Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Debt, Leases, Taxes and the Endogeneity of Corporate Tax Status

We provide evidence that corporate tax status is endogenous to financing decisions, which induces a spurious relation between measures of financial policy and many commonly used tax proxies. Using a forward-looking estimate of "before-financing" corporate marginal tax rates, we document a negative relation between operating leases and tax rates, and a positive relation between debt "levels" and tax rates. This is the first unambiguous evidence supporting the hypothesis that low tax rate firms lease more, and have lower debt levels, than high tax rate firms. Copyright The American Finance Association 1998.
Antibody Response to Long‐term and High‐dose Mould‐exposed Sawmill Workers

Exposure to moulds is thought to cause adverse health effects ranging from vague subjective symptoms to allergy and respiratory diseases. Until now, most studies have been emphasizing low levels of exposure. In Norwegian sawmills during the 1980s, extensively high spore counts up to 107 spores/m3 air were reported. By using serum samples obtained from sawmill workers during that period, in addition to control sera, we studied the antibody response of all classes and IgG subclasses to Rhizopus microsporus at different levels of exposure. Antigen specificity was further studied by Western blotting. Exposure to R. microsporus was accompanied by R. microsporus‐specific antibody production against a wide range of antigenic components most likely of both protein and carbohydrate nature. Increasing levels of mould‐specific IgG1, IgG2, IgG4 and IgA antibodies were associated with increased exposure, while the highest levels of exposure were associated with a somewhat reduced level of mould‐specific IgE antibodies. In conclusion, the present study strongly suggests that high mould exposure can induce a strong IgG and IgA response in a dose‐dependent manner.
Interleukin-13 is the key effector Th2 cytokine in ulcerative colitis that affects epithelial tight junctions, apoptosis, and cell restitution.

BACKGROUND & AIMS Ulcerative colitis (UC) is characterized by a Th2 immune response with inflammation and epithelial barrier dysfunction. So far, Th2 cytokines have not been shown to directly influence epithelial barrier function. METHODS Lamina propria mononuclear cells (LPMCs) were stimulated and interleukin (IL)-13 was measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Functional IL-13 and IL-4 effects were studied on HT-29/B6 colonic epithelial cells in Ussing chambers and by conductance scanning. Apoptosis was detected by terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated deoxyuridine triphosphate nick-end labeling assays. IL-13/IL-4 receptors were analyzed by reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction and immunofluorescence. Western blotting combined with immunofluorescence was used to detect tight junction proteins. Furthermore, restitution velocity was measured. Finally, mucosal biopsy specimens from patients with UC were compared with cultured cells for these features. RESULTS LPMCs from patients with UC produced large amounts of IL-13 (985 +/- 73 pg/mL), much more than from controls or patients with Crohn's disease. IL-13Ralpha1 and IL-4Ralpha receptors were present in HT-29/B6 cells and colonic epithelial cells of control patients and patients with UC. IL-13 had a dose-dependent effect on transepithelial resistance of HT-29/B6 monolayers (reduction to 60% +/- 4%), whereas IL-4 had no effect. This was due to an increased number of apoptotic cells (5.6-fold +/- 0.9-fold) and an increased expression of the pore-forming tight junction protein claudin-2 to 295% +/- 37%, both of which contributed equally. Finally, epithelial restitution velocity decreased from 15.1 +/- 0.6 to 10.6 +/- 0.5 microm/h after treatment with IL-13. Parallel changes were observed in human samples, with an increase in claudin-2 expression to 956% +/- 252%. CONCLUSIONS IL-13 was identified as an important effector cytokine in UC that impairs epithelial barrier function by affecting epithelial apoptosis, tight junctions, and restitution velocity.
Expression of CX3CL1 and its receptor, CX3CR1, in the development of periapical lesions.

