Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Influence of lecithin acyl chain composition on the kinetics of exchange between chylomicrons and high density lipoproteins.

The kinetics of lecithin exchange between native lipoproteins was characterized for individual molecular species of lecithins of rat mesenteric lymph chylomicrons and rat plasma HDL. Studies were performed in the absence of lipid transfer proteins. Donor (chylomicrons) and acceptor (HDL) particles were present in ratios of 1:1 and 1:10 with respect to total phospholipid. Biphasic exchange kinetics were observed for all major lecithins common to chylomicrons and HDL at both proportions of donor to acceptor particles. During the early rapid phase of exchange, complete in about 30 min, 40-60% of the total lecithin pool was exchanged. Initial exchange rates were most rapid for the more hydrophilic species of the major lecithins normally present in both lipoproteins. Calculated activation energies correspondingly were least for a diunsaturated lecithin (18:1-20:4), intermediate for lecithins were 16:0 in position-1 (16:0-18:2 and 16:0-20:4), and highest for analogous lecithins with 18:0 in position-1. A 10-fold increase in the ratio of acceptor to donor particles affected neither the biphasic nature of the exchange nor the rates of exchange of individual molecular species (consistent with exchange by diffusion rather than by particle collisions). Total equilibration of individual molecular lecithin species was achieved by 24 hr (37 degrees C, donor to acceptor ratio of 1:1) with only a small change in the relative mass of lecithins in chylomicrons and HDL. Novel lecithins containing 18:3, incorporated into chylomicrons, were found to exchange exceedingly rapidly. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Clinical efficacy of orlistat therapy in overweight and obese patients with insulin-treated type 2 diabetes: A 1-year randomized controlled trial.

UNLABELLED OBJECTIVE; Weight loss improves glycemic control, lipid profiles, and blood pressure in patients with type 2 diabetes. However, successful long-term weight loss is difficult for these patients, particularly those treated with insulin. The aim of this study was to assess the effect of orlistat, a gastrointestinal lipase inhibitor, on weight loss, glycemic control, and cardiovascular risk factors in overweight or obese insulin-treated type 2 diabetic patients. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS This study was a 1-year multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of orlistat (120 mg three times a day) or placebo combined with a reduced-calorie diet in overweight or obese adults (BMI 28-40 kg/m(2)) with type 2 diabetes treated with insulin alone or combined with oral agents, but with suboptimal metabolic control (HbA(1c) 7.5-12.0%). Outcome measurements included changes in body weight, glycemic control, blood pressure, and serum lipids. RESULTS; After 1 year, the orlistat group lost significantly more weight (-3.89 +/- 0.3% of baseline body weight, means +/- SE) than the placebo group (-1.27 +/- 0.3%, P < 0.001). Orlistat treatment, compared with placebo, produced greater decreases in HbA(1c) (-0.62 +/- 0.08 vs. -0.27 +/- 0.08%, P = 0.002), fasting serum glucose (-1.63 +/- 0.3 vs. -1.08 +/- 0.3 mmol/l, P = 0.02), and the required doses of insulin and other diabetic medications. Orlistat also produced greater improvements than placebo in serum total cholesterol (P = 0.0002) and LDL cholesterol concentrations (P = 0.001) and LDL/HDL ratio (P = 0.01). CONCLUSIONS; Orlistat therapy produces clinically significant weight loss, with improvements in glycemic control and cardiovascular disease risk factors, in overweight or obese patients with type 2 diabetes who have suboptimal metabolic control with insulin therapy.
Prior time uncertainty reduction of foreperiod duration in schizophrenia and old age.

Four groups of college students, alcoholics, schizophrenics, and old age Ss judged stimulus durations of . 50 and . 55 seconds. The stimulus was preceded by a sound that functioned as the warning signal. The foreperiod duration, that is, the interval between the onsets of the warning signal and the stimulus, was variable and was either 1,3, or 5 seconds. There was no group difference with respect to the effect of foreperiod variability. Estimation of stimulus duration was a monotonically increasing function of foreperiod duration. However, when pitch of the sound was correlated with the corresponding foreperiod duration, this monotonic relation between foreperiod duration and estimation of stimulus duration was eliminated for schizophrenics, but not for nonschizophrenics. Although schizophrenics were not distinguishable from nonschizophrenics in terms of the effect of foreperiod variability, receptivity to prior information associated with time uncertainty reduction was shown to be unique for schizophrenia.
The osa gene of pSa encodes a 21.1-kilodalton protein that suppresses Agrobacterium tumefaciens oncogenicity

