Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Effects of Long-Term High-Fat/High-Energy and High-Protein Diets on Insulin and Ghrelin Expression in Developing Rats

Objective. This study investigated the long-term effects of high-fat/high-energy and high-protein diets on insulin secretion and ghrelin expression. Methods. Dams of Sprague-Dawley rats were fed a standard, high-fat/high–energy, or high-protein diet during pregnancy and lactation, and their pups were defined as control, high-fat and high-energy, and high-protein groups, respectively. The pups were fed the same diet as their dams after weaning. Plasma glucose, ghrelin, and insulin were analyzed on the first, third, seventh, and tenth postnatal days and at the end of second, third, fourth, eighth, and twelfth weeks. Ghrelin and insulin expression in the pancreas was measured using radioimmunoassay, double-staining immunohistochemistry, and confocal microscopy. Results. Fasting blood glucose, plasma insulin concentrations, and homeostasis model assessment-insulin resistance index increased with age. Total plasma ghrelin concentrations decreased with age. Plasma ghrelin concentrations were negatively correlated with glucose levels in all three groups. Plasma ghrelin was negatively correlated with plasma insulin only in the high-fat and high-energy group. Insulin secretion in the high-protein and high-fat and high-energy groups and pancreatic ghrelin content, pancreatic ghrelin-positive cells, and beta cells in all groups decreased with age. The percentage of ghrelin-positive cells correlated with the percentage of beta cells in all groups. Conclusion. Insulin and ghrelin expression in the plasma and pancreas was adversely affected by long-term high-fat/high-energy and high-protein diets.
Hypercholesterolemia, HMG-CoA Reductase Inhibitors, and Risk of Intracerebral Hemorrhage: A Case–Control Study

Background and Purpose— Several studies have demonstrated an association between hypocholesterolemia and intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH). We tested the hypothesis that hypercholesterolemia or use of HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors (statin) agents, or both, are associated with ICH. Methods— This study was part of the preplanned midway analysis of an ongoing, population-based, case-control study of the genetic and environmental risk factors of hemorrhagic stroke. Conditional stepwise logistic regression modeling was used to determine if self-reported hypercholesterolemia or statin use, or both, were independent risk factors for ICH. Results— Between December 1, 1997, and June 30, 2000, 188 cases of ICH and 366 age-, race-, and gender-matched controls were enrolled. Hypercholesterolemia and statin use were less common among cases than controls: 25% versus 38% (P=0.003) and 9% versus 17% (P=0.03), respectively. Hypercholesterolemia with statin use was associated with less risk of ICH (OR=0.30; P=0.0008) in multivariable analysis after controlling for alcohol use, hypertension, previous stroke, first-degree relative with ICH, education level, and apolipoprotein E alleles. Conclusion— Hypercholesterolemia was associated with a lower risk of ICH. We have not found an increased risk of ICH with the widespread use of statins in our population. Given the lack of cholesterol levels in the current study, further studies are needed to determine if lower cholesterol levels secondary to statin use bear the same risk as low cholesterol levels for ICH.
National Level, City Level Auditor Industry Specialization and Cost of Debt

SYNOPSIS: We examine the relation between industry specialist auditors and cost-of-debt financing using a national and city level industry specialist framework. Consistent with the assumption that higher audit quality is associated with lower information risk, which benefits clients in raising debt capital, we find that firms audited by city level industry specialist auditors, either alone or jointly with national level industry specialist auditors, enjoy significantly lower cost-of-debt financing measured by both credit rating and bond spread. Our results suggest that, compared to clients of non-industry specialists, firms’ odds of worse credit ratings are 0.859 (0.664) times lower, and their bond spreads are 17 (16) basis points lower if they are clients of city-level-only (joint national and city level) industry specialists. In addition, our evidence shows that, for joint national and city level industry specialists, both information and insurance roles are significant to reduce cost-of-debt financing.
Endogenous growth hormone secretion and clearance rates in normal boys, as determined by deconvolution analysis: relationship to age, pubertal status, and body mass.