AIM To investigate the expression of CX3CL1 and its receptor, CX3CR1, in the development of periapical lesions induced in rats and explore the possible role of these substances in the pathogenesis of periapical lesions. METHODOLOGY Periapical lesions in mandibular first molar teeth were established in 30 rats following pulp exposure to the oral environment. The animals were killed 0, 7, 14, 21, 28 and 42 days after lesion induction. The development of periapical lesions was investigated by histological and enzyme histochemical examination. The distributions of CX3CL1 and CX3CR1 in the periapical tissue were examined by immunohistochemistry and immunofluorescence staining. Osteoclasts and CX3CL1-positive cells were counted in each specimen. The data were then analysed by one-way anova using the SPSS 13.0 statistical package. RESULTS The lesions expanded from days 0 to 14 and stabilized thereafter. Where expansion of the periapical lesion was most evident, numerous CX3CL1-positive cells were observed around the apical foramen and adjacent periapical areas. From days 21 to 42, subjacent connective tissues presented intense CX3CL1 immunostaining in inflammatory cells with different morphologies, such as round, oval and fibroblastic. The number of CX3CL1-positive cells increased from days 7 to 28, but decreased on day 42 post-operation. Double immunofluorescence staining showed CX3CL1- and CX3CR1-positive cells around periapical lesions surrounding the apical foramen. Most CX3CL1-positive cells were mononuclear in nature, which suggests the presence of macrophages, infiltrating neutrophils and lymphocytes, and overlapped with CX3CR1-positive cells. CONCLUSIONS CX3CL1 and CX3CR1 are related to the development of periapical lesions. The chemokine and its receptor may be involved in the progression of tissue destruction, including bone resorption, during periapical inflammation.
3G Standards: The Battle between WCDMA and CDMA2000

Purpose – The main purpose of this paper is to analyze which standard/technology will win the 3G mobile markets. In addition, two sub topics are examined. First, which kind of victory will it be – will one technological solution be all‐dominating or is co‐existence more likely? Second, which are the most decisive factors in the battle between the different standards – which roles do respectively technology path‐dependence, network effects and strategic concerns play? Design/methodology/approach – The approach taken in the paper is to examine the different kinds of stakeholders – in this field, first and foremost, equipment manufacturers, network operators, policy makers/administrators and end users; to analyze how such stakeholders are intervening in the different relevant steps – technology development, technology deployment and technology take‐up – and to analyze these issues from different angles – technology, markets and economy, policy and regulation, and other social aspects.Findings – The paper conc.
A consensus linkage map of the chicken genome.

A consensus linkage map has been developed in the chicken that combines all of the genotyping data from the three available chicken mapping populations. Genotyping data were contributed by the laboratories that have been using the East Lansing and Compton reference populations and from the Animal Breeding and Genetics Group of the Wageningen University using the Wageningen/Euribrid population. The resulting linkage map of the chicken genome contains 1889 loci. A framework map is presented that contains 480 loci ordered on 50 linkage groups. Framework loci are defined as loci whose order relative to one another is supported by odds greater then 3. The possible positions of the remaining 1409 loci are indicated relative to these framework loci. The total map spans 3800 cM, which is considerably larger than previous estimates for the chicken genome. Furthermore, although the physical size of the chicken genome is threefold smaller then that of mammals, its genetic map is comparable in size to that of most mammals. The map contains 350 markers within expressed sequences, 235 of which represent identified genes or sequences that have significant sequence identity to known genes. This improves the contribution of the chicken linkage map to comparative gene mapping considerably and clearly shows the conservation of large syntenic regions between the human and chicken genomes. The compact physical size of the chicken genome, combined with the large size of its genetic map and the observed degree of conserved synteny, makes the chicken a valuable model organism in the genomics as well as the postgenomics era. The linkage maps, the two-point lod scores, and additional information about the loci are available at web sites in Wageningen (http://www.zod.wau.nl/vf/ research/chicken/frame_chicken.html) and East Lansing (http://poultry.mph.msu.edu/).
Has Children's Poverty Become More Persistent?.

