Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Do Basel III Higher Common Equity Capital Requirements Matter for Bank Risk-taking Behaviour? Lessons from South Africa

This paper examines the role of common equity capital in determining the risk-taking behaviour of banks in South Africa. Using system GMM, the results show that higher common equity capital is associated with lower bank risk. Additionally, the results show that there is a negative and significant relationship between business cycles and bank risk, while the relationship between bank market power and risk is positive and significant. The findings remain robust after using alternative measures of bank risk. On the whole, this study recommends that an increase in common equity capital should be coupled with control of bank market power to achieve the goal of curtailing excessive risk appetite of banks.
Cooverexpression of alanine aminotransferase 1 in Chinese hamster ovary cells overexpressing taurine transporter further stimulates metabolism and enhances product yield

Innovation in monoclonal antibody (mAb) production continues to be driven by cell engineering strategies to increase yield and improve product quality. In a previous study, to investigate the effectiveness of transporter overexpression strategies, we prepared a taurine transporter‐overexpressing host cell line (DXB11/TAUT) that produced a higher proportion of high‐mAb‐titer strains than did the parent host cell line. In the current study, we selected a single DXB11/TAUT/mAb1 strain that remained viable for longer (up to 1 month) under common fed‐batch culture conditions, and the improvement in viability could be attributed to its improved metabolic properties. It was also more productive (up to >100 pg/cell/day) and yielded more mAb1 (up to 8.1 g/L/31 days) than the parent cell line, and the mAb1 it produced was of comparable quality. These results suggested that this host cell engineering strategy has unique potential for the improvement of mAb‐producing Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells; for example, it may be appropriate for high cell density perfusion culture. TAUT‐overexpressing cell lines rapidly accumulated the byproduct alanine, and our challenge in the present study was to apply a strategy for modulating cell metabolism to utilize this byproduct to achieve a high mAb yield in a shorter culture period. To accomplish this, we genetically modified the DXB11/TAUT/mAb1 strain to cooverexpress alanine aminotransferase 1 (ALT1). The resulting DXB11/TAUT/mAb1/ALT1 cooverexpressing strain gave a higher mAb yield in a shorter culture period (5.9 g/L/14 days). It is usually difficult to drive the overexpression of two functional genes while balancing competing goals. However, forced cooverexpression of TAUT and ALT1 in our DXB11/TAUT/mAb1/ALT1 strain resulted in a higher proliferation than the DXB11/TAUT/mAb1 strain, with an ideal balance between cell viability and productivity. Therefore, we have demonstrated a strategy capable of achieving an optimum balance among the goals of cell viability, productivity, and proliferative capacity. Biotechnol. Bioeng. 2013; 110: 2208–2215. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
A systematic approach to conceptualization

The central importance of conceptualization has been widely recognized. Existing practices of conceptualization in the information systems discipline are yet in their genesis. This paper first discusses confusion around the notion of “conceptualization”; by drawing from the philosophy of science literature, we examine the scientific basis of conceptualization and advocate for the importance of construct clarity in conceptualization practice. Previous methodological literature paid scant attention to the conduct of conceptualization. Hence, in order to counsel researchers on how to conduct conceptualization, this paper develops a set of actionable guidelines for researchers to engage more deeply with conceptualization.
C4 photosynthesis in C3 rice: a theoretical analysis of biochemical and anatomical factors

Abstract Engineering C4 photosynthesis into rice has been considered a promising strategy to increase photosynthesis and yield. A question that remains to be answered is whether expressing a C4 metabolic cycle into a C3 leaf structure and without removing the C3 background metabolism improves photosynthetic efficiency. To explore this question, we developed a 3D reaction diffusion model of bundle‐sheath and connected mesophyll cells in a C3 rice leaf. Our results show that integrating a C4 metabolic pathway into rice leaves with a C3 metabolism and mesophyll structure may lead to an improved photosynthesis under current ambient CO2 concentration. We analysed a number of physiological factors that influence the CO2 uptake rate, which include the chloroplast surface area exposed to intercellular air space, bundle‐sheath cell wall thickness, bundle‐sheath chloroplast envelope permeability, Rubisco concentration and the energy partitioning between C3 and C4 cycles. Among these, partitioning of energy between C3 and C4 photosynthesis and the partitioning of Rubisco between mesophyll and bundle‐sheath cells are decisive factors controlling photosynthetic efficiency in an engineered C3–C4 leaf. The implications of the results for the sequence of C4 evolution are also discussed.
Suppression of adrenal renin in Dahl salt-sensitive rats.

