Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Utility of measuring plasma N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide in detecting hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and differentiating grades of severity in cats.

BACKGROUND Cats with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) often have no clinical signs or subtle signs. Measurement of N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) has been demonstrated in people to be highly specific for heart disease and also correlates with severity of HCM. NT-proBNP may also be valuable in detecting and grading HCM in cats, but results to date have been equivocal. OBJECTIVES The aims of this study were to evaluate NT-proBNP as a screening test for diagnosis of HCM in cats and determine an appropriate cut-off value and to determine if NT-proBNP concentrations correlated with severity of HCM in cats. METHODS Plasma NT-proBNP concentrations were measured in 201 cats using an ELISA designed for use in cats. Cats were classified using echocardiography as clinically healthy controls (n=99) or cats with equivocal (n=9), mild (n=15), moderate (n=17), or severe (n=61) HCM. RESULTS NT-proBNP concentrations (median; 25th-75th interquartile percentiles) in mildly (216.1; 87.6-392.5 pmol/L), moderately (282.7; 131.9-466.6 pmol/L), and severely (839.5; 655.3-1046.4 pmol/L) affected cats were significantly higher than those in healthy controls (18.9; 3.4-62.4 pmol/L). Concentrations in severely affected cats were significantly higher than in cats from other HCM groups. There was no significant difference between mild and moderate HCM. Cut-off values >49 pmol/L had a sensitivity of 97.8% and specificity of 66.7%; >100 pmol/L had a sensitivity of 92.4% and specificity of 93.9%; and >150 pmol/L had a sensitivity of 88% and a specificity of 100%. CONCLUSIONS NT-proBNP with a cut-off value of >100 pmol/L was useful in detecting even mild HCM. Cats with increased NT-proBNP concentrations should be examined by echocardiography.
Transitions to Entrepreneurship and Industry-Specific Barriers

Drivers of entrepreneurial entry are investigated in this study by examining how entry into small-business ownership is shaped by industry-specific constraints. The human- and financial-capital endowments of potential entrepreneurs entering firms in various industries are shown to differ profoundly, depending on the type of venture entered. The educational credentials of highly educated potential entrepreneurs, in particular, predict avoidance of small-firm ownership in some industries as well as attraction to others. Recognizing that individuals choose an industry sector jointly with their decision to enter entrepreneurship, we find that the conventional practice of conflating different industry types in empirical analyses of transitions to entrepreneurship generates misleading findings about the determinants of entrepreneurship.
The Mystery of the Market for Corporate Control: Takeover Likelihood of Underperforming Firms

This study examined the relationship between underperformance and takeover likelihood using stock-market and accounting-based financial measurements from companies in the UK, US and Canada over a period of 17 years (1988-2004), applying hierarchical binary logistic regression analysis. Despite the general wisdom in the financial literature that the external markets for corporate control are said to work actively as a disciplinary device through takeovers in Anglo-Saxon economies, our study could not confirm these outcomes statistically. This research detected no significant association between takeover likelihood and firm performance, implying that the disciplinary effect of takeovers is statistically non-existent.
Prevalence, kinetics, and therapeutic modulation of autoantibodies against Sp100 and promyelocytic leukemia protein in a large cohort of patients with primary biliary cirrhosis

Antinuclear antibodies (ANA) staining nuclear dot structures predominantly occur in primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC) patients and recognize the Sp100 and promyelocytic leukemia protein (PML). From retrospective analysis of sera from a clinically well‐defined Canadian series of 170 PBC patients included into a 24‐month therapeutic trial of ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA), we report the prevalence of these ANA and their dynamics in the course of the disease. Using an enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), anti‐Sp100 autoantibodies were shown in 35 (21%) patients. Thirty‐three patients (19%) had autoantibodies against PML as determined by indirect immunostaining of cells overexpressing PML. Altogether, anti‐nuclear dot autoantibodies were present in 25% of the 170 PBC patients. Their occurrence correlated with an unfavorable disease course, because these patients progressed significantly more frequently from early stages (I/II) to late stages (III/IV) within the 24‐month observation period (P < .05). During the course of the disease, the autoantibody levels against the Sp100 full‐length protein remained nearly constant in all 35 positive patients. However, 9 patients showed remarkable changes in Sp100 epitope recognition as revealed by ELISA and immunoblotting. When the occurrence of these changes and the treatment of the patients were compared retrospectively, it became evident that 8 of the 9 patients had received UDCA (42% of all Sp100‐positive patients treated with UDCA). These findings indicate subtle changes of the Sp100 epitope recognition pattern during the natural course of the disease and its induction or acceleration by UDCA treatment. This implies that UDCA can modulate immunoglobulin (Ig) expression not only quantitatively, but also qualitatively.
Organic Carbon Influences on Soil Particle Density and Rheological Properties

