Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Interleukin-17 and T Helper 17 Cells in Mucosal Immunity of the Lung

In all mammals, including humans, the immune system is responsible for the protection against potentially hazardous pathogens, such as bacteria, viruses, parasites and fungi. In this remarkably effective defense system leukocytes, which mediate both innate and adaptive immune responses, play a central role. The innate immune system comprises granulocytes (neutrophils, eosinophils and basophils), natural killer (NK) cells, mast cells and macrophages. These cells are the first line of defense and provide the immediate response against pathogens. Neutrophils and macrophages can eliminate a pathogen directly by phagocytosis. Moreover, their pattern-recognition receptors, recognizing structurally conserved molecules derived from microbes such as bacterial lipopolysaccharides, unmethylated CpG, or viral double-stranded RNA, allow them to respond to a wide variety of microbial invaders, e.g. by producing cytokines that activate T lymphocytes of the adaptive immune system. Acquired or adaptive immunity is characterized by a slower but highly specific immune response. Three major cell types are involved in adaptive immunity: antigen presenting cells (APCs), T lymphocytes and B lymphocytes. Dendritic cells (DCs) are the most potent APCs. They act as messengers between the innate and the adaptive immune system by taking up, processing and presenting antigens to T lymphocytes. In response to presented antigens, T lymphocytes may react in different ways: CD4+ T helper cells produce various cytokines that direct the immune response, whereas CD8+ cytotoxic T cells produce toxic granules that induce death of infected cells. B cells are able to respond to pathogens by terminal differentiation into plasma cells after which they produce large quantities of antibodies. Modulation of B cell function and antibody production by CD4+ T cells is an important step in coordinating immune responses. Upon activation, B cells can migrate to germinal centers, which are specialized structures in secondary lymphoid organs, where they interact with T cells and DCs. Costimulatory signals from T cells then facilitate selection of B cells with high affinity for immunoglobulins and control class switching of the immunoglobulin (Ig) to IgG, IgA and IgE. Following pathogen elimination, lymphocytes leave a lasting legacy of the antigens they have come across represented by memory cells. As a result, lymphocytes are able to mount a faster and stronger immune response in future encounters with the same antigen. Defective T cell function can increase susceptibility to infections, allergies and autoimmune diseases. T
Accounting, Transparency and the Culture of Spin: Re‐Orientating Accounting Communication in the New Millennium

Accounting is problematically shaped by a culture of spin. In the practice of accounting, presentational management risks assuming greater importance than an open and clear communication motivated by a concern to serve the public interest. We elaborate upon this problematic feature of contemporary practice and suggest pointers towards responding to the challenge it poses in terms of a better way for accounting in the new millennium.
The effect of individualized gradable stabilization exercises in patients with chronic low back pain: Case-control study.

BACKGROUND There is no evidence that one exercise program is better than another for rehabilitation of patients with chronic low back pain (CLBP). OBJECTIVE To identify the safety and efficacy of a gradable stabilization exercise protocol in patients with CLBP. METHODS This study is a retrospective cohort study with 65 patients. The exercise group received the gradable stabilization exercise protocol for 3 weeks over 6-8 visits, while the control group did not receive any exercise protocol. All subjects were evaluated with the visual analog scale (VAS), Oswestry Disability Index (ODI), Fear-Avoidance Belief Questionnaire (FABQ), the active sit-up test (AST), side support test (SST), and extensor endurance test (EET). RESULTS After gradable stabilization exercise, the exercise group showed significant improvement in VAS, FABQ-W, ODI, AST, SST and EET (p< 0.05). And the exercise group showed better improvement than the control group in VAS, FABQ-W, ODI, AST, SST and EET (p< 0.05). The rate of treatment success was 77.1% among patients assigned to the exercise group, as compared with 12.0% among those assigned to the control group. CONCLUSIONS This study showed that the gradable stabilization exercise protocol has the possibility to improve clinical and physical findings.
Corn and Soybean Basis Behavior and Forecasting: Fundamental and Alternative Approaches

