Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Distressed Acquisitions

Firms that buy distressed and bankrupt companies or some of these companies' assets earn excess returns that are at least 1.6 percentage points higher than when they make regular acquisitions. These returns come at the expense of the target firm's shareholders, while overall wealth gains are not affected. Returns to acquirers of distressed assets are higher when fewer large firms operate in the target firm's industry, and when firms in the target's industry have lower liquidity, and are financially constrained, thus limiting the number of potential buyers. They are lower when the M&A market in the target firm's industry is more vibrant, when the target's assets have more alternative uses, and when the economy is doing well. This evidence is consistent with the view that some firms can take advantage of fire sales by distressed and bankrupt companies needing to sell assets while restructuring.
Adaptive Electronic Feed-Forward Equaliser and Decision Feedback Equaliser for the Mitigation of Chromatic Dispersion and PMD in 43 Gbit/s Optical Transmission Systems

An automatically adapted 43Gbit/s receiver comprising a 5-tap feed-forward and a novel 1-tap decision-feedback equaliser (FFE/DFE) has been applied to mitigate chromatic dispersion and PMD. The 43Gbit/s system tolerance enhancement obtained by FFE/DFE is evaluated.
A novel long period fiber grating sensor measuring curvature and determining bend-direction simultaneously

A novel long period fiber-grating (LPFG) sensor that can not only measure curvature directly, but also determine every bend-direction within the circular range of 0/spl deg/-360/spl deg/, is proposed and demonstrated in this paper. Such a bend-sensor consists of one LPFG induced by a UV laser and two LPFGs induced by high-frequency CO/sub 2/ laser pulses. The curvature is measured by the UV laser-induced LPFG whose bend-sensitivity is independent of the bend-directions, and the bend-direction is determined by the CO/sub 2/ laser-induced LPFGs whose bend-sensitivities depend strongly on the curved directions. In addition, the unique bend-characteristics of LPFGs induced by high-frequency CO/sub 2/ laser pulses are demonstrated.
Inhaled corticosteroids and mortality in COPD.

STUDY OBJECTIVES To assess the influence of inhaled corticosteroids (ICSs) on mortality in COPD patients, which is currently a controversial topic. SETTING Manitoba Health maintains a population-wide research database that includes pharmaceutical information. DESIGN AND PATIENTS We examined mortality in people 90 to 365 days after hospital discharge for COPD, comparing those persons who received inhaled steroids within 90 days of hospital discharge with those who did not. Cox proportional hazards models were used with adjustments for other respiratory drugs, comorbidities, and physician visits before and after hospital discharge. We also compared mortality in patients who received inhaled steroids with those who received other respiratory drugs, but not inhaled steroids, and those who received neither. Using nested case control analysis, we examined the time of receipt of inhaled steroids in relation to fatal events. RESULTS In people > 65 years of age, inhaled steroids were associated with a 25% reduction in mortality between 90 and 365 days after hospital discharge, while mortality increased with bronchodilator use, physician visits, age, and comorbidities. The exclusion of people who had also received a diagnosis of asthma or had received inhaled steroids before hospitalization did not change the result. Inhaled steroids were associated with an even larger mortality reduction in people aged 35 to 64 years. People who received bronchodilators but no steroids had higher mortality than people who received no bronchodilators or received both bronchodilators and inhaled steroids. The reduction in all-cause mortality was largely due to the decreased number of cardiovascular deaths. The receipt of inhaled steroids within 30 days of death was protective, but this was not the case for greater time intervals. CONCLUSIONS Therapy with ICSs reduced mortality in COPD patients; the effect was particularly notable for cardiovascular death and was short term in that it was dependent on recent exposure.
El MAB, oportunidad de salida para el capital riesgo y de financiación para las pymes

El Mercado Alternativo Bursatil (MAB) permite a las pymes el acceso a los mercados de capitales obteniendo asi financiacion, visibilidad y liquidez. Asimismo constituye una alternativa de desinversion para el capital riesgo. El articulo resume los requisitos normativos para acceder al MAB.
Postcontraction changes of muscle architecture in human quadriceps muscle