Mean plasma GH concentrations increase in normal boys during mid- to late-puberty. To investigate the nature of the pituitary secretory events and/or altered metabolic clearance responsible for these serum GH concentration changes, we performed multiple-parameter deconvolution analysis of 46 24-h serum GH concentration-time series obtained from normal boys at various stages of puberty and young adulthood. The subjects ranged in chronological age from 7-27 yr. The height and weight of each subject were between the 5th and 95th percentile for age. The calculated daily mass of GH secreted was greatest (P less than 0.001) in late pubertal boys (mean +/- SE, 1810 +/- 250 micrograms/24 h) and was triple the value in prepubertal boys (610 +/- 65 micrograms/24 h). When the values were normalized and expressed as mass of GH secreted per unit (m2) body surface area or per L distribution volume, GH secretion in late pubertal boys was still significantly greater than that in any other group (P less than 0.05). These values for late pubertal boys were nearly double the corresponding values for prepubertal boys (1160 +/- 160 vs. 600 +/- 58 micrograms GH/m2.24 h and 440 +/- 63 vs. 270 +/- 25 micrograms GH/L vol.24 h, respectively). When the effect of clearance mechanics on serum GH concentrations was removed mathematically, the primary change in predicted GH secretory burst parameters during pubertal development was an increase in GH mass released per burst resulting from an increase in the maximal rate of GH secretion attained within the bursts. These changes in the amplitude of GH release events were specific, in that they were largely independent of any accompanying alterations in duration or frequency of the GH secretory bursts or in serum GH half-life. Correlation analysis revealed that the 24-h GH secretion rate varied inversely with the subjects' body mass index SD score (r = -0.65; P less than 0.01), suggesting that differences in body mass, even within the normal range, contribute to the wide variability in daily GH secretion rates among normally growing children. The plasma insulin-like growth factor-I concentrations of all subjects correlated positively with the calculated 24-h GH secretion rate (r = 0.51; P less than 0.001). In summary, the primary neuroendocrine alteration responsible for the augmented serum GH concentrations characterizing mid- to late-puberty in boys is an increased mass of GH released per pituitary secretory episode resulting from an increased maximal rate of GH secretion within each burst. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
Deterrence Versus Marginalization

Immigration policies that attach citizenship and deportation consequences to crime may be aimed at deterring crime, but they also effectively marginalize immigrants and may promote crime. Evidence from Sweden and around the world indicates that, where citizenship is concerned, marginalization may have won out. This research used a population-based sample of approximately 20,000 Swedish males and more rigorous methods than past studies to test the effects of citizenship and region of origin on official police suspicion for a serious crime. The findings showed that a lack of citizenship is related to greater involvement in crime, indicating support for the marginalizing effects of immigration policies. Yet, the region of origin results presented a conflicting picture in which neither ideas on deterrence nor marginalization could be supported. In conclusion, neither the potential deterrent effects of immigration policy nor its marginalizing effects were strongly supported.
United Nations Environment Programme's approach to integrated assessment of trade-related policies: evolution and recent progress

Over the last decade the Economics and Trade Branch (ETB) of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) has worked to enhance national capacities to undertake integrated assessment of trade-related policies. This article describes the evolution of the approach adopted by UNEP towards achieving greater integration on three key levels: ‘substantively’ by using quantitative and qualitative tools that generate insight into the interrelationships among environmental, social and economic impacts of public policies; ‘policy-wise’ by establishing more direct linkages between the planning and decision-making processes; and ‘process-wise’ by promoting interministerial co-ordination and multi-stakeholder participation and involvement. There is also a shift towards taking a more proactive approach to designing trade policies that will help reduce poverty in an environmentally sound way.
The role of earnings information in corporate dividend decisions