The incompatibility group W plasmid pSa suppresses Agrobacterium tumefaciens oncogenicity (J. Loper and C. Kado, J. Bacteriol. 139:591-596, 1979). The oncogenic suppressive activity was localized to a 3.1-kb region of pSa by Tn5 mutagenesis and deletion analysis. Within this fragment, a 1.1-kb subclone bearing oncogenic suppressive activity was subjected to further characterization. Nucleotide sequencing of the 1.1-kb fragment revealed a 570-bp open reading frame (ORF1) that has a coding capacity for a protein of 21.1 kDa. Sequencing of flanking regions revealed a second ORF (ORF2) located 3 bp upstream of ORF1, with a coding capacity for a protein of 22.8 kDa. Gene fusions of these ORFs to a T7 phi 10 expression system in Escherichia coli resulted in the synthesis of polypeptides of the predicted sizes. An E. coli promoter consensus sequence was not found in the expected positions in the region preceding ORF1. However, several sequences with similarity to the consensus -10 sequence of the A. tumefaciens vir gene promoters were found upstream of ORF1. Potential translational start signals are upstream of ORF1 and ORF2. These sequences showed no significant similarity at the nucleotide or amino acid levels with those in available data bases. However, the C-terminal portion of the ORF1 protein is rich in hydrophobic residues. Perhaps oncogenicity suppression is effected by an association of this protein with the Agrobacterium membrane such that T-DNA transfer is blocked.
Is there Feminization of Poverty in Egypt

This paper uses five cross sections of newly released Household Income, Expenditure and Consumption Survey data to determine whether there has been feminization of poverty in Egypt during the last 15 years. The period of study is one during which poverty as a whole has been increasing, and major economic, social and political changes took place. Results suggest that poverty is more prevalent among female headed households when compared to male headed households, but that married couple households are in fact poorer than both for most of the years under study. The rural-urban divide is also a very important factor determining poverty.
Cognition, structural brain changes and complicated grief. A population-based study

Background Several psychosocial risk factors for complicated grief have been described. However, the association of complicated grief with cognitive and biological risk factors is unclear. The present study examined whether complicated grief and normal grief are related to cognitive performance or structural brain volumes in a large population-based study. Method The present research comprised cross-sectional analyses embedded in the Rotterdam Study. The study included 5501 non-demented persons. Participants were classified as experiencing no grief (n = 4731), normal grief (n = 615) or complicated grief (n = 155) as assessed with the Inventory of Complicated Grief. All persons underwent cognitive testing (Mini-Mental State Examination, Letter–Digit Substitution Test, Stroop Test, Word Fluency Task, word learning test – immediate and delayed recall), and magnetic resonance imaging to measure general brain parameters (white matter, gray matter), and white matter lesions. Total brain volume was defined as the sum of gray matter plus normal white matter and white matter lesion volume. Persons with depressive disorders were excluded and analyses were adjusted for depressive symptoms. Results Compared with no-grief participants, participants with complicated grief had lower scores for the Letter–Digit Substitution Test [Z-score −0.16 v. 0.04, 95% confidence interval (CI) −0.36 to −0.04, p = 0.01] and Word Fluency Task (Z-score −0.15 v. 0.03, 95% CI −0.35 to −0.02, p = 0.02) and smaller total volumes of brain matter (933.53 ml v. 952.42 ml, 95% CI −37.6 to −0.10, p = 0.04). Conclusions Participants with complicated grief performed poorly in cognitive tests and had a smaller total brain volume. Although the effect sizes were small, these findings suggest that there may be a neurological correlate of complicated grief, but not of normal grief, in the general population.
Isolation of a novel freshwater agarolytic Cellvibrio sp. KY-YJ-3 and characterization of its extracellular beta-agarase.

