Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
^1H NMR-based Metabonomic Analysis of Metabolic Changes in Streptozotocin-induced Diabetic Rats

Diabetes mellitus is a complex metabolic disorder characterized by chronic hyperglycemia, hypoinsulinemia, and ketosis. To access the biochemical process of diabetes, we applied quantitative ^1H NMR-based metabonomics to analyze urine, serum, and liver extracts from streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats. Principle component analysis (PCA) of ^1H NMR spectra disclosed metabolic pattern differences between diabetic and control rats, and identified the related metabolic changes. The PCA scores plot demonstrated that the diabetic group could be distinguished from the control group, indicating that the metabolic characteristics of the two groups were markedly different. Our work reveals the accumulation of triglycerides, fatty acids and acetoacetate in diabetic rats, and may provide an efficient, convenient way for evaluating the pathological state and biochemical process of diabetes mellitus.
Cloning, sequencing and application of the LEU2 gene from the sour dough yeast Candida milleri

We have cloned by complementation in Saccharomyces cerevisiae and sequenced a LEU2 gene from the sour dough yeast Candida milleri CBS 8195 and studied its chromosomal location. The LEU2 coding sequence was 1092 nt long encoding a putative β‐isopropylmalate dehydrogenase protein of 363 amino acids. The nucleotide sequence in the coding region had 71.6% identity to S. cerevisiae LEU2 sequence. On the protein level, the identity of C. milleri Leu2p to S. cerevisiae Leu2p was 84.1%. The DNA sequence of the C. milleri LEU2 gene was submitted to GenBank and assigned Accession No. AY571337. The CmLEU2 DNA probe hybridized to one to three chromosomal bands and two or three BamHI restriction fragments in C. milleri but did not give any signal to chromosomes or restriction fragments of C. albicans, S. cerevisiae, S. exiguus or Torulaspora delbrueckii. Using CmLEU2 probe for DNA hybridization makes it easy to quickly identify C. milleri among other sour dough yeasts. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Diagnostic Utility of a Low-Dose Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone Test in the Context of Puberty Disorders

Objectives: The 10-µg gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) test assesses pituitary gonadotroph responsiveness, whereas the 100-µg dose assesses maximal secretory capacity. Our aims were to establish normative data for the low-dose test in children and to evaluate the test in diagnosing common pubertal disorders. Methods: We retrospectively classified 107 children who underwent 10-µg GnRH tests into normal prepubertal (20 boys, 10 girls), normal early pubertal (10 boys, 16 girls), constitutional delay of puberty (CDP, 13 prepubertal boys >12 years), hypogonadotropic hypogonadism (HH, 5 prepubertal boys >12 years), central precocious puberty (CPP, 19 girls) or premature thelarche/variant (13 girls). Results: Peak LH response was higher in prepubertal boys >12 years compared with younger boys (p < 0.01) but showed no further change in early puberty. CDP boys had LH responses similar to prepubertal boys >12 years. HH boys showed an absent LH response which diagnosed HH with 100% sensitivity and 96% specificity. Thelarche girls had LH:FSH peak ratios lower than normal prepubertal (p = 0.001), pubertal (p < 0.05) or CPP (p = 0.001) girls. Conclusions: We have established normative values for the low-dose GnRH test in children. The test successfully differentiated HH from CDP in boys, and contributed to the differential diagnosis of CPP and premature thelarche in girls.
Risk factors of intrahepatic recurrence after curative resection of hepatocellular carcinoma.