This paper examines the role of earnings information in the determination of dividend policy. We decompose accounting earnings into permanent and transitory components and postulate that dividend policy is driven by sustainable permanent earnings. Two measures of permanent earnings are proposed. The first is a permanent earnings variable extracted from accounting earnings by a random-level shift ARMA model. The second measure is stock price times cost of capital. These two permanent earnings measures are employed in the Marsh-Merton (1987) model to explain corporate dividend behavior and their performance is compared. A generalized friction method is adopted for empirical estimation to account for stepwise dividend movements over time. Results show that the permanent earnings measure extracted from accounting earnings data explains dividend dynamic behavior better than stock price.
Organization and synaptic relationships of the projection from the primary sensory to the primary motor cortex in the cat

It is known from previous studies that fibers originating from cells in area 2 of the cat primary somatosensory cortex project topographically to area 4 of the motor cortex and that they terminate preferentially in the caudal region of the cruciate sulcus. We examined this pathway to determine more precisely the distribution pattern of fibers and the laminar arrangement of axon terminals in the motor cortex. The recently developed technique of PHA‐L staining enabled us to label anterogradely the axons that form this projection. Iontophoretic injections of PHA‐L were made into the rostral bank of the ansate sulcus (area 2). After 7 days the cats were perfused and the tissue was processed immunohistochemically to stain the PHA‐L filled fibers. Light microscopic examination revealed that a small cluster of cells in the sensory cortex gave rise to multiple foci of labeled axons in area 4. The labeled fibers formed columnlike arrays, which were located for the most part in the posterior bank of the cruciate sulcus and were separated by irregular intervals of cortex devoid of labeled fibers. Clusters of labeled fibers were also found in the anterior region of the cruciate sulcus in some of the animals. The dimensions of the labeled areas and the small number of cells that gave rise to each group of fibers suggested that axonal branches of cells within the injection site formed the multiple foci. Variations in the immunohistochemical staining enabled us to study the laminar distribution of sensory cortex axon terminals with the electron microscope. Whereas some PHA‐L labeled terminals were found in the deep cortical layers, the majority (82%) were spread throughout layers I–III. Differences in the laminar distribution of sensory cortex afferents that formed axodendritic or axospinous synapses were noted. Synapses formed with dendritic shafts were relatively sparse (28%) and were confined to the superficial layers. Some of the more numerous axospinous synapses, which accounted for 72% of identified synapses, were found in layers V and VI, although most were in layers I–III. The distribution pattern of terminals showed little variation between columns in different areas of the motor cortex, including that in the anterior cruciate region. The pattern of termination of the sensory to motor cortex projection is discussed in relation to the physiological characteristics of this pathway.
Profitability of small-scale maize production in Niger state of Nigeria

This study investigates the profitability of small scale maize production in Niger state of Nigeria using farm budgeting technique. The results showed that 67 percent of the farmers were male, 76 percent were within the economically active age brackets, while 68 percent had non-formal education. The cost and return analysis indicated that maize production was profitable with an average net farm income of N48, 109.00 per ha, and a gross ratio of 0.39; a production efficiency index (2.50) per farmer further adjudged the profitability of the enterprise, that is, the returns cover the cost of production almost three times. As maize is one of the most important staple foods of great socio-economic value in the study area, an improvement in the understanding of the level of profitability can greatly aid policy makers in enhancing policies that will promote profitability in production of the crop. In addition, improved access to farmlands, acquisition of formal education, improving rural financial markets and strengthening the existing extension services were recommended to improve profitability in maize production in the area.
The effect of pension reform on pension-benefit expectations and savings decisions in Japan

Using the Japanese Study of Aging and Retirement (JSTAR), which is a new Japanese panel survey of people aged 50 and over, we find that more Japanese in their early 50s expect their level of public pension benefits to decline compared with those in their late 50s and early 60s. We also find that recent pension reforms that raised the pensionable age affected the Japanese population by increasing the age at which they expect to claim their benefits by almost the exact same amount as the increase in the pensionable age. The reforms have also decreased the population’s expectations about receiving public pension benefits, although this effect is not necessarily significant. We also find evidence that anxiety about the public pension programme’s future increases private savings.
Enzyme Immunoassays for Anti-Hepatitis C Virus Antibodies Improved Specificity and Analytical Sensitivity by Combination of Three Different Recombinant Viral Proteins in Second Generation Tests

