Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Interleukin 13 is a B cell stimulating factor

The recently cloned human interleukin 13 (IL-13) is a novel cytokine expressed in activated T cells that has been shown to inhibit inflammatory cytokine production by lipopolysaccharide-activated monocytes. The protein encoded by the IL-13 cDNA is the human homologue of a mouse Th2-product called P600. Here, we show that IL-13 acts at different stages of the B cell maturation pathway: (a) it enhances the expression of CD23/Fc epsilon RII and class II MHC antigens on resting B cells; (b) it stimulates B cell proliferation in combination with anti-Ig and anti-CD40 antibodies; and (c) it induces IgE synthesis. Thus, the spectrum of the biological activities of IL-13 on B cells largely overlaps that previously ascribed to IL-4. The present observations suggest that IL-13 may be an important factor, in addition to IL-4, in the development of allergic diseases.
Knots with distinct primitive/primitive and primitive/Seifert representatives

Berge introduced knots that are primitive/primitive with respect to the genus 2 Heegaard surface, F , in S; surgery on such knots at the surface slope yields a lens space. Later Dean described a similar class of knots that are primitive/Seifert with respect to F ; surgery on these knots at the surface slope yields a Seifert fibered space. Here we construct a two-parameter family of knots that have distinct primitive/Seifert embeddings in F with the same surface slope, as well as a family of torus knots that have a primitive/primitive representative and a primitive/Seifert representative with the same surface slope.
Oscillations of Heart Rate and Respiration Synchronize During Affective Visual Stimulation

The objective of this study is to investigate the synchronization between breathing patterns and heart rate during emotional visual elicitation, that is, using sets of images gathered from the international affective picture system having five levels of arousal and five levels of valence, including a neutral reference level. Thirty-five healthy volunteers were emotionally elicited in agreement with a bidimensional spatial localization of affective states, i.e., arousal/valence plane, while two peripheral physiological signals, ECG and Respiration activity, were acquired simultaneously. The synchronization was then quantified by applying the concept of phase synchronization of chaotic oscillators, i.e., the cardio-respiratory synchrogram. This technique allowed us to estimate the synchronization ratio m:n as the attendance of n heartbeats in each m respiratory cycle, even for noisy and nonstationary data. We found a stronger evidence of cardiorespiratory synchronization during arousal than during neutral states.
Alternative Forms of Economic Regulation and their Efficiency Implications for Airports

This paper investigates the effects of different forms of price regulation on airport efficiency. Our investigation takes into account the interaction between concession profits and price regulations. Our results show that while ROR regulation may lead to over-investment in capacity, price-cap regulation is prone to under-investment. The extent of the under-investment is found to be less under the dual-till price cap than under the single-till price cap. Our empirical investigation of capital input productivity and total factor productivity confirm the analytical findings. In particular, the total factor productivity is greater under the dual-till price cap than under either the single-till price cap or single-till ROR. Our analysis appears to support the argument made by several economists that dual-till regulation would be better than the single-till regulation in terms of economic efficiency, especially for large and busy airports. © The London School of Economics and the University of Bath 2004
Effect of statin use on clinical outcomes in ischemic stroke patients with atrial fibrillation

Abstract It remains unclear whether statin therapy should be applied to ischemic stroke patients with atrial fibrillation. The objective of this study was to clarify whether statin therapy can influence the prognosis in recent ischemic stroke patients with atrial fibrillation. We identified ischemic stroke patients with atrial fibrillation between 2001 and 2011 from Taiwan National Health Insurance Database. Patients not treated with statins during the first 90 days after the index stroke were matched to patients treated with statins in the first 90 days in a 2:1 ratio on the basis of age, sex, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, ischemic heart disease, heart failure, estimated National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale, use of anticoagulant, and year of their entry into the cohort. The primary outcome was the first event of recurrent stroke, and the secondary outcome was in-hospital death. A total of 1546 atrial fibrillation patients with statin therapy in the first 90 days poststroke and 3092 matched atrial fibrillation nonstatin controls were enrolled for this analysis. During the median 2.4-year follow-up, the risk of recurrent stroke was not different between subjects receiving versus not receiving statin therapy (hazard ratios = 1.01, 95% confidence interval 0.88 to 1.15). However, patients with atrial fibrillation receiving statin therapy had a reduced risk for death during any hospitalization throughout the long-term follow-up period (hazard ratios = 0.74, 95% confidence interval 0.61 to 0.89). Among ischemic stroke patients with atrial fibrillation, statin therapy initiated during the acute to subacute poststroke stage did not alter the rate of stroke recurrence but was associated with a decreased rate of in-hospital death.
Pattern Formation, Spatial Externalities and Regulation in Coupled Economic-Ecological Systems

