Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The p.Val66Met polymorphism in the BDNF gene protects against early seizures in Rett syndrome

Objective: X chromosome inactivation and the MECP2 genotype do not provide the full explanations for the clinical differences between patients with Rett syndrome (RTT), suggesting the involvement of other factors. One MeCP2 target is the brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) gene. We investigated, according to the MECP2 genotype, the role of the BDNF functional polymorphism (Val66Met) on the severity of RTT. Methods: This polymorphism in BDNF was analyzed by PCR and dHPLC in 81 patients with RTT. We studied the association between the MECP2 and BDNF genotypes and the clinical features in each patient. Results: We found that some RTT features can be correlated with MECP2 genotypes. Missense mutations are associated with a more severe epileptic phenotype (early onset and drug resistance) than other mutations. Non-sense and late truncating mutations lead to a less severe phenotype regarding walking. The distribution of the Val66Met polymorphism was not significantly different between the different groups in regard to the severity of all tested symptoms. However, girls with RTT bearing the Val66Val genotype tend to present earlier seizures than girls with RTT bearing the Met66 allele. No girls with RTT with the Met66 allele presented early seizures. Conclusions: Early onset of seizures is linked to the combined MECP2 and BDNF genotypes. The BDNF Met66 allele may protect against seizures, whereas missense mutations in the MBD of MECP2 are more frequently associated with early seizures. GLOSSARY: BDNF = brain-derived neurotrophic factor; dHPLC = denaturing high pressure liquid chromatography; MBD = methyl-binding domain; NLS = nuclear location signal; RTT = Rett syndrome; TRD = transcription repression domain; XCI = X-chromosome inactivation status.
The species of Eimeria in rabbits for meat production in Britain

SUMMARY Eight species of coccidia were recognized in 596 faeces samples from 3 commercial rabbitries in South East England. The level of infection was related to management methods and at one site it was reduced by an outbreak of mucoid enteritis and/or its treatment with oxytetracycline. In samples from rabbits managed conventionally in wire cages over droppings-pits, 96% contained oocysts and of these, 60% had 1000–10000 oocysts/g. Mixed infections were common, 67% of the animals carrying 2–4 different species. Eimeria media, E. magna and E. perforans occurred most frequently; E. coecicola, E. irresidua and E. flavescens were less common and E. intestinalis and E. piriformis were relatively rare. E. stiedai was not recorded.
Dependence of Operational Losses and the Capital at Risk

This paper addresses the issue of dependence between operational losses and how it can be accounted for in the value of capital at risk associated with operational risk. In contrast to the Loss Distribution Approach described by regulators in Basel II, our model accounts for the underlying dependence between aggregate losses of different classes of risk. For the first time in this research area, we model this dependence, assuming that it is driven by both, dependence between loss frequencies and dependence between loss severities. The model implementation shows that values of capital at risk obtained based on the Loss Distribution Approach are different than values obtained using our approach. This finding reveals that accounting for loss dependence in capital at risk computations is important for both banks and regulators. This is because a capital charge against operational losses should reflect true operational risk exposure of a bank. When correctly computed across all banks this would help to preserve stability in the banking and financial sectors of the economy.
Morning Blood Pressure Surge as a Predictor of Development of Chronic Kidney Disease

Blood pressure (BP) usually increases upon awakening––a physiological mechanism called morning BP surge (MBPS). BP values above the MBPS threshold are associated with target organ damage, including left ventricular hypertrophy and proteinuria. Despite these data, there have been no studies that have investigated the association between elevated MBPS and the development of incident chronic kidney disease (CKD). In this study, patients with essential hypertension were included and underwent ambulatory BP measurements and MBPS. Patients were followed for a median of 3.33 years. In total, 622 patients were enrolled. The mean age of patients was 57.6±12.4 years, 54.0% were men, 16.7% had diabetes, and 10.6% had prevalent cardiovascular disease. During follow‐up, 32 patients developed CKD. Higher MBPS, analyzed both as continuous and categorical variables, was associated with incident CKD in all models. Elevated MBPS is associated with kidney function deterioration and the development of CKD. Studies are needed to further examine underlying mechanisms regarding MBPS and these renal outcomes.
MOBBİNG İN HIGHER EDUCATİON: PRACTİTİONERS, VİCTİMS AND AUDİENCES