A novel agarolytic bacterium KY-YJ-3, producing extracellular agarase, was isolated from the freshwater sediment of the Sincheon River in Daegu, Korea. On the basis of gram-staining data, morphology, and phylogenetic analysis of the 16S rDNA sequence, the isolate was identified as Cellvibrio sp. By ammonium sulfate precipitation followed by Toyopearl QAE-550C, Toyopearl HW-55F, and Mono-Q column chromatography, the extracellular agarase in the culture fluid could be purified 120.2-fold with yield of 8.1%. The specific activity of the purified agarase was 84.2 U/mg. The molecular mass of the purified agarase was 70 kDa as determined by dodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE). The optimal temperature and pH of the purified agarase were 35 degrees C and pH 7.0, respectively. The purified agarase failed to hydrolyze the other polysaccharide substrates, including carboxymethyl (CM)-cellulose, dextran, soluble starch, pectin, and polygalacturonic acid. Kinetic analysis of the agarose-hydrolysis catalyzed by the purified agarase using thin layer chromatography (TLC) exhibited that the main products were neoagarobiose, neoagarotetraose, and neoagarohexaose. These results demonstrated that the newly isolated freshwater agarolytic bacterium KY-YJ-3 was a Cellvibrio sp. , and could produce an extracellular beta-agarase, which hydrolyzed agarose to yield neoagarobiose, neoagarotetraose, and neoagarohexaose as the main products.
Diagnosis of Q Fever

My colleagues and I compliment Dr. Fournier and coauthors on an excellent review (3). However, we were surprised to read the statement that there is no commercially available enzymelinked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for the serological detection of Q fever, since papers describing these assays have been published (1, 2, 4). These ELISAs, for the detection of specific immunoglobulin M (IgM), IgA, and IgG antibodies produced during Q fever, are available from PanBio Pty Ltd., Brisbane, Australia. All tests use a common assay method, including the provision of cutoff control sera, and take less than an hour to perform. The availability of these tests in part contradicts the claim made by Fournier et al. (3) that ELISA is a more laborious technique than immunofluorescence assay (IFA) and requires considerable experience in interpreting the results. The IgG ELISA has been shown to have good correlation with immunofluorescence, and all patients determined to have a significant level of antibody by IFA were positive in the PanBio test (2, 4). The IgM and IgA ELISAs showed a significant correlation with the complement fixation test, with sensitivity of 100% and specificity of 89% being reported for each assay (1).
Rat liver and kidney contain high densities of sigma 1 and sigma 2 receptors: characterization by ligand binding and photoaffinity labeling.

Rat liver and kidney were investigated for the presence of sigma (sigma) receptor subtypes by radioligand binding with three highly selective sigma probes and by photoaffinity labeling using [3H]azido-di-o-tolylguanidine ([3H]azido-DTG). [3H](+)-Pentazocine, a highly selective sigma 1 probe, bound to sites in liver membranes with Kd = 7.5 nM and Bmax3 = 2929 fmol/mg protein. [3H](+)-Pentazocine binding sites in kidney had Kd = 23.3 nM and Bmax = 229 fmol/mg protein. [3H]1,3-Di-o-tolylguanidine ([3H]DTG) and [3H](+)-3-(3-hydroxyphenyl)-N-(1-propyl)piperidine ([3H](+)-3-PPP) label both sigma 1 and sigma 2 receptors. Parameters for [3H]DTG in the liver were Kd = 17.9 nM and Bmax = 11,895 fmol/mg protein. Similar parameters were observed for [3H](+)-3-PPP, Kd = 51.9 nM and Bmax = 11,070 fmol/mg protein. [3H]DTG bound to rat kidney with Kd = 45.8 nM and Bmax = 1190 fmol/mg protein. The observation that either [3H]DTG or [3H](+)-3-PPP and [3H](+)-3-PPP labeled a higher number of sites relative to [3H](+)-pentazocine suggested that liver and kidney contain both subtypes of sigma receptor. This was confirmed by competition studies vs. [3H](+)-pentazocine and [3H]DTG (in the presence of dextrallorphan to mask sigma 1 sites). In both tissues, [3H](+)-pentazocine labeled sites with high affinity for haloperidol and enantioselectivity for (+)-benzomorphans over (-)-benzomorphans. [3H]DTG + dextrallorphan labeled sites in both tissues which also had high affinity for haloperidol, but which had the characteristic sigma 2 property of low affinity for (+)-benzomorphans and enantioselectivity for (-)-benzomorphans over the corresponding (+)-isomer. Similar results were obtained with [3H](+)-3-PPP + dextrallorphan. Several novel aryl diamines, such as 1S,2R-cis-N-[2-(3,4-dichlorophenylethyl]-N-methyl-2- (1-pyrrolidinyl)cyclohexylamine (BD737) and N-[2-(3,4-dichlorophenyl)ethyl]-N-methyl-2-(1-pyrrolidinyl)ethylamine (BD1008), bound to both sites with high affinity. Photoaffinity labeling with 10 nM [3H]azido-DTG resulted in specific labeling of polypeptides of 25 kDa and 21.5 kDa. Dextrallorphan (100 nM or 500 nM) completely blocked labeling of the 25 kDa polypeptide, but had no effect on labeling of the lower molecular weight protein. (+)-10,11-Dihydro-5-methyl-5H-dibenzo[a,d]cyclohepten-5,10- imine((+)-MK-801) had no effect on labeling of either polypeptide. These data are consistent with the notion that the 25 kDa and 21.5 kDa proteins represent sigma 1 and sigma 2 receptors, respectively. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
Effect of Extracellular Volume Expansion and Surgical Stress on Splanchnic Blood Flow and Cardiac Output in Anesthetized Rats: Role of Nitric Oxide

