact promotes its insertion into the Schwann cell membrane and myelin without altering its rapid turnover rate within the cell.
Salt Sensitivity of Blood Pressure: A Scientific Statement From the American Heart Association.

Salt-sensitivity of blood pressure is an abnormal phenotype that confers increased cardiovascular morbidity. We discuss its underlying renal mechanisms, including the role of systems that regulate renal salt handling. We review knockout and congenic strains that have unraveled participation of several genes in rodents inbred to produce pure salt-sensitive and salt-resistant substrains. In humans, salt-sensitivity is a continuous variable, hence, defined with arbitrary cutoffs for blood pressure responses to salt-loading or deprivation. Nonetheless, clustering of phenotypic characteristics in salt-sensitive subjects suggests an inherited component for this trait. This is supported by relationships between salt-sensitivity and gene polymorphisms in renal transporters, vasoactive substances and oxidative systems. Identification of biochemical or genetic markers of salt-sensitivity for use in the clinic would improve risk stratification of hypertensive and prehypertensive subjects. Understanding of its pivotal mechanisms may lead to specific therapies to decrease the cardiovascular risk associated with this trait in humans.
What drives third world city growth? A dynamic general equilibrium approach

The reasons for the dramatic population growth that has occurred in the cities of the developing world since the 1950s are explored. The authors develop a Computable General Equilibrium Model using data from 40 developing countries and test it for the period 1960 to 1973-1974 in order to evaluate the importance of the various factors contributing to this urban growth. The model is also used to examine the impact of the OPEC-induced fuel scarcity and other changes that affected the slowdown in urban growth in the late 1970s and to predict that most third world urban transition will peak before the year 2000. The authors suggest that earlier studies exaggerated the effects of rural land scarcity foreign capital inflows and population growth on third world urbanization. They conclude that imbalances of productivity advance across sectors and terms of trade between primary products and manufacturers were more critical.
Where to find the lowest hotel room rates on the internet? The case of Hong Kong

Purpose – This study aims to examine online room rates in Hong Kong hotels. It focuses on comparing and contrasting the lowest hotel room rates that are available to customers.Design/methodology/approach – Eight distribution channels and 45 hotels in Hong Kong were examined for online room rates in a 13‐month period from 2005 to 2006. The eight distribution channels represented different nature of operations including both indirect and direct distribution channels.Findings – Empirical findings showed the web sites of local travel agents and local reservation agents offered the lowest online room rates, and that indirect distribution channels offered lower room rates than direct distribution channels.Research limitations/implications – A major limitation of this study is the geographic limitation of hotel selection.Originality/value – Findings of the study are expected to provide insights for hoteliers to refine their online room rate strategy.
On the determinants of director additions and removals

This article studies director additions and removals for S&P 500 firms during the period 2000 to 2003. It finds that firms with smaller board size than estimated efficient levels add more and remove fewer directors than firms with larger board size. It also finds that firms with lower board independence than estimated efficient levels add more and remove fewer independent directors, and add fewer and remove more nonindependent directors than firms with higher board independence. These findings suggest that firms add and remove directors to adjust board structure in a manner consistent with economic efficiency.
Updates to the Internet X.509 Public Key Infrastructure Certificate and Certificate Revocation List (CRL) Profile

This document updates RFC 5280, the "Internet X.509 Public Key Infrastructure Certificate and Certificate Revocation List (CRL) Profile". This document changes the set of acceptable encoding methods for the explicitText field of the user notice policy qualifier and clarifies the rules for converting internationalized domain name labels to ASCII. This document also provides some clarifications on the use of self-signed certificates, trust anchors, and some updated security considerations. [STANDARDS-TRACK]
Identity of prokaryotic and eukaryotic tRNA(Asp) for aminoacylation by aspartyl-tRNA synthetase from Thermus thermophilus.

