Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Effects of prescription omega-3-acid ethyl esters on non--high-density lipoprotein cholesterol when coadministered with escalating doses of atorvastatin.

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the effects of prescription omega-3-acid ethyl esters on non-high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) levels in atorvastatin-treated patients with elevated non-HDL-C and triglyceride levels. PATIENTS AND METHODS This study, conducted between February 15, 2007, and October 22, 2007, randomized patients with elevated non-HDL-C (>160 mg/dL) and triglyceride (>or=250 mg/dL and <or=599 mg/dL) levels to double-blind treatment with prescription omega-3-acid ethyl esters, 4 g/d, or placebo for 16 weeks. Patients also received escalating dosages of open-label atorvastatin (weeks 0-8, 10 mg/d; weeks 9-12, 20 mg/d; weeks 13-16, 40 mg/d). RESULTS Prescription omega-3-acid ethyl esters plus atorvastatin, 10, 20, and 40 mg/d, reduced median non-HDL-C levels by 40.2% vs 33.7% (P<.001), 46.9% vs 39.0% (P<.001), and 50.4% vs 46.3% (P<.001) compared with placebo plus the same doses of atorvastatin at the end of 8, 12, and 16 weeks, respectively. Prescription omega-3-acid ethyl esters plus atorvastatin also reduced median total cholesterol, triglyceride, and very low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels and increased HDL-C levels to a significantly greater extent than placebo plus atorvastatin. Percent changes from baseline low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol, apolipoprotein A-I, and apolipoprotein B levels were not significantly different between groups at the end of the study. CONCLUSION Prescription omega-3-acid ethyl esters plus atorvastatin produced significant improvements in non-HDL-C and other lipid parameters in patients with elevated non-HDL-C and triglyceride levels.
Temperature-Dependent Dynamic Behaviors of Organic Light-Emitting Diode

A systematic investigation of temperature-dependent dynamic behaviors of NPD-Alq3 organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) is carried out. Through an in-depth numerical analysis, it has been found that the luminance decreases and consequently the turn-on voltage increases with decreasing temperature due to a reduction of thermally activated hopping speed, which retards the rise of electroluminescence (EL) upon turn-on as well as the discharge upon turn-off of OLEDs. Most importantly, however, the device efficiency is literally raised as the temperature decreases, a direct consequence of enhanced charge-balance factor. It is also demonstrated that the EL delay upon turn-on is mostly determined by the electron transport through the electron transport layer (ETL), while the fast EL decay (short-lived EL tail) upon turn-off is mainly by the rapid discharge of the steep pileup of carriers at the NPD/Alq3 interface. The long-lived EL tail is shown to be more pronounced under lower temperatures. In response to a train of voltage pulses, the delay of EL occurring for the first voltage pulse has vanished for the subsequent pulses regardless of temperature due to space charges remaining inside the device after turn-off (in the "off-state"). However, it appears that the pulse-to-pulse interference by the space charge effects is more significant under lower temperatures
GATA-4 and Serum Response Factor Regulate Transcription of the Muscle-specific Carnitine Palmitoyltransferase I β in Rat Heart*

Transcriptional regulation of nuclear encoded mitochondrial proteins is dependent on nuclear transcription factors that act on genes encoding key components of mitochondrial transcription, replication, and heme biosynthetic machinery. Cellular factors that target expression of proteins to the heart have been well characterized with respect to excitation-contraction coupling. No information currently exists that examines whether parallel transcriptional mechanisms regulate nuclear encoded expression of heart-specific mitochondrial isoforms. The muscle CPT-Iβ isoform in heart is a TATA-less gene that uses Sp-1 proteins to support basal expression. The rat cardiac fatty acid response element (−301/−289), previously characterized in the human gene, is responsive to oleic acid following serum deprivation. Deletion and mutational analysis of the 5′-flanking sequence of the carnitine palmitoyltransferase Iβ (CPT-Iβ) gene defines regulatory regions in the −391/+80 promoter luciferase construct. When deleted or mutated constructs were individually transfected into cardiac myocytes, CPT-I/luciferase reporter gene expression was significantly depressed at sites involving a putative MEF2 sequence downstream from the fatty acid response element and a cluster of heart-specific regulatory regions flanked by two Sp1 elements. Each site demonstrated binding to cardiac nuclear proteins and competition specificity (or supershifts) with oligonucleotides and antibodies. Individual expression vectors for Nkx2.5, serum response factor (SRF), and GATA4 enhanced CPT-I reporter gene expression 4–36-fold in CV-1 cells. Although cotransfection of Nkx and SRF produced additive luciferase expression, the combination of SRF and GATA-4 cotransfection resulted in synergistic activation of CPT-Iβ. The results demonstrate that SRF and the tissue-restricted isoform, GATA-4, drive robust gene transcription of a mitochondrial protein highly expressed in heart.
Predictive Power in Behavioral Welfare Economics