Maximal voluntary contraction changes the mechanical properties of skeletal muscle. Using ultrasound, we investigated whether these changes are reflected by changes in muscle architecture in the vastus lateralis muscle of 8 healthy volunteers. The mean pennation angle during the time interval from 3 to 6 min after maximal voluntary contraction (late postcontraction state) was 14.4 ± 1.11° (mean ± SEM) and differed significantly from the precontraction state (16.2 ± 1.39°), but the pennation angle in the early postcontraction state did not change statistically from the precontraction angle. Thus, postcontraction changes of the muscle–tendon interface appeared for 6 min after a maximal contraction, which may be important for biomechanical optimization of force transmission in vivo. Muscle Nerve 29: 597–600, 2004
Clustering Hierarchy Protocol in Wireless Sensor Networks Using an Improved PSO Algorithm

Maximizing network lifetime is a major objective for designing and deploying a wireless sensor network. Clustering sensor nodes is an effective topology control approach helping achieve this goal. In this paper, we present a new method to prolong the network lifetime based on the improved particle swarm optimization algorithm, which is an optimization method designed to select target nodes. The protocol takes into account both energy efficiency and transmission distance, and relay nodes are used to alleviate the excessive power consumption of the cluster heads. The proposed protocol results in better distributed sensors and a well-balanced clustering system enhancing the network’s lifetime. We compare the proposed protocol with comparative protocols by varying a number of parameters, e.g., the number of nodes, the network area size, and the position of the base station. Simulation results show that the proposed protocol performs well against other comparative protocols in various scenarios.
Quantification of calf oxygenation in paraplegic patients during passive leg movement.

A recent article (4) demonstrated that passive leg movement can induce both EMG activity and alteration of calf oxygenation in a paralyzed lower limb of spinal cord–injured subjects. Although these results are interesting, the presentation of the muscle oxygenation data is inadequate. For measuring calf oxygenation, Kawashima et al. (4) used a multidistance spatially resolved tissue oximeter (NIRO-300, Hamamatsu Photonics, Japan) without exploiting the offered advantage to quantify muscle oxygenation directly as tissue oxy-hemoglobin (Hb) saturation (%). Tissue oxy-Hb saturation reflects the dynamic balance between O2 supply and O2 consumption and is independent on the path length of the near-infrared photons in the muscle tissue (3). Kawashima et al. (4) report the results only as changes in oxyand deoxy-Hb values calculated relative to the resting level, and represented in micrometers. These changes should have been eventually presented at least as M*cm, because no path-length data are available for the calf of spinal cord injury patients. On the other hand, taking into account that these patients present consistent musculoskeletal degeneration (5), it would not be accurate the use of calf path-length data from healthy subjects (2). Subcutaneous adipose tissue thickness has a substantial confounding influence on in vivo muscle near-infrared spectroscopy measurements, therefore it would be essential to incorporate this factor into muscle oximetry studies in order to justify comparisons between different muscle groups (7). Kawashima et al. (4) did not report the thickness of the subcutaneous adipose tissue at the measurement position in each spinal cord–injured subject. Consistent differences in the thickness of subcutaneous adipose tissue are expected among patients, and between patients and controls. The lack of this information could compromise the results of the comparison between spinal cord injury and control subjects. Although Kawashima et al. (4) did not quantify properly muscle oxygenation, the data shown in their Figure 4 clearly suggest that the well-known postexercise hyperemic phase (evidenced as total Hb increase with respect to the pretest level) was evidenced only in the spinal cord injury patients, and it was maintained over 5 min after the end of the protocol. In addition, as previously found in walking mitochondrial disorders and muscular dystrophy patients (1,6), muscle oxygenation is not a limiting factor during passive alternate leg movement in spinal cord–injured subjects.
Desarrollo de los procesos atencionales