BACKGROUND/AIMS Although the risk factors for the development of intrahepatic recurrence after hepatectomy for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) have been widely studied, little attention has been given to the prognostic factors affecting such patients. METHODOLOGY Intrahepatic recurrence occurred in 105 (56%) of 188 patients who underwent curative hepatic resection of HCC and were discharged from the hospital. Among them, 17 (16%) also had simultaneous extrahepatic recurrence. Independent prognostic factors were evaluated by multivariate analysis using Cox's proportional hazards model. RESULTS Multivariate analysis revealed that presence of extrahepatic recurrence, hepatitis B, and non-surgical treatments for recurrence were independent predictors of poor overall survival after initial hepatic resection or after recurrence. Risk factors of extrahepatic recurrence were young age, solitary and large HCC, high hepatitis activity, and large amount of intraoperative blood loss and blood transfusion. CONCLUSIONS Survival of patients with intrahepatic recurrent HCC after resection should be stratified by the type of recurrence, type of hepatitis, and type of treatment for recurrence.
Time to Look in the Mirror: Producing Management Theory and Knowledge for Africa

This paper shares the presidential address I gave at the Third Biennial Conference of the Africa Academy of Management. My message focused on the responsibility of scholars interested in management and organizations in Africa to take up the complex challenges of producing management theory and knowledge for Africa. I argued that we have two major responsibilities at this juncture. One is to build a strong intellectual community association; and the second is to generate management theory and practice for the benefit of the continent.
The association of percentage energy from fat and colon cancer risk among members of the US military

Epidemiologic studies have previously reported an association between high fat intake and colon cancer risk. However, findings have generally been inconclusive. This study aimed to investigate the association between fat as a percentage of energy intake and colon cancer risk. Study subjects included 215 cases and 215 matched controls identified by the Defense Medical Surveillance System. Percentage energy from fat (Pfat) was estimated using a short dietary screener developed by the National Cancer Institute for two time periods: the year before the first blood draw and the year before colon cancer diagnosis. Conditional logistic regression analysis was used to assess the relationship between colon cancer risk and Pfat. Odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated. Compared with the lowest quartile of Pfat, the adjusted odds of having colon cancer were 2.00 (95% CI 0.96–4.18), 2.83 (95% CI 1.41–5.66), and 3.37 (95% CI 1.58–7.17), respectively, for the second, third, and highest quartiles in the year before cancer diagnosis. Similar results were observed for Pfat at an earlier time point. Our findings suggest a positive association between Pfat and colon cancer in the US military population.
In vivo selection of Plasmodium falciparum parasites carrying the chloroquine-susceptible pfcrt K76 allele after treatment with artemether-lumefantrine in Africa.

BACKGROUND Artemether-lumefantrine (AL) is a major and highly effective artemisinin-based combination therapy that is becoming increasingly important as a new first-line therapy against Plasmodium falciparum malaria. However, recrudescences occurring after AL treatment have been reported. Identification of drug-specific parasite determinants that contribute to treatment failures will provide important tools for the detection and surveillance of AL resistance. METHODS The findings from a 42-day follow-up efficacy trial in Tanzania that compared AL with sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine (SP) were analyzed to identify candidate markers for lumefantrine tolerance/resistance in the chloroquine resistance transporter gene (pfcrt) and multidrug resistance gene 1 (pfmdr1). The findings were corroborated in vitro with genetically modified isogenic P. falciparum parasite lines. RESULTS Treatment with AL selected for the chloroquine-susceptible pfcrt K76 allele (P < .0001) and, to a lesser extent, the pfmdr1 N86 (P = .048) allele among recurrent infections. These genotypes were not selected during SP treatment. No pfmdr1 gene amplifications were observed. Isogenic pfcrt-modified parasite lines demonstrated a 2-fold increase in susceptibility to lumefantrine, which was directly attributable to the K76T mutation. CONCLUSIONS Our findings suggest that the pfcrt K76T mutation is a drug-specific contributor to enhanced P. falciparum susceptibility to lumefantrine in vivo and in vitro, and they highlight the benefit of using AL in areas affected by chloroquine-resistant P. falciparum malaria.
In vivo Comparative Evaluation of Hemodialysis Tubing Plasticized with DEHP and TEHTM

