Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
MNE Activity in Poland: Horizontal, Vertical or Both?

ABSTRACT The purpose of this article is to validate empirically the theoretical predictions of the knowledge capital model of multinational enterprise and identify the reasons for undertaking international production in Poland. This model allows taking into account both horizontal and vertical reasons for foreign direct investment (FDI). The empirical implementation of the theoretical framework is based on the negative binomial model and the bilateral dataset covering 143 countries over the period 1995–2015 which yields a total of 3003 observations. In contrast to previous studies the actual data on differences in human capital per worker that come from the most recent edition of PennWorld Table 9.0 are employed as the measures of differences in relative factor endowments. The empirical evidence confirms the predictions of the knowledge capital model and points to the horizontal as well as vertical motives for undertaking FDI in Poland. In particular, our estimation results show that MNE activity in Poland is related to both differences in relative factor endowments and in market size which confirms the importance of both reasons for undertaking FDI in Poland. However, these reasons are different for different groups of parent countries.
Adhesion molecules, mycophenolate mofetil and systemic lupus erythematosus

Mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) has been reproducibly shown to inhibit lymphocyte adhesion and penetration of endothelial cell surfaces. The mechanism is not yet elucidated. In vitro studies on the effects of MMF on cell adhesion molecules (CAM) using human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) have shown conflicting results. Different studies have independently shown that MMF increased, decreased or had no effect on intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) and vascular cell adhesion molecule (VCAM-1). Several studies suggest MMF may reduce the endothelial expression of E-selectin. Recent studies have been unable to replicate initial work, which suggested that MMF impaired glycosylation of lymphocyte CAM. The same studies concluded that MMF had no effect on the surface expression of lymphocyte CAM, but altered the binding ability of these molecules. ICAM-1/LFA-1 (lymphocyte function-associated antigen-1), VCAM-1/VLA-4 (very late antigen-4) and P-selectin/PSGL-1 (P-selectin glycoprotein ligand-1) ligand pairs are most likely to be involved. Few in vivo and no conclusive human studies have been carried out. The literature relevant to cell adhesion molecules in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is reviewed in detail.
Light Rail Transit and Property Values in Kitchener–Waterloo

Abstract:Les auteurs évaluent l'incidence des annonces relatives a un futur système de transport léger sur rail (SLR) sur les prix des propriétés résidentielles a Kitchener-Waterloo, en Ontario. Une valeur supérieure est attribuée aux immeubles en copropriété ayant un meilleur accès a une future station du SLR tant avant qu'après les annonces étudiées. Les preuves qui établiraient que les annonces liées au SLR ont accru la valeur relative des immeubles en copropriété ou des maisons ayant un meilleur accès a de futures stations du SLR sont minces. La faible incidence des annonces liées au SLR sur la valeur des immeubles semble indiquer que les bénéfices privés nets attribuables au futur SLR sont modestes et concorde avec les taux peu élevés d'utilisation du transport collectif a Kitchener-Waterloo.Abstract:The impact of announcements about a future light rail transit (LRT) system on residential property prices in Kitchener-Waterloo, Ontario, is measured. Condominiums with better access to a future LRT station are more valuable both before and after the announcements studied. There is only weak evidence that the LRT-related announcements increased the relative value of condominiums or houses with better access to future LRT stations. The small impact of LRT announcements on the value of property suggests low private net benefits of the future LRT and is consistent with very low rates of transit use in Kitchener-Waterloo.
Cross‐species transfer of viruses: implications for the use of viral vectors in biomedical research, gene therapy and as live‐virus vaccines

All living organisms are continuously exposed to a plethora of viruses. In general, viruses tend to be restricted to the natural host species which they infect. From time to time viruses cross the host‐range barrier expanding their host range. However, in very rare cases cross‐species transfer is followed by the establishment and persistence of a virus in the new host species, which may result in disease. Recent examples of viruses that have crossed the species barrier from animal reservoirs to humans are hantavirus, haemorrhagic fever viruses, arboviruses, Nipah and Hendra viruses, avian influenza virus (AI), monkeypox virus, and the SARS‐associated coronavirus (SARS‐CoV). The opportunities for cross‐species transfer of mammalian viruses have increased in recent years due to increased contact between humans and animal reservoirs. However, it is difficult to predict when such events will take place since the viral adaptation that is needed to accomplish this is multifactorial and stochastic.
Urinary metabolites of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in relation to idiopathic male infertility.