El desarrollo de la atencion es esencial para el de otros procesos cognitivos asimismo es un indicador para predecir el nivel cognitivo en la ninez. En especial se ha comprobado tanto en ninos como en adultos, que a mayor capacidad de atencion mejor es la ejecucion en las tareas cognitivas. La mayoria de las investigaciones sobre la atencion han tendido a centrarse en la atencion visual, a pesar de la importancia que la atencion auditiva tiene para la adquisicion de conocimientos linguisticos, entre otros. Sin embargo no se puede explicar el desarrollo de la atencion auditiva basandose en los mecanismos atencionales visuales, por lo que se hace necesario estudiar el desarrollo de la atencion tanto en modalidad visual como auditiva. Las pruebas para la evaluacion de la atencion de las que se dispone en la actualidad, se centran, la mayor parte de ellas, en un unico aspecto de la atencion o en una unica modalidad sensorial. Al no estar basadas en un mismo modelo teorico los resultados obtenidos en estas investigaciones no son comparables. Por lo tanto, uno de los objetivos en este estudio ha sido el desarrollo de cuatro pruebas para la evaluacion de la atencion sostenida y selectiva tanto en la modalidad visual como auditiva. Estas pruebas se han elaborado partiendo del modelo clinico de la atencion de Sohlberg y Mateer. Para su diseno se ha tenido en cuenta los intereses de la poblacion a la que van dirigidas asi como que fueran tareas ecologicas. Se ha evaluado la atencion sostenida y selectiva de 200 ninos entre 3 y 10 anos. Los datos obtenidos muestran que el desarrollo de la atencion sigue un proceso discontinuo salvo en el caso de la atencion selectiva auditiva cuyo desarrollo forma un continuo. Por otra parte, se observa que el desarrollo de la atencion depende de la modalidad sensorial, siendo la modalidad auditiva previa a la visual. En cuanto al tipo de atencion se comprueba que el desarrollo de la atencion sostenida auditiva se produce con anterioridad al de la selectiva, alcanzando, a los 10 anos, niveles de ejecucion practicamente adultos. Los resultados obtenidos son de gran utilidad para la comprension de trastornos como el trastorno por deficit de atencion e hiperactividad. Asimismo posibilita, no solo la realizacion de un diagnostico diferencial mas preciso, sino tambien la elaboracion de programas de intervencion.
Dystrophin and Its Isoforms

Introduction Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is a common lethal neuromuscular genetic disease, affecting nearly 1 in 4000 male births worldwide (29) The disorder in one third of these patients arises from new mutations. The disease is characterized by a severe progressive myopathy resulting in myofiber death, reactive fibrosis, fatty infiltration of muscle tissue, and ultimately, complete loss of muscle function (29, 61). A subset of DMD patients have an associated non-progressive cognitive impairment (29), but no apparent neuropathology. The affected boys usually show muscle weakness early in their first decade, and are confined to a wheelchair by their mid-teens. In general, death occurs from respiratory or cardiac failure by the third decade of life. Becker muscular dystrophy (BMD) is an allelic disorder of DMD with a later onset and a more variable but generally milder disease (6). Positional cloning of the gene responsible for this X-linked myopathy resulted in the identification of the dystrophin protein (15, 40, 51, 66) The dystrophin gene is the largest identified, and it has a complex intron-exon organization, with 79 exons spanning 2.4 million bases of the short arm of the X chromosome (Xp21.1) (Fig. 1) (20, 51, 67, 78). The 14 kb dystrophin mRNA is expressed in all muscle types (skeletal, cardiac and smooth) but is also found at lower levels in the brain. Recent work has revealed that dystrophin RNA expression has complex transcriptional and mRNA splicing controls (as discussed in further details in this review). At least seven independent promoters have been identified which express in a cell-type specific manner various dystrophin transcripts with unique alternative first
Break-Induced Replication Repair of Damaged Forks Induces Genomic Duplications in Human Cells

