Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Policy Induced Sunk Cost Effect: Revisiting China's Vehicle Quota System

With the implementation of the vehicle quota system (VQS), the average prices of new registered vehicles in Beijing and Shanghai both increased. Whether and why the policy would change consumers’ price sensitivity remain unknown although important and interesting. This study focuses on two distinct license quota policies implemented in China: Beijing’s lottery and Shanghai’s auction. To examine the effect of VQS on consumers’ purchase behavior, we propose a theoretical model extending Baliga and Ely (2011) and reconciling the two systems, explicate the increasing consumers’ purchase intention in the two cities from the perspective of sunk cost effect, and predict that the effect of Shanghai’s auction is more likely to depend on income level. Empirical results with a random coefficient logit model using aggregated data confirm that Beijing’s lottery system and Shanghai’s auction system both decrease price sensitiveness, implying consumers would like to offer higher purchase prices than before given the increasing price trends. Moreover, unlike the case in Beijing, the effect of Shanghai’s auction is positively dependent on individual income. Overall, this article points to the potentially negative role that VQS could play in distorting consumer behavior.
Speed sensorless control of a PMSG for small wind turbine systems

Wind turbine systems (WTS) based on Permanent Magnet Synchronous Generators (PMSG) have been gaining more and more importance over the last years. In fact, these generators are self-excited, allowing operation at high power factor and high efficiency. Additionally, the elimination of the gearbox allows a reduction in costs and maintenance. To further reduce the system complexity and the maintenance process, sensors normally used to sense the speed of these generators could be eliminated. This aspect is particularly important for wind turbine installation in harsh environment characterized by extreme weather conditions. To this purpose this paper investigates how a Phase Locked Loop (PLL) can be profitably used to estimate the rotor speed. A systematic analysis is presented as well as simulation and experimental results proving the feasibility of such solution.
Understanding the determinants of enterprise resource planning adoption in Jordan

This study examines the adoption of a powerful management system known as Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) with focus on Jordanian organizations. The study examined the impact of technological, internal, and external factors that influence ERP systems adoption. For this purpose, we have adopted a well known technological-organizational-environmental (TOE) framework. We used semi-structured interviews with ten companies and service providers in Jordan to collect data about using ERP. We've found that there are main factors that play significant roles in Jordanian firms' adoption of ERP systems. These findings have important implications and great value for service providers, managers, and the research community. Providers need to focus on interacting with firms in Jordan that have already adopted ERP in order to convince many others of the technology's benefits. This work is considered one of the first studies on the use of ERP systems by firms in Jordan that employs the famous TOE framework and semi-structured interviews.
Loss of the atypical inflammatory response in juvenile and aged rats

Epidemiological evidence indicates that the severity of many human neuropathologies is often age‐related, and this also appears true in rodent models of human disease. In this study, we examined the inflammatory response within the brain to the archetypal pro‐inflammatory cytokines interleukin‐1beta (IL‐1β) or tumour necrosis factor‐alpha (TNF‐α). We assessed how the cerebral vasculature changes with age and whether any structural alterations are associated with altered cytokine sensitivities. Six hours after equivalent microinjections of IL‐1β or TNF‐α, 3‐week‐old juvenile and 18‐month‐old aged rats displayed increased leucocyte recruitment, blood–brain barrier (BBB) breakdown, and a loss of specificity in the populations of leucocytes recruited when compared with the restricted profile observed in 2‐month‐old young adult rat brain. The expression of the tight junction protein claudin‐1 was absent in those vessels where neutrophils were being actively recruited. To determine whether changes in the structure of the BBB might be responsible for the increased susceptibility observed at either end of the age spectrum, we compared the number of claudin‐1 positive vessels in the unchallenged brain to the total number of vessels. Virtually all vessels in the young adult brain express claudin‐1, but a significant proportion of vessels are claudin‐1 negative in the juvenile rat brain. In the aged rat brain, the overall number of vessels is markedly reduced, but the majority of these still appear to be claudin‐1 positive. The pattern of claudin‐1 expression together with the change in vessel density indicates that the properties of the BBB change with age, and, despite similarities, the underlying cause of the heightened inflammatory response in the juvenile and in the aged brain is likely to differ. Indeed, the spatial characteristics of the cytokine‐induced BBB breakdown are different at either end of the age spectrum. These studies identify two periods within the lifespan of a rat where susceptibility to pro‐inflammatory mediators is dramatically increased.
Clinical Application of Exhaled Breath Condensate Analysis in Asthma: Prediction of FEV1 Improvement by Steroid Therapy

