Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Animal Model Systems for the Study of Alcohol Teratology

The incidence of fetal alcohol syndrome has not been declining even though alcohol has been established as a teratogen and significant efforts have been made to educate women not to abuse alcohol during pregnancy. In addition to further educational efforts, strategies to prevent or mitigate the damages of prenatal alcohol exposure are now under development. Animal models will play a significant role in the effort to develop these strategies. Because prenatal alcohol exposure causes damage by multiple mechanisms, depending on dose, pattern, and timing of exposure, and because no species of animal is the same as the human, the choice of which animal model to use is complicated. To choose the best animal model, it is necessary to consider the specific scientific question that is being addressed and which model system is best able to addressthe question. Animal models that are currently in use include nonhuman primates, rodents (rats, mice, guinea pigs), large animal models (pig and sheep), the chick, and simple animals, including fish, insects, and round worms. Each model system has strengths and weaknesses, depending on the question being addressed. Simple animal models are useful in exploring basic science questions that relate to molecular biology and genetics that cannot be explored in higher-order animals, whereas higher-order animal models are useful in studying complex behaviors and validating basic science findings in an animal that is more like the human. Substantial progress in this field will require the judicious use of multiple scientific approaches that use different animal model systems.
Employing Load Coils for Multiple Loads of Resonant Wireless Power Transfer

The load coils are employed for multiple loads of resonant wireless power transfer in this paper. With the addition of the load coil, this three-coil structure has easy access to transferring power to multiple loads with the advantages of a compact structure and controllable power flow. Both single-load transfer and multiple-load transfer are modeled and analyzed by means of the circuit theory. The transfer quality factor and the load matching factor are utilized in the analysis of efficiency. In the single-load transfer, the load matching condition is fully explored. Based on the single-load transfer, the multiple-load transfer is researched. The double-load transfer, acting as an illustration, is studied with the uncoupled and coupled load coils. Equivalent reflected resistances are introduced to decouple the model of the double-load transfer with coupled load coils mathematically. An experimental prototype is implemented to verify the aforementioned analysis. The experimental results agree with the theoretical calculations.
The stem canker (blackleg) fungus, Leptosphaeria maculans, enters the genomic era.

UNLABELLED SUMMARY Leptosphaeria maculans is the most ubiquitous pathogen of Brassica crops, and mainly oilseed brassicas (oilseed rape, canola), causing the devastating 'stem canker' or 'blackleg'. This review summarizes our current knowledge on the pathogen, from taxonomic issues to specific life traits. It mainly illustrates the importance of formal genetics approaches on the pathogen side to dissect the interaction with the host plants. In addition, this review presents the main current research topics on L. maculans and focuses on the L. maculans genome initiative recently begun, including its main research issues. TAXONOMY Leptosphaeria maculans (Desm.) Ces. & de Not. (anamorph Phoma lingam Tode ex Fr.). Kingdom Fungi, Phylum Ascomycota, Class Dothideomycetes (Loculoascomycetes), Order Pleosporales, Genus Leptosphaeria, Species maculans. HOST RANGE cultivated Brassicas such as Brassica napus (oilseed rape, canola), B. rapa, B. juncea, B. oleracea, etc., along with numerous wild crucifers species. Arabidopsis thaliana was recently reported to be a potential host for L. maculans. Primary disease symptoms are greyish-green collapse of cotyledon or leaf tissue, without a visible margin, bearing tiny black spots (pycnidia). The fungus then develops an endophytic symptomless growth for many months. Secondary symptoms, at the end of the growing season, are dry necroses of the crown tissues with occasional blackening (stem canker or blackleg) causing lodging of the plants. Pseudothecia differentiate on leftover residues. Seedling damping-off and premature ripening are also reported under certain environmental conditions. USEFUL WEBSITES Leptosphaeria maculans sequencing project at Genoscope: http://www.genoscope. cns.fr/externe/English/Projets/Projet_DM/organisme_DM. html; the SECURE site: http://www.secure. rothamsted.ac. uk/ the 'Blackleg' group at the University of Melbourne: http://www.botany. unimelb.edu. au/blackleg/overview.htm.
Assessing the Impact of Financial Sector Restructuring on Bank Performance in a Smalldeveloping Economy