When choices are inconsistent due to behavioral biases, there is a theoretical debate about whether the structure of a model is necessary for providing precise welfare guidance based on those choices. To address this question empirically, we use standard data sets from the lab and field to evaluate the predictive power of two “model-free” approaches to behavioral welfare analysis. We find they typically have high predictive power, which means there is little ambiguity about what should be selected from each choice set. We also identify properties of revealed preferences that help to explain the predictive power of these approaches.
Exploring Age as Personal Characteristic that Influence Utilization of Online Library Services by Distance Students at the University of Nairobi, Kenya

The purpose of this study was to determine factors influencing utilization of online library services by distance students at the University of Nairobi. Specifically the study sought to achieve one objective; to examine how age as a personal characteristic influence utilization of online library services by distance students at the university of Nairobi. The researcher applied an eclecticism research paradigm. The study adopted descriptive survey design. Data was collected using self-administered questionnaire and interview schedule. The study targeted a total of 1000 students and 14 librarians in the school of continuing and distance education. The sample therefore comprised of 278 distance students and 14 librarians. A pilot study was conducted with 28 student respondents and 1 librarian. This constituted 30% of the study sample. The reliability of the instruments was 0.72. The researcher applied captive audience technique to collect data from the respondents. Data were analysed using frequency counts, the mean and standard deviation and hypothesis was tested using Chi-square, T-test, one way ANOVA and Regression analysis at0.05 level of significance. The key findings revealed that, the null hypothesis was rejected and conclusion that utilization of online library services was dependent upon distance student’s age-group. Majority of student’s 54.2% in the category of 21-30 age group made use of online library services. A study may be carried out to investigate the effects of personal characteristics and institutional based factors on effective utilization of online library services in private universities. The researcher considered the ethical considerations so as to avoid plagiarism and ensured confidentiality. Key terms: Age, characteristic, library services, Distance, Students, Kenya International Journal of Academic Research in Progressive Education and Development April 2016, Vol. 5, No. 2
Light microscope based analysis of three‐dimensional structure: Applications to the study of Drosophila salivary gland nuclei. I. Data collection and analysis

Many biological structures of interest are large enough that they may be viewed by light microscope methods, yet they are sufficiently complicated that interpretation of what is seen is quite difficult. The salivary gland nuclei from Dipterans are an example of this. Previous attempts at determining the path of the giant chromosomes in these nuclei have depended on the laborious construction of models by hand. A unified Computer Aided Modelling and Analysis system (CAMA) has been implemented, allowing data collection and analysis of structures visible by light microscopy. This system is extendible to the analysis of electron micrographs of serial sections or of other data consisting of images present in a stack.
The Epidemiology of Psychiatric Disorders in Quebec's Older Adult Population

Objective: To document the prevalence of psychiatric disorders in Quebec's older adult population. Method: Data came from the Enquête sur la santé des aînés study conducted in 2005–2006 using a representative sample (n = 2798) of community-dwelling older adults. Results: Our results indicate that 12.7% of the respondents met the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition (DSM-IV) criteria for depression, mania, anxiety disorders, or benzodiazepine dependency. The 12-month prevalence rate of major depression was 1.1% and the prevalence of minor depression 5.7%. A total of 5.6% of the respondents reported an anxiety disorder. The most prevalent anxiety disorders were specific phobia (2.0%), obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD) (1.5%), and generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) (1.2%). Agoraphobia without panic disorder and panic disorder were reported by 0.3% and 0.6% of the respondents, respectively. The prevalence rate of benzodiazepine dependency was 2.3%. The 12-month comorbidity prevalence rate between any psychiatric disorders was 2.2%. Among those with depressive disorder, the most frequent comorbidity was observed between minor depression and specific phobia (4.3%), GAD (4.3%), OCD (3.7%), and mania (1.3%). Further, only 39% of those having at least one active DSM-IV diagnosis reported having used health services for their psychological distress symptoms during the previous 12 months. Among those who consulted health services, 85% visited a general practitioner. Conclusions: Our results indicate that a large proportion of the elderly population in Quebec presents mental health needs. Longitudinal research focusing on the individual and social consequences of mental health problems reported by older adults is needed to avoid misinterpretation of this finding.
Life Cycle Assessment of Carbon Dioxide–Based Production of Methane and Methanol and Derived Polymers

