Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Basel III Versus Solvency II: An Analysis of Regulatory Consistency Under the New Capital Standards

This article provides a critical analysis of the consistency of the standard approaches for market and credit risks under Solvency II and the current and forthcoming Basel III standards. The comparability is assessed both theoretically via a detailed comparison of the capital standards and in a numerical analysis that contrasts the capital charges for a stylized portfolio. Our examination reveals substantial discrepancies in the design of the frameworks. These lead to vastly differing capital requirements for the same risks. Moreover, the analysis indicates higher charges for banks than insurers, especially under the proposed new Basel III standard approaches.
Molecular Cloning and Characterization of Cotton cDNAs Expressed in Developing Fiber Cells

Using the FDD-PCR technique, ten new fiber-specific cDNAs were isolated from developing cotton fiber cells and showed high amino acid identity to previously recorded cDNAs. Five cDNAs encoding bisphosphate nucleotidase, α-tubulin, β-galactosidase, annexin, and reversible glycosylated polypeptide were identified while the functions of five other cDNAs were undetermined. Dot blot analysis showed that all transcripts of the 10 cDNAs accumulated preferentially in fiber cells and the majority were expressed in the early phase of cotton fiber development, except for F14 which accumulated at a high level during the late phase of developing fiber cells, indicating that all of the genes were involved in the process of fiber development.
Differentiation of rat hypothalamic dopaminergic neurons is stimulated in vitro by target cells: the melanotrophs

We have investigated in vitro the influence of pituitary intermediate lobe melanotrophs on the differentiation of their afferent hypothalamic dopaminergic neurons. The presence of melanotrophs in primary cultures of foetal hypothalamic neurons induces an increase of the number of dopaminergic neurons (while the total neuronal population remains unchanged) and induces a stimulation of their neuritic outgrowth. These effects are mediated by diffusible factors since they are reproduced by application of conditioned medium issued from co‐cultures with intermediate lobe cells from newborn rats. Moreover, by immunoneutralization of α‐melanocyte‐stimulating hormone (αMSH) in the co‐culture or conditioned medium, or by application of the peptide itself, we demonstrate that the neuritotrophic effect on dopaminergic neurons is mediated by αMSH, the main secretory product of melanotrophs, whereas the inductive effect on the number of dopaminergic neurons is attributable to another diffusible neurotrophic factor(s) present in foetal, but not adult, adenohypophysis. Similar effects are observed on cultures of newborn hypothalamic neurons. However, at this stage of neuronal development, αMSH also increases the number of dopaminergic neurons, which could be due to a change of neuronal receptivity. We show that the neuritotrophic influence of αMSH is restricted to the dopaminergic neurons connected to the melanotrophs, and that in addition, these neurons systematically co‐express the tyrosine hydroxylase and glutamate decarboxylase as the neurons innervating the melanotrophs in situ. These findings indicate that the differentiation of dopaminergic hypothalamic neurons is influenced by the target cells, melanotrophs, and that this trophic influence implicates αMSH.
Aging Results in Differential Regulation of DNA Repair Pathways in Pachytene Spermatocytes in the Brown Norway Rat1

ABSTRACT The present trend of increasing paternal age is accompanied by concerns for the development of complex multigene diseases (e.g., autism and schizophrenia) in progeny. Recent studies have established strong correlations between male age, increased oxidative stress, decreased sperm quality, and structural aberrations of chromatin and DNA in spermatozoa. We tested the hypothesis that increasing age would result in altered gene expression relating to oxidative stress and DNA damage/repair in germ cells. To test this hypothesis, pachytene spermatocytes and round spermatids were isolated from Brown Norway (BN) rats at 4 (young) and 18 (aged) mo of age. Microarray analysis was used to compare gene expression between the groups. The probe sets with significantly altered expression were linked to DNA damage/repair and oxidative stress in pachytene spermatocytes but not in round spermatids. Further analysis of pachytene spermatocytes demonstrated that genes involved in the base excision repair (BER) and nucleotide excision repair (NER) pathways were specifically altered. Quantitative RT-PCR confirmed that NER genes were upregulated (>1.5-fold), whereas BER genes were downregulated (>1.5-fold). At the protein level the members of the BER pathway were also altered by up to 2.3-fold; levels of NER proteins remained unchanged. Furthermore, there was an increase in 8-oxo-2′-deoxyguanosine (8-oxodG) immunoreactivity in testes from aged males and in the number of spermatozoa positive for 8-oxodG. In conclusion, aging is associated with differential regulation of DNA repair pathways with a decrease in the BER pathway leading to deficient repair of 8-oxo-dG lesions in germ cells and spermatozoa.
Aqueous Shunt Exposure: A Retrospective Review of Repair Outcome