In a normal volume state, surgical stress decreases rather than increases nitric oxide (NO) production in the vascular system. In our studies, the effect of minor and major surgical stress and three different degrees of volume expansion on systemic and splanchnic circulatory parameters and on the NO dependence of the circulation have been investigated. When the degree of volume expansion was increased, cardiac output and organ blood flow increased without significant change in vascular resistances. Major surgical stress reduced the increase in cardiac output and organ blood flow elicited by the volume expansion. NO synthase (NOS) inhibition significantly increased blood pressure and total peripheral resistance (TPR) and decreased cardiac output in all groups of animals. As the degree of volume expansion was increased, the NO dependence of the circulation in the surgically less- and more-stressed animals was inversely influenced in some cases. With the three degrees of volume expansion (20, 40, and 60 ml/kg), the NOS inhibition increased the TPR from 30.7 R/kg ± 1.90 to 73.6 R/kg ± 5.00, from 20.7 R/kg ± 1.43 to 66.7 R/kg ± 3.88, and from 19.9 R/kg ± 1.25 to 49.1 R/kg ± 3.84 in the surgically less-stressed animals and from 38.6 R/kg ± 2.14 to 59.8 R/kg ± 5.62, from 31.9 R/kg ± 2.70 to 81.7 R/kg ± 9.89, and from 29.1 R/kg ± 2.49 to 91.1 R/kg ± 6.36 in the surgically more-stressed animals. Volume expansion increases the NO dependence of the vascular resistance in the surgically more-stressed animals but decreases it in the surgically less-stressed animals.
Information Acquisition Under Risky Conditions Across Real and Hypothetical Settings

I collect data on how subjects acquire information about risky choices in both real and hypothetical settings using process‐tracing software called Mouselab. On average, there are no significant differences across settings in the amount of time subjects take to make a choice or the completeness of the information they acquire. Subjects also acquire information in sequences consistent with an integration model of decision‐making, such as expected utility theory or prospect theory. I do not find significant differences in risk preferences across settings, on average, but I do find that subjects' risk preferences are related to the completeness of the information that they acquire and where they start their information acquisition.
The great divergence(s)

This report provides new evidence on the increasing dispersion in wages and productivity using novel micro-aggregated firm-level data from 16 countries. First, the report documents an increase in wage and productivity dispersions, for both manufacturing and market services. Second, it shows that these trends are driven by differences within rather than across sectors, and that the increase in dispersion is mainly driven by the bottom of the distribution, while divergence at the top occurs only in the service sector, and only after 2005. Third, it suggests that between-firm wage dispersion is linked to increasing differences between high and low productivity firms. Fourth, it suggests that both globalisation and digitalisation imply higher wage divergence, but strengthen the link between productivity and wage dispersion. Finally, it investigates the impact of minimum wage, employment protection legislation, trade union density, and coordination in wage setting on wage dispersion and its link to productivity dispersion.
Job changes and interregional migration of graduates

ABSTRACT Using panel data from a German graduate survey, we analyse determinants of graduates’ decisions to out-migrate from a region and how the importance of these determinants varies over job changes. Estimating Heckman and fixed-effects Heckman selection models, we find that the propensity to out-migrate significantly varies with graduates’ migration experience as well as individual, study-related and regional characteristics. While previous migration remains a strong determinant of migration over job changes, the importance of other covariates decreases. The origin-region perspective of our study provides insights into the public provision of higher education as its returns depend on graduates’ interregional migration.
Asset Redeployability, Liquidation Value, and Endogenous Capital Structure Heterogeneity