BACKGROUND Limited studies have suggested that male reproductive function might be associated with exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). METHODS Five hundred and thirteen idiopathic infertile male subjects and 273 fertile males as controls were recruited in this study, through eligibility screening procedures. Individual exposures to PAHs were measured as spot urinary concentrations of four PAH metabolites, including 1-hydroxynaphthalene (1-N), 2-hydroxynaphthalene (2-N), 1-hydroxypyrene (1-OHP) and 2-hydroxyfluorene (2-OHF), which were adjusted by urinary creatinine (CR). Subjects with idiopathic infertility were further divided into 'normal' and 'abnormal' semen quality groups based on their semen volume, sperm concentration, sperm number per ejaculum and sperm motility. RESULTS The median CR-adjusted urinary concentrations of 1-N, 2-N, 1-OHP, 2-OHF and Sum PAH metabolites (sum of all four metabolites) of control group were lower than those found in case groups. Subjects with higher urinary concentrations of 1-OHP, 2-OHF and Sum PAH metabolites (assessed as tertiles) were more likely to have idiopathic male infertility (P-value for trend = 0.034, 0.022 and 0.022, respectively). Comparing the two groups of idiopathic infertile subjects with different semen quality, a higher idiopathic infertility risk was found in the group with abnormal semen quality. CONCLUSIONS Increased urinary concentrations of 1-OHP, 2-OHF and Sum PAH metabolites were associated with increased male idiopathic infertility risks, while the idiopathic infertile subjects with abnormal semen might be at higher risk.
Structure of the herpes simplex virus capsid: effects of extraction with guanidine hydrochloride and partial reconstitution of extracted capsids

Viral B capsids were purified from cells infected with herpes simplex virus type 1 and extracted in vitro with 2.0 M guanidine hydrochloride (GuHCl). Sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel analyses demonstrated that extraction resulted in the removal of greater than 95% of capsid proteins VP22a and VP26 while there was only minimal (less than 10%) loss of VP5 (the major capsid protein), VP19, and VP23. Electron microscopic analysis of extracted capsids revealed that the pentons and the material found inside the cavity of B capsids (primarily VP22a) were removed nearly quantitatively, but extracted capsids remained otherwise structurally intact. Few, if any, hexons were lost; the capsid diameter was not greatly affected; and its icosahedral symmetry was still clearly evident. The results demonstrate that neither VP19 nor VP23 could constitute the capsid pentons. Like the hexons, the pentons are most likely composed of VP5. When B capsids were treated with 2.0 M GuHCl and then dialyzed to remove GuHCl, two bands of viral material were separated by sucrose density gradient ultracentrifugation. The more rapidly migrating of the two consisted of capsids which lacked pentons and VP22a but had a full complement of VP26. Thus, VP26 must have reassociated with extracted capsids during dialysis. The more slowly migrating band consisted of torus-shaped structures approximately 60 nm in diameter which were composed entirely of VP22a. These latter structures closely resembled torus-shaped condensates often seen in the cavity of native B capsids. The results suggest a similarity between herpes simplex virus type 1 B capsids and procapsids of Salmonella bacteriophage P22. Both contain an internal protein (VP22a in the case of HSV-1 B capsids and gp8 or "scaffolding" protein in phage P22) that can be extracted in vitro with GuHCl and that is absent from mature virions.
Changes in Red Blood Cell Distribution Width is Associated with Liver Function Parameters and Prognosis in Patients with Chronic HBV Liver Disease.