DNA Damage Repair In human cancers, oncogene activation interferes with DNA replication, leading to DNA replication stress and DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs). Costantino et al. (p. 88, published online 5 December) identified two subunits of DNA polymerase delta, POL3 and POL4, as critical for survival of DNA replication stress in human cells. Both subunits were required for break-induced replication (BIR), which is required to repair a specific type of DSB, with both subunits possibly required for processive DNA synthesis in BIR. Tandem head-to-tail duplications and fold-back inversions were seen in replication-stressed cells, similar to those seen in human breast and ovarian cancers, suggesting that BIR is important for repairing damaged forks in cancer cells. A type of DNA repair protects replication-stressed cancer cells, leading to signatures of cancer genomic instability. In budding yeast, one-ended DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) and damaged replication forks are repaired by break-induced replication (BIR), a homologous recombination pathway that requires the Pol32 subunit of DNA polymerase delta. DNA replication stress is prevalent in cancer, but BIR has not been characterized in mammals. In a cyclin E overexpression model of DNA replication stress, POLD3, the human ortholog of POL32, was required for cell cycle progression and processive DNA synthesis. Segmental genomic duplications induced by cyclin E overexpression were also dependent on POLD3, as were BIR-mediated recombination events captured with a specialized DSB repair assay. We propose that BIR repairs damaged replication forks in mammals, accounting for the high frequency of genomic duplications in human cancers.
Development of the olfactory bulb in the clawed frog, Xenopus laevis: A morphological and quantitative analysis

The relationship between olfactory axons and the cells of the olfactory bulb during normal development was analyzed to determine whether olfactory afferent axons could play a role in the induction of olfactory bulb formation. The morphology of the olfactory bulb in Xenopus larvae from stages 26 to 58 and in adult frogs was analyzed with light and electron microscopy. Axons were first observed beneath the basal lamina of the neural tube at stages 30 and 32; at stage 32, neurons in this area of the neural tube began to differentiate. Synapses of olfactory axons onto young neuronal processes were observed as early as stages 36 and 38. By stage 44, all of the layers of the olfactory bulb were present. The basic structure of the mature form of the olfactory bulb was apparent as early as stage 48/49 and remained constant throughout late larval life and even into adulthood, with only the size increasing.
Clinical review: Clinical applications of vertebral fracture assessment by dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry.

CONTEXT Vertebral fracture (VF) is the most common type of fragility fracture, yet most VFs are not clinically apparent. VFs are associated with a significant increase in morbidity, mortality, and risk of future fracture. Many patients with VFs do not have T-scores classified as osteoporosis. Knowledge of VFs may change diagnostic classification, estimation of future fracture risk, and clinical management. VF assessment (VFA) by dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry is a method for imaging the spine to diagnose VFs. EVIDENCE ACQUISITION Background information and medical evidence on the technology and clinical applications of VFA was acquired by electronic searching of PubMed for appropriate terms that included vertebral fracture, imaging, diagnosis, dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry, and cost effectiveness. Matches with the highest levels of medical evidence were selected for review, recognizing that the new and evolving nature of the field required inclusion of some material that relied partly on expert opinion. EVIDENCE SYNTHESIS The sensitivity and specificity of VFA compare favorably with spine radiographs in the ability to diagnose grade 2 and 3 VFs. VFA involves less radiation, lower cost, and often greater patient convenience than spine radiography. Cost effectiveness modeling suggests that imaging of the spine in selected patients provides essential diagnostic and therapeutic information at a nominal cost. Patients with T-scores that are classified as low bone mass (osteopenia) who are selected for pharmacological therapy based on the presence of a VF benefit by reduction in fracture risk. Guidelines for the clinical application of VFA have been developed by the International Society for Clinical Densitometry. CONCLUSIONS VFA is a technology for diagnosing VFs that may alter diagnostic classification, improve fracture risk stratification, and identify patients likely to benefit from pharmacological therapy who otherwise might not be treated.
Isolation and inhibitory effect of anti-Vibrio substances from Pseudoalteromonas sp. A1-J11 isolated from the coastal sea water of Kagoshima Bay