The migration of plasticizers from blood lines was studied in 11 patients with chronic renal failure on hemodialysis for a period of six months. Di-2-ethylhexylphthalate (DEHP), the conventional plasticizer, was compared with tri-2-ethylhexyltrimellitate (TEHTM). A liquid chromatography method for quantitative determination of DEHP and TEHTM in human blood plasma is described. During treatment with tubing containing DEHP, the plasma level of DEHP rose from 0.10 μg/ml (<0.05-0.17 n=11) to 0.70 μg/ml (0.30-1.6 n=11). When the patients were changed to tubing containing TEHTM, the concentration of DEHP was below or close to the detection limit and TEHTM could not be detected. No adverse events of either tubing were found as regards acute toxic effects, performance or applicability.
Pricing the ECB's forward guidance with the EONIA swap curve

On July 4, 2013, following several other major central banks, the European Central Bank (ECB) gave for the first time forward guidance on interest rates, which affected market participants' expectations of future interest rates in the context of a Zero Lower Bound. Using an ARMAX(1,1) model in which the effect of the communication of negative macroeconomic news was disentangled from the commitment positive shock, the impact of the forward guidance on money market interest rates is estimated through the Euro Overnight Index Average swap, also called overnight index swap, at maturities between 2 months and 10 years using abnormal returns from an event study. The results and robustness checks suggest that the ECB's guidance lowered overnight index swap rates for maturities within 10 months to 3 years. These results imply the existence of a commitment effect from the ECB's communication. In the context of decreasing market liquidity because of the 3-year long-term refinancing operation repayment, market participants priced the low period of interest rates until mid-2016.
Behavioural Insights and Business Taxation: Evidence from Two Randomized Controlled Trials

This paper presents the findings of two Randomized Controlled Trials (RCTs) that were conducted in collaboration with the Australian Taxation Office (ATO). The first trial tests the effect of changes to letters (timing, social norms, color, and provision of information about charitable donations) on response rates of businesses, the timing of payments and the amount of tax debt payments. The second trial consists of two parts. The first part aims to raise awareness of the relevance of tax debt payment by changing internal guidelines used by field auditors. The second part focuses on studying the effect of changing the phone script used by desk auditors to offer assistance with payment arrangements and simplifying a follow-up letter. The findings of the first trial indicate that none of the treatments had a significant effect on any of the outcome measures considered. In contrast, the results of the second trial indicate that changing the phone script of desk auditors and simplifying the follow-up letter reduced the proportion of default assessments raised by the ATO significantly, suggesting that businesses are responsive to certain types of nudges.
Tumor imaging using hyperpolarized 13C magnetic resonance spectroscopy

Dynamic nuclear polarization is an emerging technique for increasing the sensitivity of magnetic resonance imaging and spectroscopy, particularly for low‐γ nuclei. The technique has been applied recently to a number of 13C‐labeled cell metabolites in biological systems: the increase in signal‐to‐noise allows the spatial distribution of an injected molecule to be imaged as well as its metabolic product or products. This review highlights the most significant molecules investigated to date in preclinical cancer models, either in terms of their demonstrated metabolism in vivo or the biological processes that they can probe. In particular, label exchange between hyperpolarized 13C‐labeled pyruvate and lactate, catalyzed by lactate dehydrogenase, has been shown to have a number of potential applications. Finally, techniques to image these molecules are also discussed as well as methods that may extend the lifetime of the hyperpolarized signal. Hyperpolarized magnetic resonance imaging and magnetic resonance spectroscopic imaging have shown great promise for the imaging of cancer in preclinical work, both for diagnosis and for monitoring therapy response. If the challenges in translating this technique to human imaging can be overcome, then it has the potential to significantly alter the management of cancer patients. Magn Reson Med, 2011. © 2011 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Design & implementation of 32 bit delay efficient CBA circuits using 90 nm technology

