Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Radiative energy budget reveals high photosynthetic efficiency in symbiont-bearing corals

The light field on coral reefs varies in intensity and spectral composition, and is the key regulating factor for phototrophic reef organisms, for example scleractinian corals harbouring microalgal symbionts. However, the actual efficiency of light utilization in corals and the mechanisms affecting the radiative energy budget of corals are underexplored. We present the first balanced light energy budget for a symbiont-bearing coral based on a fine-scale study of the microenvironmental photobiology of the massive coral Montastrea curta. The majority (more than 96%) of the absorbed light energy was dissipated as heat, whereas the proportion of the absorbed light energy used in photosynthesis was approximately 4.0% under an irradiance of 640 µmol photons m−2 s−1. With increasing irradiance, the proportion of heat dissipation increased at the expense of photosynthesis. Despite such low energy efficiency, we found a high photosynthetic efficiency of the microalgal symbionts showing high gross photosynthesis rates and quantum efficiencies (QEs) of approximately 0.1 O2 photon−1 approaching theoretical limits under moderate irradiance levels. Corals thus appear as highly efficient light collectors with optical properties enabling light distribution over the corallite/tissue microstructural canopy that enables a high photosynthetic QE of their photosynthetic microalgae in hospite.
Intravasal peroxynitrite generation causes dysfunction in the isolated perfused rat lung via endothelin.

In septic shock excessive nitric oxide and superoxide are produced, thus generating peroxynitrite. This study investigates whether and how intravasal peroxynitrite causes lung dysfunction. To generate peroxynitrite, isolated and ventilated rat lungs were perfused blood-free in a pressure-constant, recirculating mode with hypoxanthine/xanthine oxidase plus sodium nitroprusside. Airway and vascular resistance, and release of thromboxane A2, prostacyclin, and endothelin-1 were assessed over 200 min. Peroxynitrite generation, as demonstrated by oxidation of the marker 2',7'-dichlorodihydrofluorescein diacetate, caused broncho- and vasoconstriction starting after 100 min. Both reactants alone, i.e., NO. or O2, had no effect. The thromboxane A2/prostaglandin H2 receptor antagonist BM13.177 did not affect peroxynitrite-induced broncho- and vasoconstriction. Combined endothelin(A/B) (ET(A/B)) receptor antagonism (BQ123 plus BQ788) prevented broncho- and vasoconstriction more effectively than the ET(A) receptor antagonist BQ123 alone. In tissue from lungs exposed to peroxynitrite, significantly increased amounts of endothelin-1 were detected. This study identifies endothelin-1 rather than prostanoids as a distal mediator induced by the reaction product of superoxide and nitric oxide, i.e., peroxynitrite. It is concluded that 1) endothelin-1 is a causal mediator of peroxynitrite-induced acute rat lung injury, and 2) peroxynitrite-induced broncho- and vasoconstriction are mediated by both ET(A) and ET(B) receptors.
Frozen section of liver biopsy for the evaluation of liver allografts.

The success of liver transplantation has resulted in an increased rate of harvesting of donor organs, some of which may have an abnormal gross appearance or are taken from unstable or nonheart-beating donors.1 The pathologist may be requested to assist in the evaluation of the organ’s suitability for transplantation. The following is a synopsis of the experience at the University of Pittsburgh with the pathologic evaluation of donor organs by gross inspection and frozen section evaluation.
Volatile anesthetics gate a chloride current in postnatal rat hippocampal neurons

A volatile anesthetic‐gated current was characterized in patch‐clamped cultured postnatal rat hippocampal neurons. In this preparation, the major volatile anesthetics, isoflurane, halothane, and enflurane, open an anion‐selective conductance. This volatile anesthetic‐gated current exhibits anion selectivity with a chloride‐to‐acetate permeability ratio of 15, shows outward rectification well described by the constant field equation, and is activated in a dose‐dependent fashion with half‐maximal response to isoflurane at 0.8 mm (0.032 atm). The current persists in the absence of external Ca2+ and is not blocked by strychnine, a glycine antagonist. However, the γ‐aminobutyric acidA (GABAA) antagonists, bicuculline and picrotoxinin, and the nonspecific anion channel blocker, 4,4′‐diisothiocyanatostilbene‐2,2′‐disulfonic acid (DIDS), completely block the response. These observations suggest that volatile anesthetics, like several other general anesthetics such as barbiturates, steroids, and etomidate, have a GABA‐mimetic effect on vertebrate central neurons in culture. It is not clear whether this GABAA‐gating property is a prerequisite for all general anesthetics. However, under normal physiological conditions of low intracellular Cl–, it is likely that drugs with both direct GABA agonist and GABA modulatory properties will produce overall depression of the central nervous system by increasing the normal inhibitory synaptic influence and by directly hyperpolarizing neurons. —Yang, J.; Isenberg, K. E. ; Zorumski, C. F. Volatile anesthetics gate a chloride current in postnatal rat hippocampal neurons. FASEB J. 6: 914‐918; 1992.
The Relative Importance of Forecast Accuracy Determinants Revisited: European Evidence