BACKGROUND Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection represents a major threat to global public health, especially in China. The clear pathogenesis of chronic HBV infection (CHB) has not been fully elucidated, but inflammation is widely accepted to play an important role. Emerging evidence suggests that red blood cell distribution (RDW) is a novel potential marker of inflammatory responses. The present study aimed to investigate the clinical relevance of elevated RDW in the patients with chronic HBV liver disease ICP. METHODS A total of 731 individuals with chronic HBV liver disease, comprising 92 CHB patients, 606 patients with HBV-related liver cirrhosis (LC), and 33 patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Fifty volunteers represented the healthy controls (HC). Alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), total bilirubin (Tbil), albumin (Alb), prothrombin time (PT), and RDW were tested. Correlations between RDW and other clinical parameters were analyzed. A multivariable logistic regression model and the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve were used in the analysis of RDW as a predictor of 3-month mortality in the patients with decompensated liver cirrhosis. RESULTS Our results showed that RDW was significantly increased in patients with chronic HBV liver disease, except for CHB patients. Moreover, RDW was positively correlated with ALP and PT and negatively correlated with Alb in patients with chronic HBV liver disease. A multivariable logistic regression model showed that RDW was an independent predictor of 3-month mortality in the patients with decompensated liver cirrhosis (odds ratio [OR]: 1.345, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.200 - 1.506, p= 0.000). Based on the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve, use of RDW as an independent predictor of 3-month mortality was projected to be 17.15%, and yielded a sensitivity and specificity of 92.16% and 66.49%, respectively, with an area under the curve of 0.799 (95% CI: 0.746 - 0.838). CONCLUSIONS These data suggest that RDW may be a useful indicator to assess the liver function in patients with chronic HBV liver disease and help to predict mortality in hospitalized patients with decompensated cirrhosis in patients.
Forecasting global temperatures: Missing the point? The consequences of the hiatus

We use singular spectrum analysis techniques to discriminate the underlying signals within the HadCRUT4 global surface temperature record. Our analysis identifies a multidecadal oscillation (related to natural oscillations) and a secular trend (assumed to be representative of anthropogenic-induced warming) as the two main signals within the temperature record. Most current generation global circulation models (CMIP5) do not reproduce the multidecadal oscillation and fail to capture the present observed temperature hiatus in their simulations. Therefore, it is unlikely that these models can correctly forecast the temperature evolution during the coming decades. Statistical forecasts based on the analyzed secular trend and the multidecadal oscillations are indeed capable of reproducing the observed hiatus and generally result, in comparison to CMIP5 forecasts, in much lower temperature increases for 2100 of only about +0.39°C [-0.47-2.46] assuming a “business as usual” scenario. Either the global energy budget uncertainty is still too large or the increased radiative forcing does rather lead to accelerated warming of other parts of the climate system as the ocean or the cryosphere.
Duplication and divergence: the evolution of new genes and old ideas.

Over 35 years ago, Susumu Ohno stated that gene duplication was the single most important factor in evolution. He reiterated this point a few years later in proposing that without duplicated genes the creation of metazoans, vertebrates, and mammals from unicellular organisms would have been impossible. Such big leaps in evolution, he argued, required the creation of new gene loci with previously nonexistent functions. Bold statements such as these, combined with his proposal that at least one whole-genome duplication event facilitated the evolution of vertebrates, have made Ohno an icon in the literature on genome evolution. However, discussion on the occurrence and consequences of gene and genome duplication events has a much longer, and often neglected, history. Here we review literature dealing with the occurrence and consequences of gene duplication, beginning in 1911. We document conceptual and technological advances in gene duplication research from this early research in comparative cytology up to recent research on whole genomes, "transcriptomes," and "interactomes. "
Genes linked by fusion events are generally of the same functional category: A systematic analysis of 30 microbial genomes

Recent work in computational genomics has shown that a functional association between two genes can be derived from the existence of a fusion of the two as one continuous sequence in another genome. For each of 30 completely sequenced microbial genomes, we established all such fusion links among its genes and determined the distribution of links within and among 15 broad functional categories. We found that 72% of all fusion links related genes of the same functional category. A comparison of the distribution of links to simulations on the basis of a random model further confirmed the significance of intracategory fusion links. Where a gene of annotated function is linked to an unclassified gene, the fusion link suggests that the two genes belong to the same functional category. The predictions based on fusion links are shown here for Methanobacterium thermoautotrophicum, and another 661 predictions are available at http://fusion.bu. edu.
Clinical behavior and pathogenesis of secondary acquired cholesteatoma with a tympanic membrane perforation