Firms with lower leverage are not only less likely to experience financial distress but are also better positioned to acquire assets from other distressed firms. With endogenous asset sales and values, each firm’s debt choice then depends on the choices of its industry peers. With indivisible assets, otherwise-identical firms may adopt different debt policies, with some choosing highly levered operations (to take advantage of ongoing debt benefits) and others choosing more conservative policies to wait for acquisition opportunities. Our key empirical implication is that the acquisition channel can induce firms to reduce debt when assets become more redeployable.
Sustainability of Economic Growth and Convergence in Regions of Different Developmental Stages

This study aims to contribute to the overall discussion on sustainability of growth and convergence in a variety of regions, focusing on not only economic but also environmental sustainability aspects and consequences of convergence. Results show that the direction and rate of economic convergence among countries of different regions markedly depends on the stage of their development and corresponds well to the primary regularities of logistic growth law. In developing regions, faster growth in richer countries leads to divergence among countries of the region. Absolute economic convergence is only possible in economically developed regions, which have already passed the stage of maximal growth rate and can be characterized by the deceleration of economic growth gradually approaching the steady state (zero‐growth) stage. Economic growth and convergence lead to both positive and negative environmental outcomes. The first signs of absolute decoupling have been noticed over the last decade in some developed countries, but only a relative decoupling of environmental impact from economic growth is characteristic of developing regions and countries. The level of decoupling is not sufficient, and environmental impact in developing countries and in the largest emerging economies in particular is approaching the high level of developed countries much faster than the economy. Hence, different development stages require different approaches and policies for both economic development and environmental sustainability. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment
HLA‐DRB, ‐DQA, and DQB alleles and haplotypes in Iranian patients with diabetes mellitus type I

Specific alleles at the HLA‐DRB1, ‐DQA1, and ‐DQB1 loci seem to be associated with variable risks of developing type 1 diabetes (T1D). This study assessed the distribution of HLA‐DR and ‐DQ alleles among Iranian T1D patients and healthy controls. In this study, HLA‐DRB1, ‐DQA1, and ‐DQB1 alleles were determined in 100 children with T1D and 100 unrelated healthy controls. The following alleles were found to have a strong positive association with T1D: DRB1*0301, DRB1*0401, DRB1*0402, DQA1*0301, DQA1*0501, DQB1*0201, and DQB1*0302. Meanwhile, protective associations were found for DRB1*1001, DRB1*1101, DRB1*15, DRB1*16, DQA1*0102, DQA1*0103, DQB1*0301, DQB1*0501, and DQB1*0602 alleles. The haplotypes found most frequently among patients with T1D were DRB1*0301‐DQA1*0501‐DQB1*0201, DRB1*0401‐DQA1*0301‐ DQB1*0302, and DRB1*0402‐DQA1*0301‐DQB1*0302, whereas DRB1*1101‐DQA1*0501‐DQB1*0301 and DRB1*16‐DQA1*0102‐ DQB1*0501 haplotypes were negatively associated with the disease. These results confirm the previously reported association of specific HLA‐DR and HLA‐DQ alleles and haplotypes with T1D in Iranian population. The notable difference was the identification of DRB1*16‐DQA1*0102‐DQB1*0501 as a protective haplotype and the absence of a negative association of DRB1*1301‐DQA1*0103‐DRB1*0603 with T1D.
Incidence, risk factors and management of pleural effusions during dasatinib treatment in unselected elderly patients with chronic myelogenous leukaemia

To assess the most important features and clinical impact of pleural effusions, which are a common toxicity during dasatinib treatment and often impair its high efficacy, 172 unselected consecutive patients with chronic myelogenous leukaemia in chronic phase treated in 27 Italian centres, with dasatinib when aged >60 years for resistance/intolerance to imatinib, were examined. During treatment, 52/172 patients (30.2%) presented pleural effusion, which was grades 1–2 in 38 patients and grades 3–4 in 14 patients (8.1% of the entire cohort of patients), according to the WHO scale; in 14/52 patients (26.9%), there was a concomitant pericardial effusion. Pleural effusion was recurrent in 25/52 patients (48.0%). Median time from dasatinib to first pleural effusion was 11.0 months (interquartile range 3.6–18.6). Eleven patients (6.4%) required permanent dasatinib discontinuation. Only presence of concomitant pulmonary disease ( p = 0.035) and initial daily dose of dasatinib (140 mg vs 100 mg, p = 0.014) were significantly associated with pleural effusions. There were no differences among patients with or without pleural effusions as concerns response rates and overall survival. Pleural effusions were common in our unselected ‘real‐life’ population of elderly patients but were clinically manageable and did not seem to affect treatment results. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.