Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
2‐Phenylethylamine: A Modulator of Catecholamine Transmission in the Mammalian Central Nervous System?

Since the identification of 2‐phenylethylamine (β‐phenylethylamine; PE) as a biogenic amine, there has been much discussion about what role, if any, it may have in the CNS. Indeed, the low endogenous concentration of PE in the brain and its relatively low potency in behavioral and pharmacological experiments have led some researchers to conclude that perhaps PE possessed no physiological role at all but that it was merely a metabolic by‐product. Our findings have caused us to conclude otherwise, and in this article we review the neurochemical, neuropharmacological, and neurophysiological findings that lead us to propose that PE is a neuromodulator of catecholamine neurotransmission in the CNS.
IL-12 reverses established antigen-specific tolerance of contact sensitivity by affecting costimulatory molecules B7-1 (CD80) and B7-2 (CD86).

Cutaneous painting with reactive haptens induces contact sensitivity (CS) responses that are in vivo examples of T cell immunity. In contrast, high dose i.v. administration of the hapten can induce tolerance. We investigated the effect of IL-12 on reversal of this tolerance and attempted to determine in vitro the mechanism of this reversing effect by measuring proliferation and IFN-gamma production by CS effector T cells stimulated with hapten-conjugated APC, and we also measured CS ear swelling in vivo. The in vitro responses of T cells to hapten-APC became absent in tolerized mice, paralleling impaired in vivo CS responses. Addition of IL-12 to cultures manifesting this fully established in vitro tolerance completely restored impaired responses of tolerized T cells. The reversing effects of IL-12 were not blocked by anti-IFN-gamma mAb, but were blocked by mAbs against B7-1, more strongly by anti-B7-2, and by both Abs together. Additional in vivo ear-swelling response experiments confirmed the reversing effects of IL-12 on established tolerance. To examine whether the IL-12 effect depended on stimulation of IFN-gamma, we directly injected IFN-gamma into tolerized mice. This partially mimicked but did not fully reconstitute the effects of IL-12. In summary, IL-12 abrogation of established tolerance of CS may have been partially due to endogenous production of IFN-gamma, but appeared mainly due to direct activation of the tolerized T cells by affecting signaling through costimulatory molecules B7-1 and B7-2.
Nasopharyngeal carcinoma in Taiwan clinical manifestations and results of therapy

A retrospective study was performed on 966 patients with histologically verified nasopharyngeal carcinomas. The follow‐up rate was 93.6% over a minimum period of five years. The actuarial and relapse‐free survivals were 82% and 49% at one year, 64% and 43% at two years, 43% and 33% at five years, and 36% and 22% at ten years, respectively. None of the patients with distant metastases when initially evaluated survived more than four years following the initiation of radiotherapy and chemotherapy. After the initial radiotherapy was completed, 200 (22.2%) of 900 patients had distant metastases, bone metastases being the most frequent; and 226 (25.1%) patients had locoregional recurrence. There is no statistical correlation found between locoregional recurrence and distant metastases. In patients without recurrence, the rate of subsequent distant metastases is found to be much more heavily influenced by the initial N stage (trend χCH2 P ⩽ 0.001) than the initial T‐stage (trend χCH2 0.05 ⩽ P ⩽ 0.02). Of patients with metastases, the survival time of those with liver metastases was found to be the shortest, 5.4 ± 0.5 months (mean ± SEM). Since three quarters of both distant metastases and recurrence developed within two years of the initial radiotherapy, it is highly recommended for patients to be examined monthly during this period. Aggressive retreatment may lead to palliation should recurrence and/or distant metastases be found. Adjuvant chemotherapy is recommended to the patients with T4, N2 or N3 disease following completion of the initial radiotherapy. Cancer 52:362‐368, 1983.
Protection of Cynomolgus Macaque Against Cervicovaginal Transmission of SIV mac251 by the Spermicide Benzalkonium Chloride

Summary: We evaluated the potential effectiveness of a spermicide cationic surfactant, benzalkonium chloride (BZK), to prevent the transmission of simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV) after intravaginal inoculation in 12 cynomolgus macaques. The inoculation procedure involved deposition of 6.7 ivag‐AID50 of cell‐free SIVmac251 into the receiving vagina, four times over a 2‐week period, at the end of the luteal phase of the menstrual cycle. Six randomly selected females received vaginally foam containing BZK (7.37%, wt/wt) before each inoculation (BZK group), whereas the remaining were not pretreated (control group). In controls, 5 animals presented persistent SIV infection and 1 had a transient viremia. The number of uninfected animals was higher in the BZK group (6 of 6) than in controls (0 of 6). These findings demonstrate that BZK placed in the vaginal receptacle prior to SIV inoculation provides a significant protection in vivo. The wide spectrum of antimicrobial activities of BZK (including HIV) in addition to its efficiency to block the transmucosal passage of SIV in the macaque model qualifies this drug as an attractive topical microbicide to prevent sexually transmitted infections in humans.
Transcriptional enhancers: Intelligent enhanceosomes or flexible billboards?

