Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Trade Liberalisation and Cross‐Firm Wage Heterogeneity: Theory and Evidence from China

In this paper, we first build a simple model with firm heterogeneity that features input and output tariffs in firms’ production decisions. We show that tariff reduction, due to trade liberalisation, has different effects on firms’ profit. Input tariff reduction generates a cost‐saving effect which benefits firms whilst output tariff reduction results in a competition effect which may hurt domestic firms. Given the fair wage argument, trade liberalisation may affect wages across firms due to the joint effects on firm profit. Using detailed Chinese manufacturing firm data from 1998 to 2007, we conduct empirical tests to investigate how trade liberalisation affects Chinese firm wages. In particular, we measure the joint effects of input and output tariff reduction by the applying the new measurement on the effective rate of protection. Furthermore, we also control for the effect of the iterated use of inputs with an index of a firm’s position on value chain. We found that from 1998 to 2007, Chinese manufacturing firms paid higher wages due to higher tariff protection when firms’ status on value chain was controlled. The result remains robust when more control variables are included and the endogeneity problem is considered.
Lipopolysaccharide Stimulates the MyD88-Independent Pathway and Results in Activation of IFN-Regulatory Factor 3 and the Expression of a Subset of Lipopolysaccharide-Inducible Genes1

Bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS) triggers innate immune responses through Toll-like receptor (TLR) 4, a member of the TLR family that participates in pathogen recognition. TLRs recruit a cytoplasmic protein, MyD88, upon pathogen recognition, mediating its function for immune responses. Two major pathways for LPS have been suggested in recent studies, which are referred to as MyD88-dependent and -independent pathways. We report in this study the characterization of the MyD88-independent pathway via TLR4. MyD88-deficient cells failed to produce inflammatory cytokines in response to LPS, whereas they responded to LPS by activating IFN-regulatory factor 3 as well as inducing the genes containing IFN-stimulated regulatory elements such as IP-10. In contrast, a lipopeptide that activates TLR2 had no ability to activate IFN-regulatory factor 3. The MyD88-independent pathway was also activated in cells lacking both MyD88 and TNFR-associated factor 6. Thus, TLR4 signaling is composed of at least two distinct pathways, a MyD88-dependent pathway that is critical to the induction of inflammatory cytokines and a MyD88/TNFR-associated factor 6-independent pathway that regulates induction of IP-10.
The angry voice: its effects on the experience of anger and cardiovascular reactivity.

&NA; The results of two studies show that expressive vocal behavior, specifically, speech rate and loudness, influences the experience of anger and cardiovascular reactivity. In both studies, participants spoke about anger‐arousing and neutral events using three different voice styles: fast and loud, slow and soft, and normal (personal rate and loudness level). In describing the anger‐arousing events, both male and female participants reported feeling significantly more angry and showed significantly greater blood pressure and heart rate reactivity in the fast‐loud compared with the normal speaking condition. They also reported feeling significantly less angry and showed significantly lower blood pressure reactivity in the slow‐soft compared with the normal voice condition. For males only, the voice manipulation also had significant effects on the participants' anger self‐ratings and cardiovascular responses during the neutral communications, but these effects were clearly weaker and less pervasive than those occurring during the angry communications. The results are discussed in terms of their implications for (1) the role of expressive vocal behavior in emotions, and (2) the modification of coronary‐prone behavior.
User clustering based on correlation in 5G using semidefinite programming

For 5G cellular networks, non-orthogonal multiple access (NOMA) has been recognized as a promising technique. NOMA allows multiple users to access the same channel by adapting successive interference cancellation (SIC) and multiplexing in power domain. This causes the clustering problem to become critical as higher channel gain users need to cancel out the signals of lower channel gain users while the latter has to receive less interference. In this paper, we formulate the user clustering as a correlation clustering problem. We transform the problem by relaxing the clustering variables, and solve using semidefinite programming (SDP). Moreover, a simple iterative power allocation algorithm is nominated. In the simulation results, it can be seen that the correlation clustering using semidefinite programming outperforms the random clustering of users.
The Pattern and Mechanisms of Response to Oxygen by the Ductus Arteriosus and Umbilical Artery