Iffood-stamp benefits are counted as income, there is little change in estimates ofpersistent povertyfor children between the late 1960s and early 1980s. However, the absence of change in persistent poverty masks a number of important changes in the demographic and statistical structure ofpersistent poverty. These changes include increasing inequality in the distribution of permanent socioeconomic position, greater dependence on social assistance, and the more familiar demographic changes such as increased numbers of single-parent families, higher educational attainments of parents, and decline in family size.
Aggregate Efficiency and Productivity Analysis in the Tourism Industry

This paper presents a new methodology for analysing efficiency and productivity in the tourism industry in an aggregate context. More precisely, by using the directional distance function, an aggregate Luenberger productivity indicator for a group of tourist firms is proposed. Moreover, the possibility of the reallocation of inputs and outputs between the individual tourist firms in the group is considered. Finally, this new performance measure is illustrated by considering a group of hotels.
Renminbi Internationalization: A Journey to Where?

The renminbi is currently undergoing a process of internationalization which has raised fundamental questions about the evolution of the international monetary system and the dominance of the US dollar. In this article, we assess how far the renminbi has travelled down the internationalization road and analyse the possibilities for it challenging the role of the US dollar in the future. We utilize Cohen's (1971) taxonomy to document the current dimensions of renminbi internationalization. Looking forward, we briefly summarize three common approaches to analysing currency internationalization, and propose a new approach. We argue that renminbi internationalization should be seen as a response to crises, first the Asian financial crisis and then the global financial crisis. As such, we argue that current internationalization has been driven by short-term problem solving rather than a coherent long-term strategy. The current path of RMB internationalization is best described as one of ‘currency normalization’ rather than ‘currency dominance’.
Development of an ultra-fast X-ray camera using hybrid pixel detectors. (Développement d'une caméra à rayons X ultra-rapide utilisant des détecteurs à pixels hybrides)

The aim of the project, of which the work described in this thesis is part, was to design a high-speed X-ray camera using hybrid pixels applied to biomedical imaging and for material science. As a matter of fact the hybrid pixel technology meets the requirements of these two research ﬁelds, particularly by providing energy selection and low dose imaging capabilities. In this thesis, high frame rate X-ray imaging based on the XPAD3-S photons counting chip is presented. Within a collaboration between CPPM, ESRF and SOLEIL, three XPAD3 cameras were built. Two of them are being operated at the beamline of the ESRF and SOLEIL synchrotron facilities and the third one is embedded in the PIXSCAN II irradiation setup of CPPM. The XPAD3 camera is a large surface X-ray detector composed of eight detection modules of seven XPAD3-S chips each with a high-speed data acquisition system. The readout architecture of the camera is based on the PCI Express interface and on programmable FPGA chips. The camera achieves a readout speed of 240 images/s, with maximum number of images limited by the RAM memory of the acquisition PC. The performance of the device was characterize by carrying out several high speed imaging experiments using the PIXSCAN II irradiation setup described in the last chapter of this thesis.
The emergence of shared understanding: applying functional pragmatics to study the requirements development process

While the importance of social interactions and especially communication is generally acknowledged in information systems development and requirements development, there are few studies that investigate communication. Departing from the conceptualisation of information systems development as a language development and formalisation process, we focus on linguistic communication and the development of language‐based shared understanding of requirements. We investigate and analyse the semantic alignment process by which stakeholders achieve shared understanding in requirements development. We adopt Functional Pragmatics and examine how linguistic communication is shaped and regulated during requirements development in an actual project. By developing a pattern for semantic alignment and its use as an analytical lens, we enable a systematic and insightful understanding of communication in information systems development.
Migration, Representations and Social Relations: Experiences of Jharkhand Labour to Western Uttar Pradesh

Abstract Studying a stream of migration from Jharkhand to western Uttar Pradesh (UP), this article focuses on the work and life experiences of migrant labour from tribal India. Based on an in-depth study of a Jharkhand village, alongside a briefer stint at the destination village in UP, it examines the micro-level nuances and complexity of migrant labour movements and their often unexpected and unrecognised social consequences, particularly, the renegotiation of class and gender relations at home and the destination. Apart from pointing to the deep interconnections between the relations of production and reproduction, it demonstrates how the use of distinct representations of work and life due to spatial distanciation contribute to renegotiating both labour relations and social identities.
Voices and Implementation of Information Technology in an Elementary School Classroom a Hong Kong Case Study