Previous studies showed that using carbon dioxide (CO2) as a raw material for chemical syntheses may provide an opportunity for achieving greenhouse gas (GHG) savings and a low‐carbon economy. Nevertheless, it is not clear whether carbon capture and utilization benefits the environment in terms of resource efficiency. We analyzed the production of methane, methanol, and synthesis gas as basic chemicals and derived polyoxymethylene, polyethylene, and polypropylene as polymers by calculating the output‐oriented indicator global warming impact (GWI) and the resource‐based indicators raw material input (RMI) and total material requirement (TMR) on a cradle‐to‐gate basis. As carbon source, we analyzed the capturing of CO2 from air, raw biogas, cement plants, lignite‐fired power, and municipal waste incineration plants. Wind power serves as an energy source for hydrogen production. Our data were derived from both industrial processes and process simulations. The results demonstrate that the analyzed CO2‐based process chains reduce the amount of GHG emissions in comparison to the conventional ones. At the same time, the CO2‐based process chains require an increased amount of (abiotic) resources. This trade‐off between decreased GHG emissions and increased resource use is assessed. The decision about whether or not to recycle CO2 into hydrocarbons depends largely on the source and amount of energy used to produce hydrogen.
Characterization of the putative maltose transporters encoded by YDL247w and YJR160c

The maltose permease family of Saccharomyces cerevisiae comprises five proteins, three of which are characterized, MAL31, MAL61 and AGT1 and two putative permeases, YDL247w (MPH2) and YJR160c (MPH3). The two uncharacterized permeases share 100% identity and have 75% identity with MAL31 and MAL61 and 55% identity with AGT1. Characterization of the genes YDL247w and YJR160c confirmed that they encode α‐glucoside permeases capable of transporting maltose, maltotriose, α‐methylglucoside and turanose. Analysis of the promoter regions identified regulatory elements, binding sites for the transcriptional activator, Malx3p and the inhibitory protein, Mig1p. Further analysis of the flanking sequences located blocks of identity covering five open reading frames, indicating that this region was involved in chromosomal block duplication. The members of the maltose permease family are proteins that have strongly overlapping but nevertheless distinct functions, which is a selective advantage for yeast, as it reflects successful adaptation to the variety of environmental conditions to which the yeast cells are exposed; such adaptability is very important in an industrial context. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Trade Openness and Tax Revenue Performance in East African Countries

Despite the well-known gains from trade, the effects of trade openness are a priori ambiguous. For this reason it’s important to establish the effects of trade openness on different sources of government revenue for any country opening its borders to trade. This study sought to establish the effects of trade openness on different categories of taxes. A panel data cointegration technique that uses the Fully Modified Ordinally Least Squares and Dynamic Ordinally Least Squares were employed. The data are annual cross country panels of East Africa countries covering the period 1994-2012. The data were obtained from the IMF’s International Finance Statistics, the African Development Bank’s African Economic Outlook and the World Bank’s World Development Indicators. We found that the average tariff rate used as a measure for trade openness positively influences total tax, indirect tax and trade tax while the average tariff rate squared is negative, illustrating a “Laffer effect” for the three tax categories. The relationship between trade openness and direct taxes is found to be insignificant. The policy implication is that governments of EAC countries should asymmetrically implement trade openness policies, particularly lowering the tariff rate to help in improving tax performance.
Risk facts of small ruminant brucellosis: a crosssectional study in southeast Iran 2012.

1,2Hamid Sharifi, 3Khobyar Mashayekhi, 4Mohaddeseh Manzari Tavakoli 1 Department of Food Hygiene and Public Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Shahid Bahonar University of Kerman, Kerman, Iran; 2 Research Center for Modeling in Health, Institute for Futures Studies in Health, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran; 3 South of Kerman Province Veterinary Office, Iranian Veterinary Organization, Iran; 4 Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Shahid Bahonar University of Kerman, Kerman, Iran.
The Economic Consequences of Labor Market Reglations

What do we know about the economic consequences of labor market regulations? Few economic policy questions are as contentious as labor market regulations. The effects of minimum wages, collective bargaining provisions, and hiring/firing restrictions generate heated debates in the U.S. and other advanced economies. And yet, establishing empirical lessons about the consequences of these regulations is surprisingly difficult. In this paper, I explain some of the reasons why this is the case, and I critically review the recent findings regarding the effects of minimum wages on employment. Contrary to often asserted statements, the preponderance of the evidence still points toward a negative impact of permanently high minimum wages.
EFFECTS OF INTEREST RATES ON THE PERFORMANCE OF REAL ESTATE INDUSTRY IN KENYA: A CASE OF NAIROBI COUNTY