Abstract The present paper examines the impact of mergers and acquisitions on the technical efficiency of the Malaysian banking sector. The analysis consists of three stages. Firstly, by using the Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) approach, we calculate the technical, pure technical, and scale efficiency of individual banks during the period 1997-2003. Secondly, we examine changes in the efficiency of the Malaysian banking sector during the pre and post merger periods by using a series of parametric and non-parametric univariate tests. Finally, we employ the multivariate regression analysis to examine factors that influence the efficiency of Malaysian banks. Although the merger program was unpopular, perceived by the market as impractical, and controversial, the empirical findings from this study suggest that the merger program among the Malaysian domestic commercial banks was driven by economic reasons. –
Does Religiosity Enhance the Quality of Management Earnings Forecasts?

This study investigates whether firms located in areas with higher levels of religiosity disclose higher-quality management earnings forecasts than other firms. Using a U.S. sample of 5,826 firm–year observations over the period 1997 to 2014, we find that firms located in more religious areas disclose less optimistically biased and more accurate earnings forecasts. We find no evidence of more conservatively biased forecasts for those firms. In addition, we document that earnings forecasts from firms in more religious areas trigger stronger stock price reactions than the forecasts from other firms. Overall, our results provide evidence that higher levels of religiosity contribute to more credible, trustworthy management earnings forecasts that are valued by investors. The positive association between religiosity and the quality of management forecasts suggests that between ethicality and risk aversion, two key traits of religious individuals, ethicality seems to play a major role in shaping managers’ disclosure behavior. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to establish a link between the degree of religiosity and the quality of management earnings forecasts, an important channel of corporate voluntary disclosure.
Use of positron emission tomography scan response to guide treatment change for locally advanced gastric cancer: the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center experience.

BACKGROUND Early metabolic response on 18-fluorodeoxyglucose-positron emission tomography (FDG-PET) during neoadjuvant chemotherapy is PET non-responders have poor outcomes whether continuing chemotherapy or proceeding directly to surgery. Use of PET may identify early treatment failure, sparing patients from inactive therapy and allowing for crossover to alternative therapies. We examined the effectiveness of PET directed switching to salvage chemotherapy in the PET non-responders. METHODS Patients with locally advanced resectable FDG-avid gastric or gastroesophageal junction (GEJ) adenocarcinoma received bevacizumab 15 mg/kg, epirubicin 50 mg/m(2), cisplatin 60 mg/m(2) day 1, and capecitabine 625 mg/m(2) bid (ECX) every 21 days. PET scan was obtained at baseline and after cycle 1. PET responders, (i.e., ≥35% reduction in FDG uptake at the primary tumor) continued ECX + bev. Non-responders switched to docetaxel 30 mg/m(2), irinotecan 50 mg/mg(2) day 1 and 8 plus bevacizumab every 21 days for 2 cycles. Patients then underwent surgery. The primary objective was to improve the 2-year disease free survival (DFS) from 30% (historical control) to 53% in the non-responders. RESULTS Twenty evaluable patients enrolled before the study closed for poor accrual. Eleven were PET responders and the 9 non-responders switched to the salvage regimen. With a median follow-up of 38.2 months, the 2-year DFS was 55% [95% confidence interval (CI), 30-85%] in responders compared with 56% in the non-responder group (95% CI, 20-80%, P=0.93). CONCLUSIONS The results suggest that changing chemotherapy regimens in PET non-responding patients may improve outcomes. Results from this pilot trial are hypothesis generating and suggest that PET directed neoadjuvant therapy merits evaluation in a larger trial.
Human β-Defensin 2 and β-Defensin 3 Chimeric Peptides Reveal the Structural Basis of the Pathogen Specificity of Their Parent Molecules