In higher eukaryotes, transcriptional enhancers play critical roles in the integration of cellular signaling information, but apart from a few well‐studied model enhancers, we lack a general picture of transcriptional information processing by most enhancers. Here we discuss recent studies that have provided fresh insights on information processing that occurs on enhancers, and propose that in addition to the highly cooperative and coordinate action of “enhanceosomes”, a less integrative, but more flexible form of information processing is mediated by information display or “billboard” enhancers. Application of these models has important ramifications not only for the biochemical analysis of transcription, but also for the wider fields of bioinformatics and evolutionary biology. J. Cell. Biochem. 94: 890–898, 2005. © 2005 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
[Treatment of acquired arteriovenous fistulas with interventional minimally invasive techniques].

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the efficacy and safety of the interventional techniques for treatment of acquired arteriovenous fistulas (AVF). METHODS Ten patients with acquired AVFs, including 4 with renal AVF, 3 with iliac AVF, and 3 with subclavian AVF, were treated with interventional procedures. The etiological factors of the AVFs were penetrating trauma in 5 cases, iatrogenic injury in 3, malignancy in 1, and intestine Crohn's disease in 1. The patients presented with peripheral venous hypertension (n = 6), local bruit (n = 10), cardiac overload (n = 10), the right cardiac failure (n = 2), and hematuria (n = 4). Three patients underwent transcatheter super-selective coils embolization and 7 underwent stent-graft placement in the involved arteries. RESULTS The technical success was achieved in all cases. Completion angiography documented complete exclusion of the fistulas. Minor complications occurred in 3 patients, but without significant consequences. The patients experienced immediate relief of the limb swelling, peripheral venous hyperemia, and tachycardia. The local bruit was disappeared. The cardiac overload conditions were improved significantly, which was confirmed by ultrasound scan. Renal function tests in patients with renal AVF were stable. Radioactive isotopic scan revealed that the function was preserved in the treated kidney in two patients using stent-graft placement in the renal arteries. Follow-up time ranged from 6 months to 6 years. Three patients respectively died of unrelated AVF diseases in 6, 9, and 14 months after the treatment. Re-intervention with an another stent-graft placement was performed on 2 patients with recurrence of the AVF respectively at 3 weeks and two months after the procedures. The minor stenosis was found in stent-graft 2 of patients on the follow-up angiography respectively at 6 and 8 months after the treatment. Seven patients are still alive and in good condition without further intervention. CONCLUSIONS Minimally invasive interventional procedures, including super-selective embolization and stent-graft exclusion, are safe and effective in the treatment of acquired arteriovenous fistulas.
Redefining the major contributors to superoxide production in contracting skeletal muscle. The role of NAD(P)H oxidases

Abstract The production of reactive oxygen and nitrogen species (RONS) by skeletal muscle is important as it (i) underlies oxidative damage in many degenerative muscle pathologies and (ii) plays multiple regulatory roles by fulfilling important cellular functions. Superoxide and nitric oxide (NO) are the primary radical species produced by skeletal muscle and studies in the early 1980s demonstrated that their generation is augmented during contractile activity. Over the past 30 years considerable research has been undertaken to identify the major sites that contribute to the increased rate of RONS generation in response to contractions. It is widely accepted that NO is regulated by the nitric oxide synthases, however the sites that modulate changes in superoxide during exercise remain unclear. Despite the initial indications that the mitochondrial electron transport chain was the predominant source of superoxide during activity, with the development of analytical methods a number of alternative potential sites have been identified including the NAD(P)H oxidases, xanthine oxidase, cyclooxygenases, and lipoxygenases linked to the activity of the phospholipase A2 enzymes. In the present review we outline the subcellular sites that modulate intracellular changes in superoxide in skeletal muscle and based on the available experimental evidence in the literature we conclude that the NAD(P)H oxidases are likely to be the major superoxide generating sources in contracting skeletal muscle.
Artificial light and early-life exposure in age-related macular degeneration and in cataractogenic phototoxicity.

