Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
SLCO2B1 c.935G>A single nucleotide polymorphism has no effect on the pharmacokinetics of montelukast and aliskiren

Objective A nonsynonymous single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) in the SLCO2B1 gene encoding organic anion transporting polypeptide 2B1 (OATP2B1), c.935G>A (p.R312Q; rs12422149), has been associated with reduced plasma concentrations of montelukast in patients with asthma. Our aim was to examine the possible effects of the SLCO2B1 c.935G>A SNP on the single-dose pharmacokinetics of the suggested OATP2B1 substrates montelukast and aliskiren. Methods Sixteen healthy volunteers with the SLCO2B1 c.935GG genotype, 12 with the c.935GA genotype, and five with the c.935AA genotype ingested a single 10 mg dose of montelukast or a 150 mg dose of aliskiren, with a washout period of 1 week. Plasma montelukast concentrations were measured up to 24 h. Plasma and urine aliskiren concentrations were measured up to 72 and 12 h, respectively, and plasma renin activity up to 24 h after aliskiren intake. Results The SLCO2B1 genotypes had no significant effect on the pharmacokinetics of montelukast or aliskiren. The geometric mean ratios with 90% confidence intervals of montelukast area under the plasma concentration–time curve from 0 h to infinity (AUC0–∞) in participants with the c.935GA or the c.935AA genotype to those with the c.935GG genotype were 1.02 (0.87, 1.21) or 0.88 (0.71, 1.10), respectively (P=0.557). The geometric mean ratios (90% confidence interval) of aliskiren AUC0–∞ in participants with the c.935GA or the c.935AA genotype to those with the c.935GG genotype were 0.98 (0.74, 1.30) or 1.24 (0.85, 1.80), respectively (P=0.576). Conclusion These data do not support the suggested functional significance of the SLCO2B1 c.935G>A SNP on OATP2B1 activity in vivo.
Inflation and Asset Returns

The past half-century has seen major shifts in inflation expectations, how inflation comoves with the business cycle, and how stocks comove with Treasury bonds. Against this backdrop, we review the economic channels and empirical evidence on how inflation is priced in financial markets. Not all inflation episodes are created equal. Using a New Keynesian model, we show how “good” inflation can be linked to demand shocks and “bad” inflation to cost-push shocks driving the economy. We then discuss asset pricing implications of “good” and “bad” inflation. We conclude by providing an outlook for inflation risk premia in the world of newly rising inflation. Expected final online publication date for the Annual Review of Financial Economics, Volume 15 is November 2023. Please see http://www.annualreviews. org/page/journal/pubdates for revised estimates.
Socially Responsible Investments among Savings Banks and Credit Unions: Empirical Findings in the Spanish Context

This article examines the socially responsible offer of savings banks and credit unions in Spain. In particular, it has been analysed their perceived commitment with socially responsible investments, their product portfolio, their marketing strategy, and their reported forecasts of future growth. The findings lead us to conclude that a socially responsible market in Spain is at an introductory stage among credit unions, and at a growth stage among savings banks. The paper outlines managerial implications for marketing managers so as to reap the potential benefits derived from this approach to investment. Copyright 2007 The Authors Journal compilation © CIRIEC 2007.
Dietary antioxidants and risk of Barrett's esophagus and adenocarcinoma of the esophagus in an Australian population