We develop a novel theoretical framework for studying ecosystems in which interacting state variables which are affected by management decisions diffuse in space. We identify (i) mechanisms creating spatial patterns when economic agents maximize profit at each site by ignoring the impact of their actions on other sites and (ii) a diffusion induced externality. Pattern formation mechanisms and externalities create a divergence in the spatiotemporal structures emerging under private or social objectives We develop optimal regulation which internalize the spatiotemporal externalities. Our theory is applied to the management and regulation of a semi-arid system. Supporting numerical simulations are also presented.
Risk Horizon and Expected Market Returns

This paper tackles the issue of expected market return inside an equilibrium risk-return framework that accounts of the incomplete information on returns distribution and investors' preferences. Only moments up to order four of unknown unconditional distribution can be observed, and the model does not impose that moments preference should hold. Using Chebyshev-type inequalities, an intuitive risk measure, risk horizon, is introduced with reference to the speed of convergence of an asset's mean return to its expectations. An arbitrage argument enables us to link this risk measure to the maturity of treasury securities and to calibrate the model parameters using US market data. The expected market return can be endogenously estimated inside this system. Tests of statistical and economic predictive ability for US stock excess returns provide significant evidence on the forecasting value of the estimates.
Effect of Folic Acid Supplementation on Cardiovascular Outcomes: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Background Folic acid is widely used to lower homocysteine concentrations and prevent adverse cardiovascular outcomes. However, the effect of folic acid on cardiovascular events is not clear at the present time. We carried out a comprehensive systematic review and meta-analysis to assess the effects of folic acid supplementation on cardiovascular outcomes. Methodology and Principal Findings We systematically searched Medline, EmBase, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, reference lists of articles, and proceedings of major meetings for relevant literature. We included randomized placebo-controlled trials that reported on the effects of folic acid on cardiovascular events compared to placebo. Of 1594 identified studies, we included 16 trials reporting data on 44841 patients. These studies reported 8238 major cardiovascular events, 2001 strokes, 2917 myocardial infarctions, and 6314 deaths. Folic acid supplementation as compared to placebo had no effect on major cardiovascular events (RR, 0.98; 95% CI, 0.93–1.04), stroke (RR, 0.89; 95% CI,0.78–1.01), myocardial infarction (RR, 1.00; 95% CI, 0.93–1.07), or deaths from any cause (RR, 1.00;95% CI, 0.96–1.05). Moreover, folic acid as compared to placebo also had no effect on the following secondary outcomes: risk of revascularization (RR, 1.05; 95%CI, 0.95–1.16), acute coronary syndrome (RR, 1.06; 95%CI, 0.97–1.15), cancer (RR, 1.08; 95%CI, 0.98–1.21), vascular death (RR, 0.94; 95%CI,0.88–1.02), or non-vascular death (RR, 1.06; 95%CI, 0.97–1.15). Conclusion/Significance Folic acid supplementation does not effect on the incidence of major cardiovascular events, stroke, myocardial infarction or all cause mortality.
Prenatal Exposure to Cadmium, Placental Permeability and Birth Outcomes in Coastal Populations of South Africa

