Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Height as a marker of childhood development and late-life cognitive function: the Honolulu-Asia Aging Study.

OBJECTIVE Growing evidence suggests that structural and functional brain reserves, thought to develop in childhood and adolescence, may be crucial in determining when cognitive impairment begins. The purpose of this report is to examine the relationship of height, as a marker of childhood development, to late-life cognitive function in a sample of elderly Japanese-American men. METHOD Cognitive performance was assessed from 1991 to 1993 in the Honolulu-Asia Aging Study in 3733 men aged 71 to 93 years and related to height that was measured 25 years earlier. RESULTS Among the study sample, shorter men were older, leaner, and less educated than taller men. Shorter men also spent more years of their childhood living in Japan and were more likely to have had fathers in unskilled professions. After adjustment for age, the prevalence of poor cognitive performance declined consistently with increasing height from 25% in men shorter than 154 cm (61 in) to 9% in those taller than 174 cm (69 in). Excluding men with stroke or dementia did not alter the association between height and cognitive performance. Apolipoprotein E4 was unrelated to height and did not effect the association between height and cognitive function. The prevalence of Alzheimer's disease was higher in men who were 154 cm (61 in) or shorter as compared with men who were taller (4.7% vs 2.9%, respectively). There was no association between height and vascular dementia. CONCLUSION Efforts to improve prenatal and early life conditions to maximize growth in childhood and adolescence could diminish or delay the expression of cognitive impairments that occur later in life. Prevention of some late-life cognitive impairments may have pediatric origins.
Regulation of matrix metalloproteinase expression by estrogen in fibroblasts that are derived from the pelvic floor.

OBJECTIVE The purpose of this study was to determine whether estrogen suppresses matrix metalloproteinase-2 and -9 proenzyme expression by fibroblasts that are derived from the supportive connective tissue of the pelvic floor. STUDY DESIGN A primary fibroblast culture that was developed from a biopsy specimen of the arcus tendineus was treated with interleukin-1 beta (10-15 ng/mL), transforming growth factor-beta 1 (5-15 ng/mL), 17 beta-estradiol (10(-9)-10(-7) mol/L), and Imperial Chemical Industries (ICI) 182 780 (10(-8)-10(-6) mol/L). Cellular and extracellular protein were analyzed by Western blotting and substrate zymography, respectively, for the effect of each treatment on the amount of pro-matrix metalloproteinase-2 and -9 and the membrane type 1 matrix metalloproteinase protein. RESULTS Both cellular and extracellular pro-matrix metalloproteinase-2 protein were increased by transforming growth factor-beta1 (P =.01) and decreased by estradiol (P <.001) and ICI 182 780 (P =.02 and.002, respectively). Membrane type 1 matrix metalloproteinase was not affected by estradiol, ICI 182 780, interleukin-1 beta, or transforming growth factor-beta 1. Extracellular pro-matrix metalloproteinase-9 was increased by the cytokines interleukin-1 beta (P <.001) and transforming growth factor-beta1 (P <.001) and decreased by estradiol (P <.001) and ICI 182 780 (P <.001). CONCLUSION The proenzymes of the tissue-degrading matrix metalloproteinases -2 and -9 are decreased by 17-beta estradiol and ICI 182 780.
What makes technological transfer successful?

It is widely recognized that increasing the use of cleaner and more efficient energy technologies allows nations to reduce their GHG emissions. Investing in and creating policy for innovation in climate mitigation technologies should help to reduce their current costs as well as improve the menu of technological options in the future. Not all countries will choose to, or even be able to, become innovators in these technologies. However, if countries adopt climate change policies, then there will be a need to adopt new technologies. A key question then is how climate mitigation technologies will move across borders, a phenomenon known as technology transfer. Specifically, what are the major barriers? And what are the most effective incentives? Many developing countries have expressed concern about whether these technologies would be too expensive and whether foreign firms would restrict access to them. Conversely, technology suppliers have expressed concern about possible intellectual property infringement in many developing countries. As a result, innovation and technology transfer have become important components of the international climate negotiations. Before analysing Green Innovation in China, it is important to understand the country’s context. China is a major emerging economy, energy consumer, GHG emitter, and manufacturer of energy technologies. As news of China’s severe urban air pollution becomes more forbidding and as its GHG emissions continue to soar, the need for clean energy in China is becoming ever more apparent. China’s clean energy revolution is paradoxical: it is both the largest producer and consumer of coal in the world and also the largest investor in clean energy according to the Pew Center (Pew Charitable Trusts, 2013), with US$65 billion invested and 23 GW of clean energy installed in 2012 alone. China has also dramatically improved the energy efficiency of its economy. Between 2005 and 2010, its energy intensity was reduced by 19%. In its 12th five-year plan (2011–2015), China plans to reduce energy intensity by another 16% below the 2010 level. China’s role in the international climate change negotiations continues to be fraught. On the one hand, it has become more pragmatic and less dogmatic, but on the other hand it has refrained from taking a leadership role to find creative solutions at the multilateral level. Interestingly, however, China has quietly begun to take precisely the steps that other countries would like it to take from a climate change perspective, by investing in mitigation technologies and supporting their widespread deployment within its borders and also more widely. China’s determined march towards clean energy has not been without controversy, with some claiming that it is simply an example of ‘green mercantilism’ and not responsible mitigation policy. The US and Europe have both accused it of unfairly subsidizing its clean energy industries, and the US went so far as to impose steep tariffs on China’s
Contracting Incentives and Compensation for Property-Liability Insurer Executives