Extract: Response of the ductus arteriosus and umbilical artery to changes in oxygen tension, to acetylcholine, and to sympathetic and parasympathetic blocking agents was studied in vitro in isolated rings obtained from 22 fetal lambs of 98- to 147-day gestation.After stabilization of tension at a baseline level (0.3–0.7 g) in a Po2 environment of 35–45 mm Hg, both increase of the Po2 to 550 mm Hg and decrease of the Po2 to 8 mm Hg of the bathing solution produced constriction. The mean maximal tension developed by the ductus arteriosus.was 3.91 g at high Po2 and 3.87 g at low Po2. The increase in maximal tension developed with advancing gestation was also similar at both high and low Po2.At Po2 levels of 8–550 mm Hg, acetylcholine produced a further increase in tension, whereas bradykinin only produced an increase in tension at high Po2. Alpha and beta sympathetic blockade had no effect on the constrictor response to oxygen. Atropine relaxed the ductus arteriosus and umbilical artery at both high and low Po2 levels; the degree of relaxation was related to drug concentration. Acetylcholin-esterase also relaxed the ductus arteriosus constricted by oxygen. The cholinesterase inhibitor, edrophonium, produced ductus constriction at Po2 of 35–45 mm Hg with little further effect from high Po2. The constrictor effect of high or low Po2 on the ductus arteriosus and umbilical artery seems to be mediated through release of acetylcholine.Speculation: Postnatal closure of the ductus arteriosus is effected by an increase in oxygen environment. This is probably mediated by the release of acetylcholine. Inability of many premature infants to close effectively the ductus arteriosus is therefore probably due to an inability to synthesize or release adequate amounts of acetylcholine rather than to lack of the mechanism of muscular constriction.Parasympathetic blocking agents may be of use in preventing constriction of the ductus arteriosus in infants with congenital heart disease who are dependent on its patency for survival.
Cytokeratin-19 mRNA-positive circulating tumor cells after adjuvant chemotherapy in patients with early breast cancer.

PURPOSE To evaluate the prognostic significance of cytokeratin-19 (CK-19) mRNA-positive circulating tumor cells (CTCs) in peripheral blood of women with early-stage breast cancer after the completion of adjuvant chemotherapy. PATIENTS AND METHODS Blood was obtained from 437 patients with early breast cancer before the start and after the completion of adjuvant chemotherapy, and the presence of CK-19 mRNA-positive CTCs was assessed by real-time reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction. Interaction with known prognostic factors and association of CTCs with clinical outcome were investigated. RESULTS CK-19 mRNA-positive CTCs were detected before chemotherapy in 179 patients (41.0%). After adjuvant chemotherapy, a significant change in CK-19 status was observed, as status for 51% of patients with initially CK-19 mRNA-positive disease turned negative, and status for 22% of patients with initially CK-19 mRNA-negative disease became positive (McNemar test P = .004). The detection of CK-19 mRNA-positive CTCs postchemotherapy was associated with involvement of more than three axillary lymph nodes (P = .026). Clinical relapses and disease-related deaths were significantly increased in patients with detectable postchemotherapy CK-19 mRNA-positive CTCs (both P < .001, respectively). Disease-free and overall survival were significantly reduced in patients with detectable CK-19 mRNA-positive CTCs postchemotherapy (P < .001 and P = .001, respectively). In multivariate analysis, the detection of CK-19 mRNA-positive CTCs before and after adjuvant chemotherapy was an independent factor associated with reduced disease-free survival (P < .001) and overall survival (P = .003). CONCLUSION The detection of CK-19 mRNA-positive CTCs in the blood after adjuvant chemotherapy is an independent risk factor indicating the presence of chemotherapy-resistant residual disease.
Does corporate social responsibility extend firm life-cycles?