A model is developed to analyze the nearby basis behavior of corn and soybeans in several markets across the U.S. Results suggest that basis behavior has a seasonal pattern, and that different variables affect nearby corn and soybean basis at various periods. The most important factors affecting basis are storage cost (opportunity cost), transportation cost (barge rates), and supply (regional production relative to regional storage capacity). Nine conventional (naive three-year-average forecasts, econometric, ARIMA and composite forecast models) and less conventional forecasting techniques (State Space and Neural Networks models) are utilized to forecast out-of-sample basis for one-month up to 12-month ahead. The performance of all methods in forecasting 1991-1995 basis is analyzed. The forecasting performance comparison shows that adding current market information to the three-year-average model and the seasonal ARIMA model can slightly improve basis forecasts compared to the benchmark simple three-year-average forecast model.
Accounting Rates of Return as Measures of Post-Merger Perfor Mance

Accounting rates of return are used widely in empirical studies to assess postmerger perfor Mance and to compare this perfor Mance with that of non-merged firms. This paper suggests that there are many problems involved. In particular, accounting rates of return are unreliable measures of post-merger perfor Mance, and introduce bias into the results of post-merger perfor Mance studies.
The S & L insurance mess : how did it happen?

When the S&L crisis finally boiled over, one-quarter of the Savings and Loan Associations in the country were already insolvent, and the losses embedded in the long-standing insurance guarantees were at least $100 billion. This book shows that serious problems had plagued the industry for 20 before the crisis, and the information was there to signal that trouble was brewing. It also shows that perverse incentives in the system made it worthwhile for financially weak S&Ls, the federal deposit insurers, the regulators, and the Congress to ignore the danger signs? everyone, in fact, except the taxpayers who had to foot the bill.
The use of double-balloon enteroscopy in retrieving mucosal biopsies from the entire human gastrointestinal tract

Abstract Objective. The aim of this explorative study was to evaluate double-balloon enteroscopy (DBE) as a new tool for collecting mucosal biopsies from well-defined parts of the entire small and large bowel in patients with type 2 diabetes and in matched healthy subjects. Material and methods. Twelve subjects with type 2 diabetes and 12 body mass index and age-matched healthy subjects underwent anterograde and retrograde DBE under nurse-administered propofol sedation on two separate days. We attempted to collect two mucosal biopsies from every 30 cm from pylorus to rectum. Results. A mean of 21 biopsy sites were sampled in the diabetic group versus 25 in the healthy group. In 4 out of 24 patients (2 [17%] from each group) sampling from the entire gastrointestinal system was possible. Mean depth of maximal insertion (anterograde) was 478 ± 32 cm in patients with type 2 diabetes versus 465 ± 44 cm in healthy subjects (p = 0.81) and with retrograde access 230 ± 36 cm (type 2 diabetes) versus 207 ± 26 cm (healthy subjects). Conclusions. DBE is a minimally invasive way of collecting fresh biopsies from the entire gastrointestinal tract and, thus provides research and clinical communities with a new possibility to access hitherto unexplored human anatomy and physiology.
A model of pattern formation in insect embryogenesis.

A model is proposed in which the interaction of an autocatalytic substance with a short diffusion range--the activator--and its more diffusible antagonist--the inhibitor--leads to a local high concentration of activator at the posterior pole of the egg. The inhibitor, which is then produced mainly in this activated region, diffuses into the rest of the egg, where it acts as a 'morphogen', forming a concentration gradient which supplies positional information. This model can account quantitatively for the patterns resulting from a large number of different experiments performed during early insect development, including ligation, u.v. -irradiation and microsurgical manipulations. The formation of additional posterior structures is interpreted as the result of the appearance of a new activator peak. Omission of segments after ligation of the egg is explained as the result of accumulation of morphogen (the inhibitor) at the posterior side of the ligation and a decrease of morphogen on the anterior side. In order to account for certain quantitative features of the ligation experiments it is necessary to assume that determination in response to the morphogen gradient is a slow, stepwise process, in which the nuclei or cells first pass through determination stages characteristic for more anterior structures until they ultimately form a given structure. The mutual interactions of activator and inhibitor are expressed as a set of partial differential equations. The individual experiments are simulated by solving these equations by use of a computer.
Ideological currency in psychological contracts: the role of team relationships in a reciprocity perspective