PurposeTo describe the patient outcomes and factors affecting those outcomes after aqueous shunt exposure repair. Patients and MethodsForty-three eyes from Robert Cizik Eye Clinic and Bascom Palmer Eye Institute from 1995 to 2007 suffered from aqueous shunt exposure and were repaired by participating surgeons. Thirty-three were tube exposures and 7 were plate exposures. The remaining 3 exposure classified complications included a patch graft exposure, an elbow exposure, and 1 unknown complication. Forty eyes were followed for evidence of additional aqueous shunt exposures or additional surgical interventions for 46.6 weeks (40.2 wk) (range: 3 to 168 wk). ResultsSeventeen of 40 eyes required additional surgical intervention: 15 (45%) from the tube exposure group and 2 (29%) from the plate exposure group. Five (13%) eyes needed eventual removal of the shunt. Black race, diabetes mellitus, a high number of glaucoma medications before shunt implantation, a history of multiple glaucoma laser procedures, and combination of an initial aqueous shunt implantation with another surgery were found to be associated with a worse outcome after exposure repair. ConclusionsIntraocular pressure, number of medications, and visual acuity remained stable during follow-up after revision. Diabetes mellitus was associated with a shorter average time between initial repair and reintervention, and 4 other variables were associated with a higher likelihood of reintervention.
Assessment of cattle owner's perceptions and expectations, and identification of constraints on production in a peri-urban, resource-poor environment.

This questionnaire survey was conducted amongst 200 farmers in the resource-poor, urban and per-urban environments of Botshabelo and Thaba Nchu towns in the Free State Province of South Africa. The questionnaire was divided into seven sections, namely demography, livestock, cattle, parasites, parasite control, livestock diseases and problems experienced. A total of 87.5% of the livestock owners were not employed (unemployed or pensioner). Cattle constituted more than 50% of the live-stock units owned in the area and farmers owned an average of 9.33 +/- 0.812 head of cattle. A total of 193 (96.5%) of the farmers indicated that milk was the most important product from their cattle. Only 26% of them slaughtered their own cattle for meat consumption. Eighty-eight percent of them indicated that external parasites on their livestock presented a problem, but only 72.9% of farmers implemented any tick control measures. Less than half (45.5%) of the farmers who attempted to control ticks used commercial acaricides. The remainder used various other methods, including the application of used engine oil and household detergents. Amongst the clinical diseases observed in their cattle, dry gallsickness was mentioned most often (20%). This figure, however, is believed to be inaccurate because dry gallsickness may be a clinical manifestation of some of the other diseases mentioned by the farmers, such as anaplasmosis, foreign body obstruction of the gastro-intestinal tract by plastic bags, pneumonia and mastitis. Animal husbandry problems experienced by the farmers included pollution (i.e. ingestion of plastic bags and string by their livestock), availability of water and theft.
Effect of terrorism on demand for tourism in Kenya

This article uses a dynamic panel data model to analyse the effects of terrorism on demand for tourism in Kenya. We use annual data from 2010 to 2013 for a widely dispersed set of 124 countries of origin covering Europe, Asia, the Americas and Africa. The result suggests that a 1% increase in fatalities significantly reduces tourist arrivals by about 0.13%. This translates to a reduction of about 2507.5 visitors per year and roughly 157.1 million Kenya Shillings lost in tourism revenue per year for every one unit increase in fatality. Other proxies for terrorism, such as incidence or casualties, have a similar effect, indicating the robustness of the results. On the other hand, previous visits have a strong and positive effect on the level of current arrivals.
A Practical Approach for Analysis of Input and Output Impedances of Feedback Amplifiers