The detection of hepatitis C virus infection currently relies on a "virology without a virus" approach. So far, only viral nucleic acid has been isolated and sequenced by the methods of genetic engineering. The resulting viral sequence was then used to "design" proteins for diagnostic use as antigens in enzyme immunoassays (EIA). A first-generation EIA (EIA I), which uses a non-structural hepatitis C virus protein as antigen, detected 26 (0.6%) reactive sera out of a total of 4350 blood donors. An inhibition test using recombinant hepatitis C virus antigen, and EIAs using other, both synthetic and recombinant hepatitis C virus peptides were used as a specificity enhancing measure and as confirmatory tests, respectively. Only 7 of these reactives (0.16%, inhibition test) and 5 (0.11%, peptide EIA) were confirmed positive. Of the 26 initially reactive donor sera, 5 sera (0.11%) reacted positive in a second-generation anti-hepatitis C virus antibody EIA (EIA II), which uses two different recombinant non-structural hepatitis C virus proteins and one recombinant core protein. Seventeen (77%) of 22 haemophiliacs reacted positive in EIA I, and 19 (86%) did so in EIA II. There were no false positives in this cohort. Twenty-eight (19%) out of 148 liver disease patients showed a positive reaction in EIA I, and 31 (21%) were reactive in EIA II. Based on the results of the peptide enzyme immunoassay, 1 serum of this group was false positive in EIA I, while none of the sera of this group were false positive in EIA II. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Individual differences in frontolimbic circuitry and anxiety emerge with adolescent changes in endocannabinoid signaling across species

Significance Anxiety disorders peak during adolescence, a developmental period that is marked by dynamic changes in gene expression, frontolimbic circuitry, and endocannabinoid signaling. This cross-species study identifies parallel gene by development interactions across humans and a knock-in mouse model of the same fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH) polymorphism. The impact of FAAH genetic variation on frontolimbic circuitry and anxiety in mice and humans emerges during adolescence as anandamide levels decrease but not before. These findings have important implications for the identification of risk for disease and precise targeting of treatments to the biological state of the developing brain as a function of developmental changes in gene expression and neural circuit maturation. Anxiety disorders peak in incidence during adolescence, a developmental window that is marked by dynamic changes in gene expression, endocannabinoid signaling, and frontolimbic circuitry. We tested whether genetic alterations in endocannabinoid signaling related to a common polymorphism in fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH), which alters endocannabinoid anandamide (AEA) levels, would impact the development of frontolimbic circuitry implicated in anxiety disorders. In a pediatric imaging sample of over 1,000 3- to 21-y-olds, we show effects of the FAAH genotype specific to frontolimbic connectivity that emerge by ∼12 y of age and are paralleled by changes in anxiety-related behavior. Using a knock-in mouse model of the FAAH polymorphism that controls for genetic and environmental backgrounds, we confirm phenotypic differences in frontoamygdala circuitry and anxiety-related behavior by postnatal day 45 (P45), when AEA levels begin to decrease, and also, at P75 but not before. These results, which converge across species and level of analysis, highlight the importance of underlying developmental neurobiology in the emergence of genetic effects on brain circuitry and function. Moreover, the results have important implications for the identification of risk for disease and precise targeting of treatments to the biological state of the developing brain as a function of developmental changes in gene expression and neural circuit maturation.
TFIIB Recognition Elements Control the TFIIA-NC2 Axis in Transcriptional Regulation

ABSTRACT TFIIB recognizes DNA sequence-specific motifs that can flank the TATA elements of the promoters of protein-encoding genes. The TFIIB recognition elements (BREu and BREd) can have positive or negative effects on transcription in a promoter context-dependent manner. Here we show that the BREs direct the selective recruitment of TFIIA and NC2 to the promoter. We find that TFIIA preferentially associates with BRE-containing promoters while NC2 is recruited to promoters that lack consensus BREs. The functional relevance of the BRE-dependent recruitment of TFIIA and NC2 was determined by small interfering RNA-mediated knockdown of TFIIA and NC2, both of which elicited BRE-dependent effects on transcription. Our results confirm the established functional reciprocity of TFIIA and NC2. However, our findings show that TFIIA assembly at BRE-containing promoters results in reduced transcriptional activity, while NC2 acts as a positive factor at promoters that lack functional BREs. Taken together, our results provide a basis for the selective recruitment of TFIIA and NC2 to the promoter and give new insights into the functional relationship between core promoter elements and general transcription factor activity.
Target Payout Ratios and Dividend Policy: British Evidence