Abstract Conclusion: The pathogenesis of secondary acquired cholesteatoma with a tympanic membrane (TM) perforation is very different from that of other types of cholesteatoma. This disease should be clearly categorized as a different type of cholesteatoma. Objective: Primary cholesteatoma generally arises from retraction of the squamous epithelium of the TM. However, in rare cases, epithelial invasion occurs from the edge of the TM perforation and migrates to the medial surface of the TM and middle ear cavity. The aim of this study was to evaluate the clinical features of secondary acquired cholesteatoma with a TM perforation. Methods: We investigated 13 ears that underwent surgical treatment after the diagnosis of secondary acquired cholesteatoma with a TM perforation. Patient backgrounds, the preoperative appearances of TM, intraoperative findings, and histopathological findings were investigated. Results: The average age was much higher than that of patients with other types of cholesteatoma, suggesting that it must require long periods of time to establish the disease. The common area of the epithelial invasion was on the superior part of the TM perforation around the tip of the malleus handle. The tendon of the tensor tympani muscle plays an important role as an extension route for this disease.
Contralaterality of cortical auditory processing at the level of the M50/M100 complex and the mismatch field: A whole-head magnetoencephalography study

Humans show a stronger cortical representation of auditory input at the opposite hemisphere each. To specify the temporal aspects of this contralaterality effect within the domain of speech stimuli, the present study recorded a series of evoked magnetic fields (M50, M100, mismatch field) subsequent to monaural application of stop consonant-vowel syllables using whole-head magnetoencephalography (MEG). The M50 components exhibited a skewed shape of cross-symmetrical distribution in terms of an initial maximum peak succeeded by a knot over the contralateral and a reversed pattern over the ipsilateral temporal lobe. Most presumably, this pattern of evoked fields reflects two distinct stages of central-auditory processing: (a) initial excitation of the larger contralateral and the smaller ipsilateral projection area of the stimulated ear; (b) subsequent transcallosal activation of the residual neurons, i.e. the targets of the non-stimulated ear, at either side. Previous studies using non-speech stimuli found contralaterality of central-auditory processing to extend to the M100 feld. In contrast, a larger amplitude of ipsilateral M100 as compared to the respective opposite deflection emerged after stimulation of either ear. Finally, the computed magnetic analogues of mismatch negativity failed any significant laterality effects. These data provide first evidence for a distinct pattern of hemispheric differences at the level of the M50/M100 complex subsequent to monaural application of speech stimuli.
Cellerator: extending a computer algebra system to include biochemical arrows for signal transduction simulations

Cellerator describes single and multi-cellular signal transduction networks (STN) with a compact, optionally palette-driven, arrow-based notation to represent biochemical reactions and transcriptional activation. Multi-compartment systems are represented as graphs with STNs embedded in each node. Interactions include mass-action, enzymatic, allosteric and connectionist models. Reactions are translated into differential equations and can be solved numerically to generate predictive time courses or output as systems of equations that can be read by other programs. Cellerator simulations are fully extensible and portable to any operating system that supports Mathematica, and can be indefinitely nested within larger data structures to produce highly scaleable models.
A 0.076mm2 3.5GHz spread-spectrum clock generator with memoryless Newton-Raphson modulation profile in 0.13μm CMOS