To the Editor. —Taylor et al1report that visible light, particularly blue light (400 to 500 nm), may be a risk factor for age-related macular degeneration (ARMD) based on possible photo-oxidative stress, although no equivalent risk was found for UV-B (290 to 320 nm) or UV-A (320 to 400 nm) exposure. May I suggest that two variables explicitly excluded from this study may affect such risk, particularly in combination? One is "indoor exposure,"1which I take to mean artificial light. Indoor and outdoor ambient illumination intensity levels derived from such sources as the ubiquitous fluorescent or mercury-vapor streetlight are typically 1.5 to 3 log units (ie, 30 to 1000 times) below outdoor daylight levels, although many illuminance standards in lighting have increased in intensity by a factor of 2 to 3 from what they were a generation ago. The stared-at phosphors of television and computer displays fall in
The direction of war: contemporary strategy in historical perspective

literature reviews are conducted, with considerable detail on all aspects of this. As the authors state, there is not a large bibliography in this book itself, as they felt that this would not be appropriate for a ‘Field Guide’, but each chapter has a pertinent reference section. The next broad section discusses trial design, including ethical considerations, definition of trial objectives and selection of interventions. This section is extremely comprehensive and highly informative. A further section considers in detail all the necessary aspects of the choice of trial size in view of different trial designs. This is followed by an authoritative section on ethical considerations, and a subsequent section on trial governance, both aspects of research becoming more important in recent years. An important subsequent section is on how to prepare grant applications. Further sections consider community engagement, census and mapping, how to organize randomization, with blinding and coding issues explained, and outcome measures and case definition. There is discussion of preliminary studies and pilot testing, how to develop relevant questionnaires, social and behavioural research, field laboratory methods, budgeting and accounting, intervention costing and economic analysis, data management and methods of analysis. The use of phase lV studies is explained, and reporting and using trial results to implement the research findings detailed. Throughout the book, the text is written in easily accessible sections, with user-friendly checklists, tables and flowcharts, a glossary of financial terms and a representative trial map. All the sections are very thorough, with invaluable advice and guidance; I especially admired the chapter on how to design foolproof questionnaires. The section on how to prepare grant applications will be of particular help to researchers new to this field. It is very gratifying, and a recognition of the great value of this allembracing and unique book, that it has been made available online through generous financial aid from the UNDP/World Bank/WHO Special Programme for Research and Training in Tropical Diseases, and from the Wellcome Trust.
SERVICE QUALITY GAP ASSESSMENT IN BANKING INDUSTRY

Indian banking sector has become highly competitive in the Environment of Liberalisation, Privatisation and Globalisation. Banks should not only focus on providing wide range of products to create competitive advantages; but also emphasize on the importance of services, particularly in maintaining service quality. The objective of this study is to study the determinants of quality of services and to analyze the difference between customers’ expectations and customers’ perceptions of services rendered by banks. The 22 attributes confined into 5 dimensions of the SERVQUAL instrument are used to measure the service quality of the banks. They are as Tangibility, Reliability, Responsiveness, Assurance and Empathy. The sample for this study comprises 200 customers from public and private sector banks and convenience sampling technique is chosen as the basic method to carry out the study. The study reveals that attributes under the three dimensions namely, Responsiveness, Assurance and Empathy are the major short falls of service quality rendered by banks. These are the service attributes a bank is required to pay more attention to maintain their customers satisfied.
Education and training of accountants in sub-Saharan Anglophone Africa

This paper describes the accounting profession, and the education and training of accountants and accounting technicians in sub-Saharan Anglophone Africa. It reviews professional accounting examinations and degrees, education, practical training and continuing professional education. The paper highlights the weakness in accounting education and training, and recommends a number of measures to strengthen these areas. These include the development of national and regional accounting bodies, the establishment of national accounting qualifications at both fully qualified and technician level, and the strengthening of teaching institutions.
A new scalar potential formulation of the magnetostatic field problem

A new method for approximating magnetostatic field problems is given in this paper. The new method approximates the scalar potential for the magnetic intensity and is based on a volume integral formulation. The derivation of the new computational method uses the spectral properties of the relevant integral operator. The corresponding algorithm is similar to that obtained from coupled differential and boundary integral approaches. Conver- gence and stability theorems are proven. Finally, convergence results in actual computations are compared with results for the usual volume integral method used in GFUN3D. 1. Introduction. In this paper we define a new numerical method for magnetostatic field computation. We specifically consider the problem of calculating the nonlinear static field effects produced by the presence of iron-type materials. Applications for these problems occur in, for example, the design of accelerator and beam control magnets, fusion devices, electric motor design, and magnetic tape head design. A variety of numerical methods for the solution of magnetostatics problems have been proposed and some general purpose codes have been produced (1), (2), (4), (5), (8), (12), (13). For examples of magnetic field calculations, see (4), and the references therein. The magnetostatic field problem can be stated as an elliptic interface problem and the analysis presented in (3), (8) is applicable. Integral formulations of this problem have also been considered (6), (11). In this paper, a new scalar potential integral formulation of the nonlinear magnetostatic field problem is defined and analyzed. To motivate the new method, we give an analysis for constant permeability problems which shows that the large errors in the iron domain observed with the usual volume integral method lie in subspaces perpendicular to gradient functions. The new method is designed to eliminate errors of this type while generalizing to a method for nonlinear problems which exhibits uniform convergence in the iron domain even as the permeability becomes uniformly large. The new method is derived as a volume integral formulation which approximates the magnetic intensity H in terms of the gradient of a scalar potential. It is then
Testing Competing Capital Structure Theories of Nonprofit Organizations

