Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Assembly-defective point mutants of the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 Gag precursor phenotypically expressed in recombinant baculovirus-infected cells

Two substitution mutants of the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 gag gene product were isolated after nitrous acid mutagenesis of a recombinant baculovirus expressing a non-N-myristylated, p6-deleted Gag precursor (Pr49). Both mutants failed to assemble intracellular Gag virus-like particles, as does the parental recombinant, and therefore expressed a self-assembly defective (Sad) phenotype in insect cells. The mutations consisted of nonconservative changes involving highly conserved hydrophobic residues in the p24 domain, Leu to Pro at position 268 (L268P) and Leu to Ser at amino acid 322 (L322S). Experimental data suggested that the two mutated residues belonged to functionally different regions of the Gag precursor. (i) A partial complementation effect between the two mutants for Gag precursor assembly was observed in coinfection experiments. (ii) The two mutations showed different phenotypes when placed in the N-myristylated context, of which only the L268P mutation abolished extracellular budding and release of Gag particles at the plasma membrane. Both L268P and L322S mutants had a trans-dominant negative effect on the intracellular assembly of a non-N-myristylated, full-length (Pr55) Gag precursor expressed by a coinfecting recombinant. None of the mutants, however, showed any detectable effect in trans on membrane targeting and budding of the coexpressed N-myristylated wild-type Gag precursor.
Gatekeepers' Perceptions of Thai Geographical Indication Products in Europe

This study is aimed at exploring perceptions of European gatekeepers toward renowned Thai fruit and coffee products protected by geographical indication (GI) and factors influencing purchasing decision of gatekeepers toward imported food products. Sixteen qualitative interviews with distribution channel gatekeepers were administered in Austria, Italy, and Switzerland in 2010. Content analysis and concept mapping were used to analyze data. Results show that Thai GI products might be interesting for European gatekeepers, but the GI attribute alone might not be sufficient to ensure that the product is successful. Support of consistent information and promotion campaigns and fulfillment of other gatekeepers' requirements of both products and suppliers are necessary.
METHICILLIN-RESISTANT STAPHYLOCOCCUS AUREUS EPIDURAL ABSCESS AFTER TRANSFORAMINAL EPIDURAL STEROID INJECTION Pain Physician

From Cleveland Veterans Administration Medical Center, Cleveland, Ohio, University Hospitals of Cleveland, Cleveland, Ohio, and University Anesthesiologists Inc, Cleveland, Ohio. Address Correspondence: Abdallah Kabbara, MD, Cleveland Veterans Administration Medical Center, Cleveland, Ohio 44106 E-mail:draikabbara@yahoo.com Support:There was no external funding in preparation of this manuscript Conflict of Interest: None Transforaminal epidural steroid injections are provided frequently for patients with lumbar radiculopathy, having demonstrated efficacy and safety. We present a patient who developed methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus epidural abscess 11 days after a transforaminal epidural steroid injection. The abscess required surgical intervention and intravenous vancomycin. Fortunately, the patient made a full recovery, and continues to do well one year later. The incidence, etiology and treatment of epidural injection-related infections are reviewed.
Phylogenomic Analysis of BAC-end Sequence Libraries in Oryza (Poaceae)

Abstract Analyses of genome scale data sets are beginning to clarify the phylogenetic relationships of species with complex evolutionary histories. Broad sampling across many genes allows for both large concatenated data sets to improve genome-scale phylogenetic resolution and also for independent analysis of gene trees and detection of phylogenetic incongruence. Recent sequencing projects in Oryza sativa and its wild relatives have positioned rice as a model system for such “phylogenomic” studies. We describe the assembly of a phylogenomic data set from 800,000 bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC) end sequences, producing an alignment of 2.4 million nucleotides for 10 diploid species of Oryza. A supermatrix approach confirms the broad outline of previous phylogenetic studies, although the nonphylogenetic signal and high levels of missing data must be handled carefully. Phylogenetic analysis of 12 chromosomes and nearly 2,000 genes finds strikingly high levels of incongruence across different genomic scales, a result that is likely to apply to other low-level phylogenies in plants. We conclude that there is great potential for phylogenetic inference using data from next-generation sequencing protocols but that attention to methodological issues arising inevitably in these data sets is critical.
Centripetal and Centrifugal Incentives under Different Electoral Systems

Inaseminalarticle,Cox(1990)suggestedthatelectoralsystemswithlargerdistrictmagnitudesprovideincentivesforparties to advocate more extreme policy positions. In this article, we put this proposition to the test. Informed by recent advances in spatial models of party competition, we introduce a design that embeds the effect of electoral rules in the utility function of voters. We then estimate the equilibrium location of parties as the weight voters attach to the expected distribution of seats and votes changes. Our model predicts that electoral rules affect large and small parties in different ways. We find centripetal effects only for parties that are favorably biased by electoral rules. By contrast, smaller parties see their vote share decline and are pushed toward more extreme equilibrium positions. Evidence from 13 parliamentary democracies supports model predictions. Along with testing the incentives provided by electoral rules, results carry implications for the strategies of vote-maximizing parties and for the role of small parties in multiparty competition.
Cohort Differences in Psychosocial Function over 20 Years: Current Older Adults Feel Less Lonely and Less Dependent on External Circumstances