Background: Exhaled breath condensate (EBC) measurements have recently been reported to be useful for the detection of inflammatory molecules in the airways. However, the clinical relevance of EBC analysis in asthma therapy has not been determined yet. Objectives: To investigate whether EBC analysis has any potential for predicting the steroid response in asthmatics. Methods: Eighteen steroid-naive asthmatics were enrolled. EBC collection, spirometry and a methacholine challenge test were performed before and 12 weeks after inhaled steroid therapy. Exhaled IL-4, IL-17, RANTES, macrophage inflammatory protein (MIP)-1α, MIP-1β, IL-8, IFN-γ-inducible protein (IP)-10, TNF-α and TGF-β were simultaneously analyzed by a protein array, and the relationship between baseline molecule expression and steroid-mediated changes in forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1) and airway responsiveness was investigated. Results: Steroid therapy improved FEV1 values and the methacholine threshold. Among the molecules examined, increased IL-4 and RANTES levels as well as decreased IP-10 levels at baseline were significantly correlated with an improvement in FEV1. By contrast, molecule levels were not related to changes in the responsiveness to methacholine. In addition, changes in FEV1 values were significantly associated with reductions in IL-4 and RANTES levels. Conclusions: EBC measurements of IL-4, RANTES and IP-10 might be useful for predicting the steroid-mediated FEV1 improvement in asthma.
MASSUGU2 Encodes Aux/IAA19, an Auxin-Regulated Protein That Functions Together with the Transcriptional Activator NPH4/ARF7 to Regulate Differential Growth Responses of Hypocotyl and Formation of Lateral Roots in Arabidopsis thaliana

We have isolated a dominant, auxin-insensitive mutant of Arabidopsis thaliana, massugu2 (msg2), that displays neither hypocotyl gravitropism nor phototropism, fails to maintain an apical hook as an etiolated seedling, and is defective in lateral root formation. Yet other aspects of growth and development of msg2 plants are almost normal. These characteristics of msg2 are similar to those of another auxin-insensitive mutant, non-phototropic hypocotyl4 (nph4), which is a loss-of-function mutant of AUXIN RESPONSE FACTOR7 (ARF7) (Harper et al., 2000). Map-based cloning of the MSG2 locus reveals that all four mutant alleles result in amino acid substitutions in the conserved domain II of an Auxin/Indole-3-Acetic Acid protein, IAA19. Interestingly, auxin inducibility of MSG2/IAA19 gene expression is reduced by 65% in nph4/arf7. Moreover, MSG2/IAA19 protein binds to the C-terminal domain of NPH4/ARF7 in a Saccharomyces cerevisiae (yeast) two-hybrid assay and to the whole latter protein in vitro by pull-down assay. These results suggest that MSG2/IAA19 and NPH4/ARF7 may constitute a negative feedback loop to regulate differential growth responses of hypocotyls and lateral root formation.
Identification and Estimation Issues in Structural Vector Autoregressions with External Instruments