We analyze earnings forecasting errors made by financial analysts for 18 European countries over the 1995-2006 period. We use the Heston-Rouwenhorst approach to unravel country-, industry-, and firm-specific effects as a source of variation in financial analysts' earnings forecast errors. We first estimate each effect with a dummy variable regression, and then decompose the variance of forecast errors into different effects. We provide evidence that the differences among countries, industrial sectors, or analyst following offer a weak explanation for differences in forecast errors. Country effects however largely dominate industry and analyst following effects on European stock markets. By contrast, the type of earnings - profits or losses - and variations in earnings - increases or decreases - play a significant role in the performance of financial analysts.
Underpricing and Index Excess Returns

We study the link between underpricing of initial public offerings (IPOs) and index excess returns in secondary markets. We use a theoretical model to argue that underpricing of IPOs raises investors’ attention and, thereby, triggers investments in secondary markets. Our theoretical model implies that such investments should give rise to positive index excess returns in secondary markets. The results of our empirical tests, based on a dataset of stocks from the Neuer Markt and the Nouveau Marche, are in line with the implication of our theoretical model.
The Pricing of Internet Stocks

SUBJECT AREAS: Internet stocks. Stock pricing. The technical note recreates a report written by a consultant to his clients which does not attempt to justify the valuation of Internet stocks; rather, it attempts to be a map to guide unaware investors through the "madness" of assessing the value of these shares. It covers several interesting facts and opinions about Internet companies, analyzes the rationale behind the low supply and the high demand for Internet stocks, discusses several methods currently used for valuing these shares, and finally argues that may be not everything is as crazy as it may seem.
Teacher Readiness on ICT Integration in Teaching-Learning: A Malaysian Case Study

The purpose of this study is to investigate the knowledge level, attitude towards the use of ICT in teaching-learning and obstacles faced by the in-service teachers in secondary schools. A survey was conducted involving all 50 teachers in a secondary school in the state of Penang. The study informed the researchers that teachers were comfortable with the use of certain applications such as spreadsheet, presentation software, internet and e-mail. The respondents demonstrated a positive attitude towards using ICT as majority of them used ICT for teaching and learning and felt that the connected classrooms can change the way students learn in classrooms. The study also proved that a connected classroom can be effective for students? learning to happen. It was also found that the attitudes of teachers on use of ICT vary with their years of experience and level of knowledge on ICT.
Evaluating the role of IL-12 based therapies in ovarian cancer: a review of the literature

Introduction: Immunotherapy, in its entirety, represents a promising field at the forefront of cancer. Treatment with potent cytokine IL-12 has provided science with many challenges, but has also demonstrated promise as therapeutic strategy in ovarian cancer. Areas covered: This review examines the anti-tumor mechanism of action of IL-12 and the development of IL-12 as a potential therapeutic option in a variety of malignancies. It also reviews the immunogenicity of ovarian cancer and covers preclinical and clinical trials that have contributed to the advancement of IL-12 as a potential therapy for ovarian malignancy. The obstacles that researchers have overcome and currently face regarding the use of IL-12 in clinical ovarian cancer trials are also discussed. Expert opinion: IL-12, as a therapeutic modality, is mechanistically logical and shows great promise in preclinical trials. Further clinical studies are warranted to optimize the potential of IL-12 as a treatment strategy for ovarian cancer.
A VicRK Signal Transduction System in Streptococcus mutans Affects gtfBCD, gbpB, and ftf Expression, Biofilm Formation, and Genetic Competence Development

ABSTRACT Bacteria exposed to transient host environments can elicit adaptive responses by triggering the differential expression of genes via two-component signal transduction systems. This study describes the vicRK signal transduction system in Streptococcus mutans. A vicK (putative histidine kinase) deletion mutant (SmuvicK) was isolated. However, a vicR (putative response regulator) null mutation was apparently lethal, since the only transformants isolated after attempted mutagenesis overexpressed all three genes in the vicRKX operon (Smuvic+). Compared with the wild-type UA159 strain, both mutants formed aberrant biofilms. Moreover, the vicK mutant biofilm formed in sucrose-supplemented medium was easily detachable relative to that of the parent. The rate of total dextran formation by this mutant was remarkably reduced compared to the wild type, whereas it was increased in Smuvic+. Based on real-time PCR, Smuvic+ showed increased gtfBCD, gbpB, and ftf expression, while a recombinant VicR fusion protein was shown to bind the promoter regions of the gtfB, gtfC, and ftf genes. Also, transformation efficiency in the presence or absence of the S. mutans competence-stimulating peptide was altered for the vic mutants. In vivo studies conducted using SmuvicK in a specific-pathogen-free rat model resulted in significantly increased smooth-surface dental plaque (Pearson-Filon statistic [PF], <0.001). While the absence of vicK did not alter the incidence of caries, a significant reduction in SmuvicK CFU counts was observed in plaque samples relative to that of the parent (PF, <0.001). Taken together, these findings support involvement of the vicRK signal transduction system in regulating several important physiological processes in S. mutans.
European financial integration and corporate governance