ABSTRACT Despite partial sequence identity and structural similarity, human β-defensin 3 (HBD3) kills Staphylococcus aureus with a 4- to 8-fold higher efficiency than human β-defensin 2 (HBD2), whereas the activities against Escherichia coli are identical. The design and characterization of HBD2/HBD3 chimeric peptides revealed that distinct molecular regions are responsible for their divergent killing properties. Two of the chimeras killed both E. coli and S. aureus with an even higher efficacy than the wild-type molecules. Moreover, one of these two chimeras maintained its high killing activities in the presence of physiologic salt concentrations. Due to the broad spectrum of their antimicrobial activities against many human multidrug-resistant pathogens, these two designer peptides of human origin represent promising templates for a new class of antibiotics.
Receiving Guideline-Concordant Pharmacotherapy for Major Depression: Impact on Ambulatory and Inpatient Health Service Use

Objective: This study aimed to determine the associations between guideline-concordant pharmacotherapy for depression and the use of health services in the year following diagnosis. Method: This population-based, retrospective cohort study examined Quebec drug plans between 1999 and 2002. We included beneficiaries aged 18 to 64 years who were newly diagnosed with an episode of depression by primary care physicians and psychiatrists between October 1, 2000, and March 31, 2001, and who made at least one psychotropic pharmacy claim within 31 days of diagnosis. We defined guideline concordance as the receipt of recommended medication, starting dosage, and treatment duration as defined by the Canadian Network for Mood and Anxiety Treatments guidelines. We measured outcomes on use of ambulatory (number of visits to prescribing physician, other physicians, or emergency departments) and inpatient (hospitalization) services. Results: There were 2742 patients (mean age 42 years; 64% female patients) who met the study criteria. Of the 2047 (75%) patients to whom an antidepressant was dispensed, 1958 (71%) received a recommended first-line medication, 1297 (63%) received a recommended starting dosage, and 304 (15%) received a recommended duration. According to the 3 criteria, only 8% were treated appropriately; 21% received benzodiazepines rather than antidepressants. There were 2 median visits (inferquartile range [IQR] 1 to 3) to prescribing physicians, 0 visits (IQR 0 to 1) to other physicians, and 0 visits (IQR 0 to 0) to emergency departments; 497 (18%) patients were hospitalized. In separate multivariate models for repeated measures, recommended first-line medication, dosage, and duration were associated with more prescribing physician visits. Recommended first-line medication reduced the odds of hospitalization. Conclusion: Guideline concordance was associated with more visits to prescribing physicians and lower odds of hospitalization.
Iron and oxidative stress in bacteria.

The appearance of oxygen on earth led to two major problems: the production of potentially deleterious reactive oxygen species and a drastic decrease in iron availability. In addition, iron, in its reduced form, potentiates oxygen toxicity by converting, via the Fenton reaction, the less reactive hydrogen peroxide to the more reactive oxygen species, hydroxyl radical and ferryl iron. Conversely superoxide, by releasing iron from iron-containing molecules, favors the Fenton reaction. It has been assumed that the strict regulation of iron assimilation prevents an excess of free intracellular iron that could lead to oxidative stress. Studies in bacteria supporting that view are reviewed. While genetic studies correlate oxidative stress with increase of intracellular free iron, there are only few and sometimes contradictory studies on direct measurements of free intracellular metal. Despite this weakness, the strict regulation of iron metabolism, and its coupling with regulation of defenses against oxidative stress, as well as the role played by iron in regulatory protein in sensing redox change, appear as essential factors for life in the presence of oxygen.
The influence of neoliberal economics on small business accounting research: A critical evaluation of agendas and methodologies

This article contributes to current debates on agendas and methodologies in small business research by critiquing small business accounting research paradigms within the context of contemporary neoliberal economic policy. Published research is critically examined; it is then argued that a hegemonic neoliberal economic discourse of entrepreneurship has resulted in a narrow research focus and a restricted use of methodologies. We suggest that there is both an economic and an epistemological rationale for more research which focuses on the broader social and political context of accounting within small businesses, rather than a narrow focus on accounting’s role in business growth. The question of appropriate methodology for future research is raised. The limitations of a predominantly quantitative, survey-based and normative approach are discussed and the potential benefits of alternative methodologies are explored.
A Study on Behavioral Intention and Use Behavior of Sharp (#) Mail Initial Experienced Users