In this paper we discuss general identification results for Structural Vector Autoregressions (SVARs) with external instruments, considering the case in which r valid instruments are used to identify g ≥ 1 structural shocks, where r ≥ g. We endow the SVAR with an auxiliary statistical model for the external instruments which is a system of reduced form equations. The SVAR and the auxiliary model for the external instruments jointly form a `larger' SVAR characterized by a particularly restricted parametric structure, and are connected by the covariance matrix of their disturbances which incorporates the `relevance' and `exogeneity' conditions. We discuss identification results and likelihood-based estimation methods both in the `multiple shocks' approach, where all structural shocks are of interest, and in the `partial shock' approach, where only a subset of the structural shocks is of interest. Overidentified SVARs with external instruments can be easily tested in our setup. The suggested method is applied to investigate empirically whether commonly employed measures of macroeconomic and financial uncertainty respond on-impact, other than with lags, to business cycle uctuations in the U.S. in the period after the Global Financial Crisis. To do so, we employ two external instruments to identify the real economic activity shock in a partial shock approach.
The empirical research on regional economic convergence among Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei — From human capital perspective

Firstly, this paper summarizes the related concepts and models between human capital and regional economic convergence from classical literature. Secondly, it makes some regional economic convergence tests by the convergence model based on the data of Beijing, Tianjin, and Hebei, moreover, it analyzes on the regional economic convergence category and its human capital factor of the three regions. The results indicate that, there is no σ regional economic convergence among Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei since 1978, and absolute β convergence does not exist since 1996. However, there is a strong β conditional convergence when introducting human capital factor, but the club convergence exists neither in Beijing nor Hebei, but a weak club convergence exists in Tianjin. Finally, according to empirical results, the paper puts forward some corresponding proposals for coordinated development of regional economic of Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei.
Initiation of the proton pump of cytochrome c oxidase

Cytochrome c oxidase is the terminal enzyme of the respiratory chain that is responsible for biological energy conversion in mitochondria and aerobic bacteria. The membrane-bound enzyme converts free energy from oxygen reduction to an electrochemical proton gradient by functioning as a redox-coupled proton pump. Although the 3D structure and functional studies have revealed proton conducting pathways in the enzyme interior, the location of proton donor and acceptor groups are not fully identified. We show here by time-resolved optical and FTIR spectroscopy combined with time-resolved electrometry that some mutant enzymes incapable of proton pumping nevertheless initiate catalysis by proton transfer to a proton-loading site. A conserved tyrosine in the so-called D-channel is identified as a potential proton donor that determines the efficiency of this reaction.
Reduced somatosensory activations in swallowing with age

Understanding the neural functional organization of swallowing in healthy elders is essential in diagnosing and treating older adults with swallowing difficulties. The primary aims of this investigation were to identify the neural activation sites of different components of deglutition in healthy elders using functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) and to investigate age differences in the neural control of swallowing. Ten young (age range 19–25 years of age) and nine older (age range 66–77 years of age) right‐handed healthy individuals were scanned in a 3‐Tesla MRI scanner. Subjects were visually cued for both a “Swallow” task and for component/control tasks (“Prepare to swallow,” “Tap your tongue,” and “Clear your throat”). Behavioral interleaved gradient (BIG) methodology was used to address movement related artifacts. Between‐group comparisons revealed statistically stronger activations in the primary somatosensory cortex of young adults during the motor tasks examined. Both groups showed activations in the major motor areas involved in the initiation and execution of movement; however, areas involved in sensory processing, sensorimotor integration and/or motor coordination and control, showed reduced or limited activity in the elderly. Potential implications of these findings for clinical practice are discussed. Hum Brain Mapp, 2011. © 2010 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
The dynamics of acentric chromosomes in cancer cells revealed by GFP‐based chromosome labeling strategies

Autonomous replicons, such as viral episomes and oncogene containing double minute chromosomes (DMs), lack centromeres and consequently should be lost rapidly when the nuclear membrane breaks down at mitosis. Surprisingly, they are not. This raises the important question of the mechanisms that enable their efficient transmission to daughter cells. We review recent developments in GFP‐based chromosome labeling strategies that enable real time analyses using high resolution light microscopy to provide insights into this issue. The results reveal that episomes and DMs both adhere to host chromosomes, a process referred to as “chromosome tethering”. Such association enables acentric molecules to use the chromosomal centromere in trans, thereby achieving efficient transmission to daughter cells. This unique mechanism of mitotic segregation also raises the possibility of developing a new class of anti‐cancer drugs that work by selectively eliminating growth enhancing genes from cancer cells. J. Cell. Biochem. Suppl. 35:107–114, 2000. © 2001 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Geriatric‐Based Versus General Wards for Older Acute Medical Patients: A Randomized Comparison of Outcomes and Use of Resources