The static trade-off and pecking order capital structure theories are analyzed and applied to nonprofit organizations. In addition, this paper also considers how nonprofits adjust their leverage over time. The analyses consider the unique role of donor-restricted endowments in the decision to borrow, as well as different types of borrowing by nonprofits. The results indicate that nonprofit capital structure choices are best explained using the pecking order theory, in which internal funds are preferred over external borrowing. Further, nonprofit endowment is not found to increase leverage. Despite the unambiguous findings across varying definitions of leverage, the results also suggest that a “modified pecking order” is a more apt descriptor of nonprofit behavior.
Identification of Important Actors in Edge-Weight Social Networks

Identification of important actors is a crucial issue in social network analysis for understanding actor behavior and improving group performance. Many social systems are best described as weighted networks, where nodes represent individual actors and edges represent pairwise relation with varying strength. However, most measures of evaluating actor's importance are limitedly applicable to simple binary social networks, the relation strength being 0 or 1. In this paper we assign weights to social links according to the pairwise relation strength and give a new measure applicable to highlight important actors embedded in an edge-weight network. We also present a simple example and an application in an organization network, both of which prove that in edge-weight social networks our new measure works well in identifying some important actors with which attribute-based centrality measures have difficulties
Hedging Decisions of Importing Firms for U.S. Commodity with Multiple Risks: The case of Soybeans

Commodity price, foreign exchange rate, and fuel oil price which directly impacts ocean freight cost significantly, are generally more volatile in this era, and the volatility for these prices fluctuates over time. This study is concerned with estimating futures hedge ratios for an importing firm which imports from the U.S. Specifically, this study develops the optimal risk-minimizing hedge ratios for the joint hedging decision for a Japanese soybean importing firm based on the monthly data. A theoretical analysis of the hedged price revenue has been constructed according to the minimum variance hedging model. The hedge ratios of a variety of hedging scenarios, including 3-way hedge, 2-way hedge, and 1-way hedge, are derived. They are determined by the variances and covariances of the unhedged importeri¯s price revenue and the returns from the soybean, heating oil, and exchange rate futures markets. Empirical results are achieved by using the conventional method and the time series techniques. The hedging effectiveness is compared by using in-sample and out-of-sample hedge periods based on two approaches: the minimum-variance reduction method and the utility-maximization method. The key results of this study are that an importing firm jointly hedge soybean price and exchange rate or jointly hedge soybean price and heating oil price can reduce more revenue risk than 3-way hedge and 1-way hedge, and the conventional method is more effective than the time series techniques. The empirical results presented make a contribution to developing an effective hedge strategy for the importing firm which imports commodities from the U.S.
Flow Scheduling Strategies for Minimizing Flow Completion Times in Information-agnostic Data Center Networks

Minimizing the flow completion time (FCT) is widely considered as an important optimization goal in designing data center networks. However, existing schemes either rely on the precondition that the size and deadline of each flow is known in advance, or require modifying the switch hardware, which is hard to implement in practice. In this paper, we present MCPF, a flexible and dynamic flow scheduling strategy to reduce the FCT. This strategy is based on the estimated probabilities of each flow to finish the transmission in a period time, and these flows which have higher completion probabilities are assigned with higher priority. Meanwhile, switches perform flow scheduling according to these priorities. We employ a queueing theory based mathematical model to analyze the average FCT of MCPF, and compare it with other two flow scheduling strategies. We also introduce the challenges and the solutions to implement MCPF in realistic networks. Finally, we evaluate the performance of MCPF in Mininet. The analysis and experimental results show that MCPF could effectively reduce the FCT.
Has Kenyan Farmers' Access to Markets and Services Improved? Panel Survey Evidence, 1997-2007

This report uses panel data on 1,267 smallholder households to monitor changes in their access to markets and services. We find that Kenyan smallholders’ proximity to infrastructure, markets, and services has improved markedly over the last decade. These improvements, however, have not been uniformly distributed over either time or space. Farmers in high-potential areas of the country continue to enjoy closer proximity to most kinds of markets and services compared to low-potential areas, but the greatest relative improvements over the 1997-2007 period have been in areas of medium and low potential. We also distinguish between public and private investments in examining changes in smallholders’ access to markets. Changes deriving from public investments have tended to be most geographically equitable; private investments appear to have been relatively concentrated in the less productive farming areas of the country, possibly because earlier investments focused on high-potential areas, leaving unexploited investment opportunities in the less productive areas. These changes in smallholders’ access to markets may offer important insights about the private sector’s response to market liberalization in recent Kenyan history.