Background: Lifespan psychological and life course sociological perspectives indicate that individual development is shaped by social and historical circumstances. Increases in fluid cognitive performance over the last century are well documented and researchers have begun examining historical trends in personality and subjective well-being in old age. Relatively less is known about secular changes in other key components of psychosocial function among older adults. Objective: In the present study, we examined cohort differences in key components of psychosocial function, including subjective age, control beliefs, and perceived social integration, as indicated by loneliness and availability of very close others. Methods: We compared data obtained 20 years apart in the Berlin Aging Study (in 1990-1993) and the Berlin Aging Study II (in 2013-2014) and identified case-matched cohort groups based on age, gender, cohort-normed education, and marital or partner status (n = 153 in each cohort, mean age = 75 years). In follow-up analyses, we controlled for having lived in former East versus West Germany, physical diseases, cohort-normed household income, cognitive performance, and the presence of a religious affiliation. Results: Consistently across analyses, we found that, relative to the earlier-born BASE cohort (year of birth: mean = 1916; SD = 3.38 years; range = 1901-1922), participants in the BASE-II sample (year of birth: mean = 1939; SD = 3.22 years; range = 1925-1949) reported lower levels of external control beliefs (d = -1.01) and loneliness (d = -0.63). Cohorts did not differ in subjective age, availability of very close others, and internal control beliefs. Conclusion: Taken together, our findings suggest that some aspects of psychosocial function of older adults have improved across the two recent decades. We discuss the possible role of sociocultural factors that might have led to the observed set of cohort differences.
Does the conventional benchmark prop up non-performing loans in Islamic banks? A case study of Malaysia with ARDL Approach

Non-performing loan rate is one of the most significant issues for the banks to survive. The key motivation of this study is the profound statement that “Islamic banks are free from interest rates” and it is indeed to check the validity of this statement in the area of Non-performing loan rate. The principal objective of this study is to examine the short and long run impact of interest rate (KLIBOR) on Islamic bank’s Nonperforming loan rate. The methodology applied is ‘Auto – Regressive Distributive Lag’ model which has taken care of a major limitation of the conventional cointegrating tests in that they suffer from pre-test biases. Based on the above rigorous methodology, we try to measure both long- and short-run relationships between the interest Rate (KLIBOR) and the non-performing loan by using other controlling variables (loan growth rate unemployment rate, & industrial production index). This study may be considered significantly different from previous studies since to the best of our knowledge, there is no literature available that directly examines the impact of KLIBOR on non-performing loans in Islamic banks. From the detailed theoretical and literature study it is found that most of the theories related to Nonperforming loan rate connected with interest rate are not applicable to Islamic banking. The empirical findings show that the interest rate (KLIBOR) makes impact only in the short run and shows the insignificant impact in the long run. It is also found that there is no effect of crisis in the short and long run on Non-performing loans in this model.
The Long Twentieth Century

The Long Twentieth Century: Money, Power, and the Origins The Long Twentieth Century traces the epochal shifts in the relationship between capital accumulation and state formation over a 700-year period. Giovanni Arrighi masterfully synthesizes social theory, comparative history and historical narrative in this account of the structures and agencies which have shaped the course of world history over
Competitive balance in complex professional sports leagues

Competitive balance is seen as crucial to the viability of professional sports leagues, and it has been a central concern of sports economists, industry practitioners and fans. But the concept is complex and ill-defined. The theoretical approach in this thesis is to first analyse competitive balance in a simple league context. It is shown that even in a closed round-robin league with a single prize (i. e. league championship), there are three dimensions of competitive balance: win dispersion, performancc persistence and prize concentration. Further extensions to this three-dimensional approach are required when the analysis moves to complex real-world league structures which are typically multiprize tournaments,with host-season playoffs and often open merit hierarchies with promotion und relegation. A new concept of competitive intensity is introduced. The three-dimensional approach is applied to the empirical analysis of competitive balance in European (association) football and the North American Major Leagues, It is found that cross-league comparisons of competitive balance are dependent on the dimension analysed. Win dispersion is better in the Big Five European domestic football leagues compared to the Major Leagues, but the reverse is found for championship concentration. The Major Leagues are also found to be more competitive in respect of the concentration of post-season playoff qualification. Differences in competitive balance are found between the European domestic football leagues. The causes of these cross-league differences are investigated with regression analysis. Again the results are highly dependent on the specific dimension of competitive balance. Win dispersion is significantly associated with national geographic and economic characteristics as well as league structure. Time-series analysis is undertaken to study changes over time in competitive balance in the top divisions of the Norwegian and English football leagues. The results are most significant for the English league, and run counter to the predictions of the invariance principle.
Evaluating tax and benefit reforms in 1996-2001