The purpose of this paper is to assess US-based firms from 2005 to 2015 to determine whether firms with better corporate social responsibility (CSR) performance will allocate capital through their life-cycle to better maintain or extend total assets. ,Kinder, Lydenberg, Domini Research & Analytics social performance rating scores were used to measure CSR performance in an initial sample of 19,707 firm-year observations. Firms are first classified into stages including introduction, growth, maturity, and decline, and use multiclass linear discriminant analysis, the Dickinson classification scheme (Dickinson, 2011), and the ratio of retained earnings to total assets (RETA) as life-cycle proxies. Life-cycle was formulated based on a broad set of accounting data sourced from Compustat. Various corporate characteristics from the CRSP database were used to classify all sample firms into five equal groups based on their CSR performance. ,A firm’s equity and debt issuance assume a hump shape over the life-cycle under CSR practice, and higher-CSR firms face fewer significant issues as they mature; payout, RETA, and free cash flow decreased from high-CSR performance firms to low-CSR performance firms; and cash holdings also exhibit a hump shape over the life-cycle and higher-CSR practices are associated with significantly lower cash holdings. ,CSR performance is a useful predictor for forecasting firm life-cycle and superior CSR performance ensures efficient capital allocation throughout firm life-cycle. Furthermore, CSR practice is an indicator of firm life-cycle sustainability and indicates a firm’s future cash flow patterns.
Hb E/beta-thalassaemia: a common & clinically diverse disorder

Haemoglobin E-beta thalassaemia (Hb E/β-thalassaemia) is the genotype responsible for approximately one-half of all severe beta-thalassaemia worldwide. The disorder is characterized by marked clinical variability, ranging from a mild and asymptomatic anaemia to a life-threatening disorder requiring transfusions from infancy. The phenotypic variability of Hb E/β-thalassaemia and the paucity of long-term clinical data, present challenges in providing definitive recommendations for the optimal management of patients. Genetic factors influencing the severity of this disorder include the type of beta-thalassaemia mutation, the co-inheritance of alpha-thalassaemia, and polymorphisms associated with increased production of foetal haemoglobin. Other factors, including a variable increase in serum erythropoietin in response to anaemia, previous or ongoing infection with malaria, previous splenectomy and other environmental influences, may be involved. The remarkable variation, and the instability, of the clinical phenotype of Hb E beta-thalassaemia suggests that careful tailoring of treatment is required for each patient, and that therapeutic approaches should be re-assessed over-time.
The Impact of Globalization on Inflation in Developing Countries

This paper examines the impact of globalization on inflation in developing and emerging economies. We estimate both traditional and open-economy versions of the Phillips curve for all developing economies by incorporating both domestic and foreign output gaps. We find mixed results: whether globalization has significantly affected domestic inflation in developing countries depends on the measure of inflation. Under GDP deflator inflation, there has been a significant change in the output-inflation tradeoff, but CPI inflation suggests otherwise. This highlights the importance of paying closer attention to the measure of inflation implemented, which is something that the current literature neglects to do.
Overcoming current quantization effects for precise current control by combining dithering techniques and kalman filter

Accurate current signals are required for precise current control of AC motor drives. However, current measurement error including the metering error and the quantization error is unavoidable due to the inaccuracy of current sensors and the quantizing feature of analog-to-digital converters. In this paper, the combination of dithering techniques and Kalman filter is presented to suppress the current quantization effects caused by A/D converters. Firstly, the dithering system is designed to whiten the total current measurement error. Then, Kalman filter is exploited to estimate the real current signals from the whitened noise. The effectiveness of the proposed approach is verified via simulations and experiments using a high-precision stage.
Efficient Presentation of Both Cytosolic and Endogenous Transmembrane Protein Antigens on MHC Class II Is Dependent on Cytoplasmic Proteolysis1