Soil particle density (rs) is not routinely measured and is assumed to range between 2.60 and 2.70 Mgm23 or to be a constant (2.65 Mgm23) when estimating essential properties such as porosity, and volumetric water and air relations. Values of rs for the same soil may, however, differ significantly from the standard range due to management induced changes in soil organic carbon (SOC) concentrations. We quantified the rs and Atterberg limits of a Rayne silt loam for five long-term (.22 yr) moldboard-plowed continuous corn (Zea mays L.; MP), no-till continuous corn (NT), no-till continuous corn with beef cattle manure (NTm), pasture, and forest systems.We also assessed the relationships of SOC concentration with rs and the Atterberg limits and the impact of rs on soil porosity. Mean rs across NT, NTm, and pasture (2.35 Mg m23) was |7% lower than that for MP in the 0- to 10-cm soil depth (2.52 Mg m23, P , 0.01). Forest had the lowest rs of all soils (1.79 Mg m23). The NTm caused a greater reduction in rs and a greater increase in SOC concentration, liquid limit (LL), plastic limit (PL), and plasticity index (PI) than NT. Surface soils under MP had the highestmore » rs and rb and the lowest SOC concentration, LL, PL, and PI. The SOC concentration was correlated negatively with rs (r 2 5 0.75) and positively with Atterberg limits (r 2 . 0.64) at . 20-cm depth. Estimates of soil porosity for NT, NTm, and pasture using the constant rs overestimated the ''true'' porosity by 12% relative to that using the measured rs. « less
Search for Highly Conserved Viral and Bacterial Nucleic Acid Sequences Corresponding to an Etiologic Agent of Kawasaki Disease

ABSTRACT: The use of conventional methods to detect a possible infectious cause of Kawasaki disease (KD) has been unsuccessful. Using the polymerase chain reaction and DNA hybridization techniques, we have sought evidence that a known or new herpesvirus, parvovirus, or bacterial pathogen is related etiologically to KD. Peripheral blood DNA from acute KD patients was subjected to amplification and dot-blot hybridization to detect the presence of herpesvirus DNA, and acute KD peripheral blood and serum DNA were subjected to dot-blot hybridization for the presence of parvoviral DNA. All samples were negative for both herpesvirus and parvovirus DNA. In addition, we analyzed buffy-coat white blood cell DNA, synovial fluid DNA, and frozen autopsy and formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded myocardial tissue DNA from KD, patients for the presence of highly conserved bacterial 16S ribosomal RNA gene sequences with the polymerase chain reaction, and all were negative. These results argue against a direct pathogenic role for herpesviruses, parvoviruses, and bacteria in KD. This approach to the detection of highly conserved genomic sequences among broad groups of microorganisms can be adapted for the detection of other groups of microorganisms and may yet prove useful in the search for an etiologic agent of KD.
Phenotypic and Genotypic Analysis of In Vitro-Selected Artemisinin-Resistant Progeny of Plasmodium falciparum