The aspartate identity of tRNA for AspRS from Thermus thermophilus has been investigated by kinetic analysis of the aspartylation reaction of different tRNA molecules and their variants as well as of tRNAPhe variants with transplanted aspartate identity elements. It is shown that G10, G34, U35, C36, C38, and G73 determine recognition and aspartylation of yeast and T.thermophilus tRNA(Asp) by the thermophilic AspRS. This set of nucleotides specifies also tRNA aspartylation in the homologous yeast and Escherichia coli systems. Structural considerations indicate that the major aspartate identity elements interact with amino acids conserved in all AspRSs. It follows that the structural features of tRNA and synthetase specifying aspartylation are mainly conserved in various structural contexts and in organisms adapted to different life conditions. Mutations of tRNA identity elements provoke drastic losses of charging in the heterologous system involving yeast tRNA(Asp) and T. thermophilus AspRS. In the homologous systems, the mutational effects are less pronounced. However, effects in E. coli and T. thermophilus exceed those in yeast which are particularly moderate, indicating variations in the individual contributions of identity elements for aspartylation in prokaryotes and eukaryotes. Analysis of multiple tRNA mutants reveals cooperativity between the cluster of determinants of the anticodon loop and the additional determinants G10 and G73 for efficient aspartylation in the thermophilic system, suggesting that conformational changes trigger formation of the functional tRNA/synthetase complex.
Entrepreneurship and economic growth: Evidence from emerging and developed countries

This paper presents an extension to the economic growth model developed by Wong, Ho, and Autio (2005), to reflect differences in the economic effects of opportunity and necessity-based entrepreneurship in both emerging and developed countries. Data from 44 countries for the years 2004 and 2005, as collected by Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM) research and Global Competitiveness Report (GCR) research, are used to identify predictors of GDP growth for emerging and developed nations. The GEM data are used to determine the effect of different types of entrepreneurship on GDP growth. The GCR data operationalize additional control variables suggested by three economic growth theories: new economic geography, endogenous growth theory and national systems of innovation. This contribution to the literature suggests that, in developed countries, a significant portion of economic growth rates can be attributed to high-expectation entrepreneurs exploiting national investments in knowledge creation and regulatory freedom. However, in emerging countries this effect is absent. It is hypothesized that a threshold exists for entrepreneurs to gain access to the formal economy, below which entrepreneurial contributions act through informal mechanisms.
A novel autosomal dominant restless legs syndrome locus maps to chromosome 20p13

The authors investigated genetic factors contributing to restless legs syndrome (RLS) by performing a 10-cM genome-wide scan in a large French-Canadian pedigree. They detected an autosomal-dominant locus mapping to chromosome 20p13, with a maximum multipoint lod score of 3.86 at marker D20S849. This is the third reported autosomal-dominant locus for RLS and the first autosomal-dominant RLS locus in the French-Canadian population.
Atmospheric chemistry of oxygenated volatile organic compounds: impacts on air quality and climate.

It is hard to overstate the importance of oxygenated organic compounds in atmospheric chemistry. Oxygenated organic compounds are emitted into the atmosphere from natural and man-made sources, and they are formed in the atmosphere as oxidation products of all hydrocarbons present in the atmosphere. Oxygenated volatile organic compounds (OVOCs) are generally more reactive than the alkanes from which they are derived. OVOCs play an active role in the sequence of chemical reactions responsible for tropospheric ozone formation in both polluted and remote environments.
A comparative in vitro study on antifungal and antioxidant activities of Nervilia aragoana and Atlantia monophylla

Ethyl acetate extract of the whole plant of Nervilia aragoana Gaud. (Orchidaceae) and ethanol extract of the leaves of Atlantia monophylla Linn. (Rutaceae) were evaluated for antifungal and antioxidant activities. At 5 mg/mL concentration of the extracts, the former exhibited more inhibitory activity than the latter against fungi. The order of MIC values for Nervilia aragoana were Saccharomyces cerevisiae (1.4 mg/mL) > Aspergillus niger (1.2 mg/mL) > Aspergillus fumigatus (0.95 mg/mL) > Cryptococcus neoformans (0.75 mg/mL). In the case of Atlantia monophylla values were Cryptococcus neoformans (1 mg/mL) > Candida albicans (0.95 mg/mL) > Aspergillus niger (0.65 mg/mL). TLC-DPPH method assay was carried out to evaluate the antioxidant potential. Further DPPH radical, superoxide, nitric oxide, H2O2 scavenging, and reducing power activities were carried out. N. aragoana (85%) extract exhibited more scavenging activity than that of A. monophylla (66%) by DPPH free radical scavenging method. A. monophylla extract exhibited more superoxide, nitric oxide, H2O2 scavenging activities than that of N. aragoana. The acute toxicity studies of both extracts have shown no mortality rate even up to 3 g/kg body weight in albino rats. Screening for secondary metabolites showed the presence of carbohydrates in both extracts. Flavonoids were found only in the ethyl acetate extract of N. aragoana. Tannins, alkaloids, triterpenoids and steroids were present in A. monophylla. Total phenols present in N. aragoana and A. monophylla were 340 and 560 mg/g extract of gallic acid equivalents, respectively.
Parasitism overrides herbivore identity allowing hyperparasitoids to locate their parasitoid host using herbivore‐induced plant volatiles