We previously showed that adrenal renin is highest in the rat zona glomerulosa (ZG) and that low sodium or high potassium and nephrectomy increase adrenal ZG renin and aldosterone. Dahl salt-sensitive rats (S) have been shown to have lower plasma renin activity and plasma aldosterone and higher plasma 18-hydroxy-11-deoxycorticosterone than Dahl salt-resistant rats (R). In this study we assess the possible role of adrenal ZG renin in the suppression of aldosterone in S rats. Adrenal ZG renin was significantly decreased in S as compared with R rats even at 6 weeks of age, when both S and R rats are still normotensive (S = 7.2 +/- 0.2, R = 18.0 +/- 1.6 ng angiotensin I/mg protein/hr). Adrenal ZG aldosterone was also significantly lower in S than in R rats (S = 21.1 +/- 4.3, R = 39.5 +/- 3.6 ng/mg protein). Furthermore, the rise in adrenal ZG renin and aldosterone after nephrectomy in S rats was significantly less than that in R rats. To determine if the suppressed adrenal ZG renin of S rats is due to volume expansion, we studied the effect of a sodium-deficient diet on adrenal ZG renin in S and R rats. After 2 weeks of a sodium-deficient diet S rats had significantly lower basal adrenal ZG renin than did R rats (S = 7.6 +/- 0.4, R = 21.7 +/- 1.9 ng angiotensin I/mg protein/hr) and a marked blunting of the adrenal ZG renin response to nephrectomy (S = 13.6 +/- 1.1, DR = 167 +/- 16.1 ng angiotensin I/mg protein/hr). (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
The Effects of Alcohol Use on High School Absenteeism

Controversy has surrounded the effects of alcohol use on educational outcomes such as GPA, and, while some issues have been addressed, important questions regarding human capital effects remain. For example, might drinking causally increase school absenteeism (which is arguably connected to educational outcomes), or merely be correlated via unobservable factors? This paper will shed further light on the issue by estimating the causal impact of drinking on the number of school days missed due to “skipping” and due to illness or injury. Utilizing data from the NSDUH (National Survey on Drug Use and Health), an instrumental variable model is estimated to study the effects of several drinking measures on these outcomes and extensive testing is conducted to verify instrument strength and exogeneity. Results indicate that alcohol use increases absenteeism among high school students (which could have deleterious effects on educational outcomes). And the results are generally consistent across instrument specifications.
Relationship between vasodilatation and cerebral blood flow increase in impaired hemodynamics: a PET study with the acetazolamide test in cerebrovascular disease.

UNLABELLED The changes in cerebral blood flow (CBF) and arterial-to-capillary blood volume (V(0)) induced by acetazolamide (ACZ) are expected to be parallel each other in the normal circulation; however, it has not been proven that the same changes in those parameters are observed in patients with cerebrovascular disease. To investigate the relationship between changes in CBF, vasodilatory capacity, and other hemodynamic parameters, the ACZ test was performed after an (15)O-gas PET study. METHODS Twenty-two patients with unilateral major cerebral arterial occlusive disease underwent PET scans using the H(2)(15)O bolus method with the ACZ test after the (15)O-gas steady-state method. CBF and V(0) for each subject were calculated using the 3-weighted integral method as well as the nonlinear least-squares fitting method. After evaluation of accuracy in V(0) values, a new parameter, the CBF/V(0) ratio, which is expected to disclose arterial perfusion pressure, was also compared between the conditions. RESULTS The regional CBF (rCBF) and V(0) increased significantly after ACZ administration in the hemisphere contralateral to the ischemic side. However, in a subgroup of patients who showed a significant reduction in the rCBF increase in the ipsilateral hemisphere (group A), the ACZ injection caused no change or a slight decrease in rCBF even though the V(0) showed a significant increase. Thus, the increases in rCBF and V(0) did not necessarily parallel each other in the ipsilateral hemispheres of patients who have impaired cerebral circulation. A parameter defined by the rCBF/V(0) ratio decreased significantly in the ipsilateral hemisphere of group A after ACZ administration, although the ratio showed no change in the contralateral hemisphere or in the other subgroup (group B). CONCLUSION The change in the rCBF/V(0) ratio after ACZ challenge may represent an alteration in arterial perfusion pressure that is expected to indicate a critical hemodynamic status in patients with cerebrovascular disease, especially in patients who have a reduced rCBF response.
Double Null of Selenium-Glutathione Peroxidase-1 and Copper, Zinc-Superoxide Dismutase Enhances Resistance of Mouse Primary Hepatocytes to Acetaminophen Toxicity