A spread-spectrum clock generator (SSCG) is a cost-effective solution to reduce EMI, which has become a serious problem in high-speed systems. In applications such as serial links, display drivers and consumer electronics, SSCG is essential or strongly recommended. Control options such as frequency deviation (δ) and modulation frequency (fm) help to satisfy these demands. Furthermore, efficient modulation-profile generation is critical for achieving further EMI reduction and lowering fabrication cost. PLL-based SSCGs are reported in [1–3]. The ΔΣ modulator (ΔΣM) controls the division ratio [1,2] and the phase information of phase detector (PD) [3] to generate a spread-spectrum clock. The self-referenced clock generator uses a capacitor array to generate a spread-spectrum clock [7]. However, they do not have a way to control δ and fm. Dual-loop direct VCO modulation [4] and digital period synthesizer with delay-line [5] are able to control δ and fm. However, [4] requires an additional VCO, which increases the power consumption by 2×, and [5] suffers from a large deterministic jitter through the delay-line and logic circuits. A triangular profile is commonly used in many SSCGs [1,3,4]. Though the implementation of a triangular profile is very simple, its performance is poor. The chaotic PAM modulation in [2] requires complex analog circuits. Recently, a piecewise-linear profile with SRAM was presented in [5]. However, the additional memory consumes a large amount of power and occupies a large area. This paper presents a frequency-locked loop (FLL) based SSCG with frequency-to-voltage converter (FVC) [6], that saves area and provides multiple δ with low bandwidth variation. A memoryless Newton-Raphson modulation profile with multiple fm is also described.
Application of Acetylacetone Chelation Solid-Phase Extraction to GFAAS Measurements of Trace Amounts of Beryllium in Marine Organisms

Trace amounts of Be (0.046 - 2.59 ng) in a dried marine organism sample (10 mg) could be accurately determined by GFAAS after treating with microwave digestion (HNO_3/H_2O_2) at 85°C for 10 min and using acetylacetone as a chelating agent in the presence of an acetate buffer (pH 6.0). The method detection limit (MDL, 3 σ ) for Be was found to be 4.6 ng g^−1; the calibration graph was linear up to 259 ng g^−1. Good recoveries (98.5 - 105.0%) were obtained for eight marine organism samples (including five fish, one lobster, one oyster, and one algae) with a relative standard deviation (RSD, n = 3) < 3.0%. The proposed method could be applied measurements of Be in various marine organisms.
Enquête sur les accidents de la vie courante des enfants de 0 à 5 ans, ayant lieu dans la sphère privée, admis aux urgences pédiatriques du Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Bordeaux Pellegrin

Contexte et objectif : les accidents de la vie courante sont une cause importante de morbidite et de mortalite chez l’enfant. Les objectifs de notre etude etaient de comparer, selon le type de blessure, les caracteristiques des victimes d’accidents de la vie courante de moins de six ans, et de comparer ces caracteristiques avec la population generale. Methode : une etude transversale prospective a ete menee d'octobre 2016 a septembre 2017 dans le departement des urgences pediatriques du centre hospitalier universitaire de Bordeaux Pellegrin, en France. Des questionnaires anonymes ont ete distribues aux parents d'enfants de moins de six ans victimes d’accidents de la vie courante survenus lorsque les enfants n'etaient pas sous la responsabilite de professionnels. Un echantillonnage en grappes a ete stratifie sur les saisons et les periodes scolaires. Des regressions logistiques multivariees ont ete utilisees pour estimer les associations entre les caracteristiques et les types de blessures. Resultats : 488 enfants et leurs familles ont ete inclus (taux de participation de 86%). Les mecanismes de blessure etaient : chute / penetration / traumatisme / choc (414), inhalation de corps etrangers / ingestion / ou corps etranger dans une partie du corps (29), brulures (17), intoxication (13), morsures d'animaux (4), noyade (3), autre (8). En comparant les intoxications avec d'autres evenements, les parents etaient plus souvent au chomage (OR = 7 (1,7, 27,6)), l'enfant avait plus souvent moins de trois ans et etait principalement garde par la famille (OR = 4,2 (1,2, 15,2)). Par rapport a la population generale, il y avait plus de garcons, d'enfants âges de un a trois ans et de beneficiaires de la couverture maladie universelle. Conclusion : reduire les inegalites de sante sans stigmatiser les individus est un defi. Des recherches supplementaires sont necessaires pour determiner si certaines caracteristiques sociodemographiques sont associees a certains types de blessures, comme les intoxications.