Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Optimization of the single‐strand conformation polymorphism (SSCP) technique for detection of point mutations

The efficiency of detection of single base substitutions by single‐stranded conformation polymorphism (SSCP) analysis was tested on 86 randomly distributed point mutations in a 193‐bp‐long DNA fragment of the mouse β‐globin gene. Multiple parameters were varied, including electrophoresis temperature, buffer concentration, gel concentration, acrylamide‐to‐bis‐acrylamide ratio, and/or addition of different compounds to the gel matrix. Gels with a higher concentration of acrylamide and lower crosslinking gave optimal separation, and all 86 mutations can be clearly distinguished from the wild type on a 5% or 7.5% (2.6% C) acrylamide gel at 4°C. Most of the mutations are also resolvable from wild type on gels with 5% urea or formamide, or 10% dimethylsulfoxide or sucrose. The relative position of the purine and pyrimidine‐rich single strands were followed by an asymmetric PCR–SSCP technique. We found that most of the informativity comes from the purine rich strand, which appears to be much more sensitive to changes in the gel. The position or type of mutation showed no correlation with its ability to be detected. However, the neighboring base sequence around the mutation appears to have an effect on mobility. For example, A→G substitutions in GC‐rich regions significantly increase the mobility shift of the purine‐rich strand, while most G→A changes decrease it. We conclude that SSCP is a very efficient method for the detection of point mutations, if the parameters that effect the separation are optimized for a particular DNA fragment. © 1993 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
The Determinants of Household Debt and Balance Sheets in the United Kingdom

Household indebtedness has grown sharply in the United Kingdom in recent years. This paper proposes a framework for understanding this based on a model in which households are assumed to plan their lifetime spending rationally, allowing for bequests to future generations. The model is set up to be consistent with both aggregate and disaggregated balance sheet positions as revealed in the British Household Panel Survey. The paper goes on to outline the effect on debt and balance sheets of changes in interest rates, house prices, preferences and retirement income.
High-dose atorvastatin vs usual-dose simvastatin for secondary prevention after myocardial infarction: the IDEAL study: a randomized controlled trial.

CONTEXT Evidence suggests that more intensive lowering of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) than is commonly applied clinically will provide further benefit in stable coronary artery disease. OBJECTIVE To compare the effects of 2 strategies of lipid lowering on the risk of cardiovascular disease among patients with a previous myocardial infarction (MI). DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS The IDEAL study, a prospective, randomized, open-label, blinded end-point evaluation trial conducted at 190 ambulatory cardiology care and specialist practices in northern Europe between March 1999 and March 2005 with a median follow-up of 4.8 years, which enrolled 8888 patients aged 80 years or younger with a history of acute MI. INTERVENTIONS Patients were randomly assigned to receive a high dose of atorvastatin (80 mg/d; n = 4439), or usual-dose simvastatin (20 mg/d; n = 4449). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE Occurrence of a major coronary event, defined as coronary death, confirmed nonfatal acute MI, or cardiac arrest with resuscitation. RESULTS During treatment, mean LDL-C levels were 104 (SE, 0.3) mg/dL in the simvastatin group and 81 (SE, 0.3) mg/dL in the atorvastatin group. A major coronary event occurred in 463 simvastatin patients (10.4%) and in 411 atorvastatin patients (9.3%) (hazard ratio [HR], 0.89; 95% CI, 0.78-1.01; P = .07). Nonfatal acute MI occurred in 321 (7.2%) and 267 (6.0%) in the 2 groups (HR, 0.83; 95% CI, 0.71-0.98; P = .02), but no differences were seen in the 2 other components of the primary end point. Major cardiovascular events occurred in 608 and 533 in the 2 groups, respectively (HR, 0.87; 95% CI, 0.77-0.98; P = .02). Occurrence of any coronary event was reported in 1059 simvastatin and 898 atorvastatin patients (HR, 0.84; 95% CI, 0.76-0.91; P<.001). Noncardiovascular death occurred in 156 (3.5%) and 143 (3.2%) in the 2 groups (HR, 0.92; 95% CI, 0.73-1.15; P = .47). Death from any cause occurred in 374 (8.4%) in the simvastatin group and 366 (8.2%) in the atorvastatin group (HR, 0.98; 95% CI, 0.85-1.13; P = .81). Patients in the atorvastatin group had higher rates of drug discontinuation due to nonserious adverse events; transaminase elevation resulted in 43 (1.0%) vs 5 (0.1%) withdrawals (P<.001). Serious myopathy and rhabdomyolysis were rare in both groups. CONCLUSIONS In this study of patients with previous MI, intensive lowering of LDL-C did not result in a significant reduction in the primary outcome of major coronary events, but did reduce the risk of other composite secondary end points and nonfatal acute MI. There were no differences in cardiovascular or all-cause mortality. Patients with MI may benefit from intensive lowering of LDL-C without an increase in noncardiovascular mortality or other serious adverse reactions.Trial Registration ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT00159835.
Are real exchange rates stationary based on panel unit‐root tests? Evidence from Pacific Basin countries

Recently, there have been many studies that apply the panel unit-root test of Levin and Lin (1992) to support the validity of long-run purchasing power parity (PPP) for industrial countries. This paper applies two recently developed panel unit-root tests, provided by Im et al. (1995) and Maddala and Wu (1998), respectively, to re-examine the PPP hypothesis for eight Pacific Basin countries. The empirical evidence fails to support PPP for Pacific Basin countries. This finding is robust to different base countries and to different subsets of the panel. Copyright @ 1999 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. All rights reserved.
ARE WOMEN MORE RISK AVERSE

