Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Equilibrium Incentives in Oligopoly

The authors examine the incentives which competing principals give their agents, focusing on two oligopoly models where owners write incentive contracts with the ir managers. Under Cournot quantity competition, each manager's margi nal payment for production will exceed the firm's marginal profit. De viations from profit maximization are reduced by ex ante uncertainty about costs and increased by ex ante correlation between the firms' c osts. In contrast, in a differentiated goods market with price compet ition, managers receive less than their marginal profit. In general, a principal will distort his agent's incentives when the agent compet es with agents of competing principals. Copyright 1987 by American Economic Association.
A Study on Components and Features in Face Detection

It's natural and convenient that the face is used as a feature in the city safety monitoring. Components and feature extraction are two key problems in face detection. To address the local occlusion and pose variation in face detection, face can be looked on as a whole composed of several parts from up to down. First, the face is divided into a number of local regions from which various features are extracted. Each region is identified by a local classifier and is assigned a preliminary part label. A random field is established based on these labels and multiple dependencies between different parts are modeled in a CRF framework. The probability that the test image may be a face is calculated by a trained CRF model. The probability is used as a measure to test the existence of a face. The experiments were carried out on the CMU/MIT dataset. As indicated by the experiment results, the following methods can improve the detection rate and enhance the robustness of face detection in case of occlusion: 1 integrating multiple features and multiple dependencies in CRF framework; 2 dividing the face optimally.
A Novel Method of Fault Diagnosis in Wind Power Generation System

Along with environmental consciousness enhancement, conventional energy depletion, wind energy exploitation is expanding gradually due to the renewable merit, clean without any pollution and vast reserve features. Therefore, wind power generation (WPG) system equipped with Doubly Fed Induction Generators is emerging as mushroom. Larger rated capacity of power unit, the higher tower and the variable pitch are the main scope in WPG system. However, latent trouble will bring about likewise. If a fault occurred, it will be catastrophic for WPG system. Consequently, the technology of fault detection will play a more important role in WPG system. Based on the present status, a novel method is proposed in this paper after summarizing and analyzing the lack of previous methods. Then an example for detecting the inverter fault is studied using PSCAD software. Results indicated that the proposed method is effective and feasible.
Positive Outcomes Development of a Caregiver Empowerment Model to Promote

Family members caring for aging parents experience both negative and positive outcomes from providing care. Theoretical explanations for negative outcomes have been developed. There is need for models that explain and predict positive outcomes. This article describes the evolution of the Caregiver Empowerment Model (CEM) to explain and predict positive outcomes of family caregiving. Although empirical findings support positive outcomes of family caregiving, less attention has been given to theoretical rationale for positive effects. The CEM predicts that, in the presence of filial values and certain background variables, caregiving demands are appraised as challenges instead of stressors. Appraising caregiving demands as a challenge, finding meaning, and using certain types of coping strategies are posited to be associated with growth and well-being. The CEM extends our understanding of the complexity of the caregiving experience, and can serve as a framework to guide in developing and testing theory-based interventions to promote positive outcomes. Articles at PENNSYLVANIA STATE UNIV on April 19, 2011 jfn.sagepub. com Downloaded from 12 Journal of Family Nursing 17(1)
Integrating Landsat-derived disturbance maps with FIA inventory data: Applications for state-Level forest resource assessments

Landsat images have been widely used for assessing forest characteristics and dynamics. Recently, significant progress has been made towards indepth exploration of the rich Landsat archive kept by the U.S. Geological Survey to improve our under standing of forest disturbance and recovery processes. In this study, we used Landsat images to map forest disturbances at biennial intervals from 1984 to 2007 for the State of Mississippi. Forest Inventory and Analysis plot data were used to characterize and validate the mapped disturbances. These products were used to produce multi-county forest assessments, which were compared with those derived from inventory data. We conducted our study, in part, to support a larger conterminous U.S.-level LANDFIRE effort.
Insucesso escolar a matemática: realidade ou mito?