Peptides from extracellular proteins presented on MHC class II are mostly generated and loaded in endolysosomal compartments, but the major pathways responsible for loading peptides from APC-endogenous sources on MHC class II are as yet unclear. In this study, we show that MHC class II molecules present peptides from proteins such as OVA or conalbumin introduced into the cytoplasm by hyperosmotic pinosome lysis, with efficiencies comparable to their presentation via extracellular fluid-phase endocytosis. This cytosolic presentation pathway is sensitive to proteasomal inhibitors, whereas the presentation of exogenous Ags taken up by endocytosis is not. Inhibitors of nonproteasomal cytosolic proteases can also inhibit MHC class II-restricted presentation of cytosolically delivered protein, without inhibiting MHC class I-restricted presentation from the same protein. Cytosolic processing of a soluble fusion protein containing the peptide epitope I-Eα52–68 yields an epitope that is similar to the one generated during constitutive presentation of I-Eα as an endogenous transmembrane protein, but is subtly different from the one generated in the exogenous pathway. Constitutive MHC class II-mediated presentation of the endogenous transmembrane protein I-Eα is also specifically inhibited over time by inhibitors of cytosolic proteolysis. Thus, Ag processing in the cytoplasm appears to be essential for the efficient presentation of endogenous proteins, even transmembrane ones, on MHC class II, and the proteolytic pathways involved may differ from those used for MHC class I-mediated presentation.
The Combined Effects of Remnant Vegetation and Tree Planting on Farmland Birds

Abstract: Biodiversity conservation on agricultural land is a major issue worldwide. We estimated separate and joint effects of remnant native woodland vegetation and recent tree plantings on birds on farms (approximately 500–1000 ha) in the heavily cleared wheat and sheep belt of southern Australia. Much of the variation (>70%) in bird responses was explained by 3 factors: remnant native‐vegetation attributes (native grassland, scattered paddock trees, patches of remnant native woodland); presence or absence of planted native trees; and the size and shape of tree plantings. In terms of the number of species, remnant native vegetation was more important than tree planting, in a 3:1 ratio, approximately. Farms with high values for remnant native vegetation were those most likely to support declining or vulnerable species, although some individual species of conservation concern occurred on farms with large plantings. Farm management for improved bird conservation should account for the cumulative and complementary contributions of many components of remnant native‐vegetation cover (e.g., scattered paddock trees and fallen timber) as well as areas of restored native vegetation.
Mechanism of activation of the Formin protein Daam1

The Formin proteins are central players in mediating cytoskeletal reorganization and are epistatically positioned in a pathway downstream of Rho activation. These proteins exist in the cytoplasm in an autoinhibited state, which is mediated by intramolecular interactions between the amino-terminal GTPase binding domain (GBD) that encompasses the diaphanous inhibitory domain (DID) and the carboxyl-terminal diaphanous autoregulatory domain (DAD). It has been proposed that the binding of Rho within the GBD releases this molecule from autoinhibition by disrupting the DID/DAD interactions. Here we report that Daam1 is not significantly activated by Rho binding but rather by its interaction with Dishevelled (Dvl). Removal of the DAD domain disrupts interactions between Dvl and Daam1, and the binding of Dvl to Daam1 disrupts the interaction between the GBD and DAD that mediates Daam1 autoinhibition. Mutations within or removal of the DAD converts Daam1 into an active protein that can induce Rho activation. We further demonstrate that Dvl synergizes with Daam1 to regulate gastrulation during Xenopus embryogenesis and that expression of activated Daam1 can rescue impaired convergent extension movements resulting from deregulated noncanonical Wnt signaling. Our studies together define the importance of a carboxyl-terminal binding partner, Dvl, that leads to the activation of Daam1.
Prevalence, determinants, and inappropriateness of calcium supplementation among men and women in a Spanish Mediterranean area: Cross‐sectional data from the ESOSVAL cohort