Foraging success of predators profoundly depends on reliable and detectable cues indicating the presence of their often inconspicuous prey. Carnivorous insects rely on chemical cues to optimize foraging efficiency. Hyperparasitoids that lay their eggs in the larvae or pupae of parasitic wasps may find their parasitoid hosts developing in different herbivores. They can use herbivore‐induced plant volatiles (HIPVs) to locate parasitized caterpillars. Because different herbivore species induce different HIPV emission from plants, hyperparasitoids may have to deal with large variation in volatile information that indicates host presence. In this study, we used an ecogenomics approach to first address whether parasitized caterpillars of two herbivore species (Pieris rapae and P. brassicae) induce similar transcriptional and metabolomic responses in wild Brassica oleracea plants and, second, whether hyperparasitoids Lysibia nana are able to discriminate between these induced plant responses to locate their parasitoid host in different herbivores under both laboratory and field conditions. Our study revealed that both herbivore identity and parasitism affect plant transcriptional and metabolic responses to herbivory. We also found that hyperparasitoids are able to respond to HIPVs released by wild B. oleracea under both laboratory and field conditions. In addition, we observed stronger attraction of hyperparasitoids to HIPVs when plants were infested with parasitized caterpillars. However, hyperparasitoids were equally attracted to plants infested by either herbivore species. Our results indicate that parasitism plays a major role in HIPV‐mediated plant–hyperparasitoid interactions. Furthermore, these findings also indicate that plant trait‐mediated indirect interaction networks play important roles in community‐wide species interactions.
Exchange Rates and Monetary Policy

This paper looks at the relation between exchange rates and monetary policy. It focuses in particular on the role of the exchange rate of the euro in the context of the ECB's monetary policy strategy. The objective of monetary policy is to maintain price stability. The euro area is a large and relatively closed economy. Therefore, the exchange rate of the euro is not an intermediate target nor is it an objective. Nevertheless, the ECB's stability-oriented monetary policy strategy does not neglect the exchange rate of the euro. Clearly, exchange rate developments are taken into account both when looking at the transmission mechanism of monetary policy and when assessing the current economic situation and prospects for the euro area. Copyright Blackwell Publishers Ltd/University of Adelaide and Flinders University of South Australia 2002.
Creación de un producto financiero

Los entes economicos que tienen como finalidad la prestacion de servicios o la cesion de productos financieros, se enfrentan ante una realidad marcada por un alto grado de concurrencia, debido a la homogeneidad de los productos y servicios que ponen a disposicion de sus potenciales clientes. Esta y otras muchas causas han dado lugar a una creciente necesidad, por parte de las instituciones financieras, de mantener un "banco de ideas" con el fin de poder lanzar al mercado aquellos productos o servicios en el momento en que se cree van a ser demandados. Uno de los instrumentos que permiten alcanzar este objetivo, y que desarrollamos en este trabajo, se conoce con el nombre de "circulo de creatividad". Su finalidad es conseguir un dinamismo creativo en el seno de las instituciones financieras sin el cual no se pueden mantener los necesarios niveles de competitividad que los sistemas economicos actuales exigen.
Calculating Prices and Sensitivities for Path-Independent Derivatives Securities in Multifactor Models

Pricing derivatives written on assets whose prices depend on multiple factors can be difficult, even if payoffs depend only on prices at maturity. In complicated problems, Monte Carlo simulation is a popular technique, but it can be time-consuming when accuracy is needed. Conditional Monte Carlo is a known variance reduction method, but its use has been limited by a presumption in the literature that it can be used only when factors are instantaneously uncorrelated. I show that this presumption is not necessarily true. For example, we can express the prices and sensitivities of an European call option written on an asset that has stochastic volatility as an expectation over its Black-Scholes counterparts, even when the volatility and price processes exhibit instantaneous correlation. Combining this conditional Monte Carlo technique with low-discrepancy ("quasi-random") techniques provides price and delta estimators that require a fraction of a second to compute and yet have exact errors that are accurate to a few one-hundredths of a percent of the option's price. By comparison, conventional Monte Carlo simulation requires at least several minutes of computation time to achieve the same accuracy.
Energy Efficiency Policy: Surveying the Puzzles