The paper studies the link between the integration of European financial markets and corporate governance in Europe. The focus of the paper is on how integration affects the interplay of ownership structures, capital structures, and monitoring, all of which can be used to govern agency problems at the firm level. Integration is a process which comprises the abolition of capital controls, the harmonization of institutions, and the creation of a common currency area. These elements, in turn, affect the liquidity of markets, the cost of monitoring, and the cost of debt. Based on these considerations, implications for changes in the structure of corporate governance systems are derived.
User Modelling Server for Mobile and Electronic Shopping

Recommending applications are used by many researchers as the main means of achieving personalization. However, the difficulty is to apply the same recommender and personalization techniques to a totally different system that belongs to a different domain and uses a different medium. Furthermore the difficulty level rises when we want to apply the previous recommendation techniques without changing major components or process attributes. In this paper we propose a server that can be used to achieve personalization to a product recommending system. The main advantage of this server is that works both for e-commerce and mobile commerce. We present a case study that we incorporated the user modelling server, which is a mobile e-shop, and discuss within the case the obstacles and breakthroughs we have achieved. The case study clearly shows that the same user modelling server can enhance e-shop application behaviour towards adaptivity and customer personalization.
The dangers of iron overload: Bring in the Iron Police

Purpose: To increase awareness of nurse practitioners (NPs) about the dangers of iron overload and to review common hematologic conditions where transfusions are essential, iron mechanism and transport within the body, effects of iron overload on the body, and treatment options available. Finally, the process for development of a protocol for monitoring such patients will be introduced. Data sources: Review of existing literature, myelodysplastic syndrome guidelines, sickle cell guidelines, thalassemia guidelines. Conclusions: Transfusions of packed red blood cells save lives. There are many hematologic conditions for which packed red blood cell transfusions are required as a result of bone marrow suppression. However, extended exposure to red blood cell transfusions places the patient at an additional risk of iron overload. Iron overload is a real concern for patients who become transfusion dependent, with increased risks of liver cirrhosis and cardiac arrhythmias. Implications for practice: NPs in all areas of practice can increase awareness of the dangers of transfusional iron overload, and become familiar with the treatment options available. Additionally, NPs can institute a monitoring program based on the protocol suggested here within their own practices to prevent poor outcomes for patients with transfusion‐related iron overload.
Delivering quality service : balancing customer perceptions and expectations

Excellence in customer service is the hallmark of success in service industries and among manufacturers of products that require reliable service. But what exactly is excellent service? It is the ability to deliver what you promise, say the authors, but first you must determine what you can promise. Building on seven years of research on service quality, they construct a model that, by balancing a customer's perceptions of the value of a particular service with the customer's need for that service, provides brilliant theoretical insight into customer expectations and service delivery.
Assessing Scholarly Influence: Using the Hirsch Indices to Reframe the Discourse

This study is part of a program aimed at creating measures enabling a fairer and more complete assessment of a scholar’s contribution to a field, thus bringing greater rationality and transparency to the promotion and tenure process. It finds current approaches toward the evaluation of research productivity to be simplistic, atheoretic, and biased toward reinforcing existing reputation and power structures. This study examines the use of the Hirsch family of indices, a robust and theoretically informed metric, as an addition to prior approaches to assessing the scholarly influence of IS researchers. It finds that while the top tier journals are important indications of a scholar’s impact, they are neither the only nor, indeed, the most important sources of scholarly influence. Other ranking studies, by narrowly bounding the venues included in those studies, distort the discourse and effectively privilege certain venues by declaring them to be more highly influential than warranted. The study identifies three different categories of scholars: those who publish primarily in North American journals, those who publish primarily in European journals, and a transnational set of authors who publish in both geographies. Excluding the transnational scholars, for the scholars who published in these journal sets during the period of this analysis, we find that North American scholars tend to be more influential than European scholars, on average. We attribute this difference to a difference in the publication culture of the different geographies. This study also suggests that the influence of authors who publish in the European journal set is concentrated at a moderate level of influence, while the influence of those who publish in the North American journal set is dispersed between those with high influence and those with relatively low influence. Therefore, to be a part of the top European scholar list requires a higher level of influence than to be a part of the top North American scholar list.
The Holistic Model for Blended Learning: A New Model for K-12 District-Level Cyber Schools