This paper suggests a pedagogical approach to teaching the subject of the analysis of feedback amplifiers for electrical engineering students at the undergraduate level. Special attention is given to derivation of the input and output impedances. In order to make the procedure clear and suitable for classroom presentation an alternative proof of the Blackman's Impedance Relation is derived to stand in accord with feedback amplifier analysis methodology presented earlier. The proposed analysis technique is algorithmic, comprehensive, suited to any feedback topology, and is especially useful in cases that do not readily stand out as one of four canonical cases of feedback. The methodology is demonstrated by examples, and supported by comparison with simulation and other theoretical results.
Behaviours related to fair-play in english and spanish professional football players

Na medida em que todas as obras da UC Digitalis se encontram protegidas pelo Código do Direito de Autor e Direitos Conexos e demais legislação aplicável, toda a cópia, parcial ou total, deste documento, nos casos em que é legalmente admitida, deverá conter ou fazer-se acompanhar por este aviso. Behaviours related to fair-play in english and spanish professional football players Autor(es): Cruz, Jaume; Torregrosa, Miquel; Boixadós, Mercé Publicado por: Imprensa da Universidade de Coimbra URL persistente: URI:http://hdl.handle. net/10316.2/32257 DOI: DOI:http://dx.doi. org/10.14195/978-989-26-0474-9_13
Spread of Multidrug-Resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa Clones in a University Hospital

ABSTRACT An outbreak of multidrug-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa (MDRPA) infections in a university hospital is described. Phenotypic and genotypic analysis of 240 isolates revealed that 152 patients, mainly in the intensive care unit (ICU), were colonized or infected with MDRPA, the majority with O11. All metallo-β-lactamase (MBL)-positive isolates carried the bla VIM-2 or bla VIM-1 gene. One or more type III secretion system toxin genes were detected in most isolates. Five dominant pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) types were characterized, associated with ST235, ST111, ST253, ST309, and ST639.
Diverse Communities: Diverse Involvements

Metropolitan universities are characterized by extensive involvement with various constituencies and communities, including their contiguous neighborhood, the metropolitan business community, the minority communities, the local public schools, local governmental agencies, the professional communities, and area colleges and universities. The limits and costs of this involvement are discussed, and recommendations for planning are provided. Metropolitan universities, while primarily centers for teaching and research, also serve as cultural centers for the community, as employers and consumers, as providers of social services, and as catalysts for social and economic development. The ivory tower metaphor of detached scholarship simply does not characterize metropolitan universities.
Art after stroke: the qualitative experience of community dwelling stroke survivors in a group art programme

Purpose. This study aimed to qualitatively explore the experience of community dwelling stroke survivors' participation in an arts health group programme and possible health benefits to quality of life (QOL) and wellbeing. Method. Sixteen participants were conveniently sampled to participate in two group art programmes, both held weekly over a period of 8 weeks. Qualitative data were collected through two focus groups (n == 9) and individual interviews (n == 11). Qualitative analysis of the data was undertaken, using a grounded theory approach incorporating constant comparison. Results. Age ranged from 43 to 81 years. Four themes emerged including: experience of stroke, benefit of art, benefit for self and benefit of group experience. Participants experienced improved confidence, self-efficacy, QOL and community participation through involvement in an arts health programme. Conclusions. The implementation of an arts health programme after stroke made a substantial impact on well-being and QOL. Results from this study are promising and this is a model that warrants rigorous investigation regarding the impact of art on QOL and wellbeing. This study also highlighted the need for community resources to address community re-integration and service provision in the form of age appropriate, activity-based groups for stroke survivors.
Results from Oritavancin Resistance Surveillance Programs (2011 to 2014): Clarification for Using Vancomycin as a Surrogate To Infer Oritavancin Susceptibility