ABSTRACT Emergence of artemisinin resistance in Cambodia highlights the importance of characterizing resistance to this class of drugs. Previously, intermediate levels of resistance in Plasmodium falciparum were generated in vitro for artelinic acid (AL) and artemisinin (QHS). Here we expanded on earlier selection efforts to produce levels of clinically relevant concentrations, and the resulting lines were characterized genotypically and phenotypically. Recrudescence assays determined the ability of resistant and parent lines to recover following exposure to clinically relevant levels of drugs. Interestingly, the parent clone (D6) tolerated up to 1,500 ng/ml QHS, but the resistant parasite, D6.QHS340×3, recovered following exposure to 2,400 ng/ml QHS. Resistant D6, W2, and TM91c235 parasites all exhibited elevated 50% inhibitory concentrations (IC50s) to multiple artemisinin drugs, with >3-fold resistance to QHS and AL; however, the degree of resistance obtained with standard methods was remarkably less than expected for parasite lines that recovered from 2,400-ng/ml drug pressure. A novel assay format with radiolabeled hypoxanthine demonstrated a greater degree of resistance in vitro than the standard SYBR green method. Analysis of merozoite number in resistant parasites found D6 and TM91c235 resistant progeny had significantly fewer merozoites than parent strains, whereas W2 resistant progeny had significantly more. Amplification of pfmdr1 increased proportionately to the increased drug levels tolerated by W2 and TM91c235, but not in resistant D6. In summary, we define the artemisinin resistance phenotype as a decrease in susceptibility to artemisinins along with the ability to recover from drug-induced dormancy following supraclinical concentrations of the drug.
Adverse Event Reporting in Acupuncture Clinical Trials Focusing on Pain

ObjectivesTo review the quality of adverse event reporting for published randomized controlled trials (RCTs) focusing on acupuncture for pain reduction. With the release of the Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials (CONSORT) in 2001, the quality of published RCTs has improved. To improve reporting on adverse events, CONSORT expanded the section on harms (adverse events) in 2004. This paper evaluates whether the updated harms guidelines have been implemented in RCTs evaluating acupuncture for pain relief. MethodsSystematic searches were conducted using the following databases: MEDLINE, Allied & Complementary Medicine, Cumulative Index to Nursing & Allied Health Literature, and All EBM Reviews. Each database was searched from 2005 through 2008, corresponding to the availability of the updated harms guideline. ResultsTen studies met the inclusion criteria of this review. Six of the 10 studies mentioned or discussed adverse events. Four of the 6 studies did not detail how adverse events were collected. Only 2 studies discussed how adverse events were assessed. DiscussionOn the basis of our findings, acupuncture clinical trials for pain reduction have yet to comprehensively meet CONSORT's guidelines for adverse event reporting. Acupuncture is commonly used by patients experiencing pain and although typically viewed as a benign and minimally invasive therapy, serious adverse events have been reported in the literature. To effectively and comprehensively document and understand these events, routine reporting according to CONSORT's harms guidelines should become the norm. Both science and patients are served by accurately evaluating the safety of acupuncture for patient populations experiencing pain.
The first record of cubera snapper Lutjanus cyanopterus culture in Brazil

The Brazilian marine fish culture probably began in the seventeenth century, during the Dutch government of Maurice of Nassau, in Pernambuco, when the activity was introduced in the region. At that time, snook (Centropomus sp), mullet ́s (Mugil sp) and “carapebas” (Eugerres sp and Diapterus sp) were cultivated extensively inside tide ponds (Cavalli and Hamilton 2007). According to Brugger (1995) the first research on marine fishes in Brazil started in the mid 70’s by researchers at Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, studying about mullets. It is worth mentioning the pioneering studies on real-grouper, initiated in 1980 by the researchers Eduardo Fagundes Netto and Daniel Benetti at the Navy Research Office, Instituto de Pesquisas da Marinha, in Arraial do Cabo/RJ (Fagundes Netto and Benetti, 1984). Currently, many research centers, including Instituto de Pesca/SP, Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina/ SC, Fundação Universidade do Rio Grande/RS, Universidade Federal do Ceará/CE, have groups dedicated to the study of marine fish with potential to be cultured. The most studied specimens in Brazil are snooks (Centropomus parallelus e C. undecimalis), flounders (Paralichthys orbignyanus), dusky grouper (Epinephelus marginatus) and snappers (Lutjanus synagris e Lutjanus analis). The Lutjanidae is a family composed of 17 genera and approximately 103 species of mostly reef-dwelling marine fishes, collectively known as snappers (Allen 1985). Within this family, 64 species compose the genus Lutjanus (Figueiredo and Menezes 2000). It is Cubera snapper (Lutjanus cyanopterus): the giant member of Lutjanidae family in Brazil.
Performance of HQ02, an Optimized Version of the 120 mm  $\hbox{Nb}_{3}\hbox{Sn}$ LARP Quadrupole