Background The impact of prenatal exposure to cadmium (Cd) on birth outcomes is an area of concern. This study aimed to assess an impact of prenatal Cd exposure on birth outcomes in distinct coastal populations of South Africa. Methods Cadmium was measured in maternal blood (CdB) (n = 641), cord blood and in maternal urine (n = 317). This investigation assessed the associations between CdB (non-transformed) and birth outcomes across the 25th, 50th, and 75th percentile for birth weight, birth length and head circumference, to test for a linear trend. Associations between natural log-transformed maternal CdB, size at birth and other factors were further evaluated using linear mixed-effects modelling with random intercepts. Results The average gestational age in the total sample was 38 weeks; 47% of neonates were female, average birth weight was 3065 g and 11% were of low birth weight (< 2500 g). The geometric mean (GM) of the maternal CdB level was 0.25 μg/L (n = 641; 95% CI, 0.23–0.27). The cord blood Cd level was 0.27 μg/L (n = 317; 95% CI, 0.26–0.29) and urine (creatinine-corrected) Cd level was 0.27 μg/L (n = 318; 95% CI, 0.24–0.29). The CdB cord:maternal ratio in the sub-cohort was 1, suggesting that the placenta offers no protective mechanism to the foetus. An inverse association was found between CdB and the lower birth weight percentile in female neonates only (β = - 0.13, p = 0.047). Mothers who reported eating vine vegetables daily had lower levels of CdB (β = - 0.55, p = 0.025). Maternal smoking was associated with an elevation in natural log-transformed CdB levels in both male and female cohorts. Discussion Significant inverse associations between prenatal Cd exposure and birth anthropometry were found in female neonates but not in male neonates, suggesting potential sex differences in the toxico-kinetics and toxico-dynamics of Cd.
Prevalence of conventional risk factors and lipid profiles in patients with acute coronary syndrome and significant coronary disease

Background Among patients with coronary artery disease (CAD), 80%–90% present at least one conventional risk factor. On the other hand, lipid profile modification after a cardiovascular event related to acute coronary syndrome (ACS) has been recognized. The prevalence of conventional risk factors and the lipid profile at the time of admission in patients with ACS and significant CAD (stenosis ≥50%) determined through coronary angiography is not well described. Methods We studied 3,447 patients with a diagnosis of ACS and significant CAD with stenosis ≥50%, as shown o n angiography. We recorded the presence of conventional risk factors, including smoking, hypertension, dyslipidemia, and diabetes. In addition, we analyzed the lipid profiles within the first 24 hours of admission. We analyzed the studied population and compared findings according to sex. Results Most patients (81.7%) were male. ST-elevation myocardial infarction was present in 51.3% of patients, and non-ST-elevation acute coronary syndrome was present in 48.7%. The most frequent risk factor was smoking, which was present in 68% of patients, followed by hypertension (57.8%), dyslipidemia (47.5%), and diabetes (37.7%). In women, the most frequent risk factors were hypertension, diabetes, and dyslipidemia, whereas in men, smoking was the most frequent. We identified at least one risk factor in 95.7% of all patients, two or three risk factors in 62%, and four risk factors in 8.6% of patients. The lipid profile analysis revealed that 85.1% of patients had some type of dyslipidemia, and the most frequent was low levels of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (68.6% of cases). Conclusion We found at least one conventional risk factor in 95.7% of patients with ACS and significant CAD. The lipid profile analysis revealed that two thirds of cases had low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels.
The RNA-Binding Protein Hfq of Listeria monocytogenes: Role in Stress Tolerance and Virulence