This study focused on the role of ideology in psychological contracts, which has been a neglected theme in psychological contract research. A study among Dutch middle managers in education revealed that ideological psychological contract fulfillment explained additional variance in relation to employee obligations toward the organization. Moreover, it was found that team relationships moderated the relations between some aspects of employer contract fulfillment and employee obligations, but no significant interactions were found between employer ideological fulfillment and team relationships in relation to employee obligations.
Discrepancies between primary physician practice and treatment guidelines for Helicobacter pylori infection in Korea.

AIM To evaluate the attitude of primary care physicians in the diagnosis and treatment of Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection. METHODS Primary care physicians in the Seoul metropolitan area answered self-administered questionnaire from January to March 2003. RESULTS One hundred and eight doctors responded to the questionnaire. The most frequent reasons for testing H. pylori infection were gastric and duodenal ulcers (93.5% and 88.9%, respectively). For patients with H. pylori positive dyspepsia, 28.7% of doctors always tried to eradicate the worm and 34.4% treated selectively. A large proportion (28.7%) of primary care physicians treated H. pylori on a patient's request basis. Only 9.3% of primary care physicians always conducted follow-up testing after treating H. pylori infection. When H. pylori was not cleared by the first treatment, 40.7% of doctors reused the same regimen, 16.7% changed to another triple regimen and 25% to a quadruple regimen. CONCLUSION It has been well documented that the issuance of guidelines alone has little impact on practice. Communication between primary care physicians and gastroenterologists in the form of continuous medical education is required.
Mild and moderate hypothermia increases platelet aggregation induced by various agonists: a whole blood in vitro study

The mechanisms causing temperature-dependent bleeding, especially in hypothermic patients, warrant clarification. Therefore the aim of this study was to investigate platelet aggregation at the clinically important temperature range of 30–34°C. After obtaining informed consent citrated whole blood was drawn from 12 healthy adult male volunteers, who had not taken any medication in the previous 14 days. After venipuncture blood samples were incubated at 37°C until platelet testing. Platelet aggregation was performed in whole blood using the impedance aggregometer Multiplate® at five different test temperatures between 30°C and 34°C. Aggregation responses at 37°C served as controls. At temperatures of mild and moderate hypothermia (30–34°C), overall platelet aggregation was increased compared to 37°C. Increases were recorded in response to collagen, thrombin receptor activating peptide and ristocetin between 31°C and 34°C and in response to adenosine diphosphate between 30°C and 34°C. Overall platelet aggregation is increased at mild and moderate hypothermia down to 30°C. These results indicate that bleeding complications reported in mildly hypothermic patients are not due to hypothermia-induced platelet inhibition. The pathomechanism of the overall increased platelet aggregation between 30°C and 34°C requires further detailed study.
Anti-MOG syndrome: a road to be paved

Universidade de Sao Paulo, Faculdade de Medicina, Hospital das Clinicas, Departamento de Neurologia, Sao Paulo SP, Brasil.Correspondence: Tarso Adoni; Rua Dona Adma Jafet, 74 / conj. 121; 01308-050 Sao Paulo SP, Brasil; E-mail: tarso@dfvneuro.com. brConflict of interest: There is no conflict of interest to declare.Received 17 September 2017 Accepted 25 September 2017
Sex differences in the association between childhood experiences and adult depression