While dietary antioxidants are emerging as potentially modifiable risk factors for esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC), studies on dietary antioxidants and its precursor Barrett's esophagus (BE) are limited. The present study extends previous work on BE by investigating risks of nondysplastic BE, dysplastic BE and EAC associated with intake of antioxidants such as vitamin C, vitamin E, β‐carotene, and selenium. Age and sex matched control subjects (n=577 for BE; n=1,507 for EAC) were sampled from an Australian population register. Information on demography, and well established EAC risk factors were obtained using self‐administered questionnaires. Intake of antioxidants for patients newly diagnosed with nondysplastic BE (n=266), dysplastic BE (n=101), or EAC (n=299), aged 18–79 years, were obtained using a food frequency questionnaire. Odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were estimated using multivariable adjusted logistic regression models. High intake of β‐carotene from food and supplement sources combined was inversely associated with risk of dysplastic BE (OR Q4 vs. Q1=0.45; 95%CI: 0.20–1.00). High intake of vitamin E from food sources (OR Q4 vs. Q1=0.43; 95%CI: 0.28–0.67), from food and supplements combined (OR Q4 vs. Q1=0.64; 95%CI: 0.43–0.96), and a high antioxidant index score were inversely associated with risk of EAC. We found no significant trends between intake of β–carotene, vitamin C, vitamin E, and selenium and risk of nondysplastic or dysplastic BE. However, our data suggest that a high intake of β‐carotene may be associated with decreased risk of dysplastic BE.
The effects of depth on the cardiac and behavioural responses of double-crested cormorants (Phalacrocorax auritus) during voluntary diving.

Heart rate and dive behaviour were monitored in double-crested cormorants (Phalacrocorax auritus) during shallow (1 m) and deep diving (12 m), after breathing different gas mixtures, to investigate the role of depth and the accompanying changes in blood gas levels in cardiac and behavioural control during voluntary diving. Pre-dive heart rate in both shallow- and deep-diving birds was approximately three times the resting heart rate (137.9+/-17.5 beats min(-1); mean +/- S.D. , N=5), falling abruptly upon submersion to around 200-250 beats min(-1). During shallow diving, the initial reduction in heart rate was followed by a secondary, more gradual decline, to around the resting level. In contrast, during deep diving, heart rate stabilised at 200-250 beats min(-1). In dives of similar duration, mean dive heart rate was significantly lower during shallow diving (163.2+/-14.0 beats min(-1)) than during deep diving (216.4+/-7.7 beats min(-1)), but in both cases was significantly above the resting value. The difference in cardiac response is probably due to an increase in arterial oxygen tension (Pa(O(2))) during the descent phase of deep dives (compression hyperoxia). Exposure to a hyperoxic gas mixture before shallow diving significantly increased mean dive heart rate, while exposure to a hypoxic gas mixture in both the shallow and deep dive tanks significantly reduced mean dive heart rate. In contrast, breathing hypercapnic gas before diving had no significant effect on dive heart rate. We suggest that the cardiac response to voluntary diving in double-crested cormorants is strongly influenced by changes in blood oxygen levels throughout the dive. Dive duration was unaffected by alterations in inspired gas composition, but surface interval duration decreased during hyperoxic gas exposure and increased during hypoxic gas exposure. The most efficient dive pattern (highest dive/pause ratio) was observed after hyperoxic exposure. Our study suggests that blood oxygen level is a powerful stimulus that facilitates the cardiac and behavioural adjustments during foraging that are important components of a strategy allowing double-crested cormorants to maximise the time spent under water and, hence, potential foraging time.
Signalling by underwriter retention rate in the IPO market

Underwriters in Taiwan have to purchase 10–25% of shares offered in initial public offerings (IPOs) for their own accounts. We present a signalling model showing that the underwriter retention rate can serve as a signal of firm value to investors because underwriters are investors as well. This mechanism can reduce information asymmetry between issuers and investors. The model shows that when underwriters retain more proportion of IPO shares, in equilibrium, the initial return is greater and the subscription success rate is lower. We further test the propositions using 616 IPO firms in Taiwan for the period 1998–2004. Overall, the empirical results support the propositions developed from the signalling model.
Entrepreneurial orientation and innovation performance: roles of strategic HRM and technical turbulence

This study advances research on the return from entrepreneurial orientation by examining how a firm's internal system (i.e. strategic human resource management) and the external environment (i.e. technical turbulence) within which a firm operates interact in the relationship between entrepreneurial orientation and product innovation performance. Using a matched sample of 151 chief executive officers and other top executives from Chinese manufacturing firms, this study finds that entrepreneurial orientation is positively related to product innovation performance and that this relationship is stronger among firms implementing strategic HRM practices to a greater extent. Furthermore, the three-way interaction test indicates that the interactive effect of entrepreneurial orientation and strategic HRM practices on product innovation performance is stronger for firms operating in a less turbulent environment.
Water infiltration and surface-soil structural properties as influenced by animal traffic in the Southern Piedmont USA