The aim of this study is to examine the causes and levels of mobbing on faculty members who work in universities and also in this study,it is tried to explain the affects of mobbing on faculty members. The study is in meta analysis approach . the state of the study is decided mobbing in higher education. The study group of the work which is determined with snowball sampling, is 23 faculty members who work in faculties and academies of Trakya University and also have demographic background. Datas were collected semi structured interview form while gathering data, interviews were done face to face by the researcher. Datas were analyezed with Nvivo 8 computer programme. In the study, faculty members indicated that, they exposure mobbing because of their critcis, about administrative and academic works, jealousy, gossip and differences in political view. Mobbing behaviours are clarified as, exclusion, discredit, dismissal, bureacratic over control, verbal threat, work overload. In current study, mobbing behaviours Yükseköğretim Kurumlarında Psikolojik Yıldırma (Terör):. 978 cause having burn out emotions and increasing in their oraganizational commitment. To sum up, in the study in univesities where are often mobbing situations because of their organizational structure, mobbing practitioners’ typhology is megolamaniac, audiences are hyprocrite and the victims are people who are successful and away from admistration.
Explorer Follow-up of cancer in primary care versus secondary care : systematic review

Background Cancer follow-up has traditionally been undertaken in secondary care, but there are increasing calls to deliver it in primary care. Aim To compare the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of primary versus secondary care follow-up of cancer patients, determine the effectiveness of the integration of primary care in routine hospital follow-up, and evaluate the impact of patient-initiated follow-up on primary care. Design of study Systematic review. Setting Primary and secondary care settings. Method A search was carried out of 19 electronic databases, online trial registries, conference proceedings, and bibliographies of included studies. The review included comparative studies or economic evaluations of primary versus secondary care follow-up, hospital follow-up with formal primary care involvement versus conventional hospital follow-up, and hospital follow-up versus patient-initiated or minimal follow-up if the study reported the impact on primary care. Results There was no statistically significant difference for patient wellbeing, recurrence rate, survival, recurrencerelated serious clinical events, diagnostic delay, or patient satisfaction. GP-led breast cancer follow-up was cheaper than hospital follow-up. Intensified primary health care resulted in increased home-care nurse contact, and improved discharge summary led to increased GP contact. Evaluation of patient-initiated or minimal follow-up found no statistically significant impact on the number of GP consultations or cancerrelated referrals. Conclusion Weak evidence suggests that breast cancer follow-up in primary care is effective. Interventions improving communication between primary and secondary care could lead to greater GP involvement. Discontinuation of formal follow-up may not increase GP workload. However, the quality of the data in general was poor, and no firm conclusions can be reached.
Liquidity Requirements: A Double-Edged Sword

This paper shows that bank liquidity regulation may be a “double-edged sword. ” Under certain conditions, it may hamper, rather than strengthen, a bank’s resilience to financial stress. The reason is the existence of two opposing effects of liquidity regulation, a liquidity effect and a solvency effect. The liquidity effect arises because a bank mitigates its risk of illiquidity when it increases its liquidity buffer. The solvency effect arises because a larger liquidity buffer reduces the bank’s returns and may therefore raise its insolvency risk. Liquidity regulation is effective in reducing a bank’s overall default risk only if the former effect dominates the latter. The paper derives conditions under which this is the case and discusses the resulting relationship between capital and liquidity regulation.
Race and weight change in US women: the roles of socioeconomic and marital status.