This article examines several hypotheses about the structure and level of compensation for 103 property-liability chief executive officers (CEOs) from 1995 through 1997. The greater the level of firm risk and the larger the firm, the greater the use of incentive compensation. Insurers subject to more regulatory attention and those whose CEOs have greater stock ownership make less use of incentive compensation. There is some evidence that option grants and restricted stock awards provide CEOs with differing incentives. This article finds that corporate governance structures, managers' stock ownership, and regulatory attention are not adequate to prevent CEOs from receiving compensation levels in excess of what economic factors predict. Contrary to findings in prior studies, there is little evidence that use of incentive compensation or level of total compensation paid increases with insurer investment opportunities, as traditionally measured.
Electric vehicle diffusion in the Portuguese automobile market

ABSTRACT The present research focuses on electric vehicles as part of the Portuguese policy to make the transportation system more energy efficient and environmentally friendly. The main goal is to estimate the fleetwide energy consumption and corresponding carbon dioxide emissions up to 2030 and examine to what extent the introduction of electric vehicles will reduce those indicators. A system dynamics model of the Portuguese car fleet was developed that captures the inter relationships between the main drivers of the system while simulating the car owners’ behavior when selecting technologies. To analyze the evolution of energy consumption and carbon emissions, a scenario analysis is followed. In addition, a series of transportation policy instruments is tested in each scenario in order to analyze reduction effectiveness of emissions and increasing diffusion of electric vehicles. We concluded that a fast-growing economy is the best scenario to decrease energy consumption mostly due to the expected increase in fuel efficiency of the car stock deriving from a faster technological turnover of internal combustion engine vehicles. Regarding transportation policy instruments, the increase in the tax applied to fossil-fuel sales as well as applied to conventional vehicles’ sales are the most efficient policies to increase the diffusion of electric vehicles. Importantly, according to our results, the uptake of electric vehicles is expected to be rather low (less than 10% of new cars until 2030), regardless of the scenario or transportation policy analyzed.
Event-triggered distributed MPC for continuous-time nonlinear systems

In this paper we are interested in distributed control for dynamically decoupled nonlinear systems with coupled objective function. An event-triggered distributed MPC is designed to stabilize systems and optimize local and cooperative objective function. Different from existing time-triggered approaches, in this work, a contraction constraint is used to ensure stability so that the cooperation matrix can be designed freely. Sufficient conditions on recursive feasibility and stability are studied and a numerical example is given to verify our results.
Disposition of disodium cromoglycate administered in three particle sizes

1 Disodium cromoglycate (DSCG) was administered in three particle sizes to five human subjects. 2 Urinary excretion of DSCG, as a proportion of the dose, was highest following small particles; the lower values recorded following intermediate-sized and large particles were similar. 3 DSCG deposited in the mouth was highest following large particles; the lower values recorded following intermediate-sized and small particles were similar. 4 The data were examined in relation to the recent observation that the protective effect of small particles of DSCG is dramatically superior to that of large particles.
A THEORETICAL MODEL OF ON-THE-JOB TRAINING WITH IMPERFECT COMPETITION

Training for skills that are transferable to other firms, but for which the external labor market is imperfectly competitive, cannot be analyzed using the traditional tools of general and specific training. It is known that firms (as well as workers) have an incentive to invest in such training but that there is an externality problem that may lead to underinvestment. Using a formal model, it is shown that the problem is most severe at 'intermediate' levels of labor-market competition. The effects are that too few workers are trained and there is overinvestment in purely specific training. Copyright 1994 by Royal Economic Society.
Domain mobility in proteins from NMR/SRLS.