Recently, safety concerns about calcium supplementation have arisen. In this situation, ensuring appropriateness of use is highly important. We aimed to describe the use of calcium and vitamin D supplements, the factors related to it, and to assess the appropriateness of calcium prescription among men and women aged 50 years or older. We performed a cross‐sectional study in 2009–2010 including 11,035 adults who belong to the ESOSVAL cohort and attend 272 primary healthcare centers in the Valencia region of Spain. Criteria for the inappropriateness of calcium prescription, based on guidelines and recent evidence, were: excessive or insufficient daily total intake (diet plus supplements), excessive single doses of supplements, excessive or insufficient association with vitamin D, and overall inappropriateness. Calcium and/or vitamin D were prescribed to about 17% of the population. Older age, antiosteoporotic treatment, use of glucocorticoids, and a diagnosis of osteoporosis were related to prescription. The presence of other secondary causes of osteoporosis determined supplementation only in men. Calcium dietary intake was not related to the prescription of supplements. Among calcium users, 85.8% met at least one criterion of inappropriate prescription; 29% had an inappropriate daily total intake mainly resulting from excessive consumption (>2000 mg/day); 53.8% of patients were given calcium supplements in quantities higher than 500 mg per dose; and 38.9% of individuals receiving calcium supplements had inappropriate (absent or below 800 UI/day) vitamin D supplementation (all of them at high risk). In conclusion, we found high inappropriateness of calcium supplementation, mainly because of calcium overdosing, and also to undertreatment and underdosing of vitamin D in high‐risk patients. Physicians should be encouraged to assess calcium dietary intakes before supplementation, recommending intake from food whenever possible, and to prescribe low calcium doses and high vitamin D doses when given in fixed‐dose combinations, or vitamin D alone when calcium is not necessary. © 2013 American Society for Bone and Mineral Research
Clean relaying in cognitive radio networks with variational distance secrecy constraint

In this paper we investigate the cooperative secure communication in a four-node cognitive channel where the secondary receiver is treated as a potential eavesdropper with respect to the primary transmission with variational distance constraint. And the primary user's secrecy rate is required to be unchanged. We propose the clean relaying with the cooperative jamming scheme to achieve this goal, where the secondary transmitter splits its transmitting phase into two non-overlapped intervals after successfully decoding the primary message. Due to the considered secrecy metric, we resort to the information spectrum method, to derive the achievable secrecy rates for the primary user. Then we formulate the secondary user's rate maximization problem over the power allocation and time splitting at the cognitive transmitter under the constraint that primary user's secrecy rate is unchanged. Numerical results show that the secondary transmitter can choose clean relaying or pure cooperative jamming according to the relative positions of the nodes to achieve better performance than the one without any clean phase.
The attractive Achilles heel of germ cell tumours: an inherent sensitivity to apoptosis‐inducing stimuli

Testicular germ cell tumours (TGCTs) are extremely sensitive to cisplatin‐containing chemotherapy. The rapid time course of apoptosis induction after exposure to cisplatin suggests that TGCT cells are primed to undergo programmed cell death as an inherent property of the cell of origin. In fact, apoptosis induction of germ cells in the testis is an important physiological mechanism to control the quality and quantity of the gametes produced. Although p53 protein is highly expressed in the majority of TGCTs, almost no p53 mutations have been detected. Interestingly, p53 overexpression is associated with loss of p21 and gain of mdm2 expression, which might indicate a partial loss in functionality of the p53 regulatory pathway in TGCTs. Besides p21, TGCTs often show low expression of other proteins involved in the regulation of cell cycle progression, such as the retinoblastoma protein and members of the INK4 family. It can be postulated that the deregulated G1–S phase checkpoint results in premature entry into the S phase upon DNA damage. In addition to Bcl‐2 family members that are involved in the regulation of germ cell apoptosis in the normal testis via the mitochondrial death pathway, the Fas death pathway is also known to regulate apoptosis of germ cells in the testis. Since chemotherapy has been shown to activate the Fas death pathway and TGCTs co‐express both Fas and its ligand FasL, TGCT cells might undergo apoptosis upon cisplatin treatment via autocrine or paracrine activation of the Fas system by FasL. The hypothesis suggested here is that the lack of cell cycle arrest following a cisplatin‐containing treatment, together with the activation of the Fas death pathway and the mitochondrial death pathway, explains the rapid and efficient apoptosis of TGCT cells. Defining the mechanisms involved in the cisplatin sensitivity of TGCTs will provide tools to increase cisplatin sensitivity in other human tumours with acquired or intrinsic resistance. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.