Unsuccessful school performance in Maths is s a recurrent subject and has been of great concern from teachers in general and more specifically Maths teachers. This qualitative research study aims to know the perception of the teachers about unsuccessful school performance in Maths. We have carried out interviews to gather data concerning the perception of teachers related with unsuccessful school performance, motivation/action, social and economic factors, parents’ reactions and the influence of the media. The outcomes of this study point out to the fact that teachers consider that unsuccessful performance happens because students are not able to achieve goals and skills that are set for the school subjects. Other reasons for this unsuccessful performance are lack of school work, expectations and motivation on the students’ side. Teachers also advise students to a daily work to overcome unsuccessful performance. Parents must also be responsible for stimulating homework and motivating for academic performance. School must keep its action since the results have shown very positive, thus contradicting the opinions shown through the media. Unsuccessful school performance does not belong to Maths only and when a student fails at Maths he/she is also unsuccessful at other school subjects.
LIPOATROPHIC DIABETES AND END-STAGE LIVER DISEASE SECONDARY TO NONALCOHOLIC STEATOHEPATITIS WITH RECURRENCE AFTER LIVER TRANSPLANTATION

Background. Lipoatrophic diabetes is an insulin resistance syndrome characterized by the complete or partial lack of adipose tissue and disturbances in lipid and glucose metabolism. Nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) is a well-described change in liver pathology consisting of steatosis, hepatitis, and fibrosis that can be associated with lipoatrophic diabetes. Results. This article describes the first reported case of lipoatrophic diabetes with NASH leading to liver failure and liver transplantation. Before transplantation, the patient required 600–700 U of insulin/day. After transplantation, a dramatic decline in her insulin requirements was observed, despite corticosteroids. Eighteen months after transplantation, her glycemic control worsened, and she developed recurrent NASH on serial liver biopsies. Conclusions. NASH associated with lipoatrophic diabetes can recur after liver transplantation, and in this case, was accompanied by increased insulin requirements. These results suggest that the development of NASH itself may contribute to the insulin resistance observed in lipoatrophic diabetes.
Pediatric Interventions to Support Reading Aloud: How Good is the Evidence?

ABSTRACT. Pediatricians and family practitioners increasingly provide free picture books and anticipatory guidance about reading aloud as part of routine health supervision for infants and young children, and arrange for volunteers to read aloud to children in the waiting rooms. These interventions comprise the Reach Out and Read (ROR) model, which has been adopted by more than 2000 clinical sites nationally. To date, 12 published studies have evaluated ROR and its variations, including three prospective, controlled trials. All but one have shown associations between ROR and increased reading aloud; additionally, four studies have linked program exposure to clinically meaningful increases in child language. Nonetheless, conclusive evidence of efficacy is lacking. This article provides a systematic, critical review of the literature, focusing on theoretical assumptions, issues of study design and measurement, and directions for future research.
Computational design gains momentum in enzyme catalysis engineering

Computational protein design is becoming a powerful tool for tailoring enzymes for specific biotechnological applications. When applied to existing enzymes, computational re‐design makes it possible to obtain orders of magnitude improvement in catalytic activity towards a new target substrate. Computational methods also allow the design of completely new active sites that catalyze reactions that are not known to occur in biological systems. If initial designs display modest catalytic activity, which is often the case, this may be improved by iterative cycles of computational design or by follow‐up engineering through directed evolution. Compared to established protein engineering methods such as directed evolution and structure‐based mutagenesis, computational design allows for much larger jumps in sequence space; for example, by introducing more than a dozen mutations in a single step or by introducing loops that provide new functional interactions. Recent advances in the computational design toolbox, which include new backbone re‐design methods and the use of molecular dynamics simulations to better predict the catalytic activity of designed variants, will further enhance the use of computational tools in enzyme engineering.
Protein Phosphatases 2A and 1 Interact with Occludin and Negatively Regulate the Assembly of Tight Junctions in the CACO-2 Cell Monolayer*