BACKGROUND The prevalence of overweight among Black women in the US is higher than among White women, but the causes are unknown. METHODS We examined the weight change for 514 Black and 2,770 White women who entered the first Health and Nutrtion Examination Survey (1971-75) at ages 25-44 years and were weighed again a decade later. We used multivariate analyses to estimate the weight-change effectgs associated with race, family income, education, and marital change. RESULTS After multiple adjustments, Black race, education below college level, and becoming married during the follow-up interval were each independently associated with an increased mean weight change. Using multivariate logistic analyses, Black race was not independently associated with an increased risk of major weight gain (change greater than or equal to +13 kg), but it was associated with a reduced likelihood of major weight loss (change less than or equal to -7 kg) (odds ratio - 0.64 [95% CI -0.41, 0.97])]. Very low family income was independently associated with the likelihood of both major weight gain (OR - 1.71 [95% CI - 1.15, 2.55]) and major weight loss (OR - 1.86 [95% CI - 1.18, 2.95]). CONCLUSIONS Amont US women, Black race is independently associated with a reduced likelihood of major weight loss, but not with major weight gain. Women at greatest risk of weight gain are those with education below college level, those entering marriage, and those with very low family income.
The Fear Premium and Daily Comovements of the S&P 500 E/P Ratio and Treasury Yields Before and During the 2008 Financial Crisis

I develop a new risk measure called the Total Fear Premium that generalizes Faugere‐Van Erlach (2009) and accounts for both flight‐to‐safety and flight‐to‐liquidity behavior. This new measure helps to explain why the daily S&P 500 forward earnings yield (E/P ratio) is strongly negatively correlated with daily Treasury yields of all maturities during the 2008 financial crisis, which is a reversal from the relation that prevailed before the crisis. The Total Fear Premium “mimics” the VIX during the financial crisis. Once the basic GARCH formulation modeling the interaction between the earnings yield and Treasury yields is augmented with the Total Fear Premium, the relation between the earnings yield and short‐term Treasury yields becomes significantly positive, in line with Fama's (1975) view that short‐term yields are good proxies for expected inflation. Two by‐products of this analysis are: 1) a new risk premium measure associated with flight‐to‐liquidity and 2) a new way to measure the inflation risk premium on a daily basis.
Longitudinal in vivo developmental changes of metabolites in the hippocampus of Fmr1 knockout mice

Fragile X syndrome (FXS) is the most common form of inherited mental retardation and is studied in the Fmr1 knockout (KO) mouse, which models both the anatomical and behavioral changes observed in FXS patients. In vitro studies have shown many alterations in synaptic plasticity and increased density of immature dendritic spines in the hippocampus, a region involved in learning and memory. In this study, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and 1H magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) were used to determine in vivo longitudinal changes in volume and metabolites in the hippocampus during the critical period of early myelination and synaptogenesis at post‐natal days (PND) 18, 21, and 30 in Fmr1 KO mice compared with wild‐type (WT) controls. MRI demonstrated an increase in volume of the hippocampus in the Fmr1 KO mouse compared with controls. MRS revealed significant developmental changes in the ratios of hippocampal metabolites N‐acetylaspartate (NAA), myo‐inositol (Ins), and taurine to total creatine (tCr) in Fmr1 KO mice compared with WT controls. Ins was decreased at PND 30, and taurine was increased at all ages studied in Fmr1 KO mice compared with controls. An imbalance of brain metabolites in the hippocampus of Fmr1 KO mice during the critical developmental period of synaptogenesis and early myelination could have long‐lasting effects that adversely affect brain development and contribute to ongoing alterations in brain function.
Farm of origin and finishing environment effects on beef quality attributes

An experiment was conducted to test the hypothesis that finishing environment can affect beef quality attributes, including fat and meat colour, meat pH, subcutaneous fat depth (FD) and intramuscular fat (IMF) content of pasture-fed beef. 181 rising 2-year old Angus steers were obtained from 4 source farms and finished at 4 North Island locations. On 3 properties, home-bred cattle were compared to a common control line. On a fourth property, cattle from the 3 sources were compared to each other and to the control. FD, meat pH and meat colour were affected by location (P<0.01), but not source. Only source effects were significant (P<0.05) for IMF. Both source and location affected fat colour (P<0.01). Steers that were killed later had significantly (P<0.01) higher meat pH (r=0.33), darker meat (r=-0.24), greater IMF (r=0.26), higher plasma carotene levels at slaughter (r=0.38) and yellower fat b* (r=0.39). The results indicate that both farm of origin and finishing environment can affect meat quality. Both sources of variation appeared to be mediated, in part, by cattle growth rate.
Three Benchmarks for Distributional Approaches to Natural Language Syntax