Ming-Yan Ngan is Lecturer, Department of Curriculum and Instruction, The Hong Kong Institute of Education. Chi-Kin John Lee is Professor, Department of Curriculum and Instruction, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Ramsey D. Koo is Senior Lecturer, Department of Educational Policv and Administration, The Hong Kong Institute of Education. 1 V o i c e s and Implementation o f I nfownation Technology
Sliding Mode Control for Nonlinear Systems: An Iterative Approach.

In this paper an alternative method of sliding mode control for nonlinear systems is presented. A time-varying approach to nonlinear sliding mode control is studied based on an iteration technique that approaches a nonlinear system by a sequence of LTV equations. In this paper, the convergence of this method is shown and applied to a practical example
Therapy of colon cancer with oncolytic adenovirus is enhanced by the addition of herpes simplex virus-thymidine kinase.

A major obstacle to the successful application of suicide gene therapy strategies that rely on in situ transduction of tumor cells is the poor distribution of the vector throughout the tumor mass. To address this problem, we evaluated the use of Ad.TK(RC), an E1b Mr 55,000 deleted replicating adenoviral vector engineered to express the herpes simplex virus type 1 thymidine kinase gene (HSV-tk) in combination with ganciclovir (GCV) as a treatment for human colon cancer xenografts in nude mice. We compared the efficacy of this system with that of a standard replication-deficient adenovirus expressing HSV-tk (Ad.TK) in mice bearing LS180 tumors. In this system, Ad.TK(RC) alone was as effective as a traditional Ad.TK vector in combination with GCV. The addition of GCV significantly enhanced the antitumor effect of Ad.TK(RC). Furthermore, we demonstrated that the survival of HT-29 human colon cancer xenografted mice treated with Ad.TK(RC) and GCV was prolonged compared with Ad.TK(RC) alone or with administration of a single cycle of topotecan. These data demonstrate that the addition of direct viral oncolysis to the HSV-tk/GCV suicide gene system resulted in a striking improvement in treatment efficacy and that it may offer advantages over the use of chemotherapeutic agents for treatment of localized disease.
Detecting rare variants for complex traits using family and unrelated data

Large genome‐wide association studies (GWAS) have been performed to detect common genetic variants involved in common diseases, but most of the variants found this way account for only a small portion of the trait variance. Furthermore, candidate gene‐based resequencing suggests that many rare genetic variants contribute to the trait variance of common diseases. Here we propose two designs, sibpair and unrelated‐case designs, to detect rare genetic variants in either a candidate gene‐based or genome‐wide association analysis. First we show that we can detect and classify together rare risk haplotypes using a relatively small sample with either of these designs, and then have increased power to test association in a larger case‐control sample. This method can also be applied to resequencing data. Next we apply the method to the Wellcome Trust Case Control Consortium (WTCCC) coronary artery disease (CAD) and hypertension (HT) data, the latter being the only trait for which no genome‐wide association evidence was reported in the original WTCCC study, and identify one interesting gene associated with HT and four associated with CAD at a genome‐wide significance level of 5%. These results suggest that searching for rare genetic variants is feasible and can be fruitful in current GWAS, candidate gene studies or resequencing studies. Genet. Epidemiol. 34: 171–187, 2010. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Hereditary Sucrose Intolerance: Levels of Sucrase Activity in Jejunal Mucosa