This study was conducted to determine the impact of knockout of selenium (Se)–dependent glutathione peroxidase-1 (GPX1 /) or double knockout of GPX1 and copper, zinc (Cu, Zn)–superoxide dismutase (SOD1) on cell death induced by acetaminophen (APAP) and its major toxic metabolite N-acetyl-P-benzoquinoneimine (NAPQI). Primary hepatocytes were isolated from GPX1 /. double knockout of GPX1 and SOD1 (DKO), and their wild-type (WT) mice and were treated with 5 mM APAP or 100 μM NAPQI for 0, 6, and 12 hrs. Compared with the WT cells, the GPX1 / and DKO hepatocytes were more resistant (P < 0.05) to the APAP-induced cell death but less resistant to the NAPQI-induced cell death. The APAP-mediated glutathione (GSH) depletion was greater (P < 0.05) at 6 hrs in the WT cells than in the GPX1 / and DKO cells, whereas there was no genotype effect on the NAPQI-mediated GSH depletion. The DKO cells had lower (P < 0.05) microsomal cytochrome P450 2E1 activities, but higher (P < 0.05) glutathione reductase and thioredoxin reductase activities than the WT cells at 0 hrs, and they responded differently to the APAP and NAPQI treatments. Glutathione-S-transferase activity was not affected by genotypes or treatments. Neither APAP nor NAPQI induced nitric oxide production or protein nitration in cells of any genotype. However, the GPX1 and DKO cells were more resistant to peroxynitrite-mediated protein nitration than were the WT cells. In conclusion, double null of GPX1 and SOD1 enhanced the resistance of mouse primary hepatocytes to APAP toxicity by affecting events prior to or at NAPQI formation. While the double knockout attenuated the peroxynitrite-mediated protein nitration in hepatocytes, no protein nitration was detected in these cells treated with APAP or NAPQI.
Behavioral Effects of Interleukin-1β: Modulation by Gender, Estrus Cycle, and Progesterone

Endogenous release or exogenous administration of the cytokine Interleukin-1 (IL-1) produces several behavioral alterations, including suppression of locomotion and exploration. Because there are bidirectional interactions between IL-1 and the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis, we investigated possible differences between males and females in various phases of the estrus cycle in the behavioral effects of IL-1. In addition, we assessed the role of progesterone in mediating estrus cycle-dependent differences in these effects. Female rats in either the estrus or the non-estrus phase of their cycle and male rats were injected with either IL-1 beta (2 or 5 micrograms/kg) or saline. Activity in the open field test was measured 2 h later by counting the number of line crossings and rearings. In saline-injected rats, nonestrus females performed less line crossings than estrus females. IL-1 produced a significant dose-dependent reduction of line crossing in males and estrus females. In contrast, in nonestrus females the lower dose of IL-1 had no effect, and the effect of the higher dose was significantly smaller in nonestrus than in estrus females. The higher dose of IL-1 suppressed rearing in all three groups, but the effect of the lower dose on the number of rearings was significant only in estrus females. In a second experiment, ovariectomized females were injected with either progesterone (2 mg/rat) or oil, followed 2 h later by an injection of either IL-1 beta (2 micrograms/kg) or saline. Activity was measured continuously by a biotelemetric system. IL-1 reduced activity in progesterone-treated ovariectomized females but not in oil-injected controls. These findings suggest that changes in progesterone secretion along the estrus cycle modulate the behavioral responsiveness to IL-1 in female rats.
Circumstances of discovery of phaeochromocytoma: a retrospective study of 41 consecutive patients.