BACKGROUND: The effects of residence in an acute geriatrics‐based ward (AGW) with emphasis on early rehabilitation and discharge planning for older patients with acute medical illnesses were assessed. Outcome and use of resources were compared with those of patients treated in general medical wards (MWs). A per‐protocol rather than intention‐to‐treat analysis was performed.
Cognitive Impairment after Stroke – Impact on Activities of Daily Living and Costs of Care for Elderly People

Background and Purpose: The economic burden of stroke is substantial and is likely to increase with an increasing number of elderly individuals in the population. There is thus a need for information on the use of health care resources and costs among these elderly stroke patients. We examined the impact of the cognitive impairments on the ability to perform activities of daily living (ADL) and utilization and costs of health care in a cohort of elderly stroke patients. Methods: One hundred and forty-nine patients aged ≧70 years with acute stroke were included. The patients were assessed regarding their ability to carry out ADL and health resource utilization and cost during the first year after stroke. Cognitive impairments were assessed 18 months after the index stroke. Results: Stroke severity in acute stroke andcognitive impairment at 18 months after stroke onset was associated with impairment in ADL and increased costs for utilisation of care during the first year. Patients with cognitive impairment were more dependent on personal assistance in ADL. Costs per patient during the study were three times higher for patients with cognitive impairment. Hospital care, institutional living and different kinds of support from society accounted forthe highest costs. Conclusions: Costs of care utilisation during the first year after stroke were associated with cognitive impairments, stroke severity and dependence in ADL. The results should be interpreted cautiously as the assessment of cognitive function was made 18 months after stroke onset and costs were estimated for the first year after stroke.
Gap Junctions between Cells Expressing Connexin 43 or 32 Show Inverse Permselectivity to Adenosine and ATP*

Gap junctions, composed of proteins from the connexin family, are the only channels that directly connect the cytoplasm of adjacent cells to allow for the intercellular transfer of small hydrophilic molecules. Gap junctional communication is essential for proper development and health in animals and humans. Whereas the study of biological molecules that pass through gap junctions is extremely important, the identification of endogenous transjunctional metabolites is challenging. To help address this problem, we have developed a layered culture system to identify and quantitate the transfer of endogenous molecules that pass between cells through gap junctions. Using these techniques, we have identified several endogenous molecules that showed differential transfer between channels composed of Cx32 versus Cx43. For example, adenosine passed about 12-fold better through channels formed by Cx32. In contrast, AMP and ADP passed about 8-fold better, and ATP greater than 300-fold better, through channels formed by Cx43. Thus, addition of phosphate to adenosine appears to shift its relative permeability from channels formed by Cx32 to channels formed by Cx43. This suggests functional consequence because the energy status of a cell could be controlled via connexin expression and channel formation.
[Restorative effect of quercetin on subcellular distribution of daunorubicin in multidrug resistant leukemia cell lines K562/ADM and HL-60/ADM].

BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVE Quercetin, a widely distributed natural flavonoid with a variety of biological functions, can reverse multidrug resistance (MDR) in leukemia according to recent researches. This study was to investigate the mechanism of quercetin restoring subcellular distribution of daunorubicin (DNR) in multidrug resistant leukemia cell lines, K562/ADM and HL-60/ADM, and reversing their MDR. METHODS MTT cell viability assay was used to verify the sensitization of DNR by quercetin in K562/ADM and HL-60/ADM cells,and determine the reverse concentration extent,confocal laser scanning microscope was used to observe the subcellular distribution of DNR in K562/ADM and HL-60/ADM cells,and relevant sensitive cell lines, K562/S and HL-60/S,before and after quercetin exposion. RESULTS Compared with K562/S and HL-60/S cells,20-40 micromol/L of quercetin in vitro remarkably enhanced the sensitivity of K562/ADM and HL-60/ADM cells to DNR, restore the subcellular distribution of DNR, so as to reverse MDR. CONCLUSION quercetin could be a candidate of effective multidrug resistance-reversing agent in leukemia chemotherapy.
From Isolation to Engagament: Exploring the Relationship between Faculty Collaboration and Professional Community