ABSTRACT Measurement of vancomycin susceptibility has been shown to be highly predictive as a surrogate measure of oritavancin susceptibility among clinically indicated Gram-positive species. Results of studying over 30,000 pathogens (from 2011 to 2014) by cross-susceptibility analysis and determining the poor reproducibility of oritavancin-nonsusceptible results showed nearly perfect surrogate testing accuracy (99.86 to 99.94%). Any isolate of an indicated organism species with locally reproducible oritavancin-nonsusceptible results (extremely rare) should be referred to a reference laboratory for confirmation of the results and determination of the resistance mechanism.
Human 3'-phosphoadenosine 5'-phosphosulfate synthetase 1 (PAPSS1) and PAPSS2: gene cloning, characterization and chromosomal localization.

Sulfae conjugation is an important pathway in the metabolism of a large number of exogenous and endogenous compounds. These reactions are catalyzed by sulfotransferase (SULT) enzymes that utilize 3'-phosphoadenosine 5'-phosphosulfate (PAPS) as a sulfate donor. PAPS is synthesized from ATP and inorganic sulfate by PAPS synthetase (PAPSS). Two separate PAPSS cDNAs, PAPSS1 and PAPSS2, have been identified in human tissues. We have cloned and characterized the genes for human PAPSS1 and PAPSS2 to make it possible to study the pharmacogenomics of these enzymes. Both genes consisted of 12 exons with virtually identical exon-intron splice junction locations. All splice junctions conformed to the "GT-AG" rule. The total length of PAPSS1 was approximately 108 kb, while that of PAPSS2 was greater than 37 kb. The 5'-flanking region of PAPSS1 did not include a TATA box sequence near the site of transcription initiation, but PAPSS2 had a TATA motif located 21 bp upstream from the site of transcription initiation. Northern blot analysis showed that the major PAPSS1 and PAPSS2 transcripts were approximately 2.7 and 4.2 kb in length, respectively. PAPSS1 mapped to human chromosome band 4q24 while PAPSS2 mapped to 10q22-23 by fluorescence in situ hybridization analysis. Cloning and structural characterization of PAPSS1 and PAPSS2 will make it possible to perform molecular genetic and pharmacogenomic studies of these important enzymes in humans.
Post-transplant outcomes of patients with and without hepatitis C virus infection according to donor age and gender matching.

BACKGROUND The purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact of donor age and donor-recipient gender matching on liver transplantation outcomes, focusing on differences between patients with and without hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. MATERIAL AND METHODS This retrospective cohort study evaluated 622 liver transplantation recipients. HCV (n=164) and non-HCV (n=458) patients were subdivided by donor age (≤ 30, 31-50, and >50 years) and donor-recipient gender configurations. Five-year patient survival (PS) and graft survival (GS) were set as outcome measures. RESULTS Five-year PS was 83.1% for HCV-positive and 81.6% for HCV-negative patients (p=0.614), with the corresponding GS rates of 81.2% and 79.3% (p=0.538), respectively. In HCV patients, transplantations from donors older than 50 years were associated with lower PS (p=0.035) and GS (p=0.006) than those from donors aged 31-50 years. This difference was not observed among non-HCV recipients (PS, p=0.994; GS, p=0.878). Regarding donor-recipient gender configurations, outcomes were similar in HCV (PS, p=0.751; GS, p=0.592) and non-HCV patients (PS, p=0.217; GS, p=0.249), except for a tendency toward lower PS for male-to-female transplantations than female-to-female transplantations in non-HCV patients (p=0.064). Outcomes of HCV patients were superior to those of non-HCV patients after transplantation from donors aged 31-50 years (PS, p=0.080; GS, p=0.026). CONCLUSIONS Avoiding the transplantation of grafts from donors aged over 50 years to patients with HCV infection might improve the general outcomes of liver transplantation programs. There is no specific rationale for gender matching with respect to HCV status.
Maintenance of Membrane Integrity and Permeability Depends on a Patched-Related Protein in Caenorhabditis elegans