This report evaluates the tax-benefit reforms in 1996? 2001. The Government appointed a working group in 1995 to plan the tax-benefit reforms. The proposals of the group were first implemented in 1997 and all the measures were carried out by 1998. After 1998 the focus has shifted to improve the incentives of the income tax system. Another cause for concern was the low retirement age in Finland. Measures were carried out in order to lessen the burden of the ageing population. Most of the tax-benefit measures had a positive impact on labour supply. The measures targeted at preventing early retirement seem also to have been effective. The average retirement age has risen slightly. However, the number of part-time pensioners has increased. There are also more recipients of unemployment pension than before, while recipients of disability pension are decreasing.
Modeling Variably Saturated Subsurface Solute Transport with MODFLOW‐UZF and MT3DMS

The MT3DMS groundwater solute transport model was modified to simulate solute transport in the unsaturated zone by incorporating the unsaturated‐zone flow (UZF1) package developed for MODFLOW. The modified MT3DMS code uses a volume‐averaged approach in which Lagrangian‐based UZF1 fluid fluxes and storage changes are mapped onto a fixed grid. Referred to as UZF‐MT3DMS, the linked model was tested against published benchmarks solved analytically as well as against other published codes, most frequently the U.S. Geological Survey's Variably‐Saturated Two‐Dimensional Flow and Transport Model. Results from a suite of test cases demonstrate that the modified code accurately simulates solute advection, dispersion, and reaction in the unsaturated zone. Two‐ and three‐dimensional simulations also were investigated to ensure unsaturated‐saturated zone interaction was simulated correctly. Because the UZF1 solution is analytical, large‐scale flow and transport investigations can be performed free from the computational and data burdens required by numerical solutions to Richards' equation. Results demonstrate that significant simulation runtime savings can be achieved with UZF‐MT3DMS, an important development when hundreds or thousands of model runs are required during parameter estimation and uncertainty analysis. Three‐dimensional variably saturated flow and transport simulations revealed UZF‐MT3DMS to have runtimes that are less than one tenth of the time required by models that rely on Richards' equation. Given its accuracy and efficiency, and the wide‐spread use of both MODFLOW and MT3DMS, the added capability of unsaturated‐zone transport in this familiar modeling framework stands to benefit a broad user‐ship.
Morphological and Functional Alterations in Glycerol Preserved Rat Aortic Allografts

Glycerol preservation is an effective method for long-term preservation of skin allografts and has a potential use in preserving arterial allografts. We evaluated the effect of glycerol concentration and incubation period on vessel-wall integrity of rat aortic allografts. No significant differences were measured in breaking strength (2.3 ± 0.3 N) and bursting pressure (223 ± 32 kPa) between standard glycerolized and control segments (1.7 ± 0.3 N, 226 ± 17 kPa). Isometric tension measurements showed complete lack of functional contraction and relaxation capacity in allograft segments prepared according to all preservation protocols. Morphologically, thickness of the vessel-wall media diminished after preservation using low (30/50/75 %) or high (70/85/98%) concentrations of glycerol, as compared to control segments (i.e. 81 ± 2.4 μm, 95 ± 5.6 μm and 125 ± 3.5 μm, respectively). Confocal microscopy and Fourier analysis demonstrated that vascular collagen and elastin bundle orientation had remained unaltered. Electron microscopy showed defragmentation of luminal endothelial cells. In conclusion, glycerol preservation of rat aorta resulted in an acellular tissue matrix, which maintained biomechanical integrity and extracellular matrix characteristics. The next step in the investigation will be to test the concept of glycerol preservation of arterial allografts in a vascular transplantation model.
Debt and Taxes: Evidence from the Real Estate Industry

Compelling empirical evidence documenting a material effect of corporate taxes on leverage decisions is limited, in part because of difficulties in constructing an effective proxy for the firm's tax benefit of debt. We examine leverage decisions across taxable and nontaxable real estate firms—firms for which we can measure the relative tax benefit of debt with little error. The tax hypothesis implies that for firms with similar asset portfolios, taxable firms should have more debt than their nontaxable counterparts. Consistent with this, leverage ratios of taxable real estate firms are higher than their nontaxable counterparts, but the magnitude of this difference is at most one-half of that implied by studies that employ simulated marginal tax rates.
Diabetes Mellitus as a Risk Factor for Stroke