In this research, to analyze acceptance factor for Sharp (#) Mail solution and service with initial experienced users. unified theory of acceptance and use of technology (UTAUT) suggested by Venkatesh (2003) was used as the base and use intention influential factor and factors of security, habit, and law/system were added. Research result showed more or less difference with influential factors on behavioral intention and use behavior as suggested by Venkatesh (2003) and, according to analysis, the reason may be that security factor is handled importantly from the aspect that Sharp Mail is used for work purpose and internet-based.
Thyroid Regulation and Dysfunction in the Pregnant Patient

Thyroid disease in pregnancy is a common clinical problem. During the past 2 years significant clinical and scientific advances have occurred in the field. This chapter reviews the physiology of thyroid and pregnancy focusing on iodine requirements and advances in placental function. There follows discussion on thyroid function tests in pregnancy and their interpretation noting ethnic variation in pregnancy range. Sections on iodine nutrition, thyroid autoantibodies and pregnancy complications, thyroid considerations in infertile women, hypothyroidism in pregnancy, thyrotoxicosis in pregnancy, thyroid nodules and cancer in pregnant women, fetal and neonatal considerations, thyroid disease and lactation, screening for thyroid dysfunction in pregnancy will inform the reader of the current information on these areas. Postpartum thyroid disease is also discussed. Current topical fields of importance include the role of isolated hypothyroxinemia on obstetric outcomes and neurodevelopment, the influence of thyroid autoantibodies on the same parameters and the effect of recent data on malformations associated with antithyroid drug therapy on management guidelines for thyrotoxicosis in pregnancy. It also seems as if pregnancy may have a deleterious effect on the progression differentiated thyroid cancer in pregnancy; this requires more confirmation. The intense debate on whether to screen for thyroid function in all pregnant women continues. Although the few randomised trials which have been performed are negative several areas of the world and some clinics in USA recommend screening. In general recent guidelines from USA and Europe find no evidence to support routine screening.
Biliary tree stem/progenitor cells in glands of extrahepatic and intraheptic bile ducts: an anatomical in situ study yielding evidence of maturational lineages

Stem/progenitors have been identified intrahepatically in the canals of Hering and extrahepatically in glands of the biliary tree. Glands of the biliary tree (peribiliary glands) are tubulo‐alveolar glands with mucinous and serous acini, located deep within intrahepatic and extrahepatic bile ducts. We have shown that biliary tree stem/progenitors (BTSCs) are multipotent, giving rise in vitro and in vivo to hepatocytes, cholangiocytes or pancreatic islets. Cells with the phenotype of BTSCs are located at the bottom of the peribiliary glands near the fibromuscular layer. They are phenotypically heterogeneous, expressing transcription factors as well as surface and cytoplasmic markers for stem/progenitors of liver (e.g. SOX9/17), pancreas (e.g. PDX1) and endoderm (e.g. SOX17, EpCAM, NCAM, CXCR4, Lgr5, OCT4) but not for mature markers (e.g. albumin, secretin receptor or insulin). Subpopulations co‐expressing liver and pancreatic markers (e.g. PDX1+/SOX17+) are EpCAM+/−, and are assumed to be the most primitive of the BTSC subpopulations. Their descendants undergo a maturational lineage process from the interior to the surface of ducts and vary in the mature cells generated: pancreatic cells in hepatopancreatic ducts, liver cells in large intrahepatic bile ducts, and bile duct cells along most of the biliary tree. We hypothesize that there is ongoing organogenesis throughout life, with BTSCs giving rise to hepatic stem cells in the canals of Hering and to committed progenitors within the pancreas. The BTSCs are likely to be central to normal tissue turnover and injury repair and to be key elements in the pathophysiology of liver, pancreas and biliary tree diseases, including oncogenesis.
Detecting multiple H.264/AVC compressions with the same quantisation parameters