Adders are one of most essential components of the digital circuits that are designed for different DSP applications. The important aspects considered for designing any digital circuit design are delay, power and Power Delay Product (PDP). In this paper, 32 bit carry bypass adders (CBA) which have superior performance with respect to these parameters are presented. The CBA's are implemented using different block structures such as 2 block, 4 block, 8 block and 16 block. These different carry bypass adders are designed using 90 nm CMOS technology and are implemented using Cadence Virtuoso software. The simulation results indicate that compared to existing CBA circuits, the proposed CBA circuits have better power, delay and PDP characteristics. Also the voltage degradation issues observed in other existing CBA circuits are not observed in the proposed carry-bypass adders. So the proposed CBA circuits can be used in practical DSP applications.
Multiplex PCR Strategy for Rapid Identification of Structural Types and Variants of the mec Element in Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus

ABSTRACT Full characterization of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) requires definition of not only the bacterial genetic background but also the structure of the complex and heterologous mec element these bacteria carry, which is associated with drug resistance determinant mecA. We report the development, validation, and application of a multiplex PCR strategy that allows quick presumptive characterization of the mec element types based on the structural features that were shown to be typical of mec elements carried by several MRSA clones. The strategy was validated by using a representative collection of pandemic MRSA clones in which the full structure of the associated mec elements was previously determined by hybridization and PCR screenings and also by DNA sequencing. The method was tested together with multilocus sequence typing and other typing methods for the characterization of 18 isolates representative of the MRSA clones recovered during a hospital outbreak in Barcelona, Spain. The multiplex PCR was shown to be rapid, robust, and capable in a single assay of identifying five structural types of the mec element among these strains, three major and two minor variants, each one of which has been already been seen among MRSA characterized earlier. This technique should be a useful addition to the armamentarium of molecular typing tools for the characterization of MRSA clonal types and for the rapid tentative identification of structural variants of the mec element.
Toxicological response of rats fed Lake Ontario or Pacific Coho salmon for 28 days.

Abstract The present study was undertaken to determine if the feeding of Lake Ontario salmon containing a mixture of chemical contaminants, could produce a toxicological response in rats. Male and female rats were fed freeze‐dried Lake Ontario or Pacific Coho salmon for 28 days at levels of 1.45%, 2.90% and 5.80% of their normal diet. Body weight changes, organ weights, food intake, routine hematology, biochemical parameters, residue levels and gross and microscopic pathological changes were determined. Body weight gain was decreased in all groups of male rats fed Lake Ontario or Pacific salmon but this was attributed to the unpalatibility of the diet since the food intake in these groups was decreased during the first week of the study. No effects were observed on body weight gain or food intake in female rats. Hematological parameters including hemoglobin, hematocrit, white blood count and red blood count were not affected by treatment. Serum potassium levels were significantly decreased in all three gr.
Fading Ricardian Equivalence in Ageing Japan

Japan seems to be turning less Ricardian, a trend set to continue. First, the discount wedge seems to have risen, suggesting that consumers have become more myopic. Second, some evidence points to the possibility that an increasing number of households are liquidity constrained. If these developments continue, the impact of fiscal policy on the economy will gradually rise. While this will facilitate using fiscal policy to manage the economic cycle, it also calls for starting fiscal consolidation soon and in a gradual and steady manner, given the unsustainable public debt and the likely increasing challenges in funding the government's rising debt domestically.
Immunoreactivity of proliferating cell nuclear antigen compared with bromodeoxyuridine incorporation in normal and neoplastic rat tissue