Occludin is hyperphosphorylated on Ser and Thr residues in intact epithelial tight junction (TJ); however, the role of this phosphorylation in the assembly of TJ is unclear. The influence of protein phosphatases PP2A and PP1 on the assembly of TJ and phosphorylation of occludin was evaluated in Caco-2 cells. Protein phosphatase inhibitors and reduced expression of PP2A-Cα and PP1α accelerated the calcium-induced increase in transepithelial electrical resistance and barrier to inulin permeability and also enhanced the junctional organization of occludin and ZO-1 during TJ assembly. Phosphorylation of occludin on Thr residues, but not on Ser residues, was dramatically reduced during the disassembly of TJ and was gradually increased during the reassembly. PP2A and PP1 co-immunoprecipitate with occludin, and this association was reduced during the assembly of TJ. Glutathione S-transferase (GST) pull-down assay using recombinant GST-occludin demonstrated that cellular PP2A and PP1 bind to the C-terminal tail of occludin, and these interactions were also reduced during the assembly of TJ. A pairwise binding assay using GST-occludin and purified PP2A and PP1 demonstrates that PP2A and PP1 directly interacts with the C-terminal tail of occludin. In vitro incubation of phospho-occludin with PP2A or PP1 indicated that PP2A dephosphorylates occludin on phospho-Thr residues, whereas PP1 dephosphorylates it on phospho-Ser. This study shows that PP2A and PP1 directly interact with occludin and negatively regulate the assembly of TJ by modulating the phosphorylation status of occludin.
Arabidopsis WRKY33 Is a Key Transcriptional Regulator of Hormonal and Metabolic Responses toward Botrytis cinerea Infection1[W]

The Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) transcription factor WRKY33 is essential for defense toward the necrotrophic fungus Botrytis cinerea. Here, we aimed at identifying early transcriptional responses mediated by WRKY33. Global expression profiling on susceptible wrky33 and resistant wild-type plants uncovered massive differential transcriptional reprogramming upon B. cinerea infection. Subsequent detailed kinetic analyses revealed that loss of WRKY33 function results in inappropriate activation of the salicylic acid (SA)-related host response and elevated SA levels post infection and in the down-regulation of jasmonic acid (JA)-associated responses at later stages. This down-regulation appears to involve direct activation of several jasmonate ZIM-domain genes, encoding repressors of the JA-response pathway, by loss of WRKY33 function and by additional SA-dependent WRKY factors. Moreover, genes involved in redox homeostasis, SA signaling, ethylene-JA-mediated cross-communication, and camalexin biosynthesis were identified as direct targets of WRKY33. Genetic studies indicate that although SA-mediated repression of the JA pathway may contribute to the susceptibility of wrky33 plants to B. cinerea, it is insufficient for WRKY33-mediated resistance. Thus, WRKY33 apparently directly targets other still unidentified components that are also critical for establishing full resistance toward this necrotroph.
Serum Antibody Responses in Children with Rotavirus Diarrhea Can Serve as Proxy for Protection

ABSTRACT We examined sera from 42 patients 1 to 30 months of age for rotavirus immunoglobulin M (IgM), IgA, IgG, and IgG subclasses and sought to determine if serum antibody could serve as a reliable marker for prediction of disease severity. Infants in the first few months of life usually had high maternal IgG titers and, when they were infected with rotavirus, had low IgM titers or no IgM in acute-phase sera and poor seroconversions 3 weeks later, suggesting that maternal antibodies had inhibited viral replication and antibody responses. All patients ≥6 months of age had IgM in acute-phase sera, indicating that IgM is a good marker for acute rotavirus infection. IgG was the best overall predictor of an infection, as the convalescent-phase sera of 81% of the patients had a fourfold rise in the IgG titer. IgA titers in convalescent-phase sera and conversion rates were higher among patients ≥12 months of age than among children younger than 12 months. IgG1 was the predominant subclass detected in the acute-phase sera of some children and in all 28 convalescent-phase serum samples examined. Patients with preexisting acute-phase IgG titers of ≥100 or ≥200 had diarrhea that was less severe or of a shorter duration. These results indicate that serum IgG is the most reliable marker for seroconversion and is a consistent proxy for protection against severe disease.
Phase I Study of Prolonged Low‐Dose Subcutaneous Recombinant Interleukin‐2 (IL‐2) in Patients with Advanced Cancer