Abstract Surface-soil structural condition in perennial pastures is expected to be modified by how forage is (a) harvested through haying or grazing and (b) stimulated through source of nutrients applied, as well as by compactive forces, e.g., grazing cattle or hay harvest machinery. Changes in surface-soil condition can affect hydrologic processes that have important implications for plant growth, greenhouse gas emissions and off-site water quality. We determined the effects of harvest management and nutrient source on the rate of ponded water infiltration and penetration resistance in a bermudagrass [Cynodon dactylon (L.) Pers. ]/tall fescue (Lolium arundinaceum Schreb. S.J. Darbyshire) pasture on a Typic Kanhapludult in Georgia. During a period when soil was wet (61% water-filled pore space), the rate of water infiltration was 2.8 ± 1.5 times greater when forage was left unharvested as when hayed or grazed (mean ± standard deviation among nine nutrient source × harvest management comparisons). During a subsequent period, when soil was dry (28% water-filled pore space), the rate of water infiltration followed the same treatment pattern, but was not statistically different among harvest-management practices (1.5 ± 0.4 times greater between unharvested and other systems). Penetration resistance of the surface at 10 cm depth followed the order: unharvested (62 J) < hayed (100 J) < low grazing pressure (119 J) < high grazing pressure (137 J). Water infiltration during the wet period was negatively related (P ⩽ 0.01) to soil-water content (r = − 0.57), penetration resistance at 0–10 cm depth (r = − 0.50) and bulk density at 3–6 cm depth (r = − 0.53), but was positively related to surface residue C (r = 0.47) and soil organic C concentration at 12–20 cm depth (r = 0.42). These results suggest that complex soil physical (i.e., aggregation, penetration resistance and infiltration) and biological (i.e., plant growth, surface residues and soil organic matter) interactions occur in pastures. We conclude that well-managed grazing systems with excellent ground cover should have adequate hydrologic condition to promote pasture productivity and limit environmental contamination from runoff. Further work is needed to understand the linkages between field- and watershed-scale hydrology in perennial pastures and their implications on water quality.
Biogenesis of intronic miRNAs located in clusters by independent transcription and alternative splicing

In this study, the authors focus on the biogenesis of intronic miRNA clusters. They find the primary transcripts of miR 106/93/25 and miR 23b/27b/24-1 are transcribed independently from the host genes. Moreover, alternative splicing can give rise to transcripts that contain individual miRNAs from each cluster. This is important since it demonstrates the existence of yet another mechanism to regulate individual expression of miRNAs within clusters.
Subset selection circumvents the square root law

The square root law holds that acceptable embedding rate is sublinear in the cover size, specifically O(square root of n), in order to prevent detection as the warden's data and thus detector power increases. One way to transcend this law, at least in the i.i. d.case, is to restrict the cover to a chosen subset whose distribution is close to that of altered data. Embedding is then performed on this subset; this replaces the problem of finding a small enough subset to evade detection with the problem of finding a large enough subset that possesses a desired type distribution. We show that one can find such a subset of size asymptotically proportional to n rather than the square root of n. This works in the case of both replacement and tampering: Even if the distribution of tampered data depends on the distribution of cover data, one can find a fixed point in the probability simplex such that cover data of that distribution yields stego data of the same distribution. While the transmission of a subset is not allowed, this is no impediment: wet paper codes can be used, else in the worst case a maximal desirable subset can be computed from the cover by both sender and receiver without communication of side information.
Entity finding in a document collection using adaptive window sizes