In preparation for the high luminosity upgrade of the Large Hadron Collider (LHC), the LHC Accelerator Research Program (LARP) is developing a new generation of large aperture high-field quadrupoles based on Nb3Sn technology. One meter long and 120 mm diameter HQ quadrupoles are currently produced as a step toward the eventual aperture of 150 mm. Tests of the first series of HQ coils revealed the necessity for further optimization of the coil design and fabrication process. A new model (HQ02) has been fabricated with several design modifications, including a reduction of the cable size and an improved insulation scheme. Coils in this magnet are made of a cored cable using 0.778 mm diameter Nb3Sn strands of RRP 108/127 subelement design. The HQ02 magnet has been fabricated at LBNL and BNL, and then tested at Fermilab. This paper summarizes the performance of HQ02 at 4.5 K and 1.9 K temperatures.
Salivary Biomarkers of Stress Among Teachers in an Urban Setting

The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of job stress among secondary school teachers using Karasek Job Content Questionnaire (JCQ), the association between salivary cortisol, salivary IgA, and sociodemographic characteristics, and the association between log cortisol, IgA levels, and job strain categories. A cross-sectional study was undertaken using JCQ and salivary cortisol and IgA samples. Cluster sampling was done yielding 302 respondents. The prevalence of stress among all teachers was 20.2%. Being a Malay, teaching experience of 5 to 10 years, and those without a supervisor’s support had higher prevalence of high job strain. Teachers in the 31 to 40 years age bracket, educating handicapped children with the absence of supervisor support exhibited higher stress levels with lower log salivary IgA levels. Further studies must be conducted using salivary biomarkers to study the in-depth relationship of stress, extending into other occupational groups.
Expression of transcription factors divides retinal ganglion cells into distinct classes

Retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) are tasked with transmitting all light information from the eye to the retinal recipient areas of the brain. RGCs can be classified into many different types by morphology, gene expression, axonal projections, and functional responses to different light stimuli. Ultimately, these classification systems should be unified into an all‐encompassing taxonomy. Toward that end, we show here that nearly all RGCs express either Islet‐2 (Isl2), Tbr2, or a combination of Satb1 and Satb2. We present gene expression data supporting the hypothesis that Satb1 and Satb2 are expressed in ON‐OFF direction‐selective (DS) RGCs, complementing our previous work demonstrating that RGCs that express Isl2 and Tbr2 are non‐DS and non‐image‐forming, respectively. Expression of these transcription factors emerges at distinct embryonic ages and only in postmitotic cells. Finally, we demonstrate that these transcription factor‐defined RGC classes are born throughout RGC genesis.
Jean-Marc Chobert Milk protein tailoring to improve functional and biological properties

Article info: Received: 07 November 2012 Accepted: 14 December 2012 ABSTRACT Proteins are involved in every aspects of life: structure, motion, catalysis, recognition and regulation. Today’s highly sophisticated science of the modifications of proteins has ancient roots. The tailoring of proteins for food and medical uses precedes the beginning of what is called biochemistry. Chemical modification of proteins was pursued early in the twentieth century as an analytical procedure for side-chain amino acids. Later, methods were developed for specific inactivation of biologically active proteins and titration of their essential groups. Enzymatic modifications were mainly developed in the seventies when many more enzymes became economically available. Protein engineering has become a valuable tool for creating or improving proteins for practical use and has provided new insights into protein structure and function. The actual and potential use of milk proteins as food ingredients has been a popular topic for research over the past 40 years. With today’s sophisticated analytical, biochemical and biological research tools, the presence of compounds with biological activity has been demonstrated. Improvements in separation techniques and enzyme technology have enabled efficient and economic isolation and modification of milk proteins, which has made possible their use as functional foods, dietary supplements, nutraceuticals and medical foods. In this review, some chemical and enzymatic modifications of milk proteins are described, with particular focus on their functional and biological properties.
European retailing in e‐transition?: An empirical evaluation of Web‐based retailing – indications from Austria