OBJECTIVE Phaeochromocytoma is a rare tumour of the chromaffin cells, the diagnosis of which is based on an assay of metanephrines and treatment is surgical excision of the tumour. It is usually discovered due to a rich and varied symptomatology or classic paroxysmal hypertension. The main purpose of this study was to specify the exact circumstances of discovery of the phaeochromocytomas operated on in our university hospital between 1990 and 2002. DESIGN AND METHODS Forty-one consecutive and complete case reports of patients who had surgery for phaeochromocytoma were analysed retrospectively. This series includes 10 patients with a genetic disorder predisposing to phaeochromocytoma. RESULTS The association of headaches and palpitations with sweating was found in only 24% of cases (10/41). Blood pressure anomalies led to the discovery of phaeochromocytoma in only 51% of cases (21/41) and 59% (24/41) of all the patients suffered from hypertension. In almost half the cases (20/41), the tumour was discovered by an imaging method (ultrasonography, CT scan or MRI) which had been performed for reasons unrelated to a blood pressure abnormality. CONCLUSIONS Phaeochromocytoma, the symptoms of which are not very specific and during which hypertension is present in only half the patients, is a disease that remains rare. Its incidence could be increasing because of changes in the method of detection. Indeed, in our study, different imaging techniques led to its incidental discovery in half of the cases.
Diagnostic utility of Glut‐1 and CA 15‐3 in discriminating adenocarcinoma from hepatocellular carcinoma in liver tumors biopsied by fine‐needle aspiration

Diagnosing liver tumors can be difficult in the setting of a poorly differentiated tumor or tumors with no known prior malignancy. Frequently, α‐fetoprotein, carcinoembryonic antigen, factor VIII, and mucicarmine have been employed to distinguish hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) from adenocarcinoma. However, these stains have their limitations. CA 15‐3 and Glut‐1 are expressed in a variety of carcinomas. To the authors' knowledge, their expression in HCC has not been studied extensively. The authors examined the clinical utility of CA 15‐3 and Glut‐1 in the setting of fine‐needle aspiration biopsy samples from the liver.
Tumor necrosis factor-α induces epithelial–mesenchymal transition of renal cell carcinoma cells via a nuclear factor kappa B-independent mechanism

Chronic low dose of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) stimulation promotes tumorigenesis by facilitating tumor proliferation and metastasis. The plasma levels of TNF-α are increased in patients with renal cell carcinoma (RCC). Furthermore, high-grade clear cell RCC cell lines secrete more TNF-α than low-grade ones, and allow low-grade cell lines' gain of invasive ability. However, the molecular mechanism of TNF-α in mediating progression of RCC cells remains unclear. In the present study, TNF-α induced epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT) of RCC cells by repressing E-cadherin, promoting invasiveness and activating matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) 9 activity. RCC cells underwent promoted growth in vivo following stimulation with TNF-α. In addition, TNF-α induced phosphorylation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase, nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) and Akt in a time-dependent manner, and increased nuclear translocation and promoter activity of NF-κB. To investigate the role of NF-κB activation in TNF-α-induced EMT of RCC, we employed chemical inhibitors (NF-κB activation inhibitor and Bay 11-7082) and transfected dominant-negative (pCMV-IκBαM) and overexpressive (pFLAG-p65) vectors of NF-κB. While overexpression of NF-κB p65 alone could induce E-cadherin loss in RCC, EMT phenotypes and MMP9 expressions induced by TNF-α were not reversed by the inhibitors of NF-κB activation. These results suggest that the TNF-α signaling pathway is involved in the tumorigenesis of RCC. However, NF-κB activation is not crucial for invasion and EMT enhanced by TNF-α in RCC cells.
Fundamental versus Granular Comparative Advantage: An Analysis Using Chess Data