Human language abilities are far richer than what is represented in the kinds of monolingual corpora that are standardly used to evaluate statistical models of language learning. This article summarizes a series of findings from language acquisition, crosslanguage typology, and language processing, that illustrate the challenges that any serious model of natural language syntax must meet. Even a putative ideal statistical learner of cooccurrences in corpora will struggle to meet the challenges of complexity, crosslanguage consistency, and causality, unless it is able to take advantage of the rich representational primitives motivated by linguistics and psycholinguistics.
Severe sirolimus‐induced acute hepatitis in a renal transplant recipient

Sirolimus is currently used as an immunosuppressive agent in kidney transplantation due to its lack of nephrotoxicity and antiproliferative properties. However, a large number of side effects has been described with the use of m‐Tor inhibitors. Most are reversible when treatment is withdrawn. Hepatotoxicity is one of these side effects, considered as a benign condition and resulting generally in a transitory and small increase in transaminase levels. We report here, to the best of our knowledge, the first case of severe sirolimus‐induced acute hepatitis confirmed by liver biopsy, in a renal transplant recipient. This condition was completely cured in few weeks after sirolimus withdrawal.
Development of a Population Pharmacokinetic Model To Describe Azithromycin Whole-Blood and Plasma Concentrations over Time in Healthy Subjects

ABSTRACT Azithromycin (AZI), a broad-spectrum antibiotic, accumulates in polymorphonuclear cells and peripheral blood mononuclear cells. The distribution of AZI in proinflammatory cells may be important to the anti-inflammatory properties. Previous studies have described plasma AZI pharmacokinetics. The objective of this study was to describe the pharmacokinetics of AZI in whole blood (concentration in whole blood [Cb]) and plasma (concentration in plasma [Cp]) of healthy subjects. In this study, 12 subjects received AZI (500 mg once a day for 3 days). AZI Cb and Cp were quantified in serial samples collected up to 3 weeks after the last dose and analyzed using noncompartmental and compartmental methods. After the last dose, Cb was greater than Cp. Importantly, Cb, but not Cp, was quantifiable in all but one subject at 3 weeks. The blood area under the curve during a 24-h dosing interval (AUC24) was ∼2-fold greater than the plasma AUC24, but simulations suggested that Cb was not at steady state by day 3. Upon exploration of numerous models, an empirical 3-compartment model adequately described Cp and Cb, but Cp was somewhat underestimated. Intercompartmental clearance (CL; likely representing cells) was lower than apparent oral CL (18 versus 118 liters/h). Plasma, peripheral, and cell compartmental volumes were 439 liters, 2,980 liters, and 3,084 liters, respectively. Interindividual variability in CL was low (26.2%), while the volume of distribution variability was high (107%). This is the first report to describe AZI Cb in healthy subjects, the distribution parameters between Cp and Cb, and AZI retention in blood for up to 3 weeks following 3 daily doses. The model can be used to predict Cb from Cp for AZI under various dosing regimens. (This study has been registered at ClinicalTrials.gov under registration no. NCT01026064.)
Novel metabotropic glutamate receptor negatively coupled to adenylyl cyclase in cultured rat cerebellar astrocytes