Among several marine antagonistic bacteria isolated from the sea water of Kagoshima Bay, Pseudoalteromonas sp. A1-J11 was found to produce anti-Vibrio substances. The anti-Vibrio substances were extracted from the culture supernatant of the strain with chloroform and isolated using reverse-phase (Cosmosil 75C18-OPN) column chromatography followed by high-pressure liquid chromatography (Mightysil RP-18 GP Aqua). Purified substances, designated as AVS-03a, c and d showed similar ultraviolet absorption spectra with λmax at 215, 235, 315 and 327 nm in methanol. AVS-03d, the major anti-Vibrio substance, was thermostable up to 100°C and pH stable over a pH range higher than 4.0, and also showed strong inhibitory activities, specifically against Vibrio harveyi strains.
The Intelligent Investor: A Book of Practical Counsel

The classic bestseller by Benjamin Graham, "The Intelligent Investor" has taught and inspired hundreds of thousands of people worldwide. Since its original publication in 1949, Benjamin Graham's book has remained the most respected guide to investing, due to his timeless philosophy of "value investing", which helps protect investors against the areas of possible substantial error and teaches them to develop long-term strategies with which they will be comfortable down the road. Over the years, market developments have borne out the wisdom of Graham's basic policies, and in today's volatile market, "The Intelligent Investor" is the most important book you will ever read on making the right decisions to protect your investments and make them a success. Featuring new chapter updates - which append every chapter of Graham's book, leaving his original text untouched - from noted financial journalist Jason Zweig, this HarperBusiness Essentials edition of the timeless classic offers readers an even clearer understanding of Graham's wisdom as it should be applied today.
Design and Optimization of Microstrip Passive Circuits by Field-Based Equivalent Circuit Model with Aggressive Space Mapping

The field-based equivalent circuit model is applied to the design and optimization of microstrip passive circuits with aggressive space mapping (ASM) technique. The field-based equivalent circuit model is taken as coarse model, while the commercial software IE3D is used as the fine model. Three practical passive components, i.e., two low-pass filters and a power divider, are designed by the field-based equivalent circuit model with ASM. Good convergence performance is achieved for the designs of all examples.
Associations between single-nucleotide polymorphisms of the adiponectin gene, serum adiponectin levels and increased risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus in Iranian obese individuals

Abstract Introduction: Adiponectin is an adipose tissue-secreted hormone with important metabolic effects. There have been inconsistent reports about SNPs of the adiponectin gene and risk of type 2 diabetes (T2DM). The aim of this study was to investigate any association between SNPs (+45 T/G and +276 G/T) of the adiponectin gene with serum adiponectin levels, metabolic factors and risk of T2DM in obese individuals. Design and methods: Genotyping for two common SNPs of adiponectin gene was performed in 50 unrelated obese type 2 diabetic patients and 52 obese non-diabetic control subjects by the polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) method. Lipid profile was measured by enzymatic methods. Serum adiponectin, insulin, leptin and glucose levels were measured by immunoassay, and glucose oxidase methods, respectively. Results and conclusion: It was observed that obesity and T2DM are associated with low serum adiponectin levels. The G allele and TG/GG genotype of SNP 45 occurred more frequently than the T allele and TT genotype in T2DM patients compare to the controls (p<0.05). Subjects with the G/G + TG genotype of SNP 45 were at increased risk for T2DM [Odds Ratio (OR) 2.574; 95% Confidence Interval (CI) 1.051–6.302; p=0.036] compared with those T/T genotype. There was no statistically significant difference in allele and genotype frequencies of SNP 276 comparing control group with T2DM group. Thus, our results demonstrated that, adiponectin SNP 45T/G, rather than SNP 276G/T, is more associated with risk of T2DM in obese individuals.