Enhanced internal mobility in proteins is typically functional. Domain motion in enzymes, necessarily related to catalysis, is a prototype in this context. Experimental (15)N spin relaxation data from E. coli adenylate kinase report qualitatively on nanosecond motion experienced by the domains AMPbd and LID. Previous quantitative analysis based on the mode-coupling slowly relaxing local structure approach confirmed nanosecond mobility but yielded unduly small local ordering and local geometry not interpretable directly in terms of the local protein structure. Here, we show that these features ensue from having assumed axial local ordering and highly axial local diffusion. After eliminating these simplified second-rank tensor properties, a physically sound picture, with the local motion interpretable as domain motion, is obtained. Rhombic local ordering, with components given by = 0.471, = -0.952 and = 0.481, and main ordering axis, Y(M), lying along C(alpha)(i-1) - C(alpha)(i), has been determined. The associated rhombic potential is given by axial (rhombic) coefficients of = -3.3 ( = 17.8). The average correlation time for domain motion is 10.4 (6.4) ns at 288 (302) K; the corresponding correlation time for global motion is 20.6 (14.9) ns. The rates for domain motion exhibit noteworthy Arrhenius-type temperature-dependence, yielding activation energies of 63.8 +/- 7.0 (53.0 +/- 9.1) kJ/mol for the AMPbd (LID) domain. The traditional model-free analysis ignores mode-coupling and simplifies tensor properties. Within its scope, the AKeco backbone emerges as largely rigid, approximately = 0.94; the main ordering axis, Z(M), lies along N-H, approximately = 16 (c(2)(2) = 0); and the slow local motional correlation time lies at the low end of the nanosecond time scale.
A photographic study of accommodative mechanisms: changes in the lens nucleus during accommodation.

Lenses of unmedicated young human subjects have been photographed with different amounts of controlled accommodation. The changes in the cortical and central (nuclear) zones have been studied by microdensitometry of the phototransparencies. The nuclear zones showed remarkably greater change in thickness than the cortical zones. Certain remarks on the possible physical characteristics of the nucleus and the cortex have been made. A number of known facts about changes during accommodation have been reassessed because of our present findings.
One‐way cross‐desensitization between P2X purinoceptors and vanilloid receptors in adult rat dorsal root ganglion neurones

1 Capsaicin and ATP can activate ligand‐gated cation channels in nociceptive rat dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurones. We have studied cross‐desensitization between these two agents in rat isolated DRG neurones using the whole‐cell voltage‐clamp technique. 2 ATP (10 μM) activated an inward current in DRG neurones at a holding potential of ‐60 mV. ATP evoked ‘fast’ responses that underwent rapid activation and desensitization, ‘slow’ responses that activated and desensitized more slowly, or responses that displayed a mixture of these two characteristics. The time course of the response to ATP was not related obviously to capsaicin sensitivity. 3 Prior application of capsaicin (0·5 μM) increased the proportion of cells displaying only fast responses to ATP (10 μM) suggesting that cross‐desensitization had occurred between capsaicin and the slow component of the ATP response. Prior desensitization to ATP had no apparent effect on the inward current response to capsaicin (0·5 μM). 4 Cross‐desensitization between capsaicin and ATP was Ca2+ dependent. 5 Changing the membrane holding potential (Vh) to +40 mV for a brief period before applying ATP at ‐60 mV had a similar effect to capsaicin, i.e. the proportion of cells displaying only fast responses to ATP was increased significantly. This effect of depolarization was not Ca2+ dependent. 6 The heterogenity of responses to ATP is probably due to co‐expression of homomeric P2X3 receptors and heteromeric receptors comprising P2X3 subunits with other P2X subunits. We propose that the change in time course of the ATP response produced by prior desensitization to capsaicin is due to selective cross‐desensitization with the heteromeric P2X receptors.
Personality-related differences in subjective presence

Even though user-related variables are important determinants of presence, quite little is known about their role. The main aim of the present study was to examine differences in presence experience as a function of personality. Participants navigated through a multimedia presentation on a desktop computer. Half of them had the opportunity to navigate through the stimulus without interruptions, the other half were asked to generate random numbers whenever an audio signal occurred. Personality-related differences were shown to be an important determinant of presence. Especially, extraversion, impulsivity and self-transcendence were positively associated with presence ratings.
Union Modernisation, Coalitions and Vulnerable Work in the Construction Sector in Britain

This article analyses vulnerable work in the construction sector, the impact of the recession and union responses to these problems including the development of coalitions with civil society and state organisations, and provision of new services to members and other workers faced with heightened vulnerability at work. The case study is based on qualitative interviews and internal documentation, and focuses on the construction union, Union of Construction, Allied Technicians and Trades, and its work supported by the government-backed Union Modernisation Fund. The findings demonstrate some innovative approaches to supporting workers facing vulnerability in terms of job insecurity, health and safety and other problems, including drawing on support from other organisations with specific expertise and resources. Problems in terms of the political contingency of these links, vulnerability in terms of changing funding regimes and priorities within state agencies, and the vast scale of the problem of vulnerability at work are also highly prominent.
The lifecycle effects of nutrition and body size on adult adiposity, diabetes and cardiovascular disease