Background. In the present paper, sex differences in the association between adult depression and childhood experiences were examined. Methods. The study series of the Finnish UKKI Study consisted of a population sample of 501 men and 499 women. Information concerning childhood experiences was gathered retrospectively in a baseline survey carried out in 1969–72. After the initial phase, the mental health of the subjects was evaluated by interviews, questionnaires and register data at the 5-year follow-up (1974–6) and at the 16-year follow-up (1985–7). Results. Twelve per cent of men and 21% of women had suffered from depression during the 16-year follow-up period. A disturbed mother–child relationship and neurotic symptoms in childhood were associated with depression in women but not in men in the logistic model that included gender interaction. In separate analyses by gender several childhood factors showed statistically significant associations with depression in women but only a few in men. Conclusions. The finding suggests that childhood experiences are more highly predisposing factors to depression in women than in men.
External Recruitment and Intrafirm Mobility

In Chan (1996), I suggest that a contest between internal and external candidates for a position within a firm is generally biased in favor of the former to maintain work incentive for existing workers. This implies that a successful external candidate tends to be superior in ability relative to internally promoted colleagues and therefore enjoys a higher probability of subsequent promotion. Moreover, this effect tends to diminish up the hierarchy if external competition is more of a threat at lower job levels. Analyzing personnel data from a U.S. financial corporation, I find consistent support for this hypothesis. (JEL J00, J41) Copyright 2006, Oxford University Press.
The performance prism in practice

This article describes and illustrates the practical application of a new measurement framework – The Performance Prism – which addresses the shortcomings of many of the traditional measurement frameworks being used by organisations today. The Performance Prism, with its comprehensive stakeholder orientation, encourages executives to consider the wants and needs of all the organisation’s stakeholders, rather than a subset, as well as the associated strategies, processes and capabilities. DHL’s board for the UK have used this framework to re‐engineer their corporate measurement and reporting system and the article explains DHL and other firms’ experiences with the Performance Prism.
Inheritance of von Willebrand's disease in a colony of Doberman Pinschers.

OBJECTIVE To determine the mode of inheritance of von Willebrand's disease (vWD) and perform linkage analysis between vWD and coat color or narcolepsy in a colony of Doberman Pinschers. ANIMALS 159 Doberman Pinschers. PROCEDURE von Willebrand factor antigen (vWF:Ag) concentration was measured by use of ELISA, and results were used to classify dogs as having low (< 20%), intermediate (20 to 65%), or high (> 65%) vWF:Ag concentration, compared with results of analysis of standard pooled plasma. Buccal bleeding time was measured, and mode of inheritance of vWD was assessed by pedigree analysis. RESULTS von Willebrand's disease was transmitted as a single autosomal gene defect. Results suggested that 27.04% of dogs were homozygous for vWD, 62.26% were heterozygous, and 10.69% did not have the defect. Most homozygous and some heterozygous dogs had prolonged bleeding times. Dogs with diluted coat colors (blue and fawn) were significantly overrepresented in the homozygous group, compared with black and red dogs, but a significant link between vWD and coat color was not detected. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE von Willebrand's disease is transmitted as an autosomal dominant trait with variable penetrance; most dogs in this colony (89.3%) were carriers of vWD. Homozygosity for vWD is not likely to be lethal. Some heterozygous dogs have prolonged bleeding times. An association between diluted coat colors and vWD may exist.
Analysis of Lumber and Pulpwood Production in a Partial Adjustment Model with Dynamic and Variable Speeds of Adjustment

This article proposes a partial adjustment model in which the speed of adjustment is a linear function of policy and economic variables rather than fixed. The model is applied to analyze the behavior of lumber and pulpwood production. Since the model is overparameterized and intrinsically nonlinear, the task of estimation is done by the nonlinear least squares method, using quarterly data covering the period from 1961 through 1983. Both the adjustment speeds of lumber and pulpwood production are found to vary inversely with the discrepancy between the actual and the expected interest rate. The adjustment speed of lumber production is also found to shift positively with the difference between the actual and the expected government expenditure. In addition, the results show that the adjustment speed of lumber production suffers from a longterm declining trend, whereas the adjustment speed of pulpwood production exhibits a long-term upward sweep, and that desired outputs of lumber and pulpwood respond negati.
Plasticity of Sensorimotor Networks