Multiple-compression detection is of particular importance in video forensics, as it reveals possible manipulations to the content. However, methods for detecting multiple compressions with same quantisation parameters (QPs) are rarely reported. To deal with this issue, a novel method is presented in this study to detect multiple H.264/advanced video coding compressions with the same QPs. First, a new set, named ratio difference set (RDS), is proposed, which is calculated by identifying the quantised DCT coefficients whose values will be changed after re-compression. Then, a discriminative and fixed statistical feature set extracted from RDS of each video is obtained to serve as input for classification. With the aid of support vector machines, the extracted feature set is used to classify the videos that have undergone H.264 compressions twice or more from those compressed just once. Experimental results show that high classification accuracy and robustness against copy-move attack and frame-deletion attack can be achieved with the authors’ proposed method.
Influencing investors : an examination of angel investor perceptions of entrepreneurial investment opportunities

This dissertation examines the factors which influence angel investor perceptions and their eventual investment decision. I propose a model which has perceived risk and expected return at its core. Visually, this model can be translated into a malleable hurdle rate which entrepreneurs must exceed to receive financing. In this model, influential factors can exert influence in two ways by moving the investment relative to the hurdle rate and/or moving the hurdle rate relative to the investment. Using a survey data from 203 investment opportunities analyzed by 106 angel investors, this model is empirically tested. The direct effect of leadership quality and business quality had no effect on perceived risk, but leadership quality did have a direct effect on expected return (business quality could not be tested). Experience (as an investor, in industry, and as an entrepreneur), an angel characteristic, had no moderating effect on these relationships. Further analyses suggest that angel investors rely only on return expectations and seem not to consider risk when making investment decisions. Entrepreneur enthusiasm and having a social tie moderated the risk-investment relationship while personal relevance and risk aversion moderated the return-investment relationship. Finally, the nuances of social ties are examined with findings suggesting that entrepreneurs with stronger relationships with the investor benefited by securing investment to a greater extent than
NUCLEAR ACCENTS IN FOUR IRISH (GAELIC) DIALECTS

In this paper the distribution of nuclear accents in declaratives of four major dialects of Irish is described. The findings show considerable variation, particular between northern and southern dialects. Speakers of the northern dialect of Donegal show a propensity for rising nuclear accents (L*+H) in declaratives, while speakers of the other, more southern, dialects of Mayo, South Connaught and Kerry Irish show a preference for falling nuclear (H*+L) accents. The findings are compared with results for varieties of English.
Uremia‐associated immunological aging is stably imprinted in the T‐cell system and not reversed by kidney transplantation

The uremia‐induced inflammatory environment in end‐stage renal disease (ESRD) patients is associated with premature T‐cell aging resulting in a defective T‐cell immunity. As kidney transplantation (KTx) reduces the pro‐inflammatory environment, we hypothesized that KTx would rejuvenate the aged T‐cell system. As aging parameters, we determined in 70 KTx recipients the differentiation status by immunophenotyping, thymic output by the T‐cell receptor excision circle (TREC) content together with CD31+ naïve T‐cell numbers and the relative telomere length (RTL) as a measure for proliferative history at pre‐KTx, 3, 6 and 12 months post‐KTx. In addition, T‐cell function was determined by measuring the proliferative capacity and percentages of cytokine‐producing cells. Directly post‐KTx, memory T‐cell numbers were diminished but restored to pre‐KTx values at 12 months, except for CD4+EM T cells. The RTL of (memory) CD4+ and CD8+ T cells did not change. In contrast, TREC content and CD31+ naïve T‐cell numbers were stable post‐KTx although the RTL of naïve CD4+ and CD8+ T cells decreased implying homeostatic proliferation of naïve cells, in response to a temporary decrease in memory cells. The T‐cell function was not improved post‐KTx. Our findings demonstrate that the uremia‐associated aged phenotype is stably imprinted in the T‐cell system and not reversed by KTx.