This study was undertaken to review the links between maternal nutrition, offspring's birth weight and the propensity to early insulin resistance and high diabetes rates in Indian adults. Studies included a comparison of maternal size and nutrition with birth weights in Pune, India, and Southampton, UK. In Pune, the growth, insulin resistance and blood pressure of four‐year‐old children were assessed. Adults >40 years of age, who were resident in rural areas, were compared with adults living in urban areas for size, glucose handling, lipid status and blood pressure. Newly diagnosed diabetic adults living in urban areas were also monitored. Height, weight, head, waist and hip circumferences, skin‐fold measurements and blood pressure were routinely measured. Fasting glucose, insulin, total and high‐density lipoprotein cholesterol and triglycerides were linked to the glucose and insulin responses during glucose tolerance tests. Cytokine levels were measured in plasma samples of urban and rural adults. Indian babies were lighter, thinner, shorter and had a relatively lower lean tissue mass than the Caucasian babies. However, the subcutaneous fat measurements of these babies were comparable to those of the white Caucasian babies. The Indian mothers were small, but relatively fat mothers produced larger babies. Maternal intake of green vegetables, fruit and milk, and their circulating folate and vitamin C levels, predicted larger fetal size. Rapid childhood growth promoted insulin resistance and higher blood pressure. Rural adults were thin, with a 4% prevalence of diabetes and a 14% prevalence of hypertension, but the risks increased within the normal body mass index (BMI) range. Type 2 diabetes was common in urban adults younger than 35 years of age. Although the average BMI was 23.9 kg m−2, central obesity and thin limbs were noteworthy. Levels of interleukin‐6 and tumour necrosis factor‐α were markedly increased in urban dwellers. Hence, there is evidence of a remarkably powerful, intergenerational effect on body size and total and central adiposity. Indians are highly susceptible to insulin resistance and cardiovascular risks, with babies being born small but relatively fat. Insulin resistance is amplified by rapid childhood growth. Dietary factors seem to have profound long‐term metabolic influences in pregnancy. Overcrowding with infections and central obesity may amplify cytokine‐induced insulin resistance and early diabetes in Indian adults with a low BMI.
Sentiment analysis of movie reviews: A new feature-based heuristic for aspect-level sentiment classification

This paper presents our experimental work on a new kind of domain specific feature-based heuristic for aspect-level sentiment analysis of movie reviews. We have devised an aspect oriented scheme that analyses the textual reviews of a movie and assign it a sentiment label on each aspect. The scores on each aspect from multiple reviews are then aggregated and a net sentiment profile of the movie is generated on all parameters. We have used a SentiWordNet based scheme with two different linguistic feature selections comprising of adjectives, adverbs and verbs and n-gram feature extraction. We have also used our SentiWordNet scheme to compute the document-level sentiment for each movie reviewed and compared the results with results obtained using Alchemy API. The sentiment profile of a movie is also compared with the document-level sentiment result. The results obtained show that our scheme produces a more accurate and focused sentiment profile than the simple document-level sentiment analysis.
TWO-YEAR OUTCOMES OF INTRAVITREAL BEVACIZUMAB FOR CHOROIDAL NEOVASCULARIZATION IN JAPANESE PATIENTS WITH PATHOLOGIC MYOPIA

Purpose: To determine the 2-year results of intravitreal bevacizumab in highly myopic eyes with choroidal neovascularization (CNV). Methods: An open-label, consecutive, interventional case series. Seventy-five eyes of 69 consecutive Japanese patients with either subfoveal or nonsubfoveal myopic CNVs were studied. The eyes were treated with intravitreal bevacizumab and followed-up for at least 2 years. The best-corrected visual acuities at the baseline in eyes with subfoveal CNV were compared with that in eyes with nonsubfoveal CNV at 2 years after the intravitreal bevacizumab. Results: The difference between the mean best-corrected visual acuity at the baseline and that at 2 years in eyes with a subfoveal CNV was not significant. However, the mean best-corrected visual acuity in eyes with nonsubfoveal CNV was significantly improved from 0.53 ± 0.36 logarithm of the minimal angle of resolution units (Snellen 20/66) before intravitreal bevacizumab to 0.29 ± 0.36 logMAR units (Snellen 20/40) (P < 0.001) 2 years after intravitreal bevacizumab. The incidence of chorioretinal atrophy after 2 years was 3 of 49 (6.1%) in eyes with nonsubfoveal CNV and 21 of 26 (80.8%) in eyes with which subfoveal CNV (P < 0.001). Furthermore, the chorioretinal atrophy area with nonsubfoveal CNV was 0.05 ± 0.21 mm2, which was also significantly smaller than that of subfoveal CNV at 1.76 ± 1.60 mm2 (P < 0.001). Conclusion: Intravitreal bevacizumab is a good treatment for eyes with nonsubfoveal CNV; however, another treatment is necessary for eyes with a subfoveally located CNV.