Monoclonal antibodies (MoAbs) against proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) represent a potentially useful tool for cell kinetic analysis of tumours. Because in paraffin‐embedded tissue the relationship between PCNA immu‐noreactivity and tumour cell proliferation is not well characterized, we have compared PCNA positivity as detected by the PC10 MoAb with the bromodeoxyuridine labelling index (BrdUrd‐LI) in two different transplantable hormone‐dependent rat mammary tumours. Together, these two tumour models (MCR‐83 and EMR‐86) cover a wide range of S‐phase fractions. Evaluating 31 methacarn‐fixed tumours, a strong but non‐linear relationship (r=0·98) was obtained. PCNA‐positive fractions were invariably higher than corresponding BrdUrd‐LIs and also higher than the estimated growth faction: growth fractions as determined by continuous BrdUrd labelling of the tumour and stromal cell population in EMR‐86 carcinomas were 12 and 26 percent lower than PCNA‐positive fractions, implying that a certain fraction of non‐cycling cells can also express PCNA. A dramatic disturbance in the relationship of PCNA positivity and the BrdUrd‐LI was observed in the EMR‐86 model after growth arrest induced by hormonal ablation: PCNA immu‐noreactivity remained detectable for at least 3 days, whereas the BrdUrd‐LI decreased almost immediately. In comparison, PCNA immunoreactivity persisted for a much shorter period in small intestinal cells that had stopped DNA replication when moving from the crypt towards the villus. It is concluded that although differences in PCNA expression exist between various tissues, PCNA as detected by the PC10 MoAb may be used in tumours as an operational marker for the growth fraction. However, this seems to be valid only under conditions of unperturbed growth.
The Quality of Teaching Determines Students' Achievement in Writing

Recent research confirms that it is of great interest and relevance to analyze the level of agreement between the beliefs, attitudes, sense of self-efficacy, learning approaches and self-regulation of the teaching staff and students’ achievement in written composition. In most cases, these studies present examples of the practical relationship between the teacher and the students’ achievement in the instrumental areas linked to the teaching of writing, such as in the area of reading and mathematics. These studies are significant inasmuch as they have produced valuable information with respect to the levels of education, participants, instruments employed, interventions, teaching or rollout programs carried out, as well as information related to the priorities, organization and development of the research. These interesting contributions lead us to consider which aspects are evaluated within the classroom; the variables which are used to relate the teachers’ practices to the students’ achievements; the results obtained; the theoretical and educational implications, the limitations and deficiencies of the studies and suggestions for future research. (Alvarez et al., 2011; Diez et al., 2009; Pacheco et al., 2009; Pacheco et al., 2007).
Rhinovirus is associated with severe adult community-acquired pneumonia in China.

Background Human rhinovirus (HRV) is one of the most common viral etiologies detected in community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) adult cases. However, few is known about the characteristics of HRV-associated CAP. To describe the clinical features of HRV-associated CAP in immunocompetent adults admitted to multiple medical centers in mainland China over a 2-year period. Methods A total of 383 patients admitted to hospitals for CAP were enrolled from 46 medical centers in mainland China between January 2013 and December 2014. Multiplex real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) assays for viral detection and DNA-based quantitative loop-mediated isothermal amplification (qLAMP) assays for bacterial detection were implemented to all lower respiratory tract specimens obtained from the patients. Twenty-eight cases (28/383, 7.3%) revealed HRV-positive PCR results. Patients with bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) HRV-positive PCR results (n=20) were further enrolled and divided into two groups depending on the status of bacterial co-infection (viral group, n=12; viral-Bacterial group, n=8). Demographic, clinical and microbiological data were reviewed and compared in detail. Results Cases with HRV-infection were remarkably correlated with respiratory failure (14/20) and most of them (13/14) received mechanical ventilation. Fever (17/20), productive cough (15/20) and dyspnea (6/20) were common symptoms while flu-like symptoms were rarely observed in the cohort. Streptococcus pneumoniae (3/8), Klebsiella pneumoniae (3/8) and Mycoplasma pneumoniae (2/8) were most frequently identified bacterium in the viral-bacterial group. Compared with the viral group, higher incidence of septic shock (3/8 vs. 1/12, P=0.255), longer ICU length of stay (LOS) (10.0 vs. 6.5 days, P=0.686), longer hospital LOS (18.5 vs. 13.0 days, P=0.208) and higher 28-day mortality (2/8 vs. 2/12, P=1) were observed in the Viral-Bacterial group, although without statistically significant difference. Conclusions HRV is a common etiology in CAP among China adults, especially in severe CAP. Clinicians should be vigilant considering of the poor outcome. Highly qualified multiplex PCR techniques with invasive sampling are needed to increase the detection rate.