Traditional search engines work by returning a list of documents in response to queries. However, such engines are often inadequate when the information need of the user involves entities. This issue has led to the development of entity-search, which unlike normal web search does not aim at returning documents but names of people, products, organisations, etc. Some of the most successful methods for identifying relevant entities were built around the idea of a proximity search. In this thesis, we present an adaptive, well-founded, general-purpose entity finding model. In contrast to the work of other researchers, where the size of the targeted part of the document (i.e., the window size) is fixed across the collection, our method uses a number of document features to calculate an adaptive window size for each document in the collection. We construct a new entity finding test collection called the ESSEX test collection for use in evaluating our method. This collection represents a university setting as the data was collected from the publicly accessible webpages of the University of Essex. We test our method on five different datasets including the W3C Dataset, CERC Dataset, UvT/TU Datasets, ESSEX dataset and the ClueWeb09 entity finding collection. Our method provides a considerable improvement over various baseline models on all of these datasets. We also find that the document features considered for the calculation of the window size have differing impacts on the performance of the search. These impacts depend on the structure of the documents and the document language. As users may have a variety of search requirements, we show that our method is adaptable to different applications, environments, types of named entities and document collections.
Granger causal relations among Greater China stock markets: a nonlinear perspective

This article uses linear and nonlinear Granger causality tests to study Granger causal relations among the stock markets of Greater China. In sharp contrast to the results disclosed by its linear counterpart, a nonlinear causality test provides evidence of isolated bi-directional causal relations between two Chinese stock markets and between the HKSE and the TWSE in the earlier period of 1992 to 1999. The nonlinear causality test further shows that, in the later period of 2000 to 2008, Granger causal relations have been strengthened and that Chinese stock markets are well connected with their neighbour markets, the HKSE and the TWSE, and they are playing a most influential role among the stock markets of Greater China.
Effects of sex and of gene variants in constitutive nitric oxide synthases on exhaled nitric oxide.

Genetic factors may contribute to the variability of exhaled nitric oxide in healthy individuals. We studied exhaled nitric oxide and genetic variants in both neuronal and endothelial nitric oxide synthases in 105 healthy nonsmoking and smoking subjects. Genomic DNA was screened for a repeat polymorphism in intron 20 of the neuronal nitric oxide synthase gene and for the 894G/T mutation of the endothelial nitric oxide synthase gene. Exhaled nitric oxide was significantly higher in males than females among both nonsmokers (p < 0.0001) and smokers (p = 0.003). No association was found between exhaled nitric oxide and the endothelial nitric oxide synthase gene variant. However, healthy nonsmoking females with greater numbers of repeats (i.e., both alleles with 12 or more repeats) in neuronal nitric oxide synthase had significantly lower nitric oxide levels than did females with fewer numbers of repeats (i.e., at least one allele with fewer than 12 repeats) (13.6 +/- 1.6 versus 19.4 +/- 1.6 ppb, p = 0.02). No association was found between exhaled nitric oxide and neuronal nitric oxide synthase genotype in males. These data suggest that variants in the neuronal nitric oxide synthase gene contribute to the variability of airway nitric oxide concentrations in healthy females.
Trade and Poverty in Latin America

Understanding the complex relations between trade integration and poverty reduction is now a priority for Latin American policymakers. The chapters of this book, penned by eminent authors with a long-standing record in the field, represent the current state of knowledge about trade and poverty and offer contrasting points of view about whether freer trade can reduce poverty in Latin America. One of the main lessons extracted from the book is that preexisting policies and socioeconomic conditions play a key role in determining how trade integration affects poverty. Because transmission channels are complex and highly contextualized, policymakers are urged to adopt complementary policies tailored to their countries' circumstances in order to ensure an equitable distribution of the gains from trade.
Lithium-titanate-nanotube-supported WO3 for enhancing transmittance contrast in electrochromics

Lithium titanate nanotubes (Li-TNTs) have been successfully synthesized. The inner and outer diameters of the nanotubes are 5 nm and 8 nm with an interlayer spacing of 0.83 nm. The nanotubes were in accordance with the Li1.81H0. 19Ti2O5 · xH2O phase. The chemical component was Li0.9H1. 1Ti2O5 · H2O as determined by ICP-AES. The Li-TNT-supported WO3 nanoparticle (WO3/Li-TNTs) thin film was prepared onto ITO glass via spin-coating and then fabricated with an electrochromic device. The Li ion diffusion coefficient in the WO3/Li-TNT film was 6.1 × 10−10 cm2 s−1, which is eight times higher than that for the pure WO3 film. The transmittance contrast of the pure WO3-based ECD was 53.3% at 600 nm. However, this increased to 74.1% for the WO3/Li-TNT-based ECD. Meanwhile, the color-switching times of the WO3/Li-TNT-based ECD were apparently shorter than the ones for the WO3-based ECD.
When Going in Circles is Going Backward: Outcome Uncertainty in NASCAR