Purpose: The study sought to determine the effects of interest rates on the performance of real estate industry in Kenya: A case of Nairobi county. Methodology: The study adopted a descriptive survey research design. Results: The study findings revealed that lending interest rates had a negative and significant relationship with real estate growth in Nairobi. The findings show that deposit interest rates were insignificantly related to growth of the real estate firm in Nairobi. The long run model findings also revealed that overdraft interest rates had a significant relationship with real estate growth in Nairobi. The findings revealed that inflation had a negative and significant relationship with performance of real estate firms in Nairobi. GDP growth was found to have a positive relationship with the performance of real estate firms though the relationship was insignificant. Unique contribution to theory, practice and policy: The study findings revealed that lending interest rates have a negative and significant relationship with real estate growth in Nairobi. The study recommends that the CBK should implement monetary policies that aim to reduce the lending interest rates that financial institutions charge on lending so as to bring stability in the industries including real estate industry. The study recommends that the Central bank of Kenya as well as the Treasury should come up with monetary policies to regulate the rate of volatility in inflation rate in the long run since long term investors in real estate are likely to suffer loses if the economy is characterized by unstable rates of inflation. The study findings also indicated that GDP growth has a positive relationship with the performance of real estate firms in the long run. The study recommends that the government should reexamine the strategies and policies that aim to spur GDP growth.
Evaluating genetic association among ovarian, breast, and endometrial cancer: evidence for a breast/ovarian cancer relationship.

The possibility of a genetic relationship between ovarian, breast, and endometrial cancer was investigated in data from a large multicenter, population-based, case-control study, the Cancer and Steroid Hormone Study conducted by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). Age-adjusted relative risks (RRs) for mothers and sisters of 493 ovarian cancer cases, 895 breast cancer cases, and 143 endometrial cancer cases versus 4,754 controls were calculated. Significantly elevated age-adjusted RRs were found for ovarian cancer (RR = 2.8; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.6-4.9) and breast cancer (RR = 1.6; 95% CI = 1.1-2.1) among relatives of ovarian cancer probands and for breast cancer (RR = 2.1; 95% CI = 1.7-2.5) and ovarian cancer (RR = 1.7; 95% CI = 1.0-2.0) among relatives of breast cancer probands. Relatives of endometrial cancer probands had an elevated RR for endometrial cancer only (RR = 2.7; 95% CI = 1.6-4.8). The genetic relationship between ovarian, breast, and endometrial cancer was tested using a multivariate polygenic threshold model developed by Smith (1976), which was modified to accommodate three classes of probands. Estimates of heritability for ovarian, breast, and endometrial cancer were 40%, 56%, and 52%, respectively. There was a significant genetic correlation between ovarian and breast cancer (R12 = .484). Evidence for significant genetic overlap between endometrial cancer and either ovarian or breast cancer was not found. These results suggest the existence of a familial breast/ovarian cancer syndrome. Endometrial cancer, while heritable, appears to be genetically unrelated.
A Global Macroeconomic Risk Model for Value, Momentum, and Other Asset Classes

Abstract Value and momentum returns and combinations of them across both countries and asset classes are explained by their loadings on global macroeconomic risk factors. These loadings describe why value and momentum have positive return premia, although being negatively correlated. The global macroeconomic risk factors also perform well in capturing the returns on other characteristic-based portfolios. The findings identify a global macroeconomic source of the common variation in returns across countries and asset classes.
Total knee arthroplasty conversion for patients with ankylosed knees

Introduction: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the results of total knee arthroplasty for patients with ankylosed knees. Methods: We evaluated seven patients (10 knees) who underwent total knee arthroplasties for ankylosed knees from 1995 to 2008. There were two men and five women, with a mean age of 44.1 years (42–48 years). The mean follow-up period was 10.2 years (1–19.5 years). A rectus snip was performed in all cases, and V-Y quadricepsplasty was used in one case of severe quadriceps contracture. In all cases, we used the PFC Sigma PS fixed model (DePuy Orthopaedics Inc., Warsaw, Indiana, USA). The goal was more than 90° of flexion. Clinical evaluation was performed using range of motion (ROM), Knee Society (KS) Knee Score, KS Function Score, and complications. Radiographs were used to evaluate loosening or osteolysis. Results: The ROF was improved from 9.5° (0–30°) to 78.5° (15–115°), The Knee Score improved from 42.6 (25–70) to 68.6 (41–97), and the Function Score improved from 39 (0–60) to 66 (40–90). A radiolucent line was detected in two cases (one patient) around the tibial component, and one case had a necrosis of skin edge. Only one case had no improvement of motion. Conclusion: Total knee arthroplasty conversion for patients with ankylosed knees can achieve good results for motion and function without osteotomy of the tibial tuberosity when there is good quality soft tissue of the thigh.