Redundancy is an important feature of the motor system, as abundant degrees of freedom are prominent at every level of organization across the central and peripheral nervous systems, and musculoskeletal system. This basic feature results in a system that is both flexible and robust, and which can be sustainably adapted through plasticity mechanisms in response to intrinsic organismal changes and dynamic environments. While much early work of motor system organization has focused on synaptic-based plasticity processes that are driven via experience, recent investigations of neuron–glia interactions, epigenetic mechanisms and large-scale network dynamics have revealed a plethora of plasticity mechanisms that support motor system organization across multiple, overlapping spatial and temporal scales. Furthermore, an important role of these mechanisms is the regulation of intrinsic variability. Here, we review several of these mechanisms and discuss their potential role in neurorehabilitation.
Extended Libor Market Models with Affine and Quadratic Volatility

The market model of interest rates specifies simple forward or Libor rates as lognormally distributed, their stochastic dynamics has a linear volatility function. In this paper, the model is extended to quadratic volatility functions which are the product of a quadratic polynomial and a level-independent covariance matrix. The extended Libor market models allow for closed form cap pricing formulae, the implied volatilities of the new formulae are smiles and frowns. We give examples for the possible shapes of implied volatilities. Furthermore, we derive a new approximative swaption pricing formula and discuss its properties. The model is calibrated to market prices, it turns out that no extended model specification outperforms the others. The criteria for model choice should thus be theoretical properties and computational efficiency.
The Effect Of Government Size On Economic Growth: Evidence From Gross State Product Data

Using newly released data from the Bureau of Economic Analysis, this paper provides empirical estimates of the effect of government employment on gross state product. Cross-sectional data from 1982 are combined with a simple growth model to show that higher levels of government employment generally have a positive and significant effect on gross state product, with state and local employment levels having apparently greater influence. A first-differences variant of the model supports the cross-sectional findings. However, the positive influence of absolute government size may be offset by a negative relationship between GSP growth and the relative size of government.
The Influence of Tax and Nontax Costs on Book‐Tax Reporting Differences: Public and Private Firms

We provide archival evidence on firms' book‐tax reporting differences using tax return data on public and private manufacturing firms. Prior research suggests that managers should report conforming book income to minimize tax‐related costs. However, reporting conformity can also impose nontax costs. We find evidence that public firms have generally higher financial‐reporting costs that result in larger book‐tax differences. In addition, we find that higher debt levels impose greater nontax costs on firms that are privately held or more financially distressed. Finally, our tests of differences among public firms suggest that nontax costs associated with bonus plan thresholds and book income patterns affect their book‐tax reporting. Our tests extend prior studies that focus on whether firms engage in specific conforming transactions. From a tax policy perspective, our results suggest that book‐tax differences may be a less useful indicator of private firms' aggressive tax positions because they have fewer i.
C compiler design for a network processor

One important problem in code generation for embedded processors is the design of efficient compilers for target machines with application-specific architectures. This paper outlines the design of a C compiler for an industrial application-specific instruction-set processor (ASIP) for telecom applications. The target ASIP is a, network processor with special instructions for bit-level access to data registers, which is required for packet-oriented communication protocol processing. From a practical viewpoint, we describe the main challenges in exploiting these application-specific features in a C compiler and we show how a compiler backend has been designed that accommodates these features by means of compiler intrinsics and a dedicated register allocator. The compiler is fully operational and first experimental results indicate that C-level programming of the ASIP leads to good code quality without the need for time-consuming assembly programming.