Using data from the 2007, 2008, and 2009 National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR) seasons, this article shows that the uncertainty of outcome hypothesis pertains to both race attendance and television audience, with the former only responding to season-level uncertainty and the latter responding to both race-level and season-level uncertainties. Counter to conventional wisdom, the price of gasoline and unemployment were unrelated to the reported level of attendance. Furthermore, NASCAR broadcasts lose audience when competing against other high-interest sporting events and declines in both television ratings and audience size during the NASCAR season were not unique to 2009. Overall, the empirical evidence suggests that declining competitive balance might have been the common factor that reduced both television audiences and race attendance during this period.
Pretransplant hepatitis C virus infection: a predictor of proteinuria after renal transplantation.

BACKGROUND Reports have suggested that hepatitis C virus (HCV)-infected kidney recipients may develop de novo glomerular lesions caused by the virus. We studied the relationships between pretransplantation anti-HCV antibodies and the occurrence of proteinuria and the link with short- and long-term patient and graft survival. METHODS A total of 322 consecutive renal recipients treated at a single center from 1989 to 1994 whose sera were routinely assayed for anti-HCV antibodies at the time of transplantation were analyzed. The risks of persistent proteinuria (>1 g/day), graft loss, or death were estimated by Kaplan-Meier analysis. The relationship between clinical variables and each outcome was examined by Cox multivariate regression analysis. RESULTS Before transplantation, 9.6% of the recipients were anti-HCV antibody positive. Persistent proteinuria developed in 13.6% recipients. The presence of anti-HCV antibodies was strongly associated with proteinuria (relative risk [RR]=5.36, 95% confidence interval [CI]=2.49-11.51). Proteinuria occurred more frequently in second grafts (RR=2.64, 95% CI=1.10-6.29). The number of HLA-A,B mismatches was an independent risk factor (RR=1.55, 95% CI=1.10-2.19). Recipient age (RR=0.80, 95% CI=0.63-1.02) and duration of dialysis (RR=0.86, 95% CI=0.77-0.96) were protective factors. Histology of biopsies from 26/44 recipients with proteinuria showed that de novo glomerular lesions were more frequent in HCV-positive patients, although the difference was not significant. One- and five-year graft survival rates were significantly worse in patients with proteinuria (90.7% and 41.1%) than in patients without it (95.6% and 91.8%) (P<0.00001). Despite the strong association between HCV infection and proteinuria, patient and graft survival rates in anti-HCV-positive and anti-HCV-negative recipients were similar. CONCLUSIONS The presence of anti-HCV antibodies before renal transplantation seems to be a major risk factor of proteinuria after transplantation. This may be due to glomerular lesions caused by HCV. However, anti-HCV has no impact on 5-year patient and graft survival.
Identification of Nonlinear Dynamic System Using a Novel Recurrent Wavelet Neural Network Based on the Pipelined Architecture

This paper presents a novel modular recurrent neural network based on the pipelined architecture (PRWNN) to reduce the computational complexity and improve the performance of the recurrent wavelet neural network (RWNN). The PRWNN inherits the modular architectures of the pipelined recurrent neural network proposed by Haykin and Li and is made up of a number of RWNN modules that are interconnected in a chained form. Since those modules of the PRWNN can be simultaneously performed in a pipelined parallelism fashion, this would lead to a crucial improvement of computational efficiency. Furthermore, owing to the cascade interconnection of dynamic modules, the performance of the PRWNN can be further enhanced. An adaptive gradient algorithm based on the real-time recurrent learning is derived to suit for the modular PRWNN. Simulation examples are given to evaluate the effectiveness of the PRWNN model on the identification of nonlinear dynamic systems and analysis of sunspot number time series. According to simulation results, it is clearly shown that the PRWNN provides impressive better performance in comparison with the single RWNN model.