This thesis is based on a case study of faculty collaboration and community in a postsecondary education setting. Drawing on what educational theorists and practitioners have learned in their research on faculty collaboration, development, and professional community building, the study investigated specific aspects of collaborative processes that can help create strong professional educational communities. The study focused on 6 full-time faculty members at a postsecondary college in Ontario. As participant observer in this study, I worked in an environment that enabled me to interact both individually and collectively with faculty members through a program accreditation process, particularly in completing an accreditation self-study. Using transcripts and field notes from semi-structured interviews, observations, and my own reflections, I analyzed faculty interactions and perceptions of the self-study process. The thesis recounts the past history of the program as told by the faculty participants, outlines the nature of the program accreditation, and presents faculty
Estimates of Exclusive Breastfeeding Rates among Mother—Infant Dyads in Quetzaltenango, Guatemala, Vary According to Interview Method and Time Frame

Background The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends exclusive breastfeeding, defined as receiving only breastmilk, through the first 6 months of life to optimize survival, health, and development. Objective To assess exclusive and predominant breastfeeding rates, as defined by WHO, in a sample of Guatemalan infants using three dietary assessment methods. Methods Mothers of 156 infants (78 boys and 78 girls) in the 6th month of life, attending a public health center in Quetzaltenango, an urban area located in the Highlands of Guatemala, were recruited. A single face-to-face interview was performed to assess infant dietary intake using three methods: previous day dietary recall (as suggested by WHO), current feeding practices, and recall of feeding practices since birth. Results Based on the previous day dietary recall method, exclusive breastfeeding was reported by 87 (56%) of the mothers. Exclusive breastfeeding rates were much lower when estimated by current feeding practices questions (20%) and even lower when based on recall of feeding practices since birth (9%). The sum of exclusive and predominant breastfeeding (full breastfeeding) rates was 58%, 49%, and 31% based on previous day dietary recall, current feeding practices, and recall of feeding practices since birth, respectively. Conclusions The WHO method of dietary assessment, based solely on the previous day dietary recall, overestimates the exclusive breastfeeding rate compared with recall of feeding practices since birth. In our population sample, adherence to the WHO guidelines for feeding in the first semester of infancy was less than ideal and in need of strengthening.
Isolated X-Linked Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy Caused by a Novel Mutation of the Four-and-a-Half LIM Domain 1 Gene

Background—Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy with severe left ventricular diastolic dysfunction has been associated with marked exercise intolerance and poor prognosis. However, molecular pathogenesis of this phenotype remains unexplained in a large proportion of cases. Methods and Results—We performed whole exome sequencing as an initial genetic test in a large Czech family with 3 males affected by nonobstructive hypertrophic cardiomyopathy with severe left ventricular diastolic dysfunction in end-stage disease. A novel frameshift mutation of four-and-a-half LIM domain 1 gene (FHL1) (c.599_600insT; p.F200fs32X) was detected in these individuals. The mutation does not affect transcription, splicing, and stability of FHL1 mRNA and results in production of truncated FHL1 protein, which is contrary to heart tissue homogenate not detectable in frozen tissue sections of myocardial biopsy of affected males. The identified mutation cosegregated also with abnormal ECG and with 1 case of apical hypertrophic cardiomyopathy in heterozygous females. Although skeletal muscle involvement is a common finding in FHL1-related diseases, we could exclude myopathy in all mutation carriers. Conclusions—We identified a novel FHL1 mutation causing isolated hypertrophic cardiomyopathy with X-chromosomal inheritance.