The management of electronic retail channels is not limited to virtual companies only. Also store‐based (stationary) retailers are expected to set up electronic distribution channels. This paper discusses the occurrence of such channels from a European perspective. The authors introduce a Web‐scan framework to analyze the nature of Web offerings and thelogistical elements of e‐tailing. The application of this structure showed that store‐based retailers have already invested in Web‐based activities, mainly for information and/or communication issues. The set‐up of strong electronic channels of distribution is still in an early phase.
Calcium modulates endopeptidase 24.15 (EC 3.4.24.15) membrane association, secondary structure and substrate specificity

The metalloendopeptidase 24.15 (EP24.15) is ubiquitously present in the extracellular environment as a secreted protein. Outside the cell, this enzyme degrades several neuropeptides containing from 5 to 17 amino acids (e.g. gonadotropin releasing hormone, bradykinin, opioids and neurotensin). The constitutive secretion of EP24.15 from glioma C6 cells was demonstrated to be stimulated linearly by reduced concentrations of extracellular calcium. In the present report we demonstrate that extracellular calcium concentration has no effect on the total amount of the extracellular (cell associated + medium) enzyme. Indeed, immuno‐cytochemical analyses by confocal and electron microscopy suggested that the absence of calcium favors the enzyme shedding from the plasma membrane into the medium. Two putative calcium‐binding sites on EP24.15 (D93 and D159) were altered by site‐directed mutagenesis to investigate their possible contribution to binding of the enzyme at the cell surface. These mutated recombinant proteins behave similarly to the wild‐type enzyme regarding enzymatic activity, secondary structure, calcium sensitivity and immunoreactivity. However, immunocytochemical analyses by confocal microscopy consistently show a reduced ability of the D93A mutant to associate with the plasma membrane of glioma C6 cells when compared with the wild‐type enzyme. These data and the model of the enzyme's structure as determined by X‐ray diffraction suggest that D93 is located at the enzyme surface and is consistent with membrane association of EP24.15. Moreover, calcium was also observed to induce a major change in the EP24.15 cleavage site on distinctive fluorogenic substrates. These data suggest that calcium may be an important modulator of ep24.15 cell function.
Did Fair Valuation Depress Equity Values During the 2008 Financial Crisis?

We investigate the assertion that fair valuation of financial instruments exacerbated the 2008 financial crisis. We focus on the 4th quarter of 2008 following the Lehman Brothers bankruptcy, the Reserve Primary fund “breaking the buck” and other adverse events. Our central finding is that firms with higher percentage of assets fair valued had higher abnormal stock returns. Both fair value level 1 and level 2 measurements are positively associated with stock returns. We show that fair valuation is widespread not only in financial firms but also in industrial firms and that the above results hold for both financial and industrial firms. We do not find evidence that these results are driven by a specific subsample, mean reversion in stock returns, anticipation of the crisis, or liquidity factors alone. Our findings are inconsistent with fair valuation depressing equity values.
Does a birthday predispose to vascular events?

Objective: To examine the influence of birthdays on the onset and course of vascular events such as stroke, TIA, and acute myocardial infarction (AMI). Methods: This population-based study included all emergency department (ED) admissions due to ischemic stroke, TIA, or AMI from April 2002 to March 2004 in Ontario, Canada. All cases were identified through the National Ambulatory Care Reporting System. Calculations of daily and weekly numbers of events were centered on the patient’s birthday and the week of the birthday. Statistical analyses include binomial tests and logistic regression. Results: During the study period, there were 24,315 ED admissions with acute stroke, 16,088 with TIAs, and 29,090 with AMI. The observed number of vascular events during the birthday was higher than the expected daily number of visits for stroke (87 vs 67; p = 0.009), TIA (58 vs 44; p = 0.02), and AMI (97 vs 80; p = 0.027) but not for selected control conditions (asthma, appendicitis, head trauma). Vascular events were more likely to occur on birthday (242 vs 191; odds ratio [OR] = 1.27). No significant differences were observed during the birthday week for any of the conditions. Multivariate logistic regression showed that birthday vascular events were more likely to occur in patients with a history of hypertension (OR = 1.88; 95% CI 1.09 to 3.24). Sensitivity analyses with alternative definitions of birthday week did not alter the results. Conclusions: Stress associated with birthdays may trigger vascular events in patients with predisposing conditions.