The present trial was designed to assess the feasibility of subcutaneous low-dose interleukin-2 (IL-2) given for 3 months in an outpatient setting. Twenty patients with advanced cancers (16 metastatic renal cell carcinoma) were included in this phase I study at the following three dose levels: 1,e, and 6 x 106IU/day (groups of 6, 6, and 8 patients, respectively), IL-2 was administered once daily 6 days a week for 12 weeks. Complete therapy was achieved in 13 of 20 patients, whereas 5 of 20 received at least 5 weeks of IL-2. Minor dose-dependent toxicities were observed including fatigue, transient grade 2–3 fever (11 of 18), and grade 1–2 digestive disorders (6 of 18) without significant biologic modifications but two cases of hypothyroidism. Doses were decreased from 6 to 3 x 106 IU/day in one patient (fever and allergic edema). All patients developed transient subcutaneous nodules at the injection sites. These side effects never required hospitalization nor discontinuation of therapy. A dosedependent and sustained increase in periopheral blood eosinophils and lymphocytes was observed, demonstrating that subcutaneous injections in this lowdose range could have similar biologic effects to those achieved with more intensive schedules. Because it is safe, practicable, and low in cost, we conclude that s.c. low-dose IL-2 could be useful for the design of immunomodulation trials with potential new application fields.
The effectiveness of telephone counselling in the treatment of illicit drug and alcohol use concerns

Introduction Technology-assisted substance use interventions such as ‘high-tech’ internet-based treatments are thought to be effective; however, the relatively ‘low-tech’ use of telephone counselling does not yet have an established evidence base. This paper reviews the literature including articles with information on the use of telephone counselling for the treatment of illicit drug or alcohol use. Methods A systematic literature search using a set of telephone counselling and substance-related terms was conducted across four electronic databases. English studies prior to June 2014 that involved the use of telephone counselling with the treatment of illicit drug or alcohol use as a primary or secondary outcome were included. Review papers, opinion pieces, letters or editorials, case studies, published abstracts, and posters were excluded. In all, 94 publications were included in the review. Results and discussion The literature was supportive of telephone counselling for the treatment of alcohol use in the short term; however, literature regarding illicit drug use was particularly scarce. The generalisability of findings was limited by evident methodological issues in the included studies.
Molecular Characterization of Two Drosophila Guanylate Cyclases Expressed in the Nervous System (*)

We have isolated, by interspecies hybridization, two classes of Drosophila cDNA each encoding a different guanylate cyclase (GC). One of them encodes an α subunit homolog of soluble GC, designated DGCα1, and the other encodes a receptor-type GC, designated DrGC. The dgcα1 cDNA encodes a protein of 676 amino acids and maps to 99B. In situ hybridization to adult tissue sections showed that dgcα1 mRNA is found mainly in the cell bodies of the optic lobe, central brain, and thoracic ganglia. The DGCα1 protein was also localized primarily to the nervous system by immunocytochemical staining, consistent with results of in situ hybridization. However, no detectable expression of this protein was found in the retina. The other class of cDNA, drgc, maps to 76C and encodes a 1525-amino acid protein displaying structural features similar to other known receptor-type guanylate cyclases. However, it has a C-terminal 430 amino acid region that has no homology to any known proteins. drgc RNA is expressed at low levels throughout development and in adult heads and bodies. In situ hybridizations to adult tissue sections showed that drgc mRNA is expressed in a wide range of tissues, including the optic lobe, central brain, thoracic ganglia, digestive tract, and the oocyte.
Specificity of Altered Electrogenesis of Membrane Potential in Hypertension