Promoting energy efficiency (EE) has become a leading policy response to greenhouse gas emissions, energy dependence, and the cost of new generators and transmission lines. Such policies present numerous puzzles. Electricity prices below marginal production costs could warrant EE policies if EE and energy are substitutes, but they will not be substitutes if the energy price is sufficiently high. Using EE savings to meet renewable energy requirements can dramatically increase the marginal cost of electricity. Rejecting “rationality” of consumer energy choices raises doubts regarding cost–benefit analysis when demand curves may not reveal willingness to pay. Decoupling to guarantee constant profit regardless of use contradicts findings that incentive-based mechanisms outperform cost-of-service regulation. Regulators may implement EE policies to exercise buyer-side market power against generators, increasing consumer welfare but reducing overall economic performance. Encouraging utilities to take over potentially competitive EE contradicts policies to separate competitive from monopoly enterprises.
A Corpus-based Analysis of Shadowing Speech: Case of L2 English by Japanese Learners

In this study we intend to investigate the typical phenomena in shadowing speech and work out a tentative scheme for shadowing speech labeling. Our aim is two-fold: a) to give useful feedback to students and teachers who are using shadowing as a way of language learning; b) to explore the possibility of automatic assessment and error detection of shadowing speech. We firstly labeled a shadowing corpus, which includes data from 10 male and 10 female students, where their speaking proficiency ranges from low, to intermediate to high level. Then we did statistical analysis on the labeled phenomena and our preliminary results are: 1) roughly defining ten prototypes of speech phenomena in shadowing, including substitution, insertion, omission, filled pause, repetition, grammatical errors(tense, voice, etc.), whispering, rearrangement of words’ order, prosodic shadowing (shadowing without grasping the actual content of the speech) and combing parts from several words into one; 2) analyzing the subtypes within each prototype and finding that some types are gender/speaker dependent, and others are gender/speaker independent; 3) finding good correlation between our defined phenomena and shadowers’ overall language proficiency.
Insulin Regulates Alternative Splicing of Protein Kinase C βII through a Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinase-dependent Pathway Involving the Nuclear Serine/Arginine-rich Splicing Factor, SRp40, in Skeletal Muscle Cells*

Insulin regulates the inclusion of the exon encoding protein kinase C (PKC) βII mRNA. In this report, we show that insulin regulates this exon inclusion (alternative splicing) via the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI 3-kinase) signaling pathway through the phosphorylation state of SRp40, a factor required for insulin-regulated splice site selection for PKCβII mRNA. By taking advantage of a well known inhibitor of PI 3–kinase, LY294002, we demonstrated that pretreatment of L6 myotubes with LY294002 blocked insulin-induced PKCβII exon inclusion as well as phosphorylation of SRp40. In the absence of LY294002, overexpression of SRp40 in L6 cells mimicked insulin-induced exon inclusion. When antisense oligonucleotides targeted to a putative SRp40-binding sequence in the βII-βI intron were transfected into L6 cells, insulin effects on splicing and glucose uptake were blocked. Taken together, these results demonstrate a role for SRp40 in insulin-mediated alternative splicing independent of changes in SRp40 concentration but dependent on serine phosphorylation of SRp40 via a PI 3-kinase signaling pathway. This switch in PKC isozyme expression is important for increases in the glucose transport effect of insulin. Significantly, insulin regulation of PKCβII exon inclusion occurred in the absence of cell growth and differentiation demonstrating that insulin-induced alternative splicing of PKCβII mRNA in L6 cells occurs in response to a metabolic change.
Localising the global food system

Agricultural systems have become increasingly industrialized and mechanized, relying on machinery and chemical inputs, rather than people and natural processes, to increase yields of food. The trend towards an increasingly globalised food system encourages unsustainable transportation of food around the world. Agricultural intensification and the globalisation of the agrofood chain has resulted in adverse environmental, social and economic consequences impeding moves towards sustainability. Organic farming can overcome many of the environmental problems associated with agricultural intensification. However, it does not have the potential to fully address the social and economic problems caused by the globalisation of the food system. Organic farming must be combined with local and regional sourcing of food products, for instance through forms of direct marketing of organic produce. Direct marketing schemes such as farmers' markets, food box delivery schemes and community-supported agriculture are all projects which, if managed with sustainability as the prime objective, have the potential to move towards a more socially, environmentally and economically sustainable agrofood system.