Pennsylvania is at the forefront of the public cyber charter schooling movement in America. As more and more students elect to transfer from traditional public schools into cyber charter schoolsâ€“and their districts of origin are forced to forfeit their tuition allocationsâ€“a need for a public school alternative to cyber charter schools has emerged. Using current practices in Pennsylvaniaâ€™s public schools as a backdrop, this article presents a new model for district-level cyber schooling, called the holistic model for blended learning, that public schools in Pennsylvania (and elsewhere) can use to compete with cyber charter schools and meet the growing demand for K-12 online learning.
HIV Infection as a Risk Factor for Cervical Cancer and Cervical Intraepithelial Neoplasia in Senegal

Cervical cancer is the second leading cause of cancer mortality in women worldwide, and the leading cause in Africa. There is uncertainty in the role of HIV infection as a risk factor for invasive and preinvasive cervical lesions, particularly in African populations. In a case-control study in Dakar, Senegal, we studied 150 women with invasive cervical cancer (ICC), 92 with cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) 2 or 3, 70 with CIN 1, and 515 control women. We used logistic regression analysis to estimate associations between HIV-1 and HIV-2 infection and the risk of cervical neoplasia. We found large increases in the risk of ICC and CIN 2-3, but not of CIN 1, associated with the presence of either HIV-1 or HIV-2 infection (odds ratios of 6.5 and 10.4 for ICC and CIN 2-3). Our analysis thus shows increases in the risk of both advanced and early cervical pathology associated with HIV infection in an African population. (Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2009;18(9):2442–6)
A prospective study of reasons for prolonged hospitalizations on a general medicine teaching service

AbstractBACKGROUND: Delays in the care of hospitalized patients may lead to increased length of stay, iatrogenic complications, and costs. No study has characterized delays among general medicine inpatients in the current prospective payment era of care. OBJECTIVE: To quantify and characterize delays in care which prolong hospitalizations for general medicine inpatients. DESIGN: Prospective survey of senior residents. SETTING: Urban tertiary care university-affiliated teaching hospital. PARTICIPANTS: Sixteen senior residents were surveyed regarding 2,831 patient-days. INTERVENTIONS: None. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Data were collected on 97.6% (2,762) of patient-days eligible for evaluation. Three hundred seventy-three patient-days (13.5% of all hospital days) were judged unnecessary for acute inpatient care, and occurred because of delays in needed services. Sixty-three percent of these unnecessary days were due to nonmedical service delays and 37% were due to medical service delays. The vast majority of nonmedical service delays (84%) were due to difficulty finding a bed in a skilled nursing facility. Medical service delays were most often due to postponement of procedures (54%) and diagnostic test performance (21%) or interpretation (10%), and were significantly more common on weekend days (relative risk [RR], 1.49; P=.02). Indeed, nearly one fourth of unnecessary patient-days (24% overall, 88 patient-days) involved an inability to access medical services on a weekend day (Saturday or Sunday). CONCLUSIONS: At our institution, a substantial number of hospital days were judged unnecessary for acute inpatient care and were attributable to delays in medical and nonmedical services. Future work is needed to develop and investigate measures to decrease delays.
Associations of serum testosterone with microvessel density, androgen receptor density and androgen receptor gene polymorphism in prostate cancer.

PURPOSE We investigate potential associations of serum testosterone with microvessel density, androgen receptor expression and AR gene polymorphism in men with untreated prostate cancer. MATERIAL AND METHODS Serum luteinizing hormone, follicle-stimulating hormone, estradiol and testosterone were determined in men with newly diagnosed prostate cancer. The number of tumor vessels per 0.46 mm. and androgen receptor density (as the percent positive nuclei) were quantified immunohistochemically on prostate cancer areas of prostate biopsy specimens. Polymorphisms within the AR gene (number of CAG repeats) were determined by polymerase chain reaction and restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis using DNA from peripheral blood. RESULTS The 39 men entered into this study were grouped into 16 with low (3 ng./ml. or less, group 1) and 23 with normal (greater than 3 ng./ml., group 2) serum testosterone. Mean prostate specific antigen +/- SD was significantly lower in group 1 than in group 2 (18.8 +/- 11.1 versus 27.2 +/- 12.2 ng./ml., p = 0.03). Mean Gleason score (7.4 +/- 1.3 versus 6.0 +/- 1.2, p = 0.01), androgen receptor density (96.6% +/- 2.8% versus 84.8% +/- 7.2%, p = 0.03) and tumor vessel density (63.0 +/- 30.8/0.46 versus 39.0 +/- 22.9/0.46 mm.2, p = 0.007) were significantly higher in group 1 than in group 2. The number of CAG repeats within the AR gene did not correlation with serum androgen. CONCLUSIONS Low serum testosterone in men with newly diagnosed prostate cancer is associated with higher tumor microvessel and androgen receptor density as well as with higher Gleason score, suggesting enhanced malignant potential.