Cardiac and hepatic portal venous muscle were used in an attempt to determine the specificity of the altered membrane potential (Em) electrogenesis found in caudal artery of spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR). Neither the sensitivity to norepinephrine nor the electrogenesis of Em was found to be different in SHR than in their normotensive controls. Thus, ventricular myocardium and portal venous myovascular cells do not show either the increased sensitivity or the Em factor proposed as a contributor to it. A second determination of specificity was stimulation of the caudal artery by Ba2+. Both depolarization and extent of contraction were no different in SHR than in normotensive controls, suggesting that the increased sensitivity of arterial muscle does not extend to all depolarizing agents. These data define the electrogenesis of Em in cardiac and portal venous muscle of SHR and their controls and provide a test of the hypothesis that altered Em electrogenesis contributes to increased arterial norepinephrine sensitivity seen in hypertension. The data support rather than refute the hypothesis, i.e., the Em alteration was specific for both the muscle showing increased sensitivity and the agent used for depolarization.
Birth Order, Socioeconomic Status and Birth Height of Saudi Infants

A survey of 4498 singleton births of Saudi infants provided information on birth height, gestational age, birth order and socioeconomic status. The average birth height for the Saudi infant was 49.8 centimeters. The study results indi cated a linear relationship between birth order and birth height significant at the probability level 0.001. The relationship between birth height and socioeconomic status was not statistically significant.
Muscle load in reaching movements performed by a wheelchair user: a case study

Abstract Purpose: The aim of this study was to analyse the load on the shoulder muscles during reaching movements that are specific to wheelchair users in relation to the risk of impingement. Method: Three activities of daily living were performed: putting a book on a shelf in front and at the side and putting a pack of water bottles on a table. The AnyBody shoulder model was used to calculate the activity and forces of the shoulder muscles. Results: Handling the pack of bottles caused the highest forces in the deltoideus, trapezius, serratus anterior and rotator cuff muscles. For handling the book, the highest forces were found in the deltoideus (scapular part) and the serratus anterior, especially during the put phase. Conclusions: Handling heavy objects such as a pack of bottles or a wheelchair produces high forces on the rotator cuff muscles and can lead to early fatigue. Therefore, these activities seem to be associated with a high risk of developing impingement syndrome. Implications for Rehabilitation In a single patient, this study demonstrates that the load on the rotator cuff is high during reaching movements. Handling a pack of water bottles, which resembles wheelchair handling, represents an activity associated with a high risk of developing impingement syndrome. Shoulder muscles must be trained in a balanced way to provide stabilization at the shoulder joint and prevent fatigue.
The application of Task-driven Teaching Methodology under Network experiments

Task-driven Teaching Methodology under Network has extensive applications in teaching of science experiments, research and practice in recent years. This article first summarizes its background study. It then discusses its theoretical backup in terms of Input and Interaction Hypothesis, Constructivism, Humanism Learning, Zone of Proximate Development, Comprehensible Input, Affective Filter, Pragmatist Epistemology and so on. It also elaborates the characteristics of Task-driven Teaching Methodology under Network in the area of content assign, methods and ability development. Finally it focuses the teaching mode, its application in chemistry experiments.
[Focal adhesion kinase expression and angiogenesis in breast carcinoma].

OBJECTIVE To investigate the expression of focal adhesion kinase (FAK) in breast carcinoma tissues and its association with microvessel density (MVD), and explore the relationship between FAK-mediated cell signaling and angiogenesis in breast carcinoma. METHODS FAK and CD34 expressions were examined by immunohistochemistry with SP method in 88 breast carcinoma tissues and 30 tissues of benign breast disease. The correlations of FAK protein expression with MVD marked with CD34 and clinicopathological parameters were analyzed in breast carcinoma. RESULTS In the 88 breast carcinomas, the positivity rate of FAK was 68.2% (60/88) with MVD of (34.52-/+13.11) /HPE, showing significant differences from those of the benign disease group (P<0.01). FAK expression and MVD in breast carcinoma tissues were positively related to tumor size, axillary lymph node metastasis and clinical stage (P<0.05), but not to the patients' age or histopathological grade of the tumors (P>0.05). In breast carcinoma, the expression of FAK was positively related to MVD (P<0.01). CONCLUSIONS FAK protein expression and MVD are closely correlated with the invasion and metastasis of breast carcinoma. FAK expression can promote angiogenesis of breast carcinoma.