Thoughtheamylase ofduodenal juice hydrolyses thepolysaccharides ofthediettooligosaccharides anddisaccharides, thefinal cleavage ofthelatter to themonosaccharides, whichisessential forabsorption, isalmost entirely effected byspecific enzymes located intheintestinal mucosa.An inherited deficiency ofintestinal lactase wasfirst suggested as apossible causeofchronic diarrhoea andfailure to thrive ina 13-month-old infant, byDurand(1958) andlater byHolzel, Schwarz, andSutcliffe (1959) for asimilar condition intwosibs.Since thenanumber ofcases, notonlyoflactase deficiency butalsoof sucrase deficiency, havebeenreported. Thediagnosishasalmost always rested uponsevere diarrhoea following ingestion ofthecarbohydrate, aninability tometabolize thesugarasshownbythepresence of thecarbohydrate intheurine andfaeces andthe failure ofthebloodglucose toriseafter oral administration ofthedisaccharide. Ithaslongbeenknownthatextracts ofthe intestinal mucosaof mammalshaveinvertase activity. Following hischaracterization ofseveral specific disaccharidases inhogintestinal mucosa, Dahlqvist (1961) hasdemonstrated thespecific character ofthedisaccharidases inhumanintestinal mucosaaswellastheoverlapping specificities of someofthem.He hasshowninparticular that human intestinal sucrase(invertase), likethe corresponding enzymeinthepig, hasalsosome maltase activity. Anderson, Messer,Townley, Freeman,and Robinson (1962) andAnderson, Messer, Townley, andFreeman(1963) havedemonstrated theabsence ofsucrase inbiopsy specimens ofduodenal mucosa intwo sibswithsucrose intolerance. Mucosal homogenates wereincubated withsucrose andthe incubation mixture wassubsequently examined by paperchromatography. Onlyavisual estimate of theenzymeactivity asjudged bytheamountof monosaccharide produced byhydrolysis waspossible bythis method. Inthepresent article, wepresent 7further cases of aninherited absence ofintestinal sucrase, including 2 inonefamily. Theinitial diagnosis wasmadeon clinical grounds, and confirmed by theusual laboratory findings. Ineachcase, abiopsy specimen ofthejejunal mucosahasbeenobtained andthe enzymeactivities to a numberofcarbohydrate substrates, including sucrose, determined quantitatively. Onlyonthis basis isitpossible todiagnose withcertainty thespecific sucrase defect, andto differentiate itfromtheacquired carbohydrate intolerance thatmayoccurindisease involving the small intestine. Itislikely thatcasesofhereditary sucrose intolerance arenotuncommon, asthese now described weredetected within a relatively short period. Thoughtheultimate prognosis maybegoodeven
Thrombosis of Left Heart in A Newborn

Thrombosis of the right t atrium and large vessels is a well-known complication related to the placement of central venous catheters in infants and children. 1-3 In addition, isolated cases of thrombotic lesions of the tricuspid valve’ and thrombosis of the left atrial appendage5 have been reported in infants with no anatomic abnormality of heart structure. 4,5 We report on a thrombus on the left side of an anatomically normal heart in a healthy newborn whose mother has laboratory evidence of antithrombin-III deficiency.
A GREENHOUSE LABORATORY EXPERIENCE: EFFECTS ON STUDENT KNOWLEDGE AND ATTITUDE

The purpose of this study was to assess the effectiveness of instruction in horticulture using and not using a greenhouse laboratory experience with the traditional classroom lecture/discussion technique. Data were collected on selected student and teacher characteristics as well as post-experiment knowledge and attitude scores. Teachers at participating schools received a unit of 15 lessons in growing poinsettias. Both treatment groups were taught by the local instructor with lesson plans provided by the researcher. Data were analyzed for 168 high school horticulture students in grades 9-12. Of the characteristics noted, seven of the total group of 168 had a home greenhouse, 65 had a horticultural supervised agricultural experience and 126 had horticultural work experience. There were 107 students in the group provided a greenhouse laboratory experience and 61 students in the group not provided a greenhouse laboratory experience. In this study, students who received a greenhouse laboratory experience scored significantly higher on the knowledge test than did students who were taught the same lessons, without a greenhouse laboratory experience. However, no significant difference was found between the post-experiment attitude toward poinsettia production scores for the two groups.