Several excitatory amino acid ligands were found potently to inhibit forskolin‐stimulated cAMP accumulation in rat cultured cerebellar astrocytes: L‐cysteine sulfinic acid (L‐CSA) = L‐aspartate > L‐glutamate ≥ the glutamate uptake inhibitor, L‐PDC. This property did not reflect activation of conventional glutamate receptors, since the selective ionotropic glutamate receptor agonists NMDA, AMPA, and kainate, as well as several mGlu receptor agonists [(1S,3R)‐ACPD, (S)‐DHPG, DCG‐IV, L‐AP4, L‐quisqualate, and L‐CCG‐I], were without activity. In addition, the mGlu receptor antagonists, L‐AP3, (S)‐4CPG, Eglu, LY341495, (RS)‐CPPG, and (S)‐MCPG failed to reverse 30 μM glutamate‐mediated inhibitory responses. L‐PDC‐mediated inhibition was abolished by the addition of the enzyme glutamate‐pyruvate transaminase. This finding suggests that the effect of L‐PDC is indirect and that it is mediated through endogenously released L‐glutamate. Interestingly, L‐glutamate‐mediated inhibitory responses were resistant to pertussis toxin, suggesting that Gi/Go type G proteins were not involved. However, inhibition of protein kinase C (PKC, either via the selective PKC inhibitor GF109203X or chronic PMA treatment) augmented glutamate‐mediated inhibitory responses. Although mGlu3 receptors (which are negatively coupled to adenylyl cyclase) are expressed in astrocyte populations, in our study Western blot analysis indicated that this receptor type was not expressed in cerebellar astrocytes. We therefore suggest that cerebellar astrocytes express a novel mGlu receptor, which is negatively coupled to adenylyl cyclase, and possesses an atypical pharmacological profile. © 2003 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
TRANSFORMING FOREST EDUCATION TO MEET THE CHANGING DEMANDS FOR PROFESSIONALS

The traditional forestry practice is under increasing pressure to transform driven primarily by the changes in the public's perception of sustainability and to developments in science, communications, and global markets. In this context, the existing forestry education model is poorly equipped to cope with the changes sweeping through the forestry sector linked to digitization and rapid development in the information technology sectors. Previous studies have shown that in preparing professionals to practice forestry today, some notable discrepancies between what potential employers want and what the forestry institutions provide is apparent. In response, when hiring graduates of professional forestry programs, forestry employers have changed the set of skills and competencies sought. A similar scenario is also observed in Southeast Asia, which despite its large tract of forest resources and robust forest industries, is also experiencing dwindling interests among young people and reducing enrollment in many of the forest institutions. The prevailing financial constraints and political pressures on higher education make it difficult for educators to close the gap between forestry education and forest practice, but a more concerted effort from all stakeholders to revise the existing forestry education model to incorporate new courses and skills to better prepare the foresters of the future appears to be the way forward.
Investigating the influences and effects on customers' perceptions of individual and multiple brands in a marketing alliance

This thesis investigates the effects and influences of individual brands in a marketing alliance on consumers' perceptions. Specifically, it defines how consumer perceptions of service quality, trust, and loyalty toward one brand influence corresponding perceptions for the alliance of which this brand is a member. Although the relationships between perceived service quality, trust and loyalty are well established at a single brand level in the marketing literature, they have never been researched at a multi-brand alliance level. The purpose of this dissertation is to fill this gap in knowledge by researching the relationship among the three constructs in a multi-brand airline alliance context. This thesis follows a two phase research design. It consists of a preliminary qualitative study and a main quantitative study. The main purpose of the qualitative study, actualized through a number of semi-structured expert interviews, was to shed light on the effects and influences one brand can convey to the brand alliance of which it is a member. The purpose of the main quantitative study was to examine the validity of the model and hypotheses formed during the earlier phases (i.e. literature review and qualitative study) of the research. Self-administered questionnaires handed to respondents at the gate area of a major European airport aimed to capture the influences and effects of one or multiple brands within a brand alliance on customer perceptions. In general, the research findings indicate that customer perceptions of individual brands, members of a brand alliance, have a significant effect on their perceptions of the brand alliance as a whole. In particular, consumer perceptions of single brand service quality, trust and loyalty all had an effect on perceptions of brand alliance service quality, trust and loyalty respectively. Moreover. the analysis confirmed that the relationship between loyalty and positive word-of-mouth works similarly in a single brand and in a multi-brand alliance context.