Membrane integrity is critical for cell survival, defects of which cause pathological symptoms such as metabolic diseases. In this study, we used ethanol sensitivity of the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans to identify genetic factors involved in membrane integrity. In C. elegans, acute exposure to a high concentration (7% v/v) of ethanol changes membrane permeability, as measured by propidium iodide staining, and causes paralysis. We used the timing of complete paralysis as an indicator for alteration of membrane integrity in our genetic screen, and identified ptr-6 as a gene that confers ethanol resistance when mutated. PTR-6 is a patched-related protein and contains a sterol sensing domain. Inhibition of two PTR-encoding genes, ptr-15 and ptr-23, and mboa-1, encoding an Acyl Co-A: cholesterol acyltransferase homolog, restored ethanol sensitivity of the ptr-6 mutant, suggesting that these ptr genes and mboa-1 are involved in the maintenance of membrane integrity and permeability. Our results suggest that C. elegans can be used as a model system to identify factors involved in metabolic diseases and to screen for therapeutic drugs.
Poly(A)-ClickSeq: click-chemistry for next-generation 3΄-end sequencing without RNA enrichment or fragmentation

The recent emergence of alternative polyadenylation (APA) as an engine driving transcriptomic diversity has stimulated the development of sequencing methodologies designed to assess genome-wide polyadenylation events. The goal of these approaches is to enrich, partition, capture, and ultimately sequence poly(A) site junctions. However, these methods often require poly(A) enrichment, 3´ linker ligation steps, and RNA fragmentation, which can necessitate higher levels of starting RNA, increase experimental error, and potentially introduce bias. We recently reported a click-chemistry based method for generating RNAseq libraries called “ClickSeq”. Here, we adapt this method to direct the cDNA synthesis specifically toward the 3´ UTR/poly(A) tail junction of cellular RNA. With this novel approach, we demonstrate sensitive and specific enrichment for poly(A) site junctions without the need for complex sample preparation, fragmentation or purification. Poly(A)-ClickSeq (PAC-seq) is therefore a simple procedure that generates high-quality RNA-seq poly(A) libraries. As a proof-of-principle, we utilized PAC-seq to explore the poly(A) landscape of both human and Drosophila cells in culture and observed outstanding overlap with existing poly(A) databases and also identified previously unannotated poly(A) sites. Moreover, we utilize PAC-seq to quantify and analyze APA events regulated by CFIm25 illustrating how this technology can be harnessed to identify alternatively polyadenylated RNA.
Voluntary exercise together with oral caffeine markedly stimulates UVB light-induced apoptosis and decreases tissue fat in SKH-1 mice

Treatment of SKH-1 mice orally with caffeine (0.1 mg/ml in the drinking water), voluntary running wheel exercise, or a combination of caffeine and exercise for 2 weeks (i) decreased the weight of the parametrial fat pads by 35, 62, and 77%, respectively; (ii) decreased the thickness of the dermal fat layer by 38, 42, and 68%, respectively; (iii) stimulated the formation of UVB-induced apoptotic sunburn cells in the epidermis by 96, 120, and 376%, respectively; and (iv) stimulated the formation of UVB-induced caspase 3 (active form)-positive cells in the epidermis by 92, 120, and 389%, respectively (average of two experiments). Oral administration of caffeine (0.4 mg/ml in the drinking water) in combination with voluntary exercise was less effective than administration of the low dose of caffeine in combination with exercise in stimulating UVB-induced apoptosis. Although orally administrated caffeine (0.1 mg/ml in the drinking water) or voluntary exercise for 2 weeks caused only a small nonsignificant stimulation of UVB-induced increase in the percentage of phospho-p53 (Ser-15)-positive cells in the epidermis (27 or 18%, respectively), the combination of the two treatments enhanced the UVB-induced increase in phospho-p53 (Ser-15)-positive cells by 99%. The plasma concentration of caffeine in mice ingesting caffeine (0.1–0.4 mg/ml drinking water) is similar to that in the plasma of most coffee drinkers (one to four cups per day). Our studies indicate a greater than additive stimulatory effect of combined voluntary exercise and oral administration of a low dose of caffeine on UVB-induced apoptosis.