Summary The Ricardian and Heckscher-Ohlin models of international trade contend that firms do not play any role in shaping countries' export specialization. However, the evidence shows that few firms dominate exports in many countries. This paper analyzes the relative contribution of fundamental (country) and granular (individual) comparative advantage to the differences in specialization across countries in a particular activity: chess. Using data on the quality of around 146,000 chess players in 106 countries in 2015, I find that fundamental comparative advantage is the main contributor to the variation in countries' specialization in chess. However, the contribution of granular comparative advantage becomes larger when analyzing specialization in very high-quality chess players. Despite the appearance of chess servers that allow playing online and offer tools to improve chess skills, I do not find convergence in fundamental comparative advantage over the period 2001-2015.
Peacekeepers against ethnic and criminal violence

Which geographic configurations of ethnic settlements are most susceptible to violence in ethnic conflict? Existing research on ethnic conflict focuses on regional configurations of ethnicity, thus neglecting how local vulnerable pockets of minorities may become primary targets for violence. The mechanism linking minority enclaves to more violence posits that the regional majority group will fight local minorities in order to i) create ethnically homogeneous areas and ii) remove potential support for the other group by the local minority. Incentives to attack result from the vulnerable position of minority enclaves that cannot easily receive outside support from their ethnic brethren. The paper thus argues that the presence of vulnerable ethnic minorities in areas dominated by other ethnic groups heightens the perception of threat, suggesting that the implications of the ethnic security dilemma are more pronounced. The paper uses Geographic Information Systems (GIS) to develop measures of isolated and vulnerable minority enclaves. This novel measure captures local (micro) and regional (macro) patterns of ethnic settlements that remain veiled behind a focus on ethnicity in larger administrative units. In a quantitative case study of the Bosnian war (1992-1994), I show that the presence of local minorities within territories controlled by an enemy ethnic majority is associated with more violence. The results remain robust when accounting for the presence of the UN peacekeeping mission (UNPROFOR) and across several robustness checks. 5 This chapter has been published in Political Geography (Di Salvatore 2016).
Clinical symptoms in celiac patients on a gluten-free diet

Objective. Persistent villous atrophy in patients with celiac disease (CD) on a gluten-free diet (GFD) is reported with increasing frequency. The aim of this study was to evaluate a possible association between persistent damage of the villi and “atypical” gastrointestinal symptoms in CD patients on a GFD. Material and methods. Sixty-nine CD patients on a GFD were divided into two groups: Group A included 42 patients (6 M, 36 F, age range 17–62 years) undergoing esophagogastroduodenoscopies (EGDs) due to the presence of symptoms; Group B included 27 control patients (6 M, 21 F, age range 24–71 years) who were asymptomatic at the time of the study. Both groups underwent EGDs and a duodenal histologic study. Results. Persistent endoscopic lesions were more frequent in Group A (30/42) than in Group B (12/27; p=0.01). Villous atrophy was significantly more frequent in Group A than in Group B: 85% versus 33% (p<0.0001; odds ratio (OR)=12; 95% CI 3.7–38.9). Gastrointestinal symptoms in the Group A patients were different from those present at CD diagnosis: anemia/diarrhea/weight loss in 6 cases; gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD)-like symptoms in 12 cases; abdominal pain/constipation in 24 cases. In Group A there was no difference in gender distribution, age and duration of GFD between subjects with normal villi and those with persistent partial villous atrophy. Patients with persistent symptoms showed a higher intraepithelial eosinophil count (p=0.005) than the asymptomatic patients (p=0.01). Conclusions. Persistent intestinal villous atrophy in CD patients on a GFD is associated with gastrointestinal symptoms considered “atypical” for CD and not present at CD diagnosis.
Regulation of enzyme synthesis by the glutamine synthetase of Salmonella typhimurium: a factor in addition to glutamine synthetase is required for activation of enzyme formation

In Klebsiella aerogenes but not in Salmonella typhimurium glutamine synthetase can function during nitrogen-limited growth to increase the rate of synthesis of histidase from the hut genes of S. typhimurium 15-59 (hutS. 15-59). Formation of proline oxidase is also not increased in nitrogen-limited cultures of S. typhimurium. However, in hybrid strains of Escherichia coli or K. aerogenes, the glutamine synthetase of S. typhimurium activates synthesis of histidase from the hutS. 15-59 genes. Apparently, glutamine synthetase is necessary but not sufficient for activation of transcription of the hut genes; another factor must also be present. This factor is active in both K. aerogenes and E. coli but is missing or altered in S. typhimurium.