ABSTRACT In gram-negative bacteria, the RNA-binding protein Hfq has emerged as an important regulatory factor in a variety of physiological processes, including stress resistance and virulence. In Escherichia coli, Hfq modulates the stability or the translation of mRNAs and interacts with numerous small regulatory RNAs. Here, we studied the role of Hfq in the stress tolerance and virulence of the gram-positive food-borne human pathogen Listeria monocytogenes. We present evidence that Hfq is involved in the ability of L. monocytogenes to tolerate osmotic and ethanol stress and contributes to long-term survival under amino acid-limiting conditions. However, Hfq is not required for resistance to acid and oxidative stress. Transcription of hfq is induced under various stress conditions, including osmotic and ethanol stress and at the entry into the stationary growth phase, thus supporting the view that Hfq is important for the growth and survival of L. monocytogenes in harsh environments. The stress-inducible transcription of hfq depends on the alternative sigma factor σB, which controls the expression of numerous stress- and virulence-associated genes in L. monocytogenes. Infection studies showed that Hfq contributes to pathogenesis in mice, yet plays no role in the infection of cultured cell lines. This study provides, for the first time, information on the role of Hfq in the stress tolerance and virulence of a gram-positive pathogen.
Structural Characterization of a 140° Domain Movement in the Two-Step Reaction Catalyzed by 4-Chlorobenzoate:CoA Ligase #

Members of the adenylate-forming family of enzymes play a role in the metabolism of halogenated aromatics and of short, medium, and long chain fatty acids, as well as in the biosynthesis of menaquinone, peptide antibiotics, and peptide siderophores. This family includes a subfamily of acyl- and aryl-CoA ligases that catalyze thioester synthesis through two half-reactions. A carboxylate substrate first reacts with ATP to form an acyl-adenylate. Subsequent to the release of the product PP i , the enzyme binds CoA, which attacks the activated acyl group to displace AMP. Structural and functional studies on different family members suggest that these enzymes alternate between two conformations during catalysis of the two half-reactions. Specifically, after the initial adenylation step, the C-terminal domain rotates by ~140° to adopt a second conformation for thioester formation. Previously, we determined the structure of 4-chlorobenzoate:CoA ligase (CBL) in the adenylate forming conformation bound to 4-chlorobenzoate. We have determined two new crystal structures. We have determined the structure of CBL in the original adenylate-forming conformation, bound to the adenylate intermediate. Additionally, we have used a novel product analog, 4-chlorophenacyl-CoA, to trap the enzyme in the thioester-forming conformation and determined this structure in a new crystal form. This work identifies a novel binding pocket for the CoA nucleotide. The structures presented herein provide the foundation for biochemical analyses presented in the accompanying manuscript (Wu et al.). The complete characterization of this enzyme allows us to provide an explanation for the use of the domain alternation strategy by these enzymes. thus consistent in the two crystal forms.
Use of Glycated Hemoglobin in the Diagnosis of Diabetes Mellitus and Pre-diabetes and Role of Fasting Plasma Glucose, Oral Glucose Tolerance Test

Background: A highly standardized screening test for newly diagnosis diabetes and pre-diabetes is necessary. the study goal was to clarify the power and efficacy of glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) in the diagnosis of diabetes and pre-diabetes by comparing against the other American Diabetes Association (ADA) diagnostic criteria of fasting plasma glucose (FPG) and oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT). Methods: This is a retrospective study. A total of 27,001 individuals attended to the internal medicine outpatient clinic between 2006 and 2010 years were screened. All diabetic patients and those using drugs associated with the development of diabetes were excluded. The results of FPG, OGTT and HbA1c for 1814 individual were analyzed and all grouped as diabetic patients, glucose intolerant (pre-diabetes) patients and non-diabetic patients according to new ADA criteria for the diagnosis of diabetes. Results: The prevalence of newly diagnosed diabetes was 69.6% and 54% by using HbA1c alone, 64.2% and 28.2% with 2-h OGTT alone and 43.2% and 60.3%, respectively with FPG alone. Differences between FPG versus 2-h OGTT, FPG versus A1c and OGTT versus A1c were statistically significant (P < 0.0001, P < 0.0001 and P = 0.02, respectively). Diagnostic sensitivity of all diabetic criteria was 69.6% for A1c; Nearly, 64.2% for OGTT and only 43.1% for FPG respectively. In terms of diagnostic ratio of glucose intolerance; difference between HbA1C and OGTT was statistically significant (P < 0.0001). Conclusions: As a screening tool for newly diagnosed diabetes and pre-diabetes, the HbA1C level performed better than FPG and 2-h OGTT in this general Saudi population. High diagnostic power of A1C may contribute to the decrease in the number of undiagnosed patients.
Effects of Moments on Aggregation and Long Memory in Inflation