To evaluate the relative potency of diabetes mellitus as a risk factor for stroke, the relative frequency of stroke symptoms was compared among cohorts with and without diabetes. Stroke symptoms were classified as atherothrombotic cerebral infarctions, transient ischemic attacks, reversible ischemic neurologic deficits, and multi-infarct dementia. The groups were compared according to the occurrence of these symptoms, and both cross-sectional and longitudinal designs were used to study 293 consecutive patients referred to this laboratory and to contrast groups with and without diabetes. Hypertension, heart disease, and stroke symptoms and signs were more frequent among diabetics than among age-matched nondiabetics. Among diabetics, strokes occurred at an earlier age and were more common among men. Regression analyses assigned diabetes second to hypertension as a risk factor for stroke, followed by heart disease and smoking. Diabetes associated with hypertension or hyperlipidemia added significantly to stroke risk. Initially, cerebral blood flow values and cognitive test scores were equivalent among diabetics and nondiabetics; after 3 years, cognition became significantly impaired among diabetics, despite better maintenance of cerebral blood flow among treated diabetics compared with nondiabetics. Diabetes acts to compound risk for stroke not only by promoting cerebral atherogenesis but also by aggravating other risk factors including hypertension, heart disease, and hyperlipidemia
Banks that Don't Lend? Unlocking Credit to Spur Growth in Developing Countries

This article explores the level of liquidity within the banking systems of developing countries and the potential impact on rates of economic growth from prudently redirecting a portion of liquid assets into credit to the private sector. It finds that banks in developing countries are extremely liquid and growth rates per capita might increase substantially in response to heightened lending to the private sector. It then summarises the primary obstacles to this and presents several policy reforms that can augment the level of credit to the private sector in developing countries.
Gaucher's disease: a paradigm for interventional genetics

Gaucher's disease (GD) is one of the most prevalent lysosomal storage disorders (LSDs) and a rare genetic disease for which specific therapy is now available. GD is an autosomal, recessive, inborn error of glycosphingolipid metabolism, due to a deficiency in the enzyme acid β‐glucosidase. Partial deficiency of acid β‐glucosidase is associated with parenchymal disease of the liver, spleen, and bone marrow with concomittant anemia and thrombocytopenia in non‐neuronopathic, type 1 GD. Severe deficiency of glucocerebrosidase caused by severe mutations is additionally associated with neurological manifestations in the less common type 2 and type 3 GD subtypes. Outside of the Ashkenazi Jewish community, a high molecular diversity is observed. Clarification of genotype/phenotype relationship and the identification of modifier loci that impact on GD phenotypes remains a critical area for research. Enzyme replacement therapy (ERT) is proven to be safe and effective in the treatment of type 1 GD, establishing imiglucerase as the current standard of care. Amelioration of hepatosplenomegaly and of hematological manifestations is usually apparent within 6–12 months, whereas the bone disease responds more slowly. ERT cannot reverse the neurological deficits in type 2 or type 3 GD. Small molecule inhibitors of glucosylceramide synthase are being developed for substrate reduction therapy. Other potential therapeutic options such as chaperon‐mediated enzyme enhancement therapy and gene therapy are being explored.
Is Subjective Global Assessment a Good Index of Nutrition in Peritoneal Dialysis Patients with Gastrointestinal Symptoms?

Objective We investigated whether patients with gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms were prone to be diagnosed as malnourished by subjective global assessment (SGA) by simultaneously evaluating SGA and other indices of nutrition in a cross-sectional survey of peritoneal dialysis (PD) patients. Patients and Method From June 2006 to June 2007, 214 PD patients were involved in the study. We recorded results of a GI symptoms questionnaire (GSQ) and SGA. Other indices of nutrition included dietary intake, chemistry examination, anthropometry, handgrip strength, and lean body mass measured by creatinine kinetics. Results Mean age of the 214 PD patients enrolled in the study was 60.22 ± 14.02 years, and mean dialysis duration was 60.22 ± 14.02 months. Of the 214 patients, 56 (27.16%) were diagnosed as malnourished by SGA. The mean GSQ scores were 9.37 ± 1.71 (range: 8 – 17). There were 90 patients with GSQ scores of 8 (group 1), 80 patients with scores of 9 or 10 (group 2), 44 patients with scores of 11 or more (group 3). The prevalence of malnutrition diagnosed by SGA was significantly different in the three groups: 15.56% in group 1, 27.5% in group 2, and 45.45% in group 3 (p = 0.02). However, we observed no difference between the three groups in mid-arm circumference, skinfold thickness (biceps, triceps, subscapular, and suprailiac), daily protein and energy intake, handgrip strength, lean body mass, and serum albumin and prealbumin levels (p > 0.05). Conclusions Our results showed that the reliability of SGA in PD patients with GI symptoms remains worth exploring. These patients are possibly diagnosed as malnourished by SGA, although many other indices of nutrition are not necessarily bad.