This paper features a study of the dividend policies of the larger listed British companies. It focusses on the sample companies' usage of target payout ratios. A company with a target payout is defined as one which has a policy of attempting to pay out a fixed proportion of available earnings as dividends. In particular, it examines the extent of the usage of explicit target payouts, the range of target payouts adopted and the frequency of changes in such targets. It also examines the factors which are perceived to have an influence on the company's choice of these targets. Finally, it extends and parallels previous work by Partington (1984) on the use of target payouts by Australian companies.
Kredi Temerrüt Swapları ve Tahvil Primleri Üzerine Ampirik Bir Çalışma (An Empirical Study on Credit Default Swaps' Spreads and Bond Spreads)

Calismada, CDS (Kredi Temerrut Swapi) ve Euro-tahvil primleri arasindaki iliskinin Avrupa Borc Krizi’nin baslangic donemini de icine alan Ocak 2009-Kasim 2012 doneminde ne sekilde gerceklestigi incelenerek, bir oncu gosterge olarak hangisinin daha guclu oldugunun ortaya konulmasi amaclanmistir. Secilmis sekiz ulkeye ait CDS primleri ile Euro-tahvil primleri arasindaki iliski, birim kok testi ve Granger nedensellik analizi ile incelenmistir. Bulunan sonuclar Fransa ve Italya CDS primlerinin tahvil primlerine yon verdigine dair kanitlar sunmaktadir.
Employee acceptance of organizational change:the role of organizational commitment

This study tests a causal model that predicts the acceptance of organizational change using a sample of 761 employees from a large public hospital in the state of Victoria, Australia. The LISREL results indicate that employee acceptance of organizational change is increased by organizational commitment, a harmonious industrial relations (IR) climate, education, job motivation, job satisfaction, job security and positive affectivity, and is decreased by union membership, role conflict, tenure and environmental opportunity. Organizational commitment was found to act as both a determinant and mediator in the change process. Implications for the management of organizational change using human resource (HR) strategies and policies are discussed.
Xenon and Isoflurane Differentially Modulate Lipopolysaccharide-Induced Activation of the Nuclear Transcription Factor KB and Production of Tumor Necrosis Factor-&agr; and Interleukin-6 in Monocytes

Anesthetics are known to interfere with the production of inflammatory cytokines. In this study, we investigated the effect of xenon and isoflurane on the lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced activation of the nuclear transcription factor (NF)-&kgr;B and production of tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-&agr; and interleukin (IL)-6 in vitro. Whole blood was incubated with LPS in the absence or presence of the either xenon (30 and 60 Vol%) and isoflurane (1 and 2 minimum alveolar anesthetic concentration [MAC]). After 4 h, TNF-&agr; and IL-6 were assayed in the supernatant. Involvement of NF-&kgr;B was investigated using isolated monocytes from the blood samples. Whole-cell lysates were prepared, and binding of the NF-&kgr;B p50 and p65 subunit to its target DNA were measured with an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay-based NF-&kgr;B kit. LPS-induced production of TNF-&agr; and IL-6 as well as activation of NF-&kgr;B were significantly increased in the presence of xenon compared with controls. In contrast, isoflurane inhibited the activation of NF-&kgr;B, which was associated with a decreased production of TNF-&agr; and IL-6. Our results demonstrate that xenon and isoflurane have opposite effects on the LPS-induced production of TNF-&agr; and IL-6. Furthermore, xenon increases, whereas isoflurane inhibits the activation of NF-&kgr;B, providing a possible molecular mechanism for the different effects on monocyte TNF-&agr; and IL-6 production.