There are two crucial conditions for cross-sectional aggregation of AR(1) parameters to produce long memory: 1) heterogeneity and 2) proximity to the unit root. We analyze role of moments, namely the mean and variance, of the distribution of the AR(1) coefficients in generating long memory. The positive relation between these moments and the order of integration suggests that the degree of fractional integration should decrease with a lower mean or variance. We investigate this result by first modeling long memory in inflation as a result of the aggregation of individual inflation expectations and then showing how the adoption of inflation targeting decreases the memory length in seven countries due to its moderating effect on individual inflation expectatio
Hyperglycemia Induced by Glucokinase Deficiency Accelerates Atherosclerosis Development and Impairs Lesion Regression in Combined Heterozygous Glucokinase and the Apolipoprotein E-Knockout Mice

Aim. Models combining diabetes and atherosclerosis are important in evaluating the cardiovascular (CV) effects and safety of antidiabetes drugs in the development of treatments targeting CV complications. Our aim was to evaluate if crossing the heterozygous glucokinase knockout mouse (GK+/−) and hyperlipidemic mouse deficient in apolipoprotein E (ApoE−/−) will generate a disease model exhibiting a diabetic and macrovascular phenotype. Methods. The effects of defective glucokinase on the glucose metabolism and on the progression and regression of atherosclerosis on high-fat diets were studied in both genders of GK+/−ApoE−/− and ApoE−/− mice. Coronary vascular function of the female GK+/−ApoE−/− and ApoE−/− mice was also investigated. Results. GK+/−ApoE−/− mice show a stable hyperglycemia which was increased on Western diet. In oral glucose tolerance test, GK+/−ApoE−/− mice showed significant glucose intolerance and impaired glucose-stimulated insulin secretion. Plasma lipids were comparable with ApoE−/− mice; nevertheless the GK+/−ApoE−/− mice showed slightly increased atherosclerosis development. Conclusions. The GK+/−ApoE−/− mice showed a stable and reproducible hyperglycemia, accelerated atherosclerotic lesion progression, and no lesion regression after lipid lowering. This novel model provides a promising tool for drug discovery, enabling the evaluation of compound effects against both diabetic and cardiovascular endpoints simultaneously in one animal model.
Recent Advances in the (Molecular) Phylogeny of Vertebrates

▪ Abstract The analysis of molecular phylogenetic data has advanced the knowledge of the relationships among the major groups of living vertebrates. Whereas the molecular hypotheses generally agree with traditional morphology-based systematics, they sometimes contradict them. We review the major controversies in vertebrate phylogenetics and the contribution of molecular phylogenetic data to their resolution: (a) the mono-paraphyly of cyclostomes, (b) the relationships among the major groups of ray-finned fish, (c) the identity of the living sistergroup of tetrapods, (d) the relationships among the living orders of amphibians, (e) the phylogeny of amniotes with particular emphasis on the position of turtles as diapsids, (f) ordinal relationships among birds, and (g) the radiation of mammals with specific attention to the phylogenetic relationships among the monotremes, marsupial, and placental mammals. We present a discussion of limitations of currently used molecular markers and phylogenetic methods as we.
New Roles for Marriage in Urban Africa: Kinship Networks and the Labor Market in Kenya

This paper explores new roles that traditionally rural kinship networks organized around the marriage institution might play in improving labor market outcomes in urban Africa. Using new data from Kisumu, Kenya, and controlling for selection into marriage, we find that marriage significantly increases employment levels and incomes in our sample of migrants. At the same time, marriage increases the remittances that migrants send to the extended family, consistent with the view that the benefits of the network come with additional social obligations. These obligations appear to be borne disproportionately by high-ability individuals, who consequently defer marriage. The negative selection into marriage that we uncover has consequences for the future viability of the urban networks, with implications for long-term growth and distribution in this economy.