The authors find that single women exhibit relatively more risk aversion in financial decision making than single men. Using U.S. sample data, they examine household holdings of risky assets to determine whether there are gender differences in financial risk taking. As wealth increases, the proportion of wealth held as risky assets is estimated to increase by a smaller amount for single women than for single men. Gender differences in financial risk taking are also influenced by age, race, and number of children. Greater financial risk aversion may provide an explanation for women's lower levels of wealth compared with men's. Copyright 1998 by Oxford University Press.
The long-term decline of internal migration in Canada - Ontario as a case study

Migration between the Canadian provinces generally followed a declining trend over the period 1971-2004. In this paper, taking Ontario a case study, we seek to explain these patterns using recent panel cointegration methods that are robust to cross-section dependence. Estimation of heterogenous models suggests that the determinants of migration vary across provinces. Overall, unemployment differential and income in the sending province appear to be the most important ones, with income and federal transfer differentials playing only a minor role.
Effects of a Tapering Period on Physical Condition in Soccer Players.

The aim of this research was to analyze the effects of a two-week step tapering period on lower-limb muscle power, change of direction (COD) and acceleration capacities, and on the stress-recovery state in an amateur soccer team. Twenty-two male players were included in the study. Following a six-week progressive training, the sample was divided into: experimental group (n = 11), who did a two-week period of taper in which training volume was 50% reduced (intensity was kept high) and control group (n = 11), which kept on with the training. Muscle power (countermovement jump test), acceleration (10m sprint test), COD (Illinois test) and stress and recovery perceptions (RESTQ questionnaire) were evaluated before training, at the end of it (pre-tapering, PRE-TP) and after the tapering period (post-tapering, POST-TP). Following the taper, the experimental group in comparison to the control group showed significantly improved power (1029.71 ± 108.51 W/kg vs. 1084.21 ± 110.87 W/kg; p < 0.01), acceleration (1.72 ± 0.09 s vs. 1.67 ± 0.07 s; p < 0.05), and lower stress levels (1.9±0.5 vs. 1.6±0.5; p < 0.01) (PRE-TP vs. POST-TP, respectively). COD did not show significant changes. In conclusion, a two-week step tapering program was found to be an effective periodization strategy to increase muscle power and acceleration, and to reduce stress perception in soccer amateur players.
Nominal Term Spread, Real Rate and Consumption Growth

We show the negative of the nominal term spread closely tracks the ex-ante real rate. Connecting this result to the well-documented predictability of output and consumption growth by the term spread, we argue that the estimates of the elasticity of intertemporal substitution (EIS) obtained from the aggregate Euler equation are biased in that they imply a negative EIS. This fact provides one explanation for why it is difficult to link empirically the behavior of asset prices to macro aggregates in the standard representative-agent asset pricing and macro models. We show that a general equilibrium model with heterogeneous agents and limited market participation can account for the change in sign of the relationship between the real rate and consumption or output growth.
EXPERIMENTAL ADENOVIRUS HEMORRHAGIC DISEASE IN WHITE-TAILED DEER FAWNS

Infection with a newly described endotheliotropic adenovirus was the cause of a 1993 epizootic reminiscent of hemorrhagic disease in California mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus columbianus and O. hemionus hemionus). Pulmonary edema and intestinal luminal hemorrhage, or necrotizing stomatitis associated with systemic or localized vasculitis, respectively, were common lesions seen in animals that died during the epizootic. In order to determine if white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) also are susceptible to infection and fatal disease with the deer adenovirus, eight white-tailed deer fawns (4- to 6-mo-old) were inoculated with purified deer adenovirus. Four were inoculated intravenously and four were inoculated through the mucous membranes. Seven days post-inoculation, one of the fawns inoculated intravenously died. Pulmonary edema and hemorrhagic enteropathy were associated with pulmonary and intestinal vasculitis with systemic multiorgan distribution of endotheliotropic adenovirus as demonstrated by transmission electron microscopy and immunohistochemistry. Adenovirus was reisolated from lung homogenates of the fawn that died of adenovirus hemorrhagic disease.
A lack of correlation between mast cells, angiogenesis, and outcome in non-small cell lung cancer

ABSTRACT Although a direct association between mast cells and cancer tumors is generally accepted, the exact nature of this relationship appears contradictory. The aim of this study was to clarify the effect of mast cells on tumor angiogenesis and outcome in Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients. The tissue specimens evaluated were from patients with NSCLC who had undergone resection with curative intent at the Medical University of Bialystok Hospital. Of the 90 patients studied, 67 were men. Average age at surgery was 59.68 years. Study population included 29 cases of adenocarcinoma, 44 cases of squamous cell carcinoma, and 17 cases of large cell carcinoma. The authors counted mast cells and microvessels in tumor sections. Mast cells were observed in small groups around vessels and in the cancer parenchyma. At a magnification of 200×, the number of mast cells was 28.90 ± 16.6. Intramural microvessels in endothelial cells were found in small groups, mostly at the margin. At a magnification of 200×, the number of microvessels was 221.69 ± 120.36. Spearman correlation was observed in patients with adenocarcinoma, and also in patients with stage II disease. This study did not show correlation between mast cells count and survival rate, and correlation between microvessel count and survival rate. In this study, mast cells infiltration of the tumor islets was not associated with patients’ survival. The authors did not find correlation between mast cells count and angiogenesis, except only in patients with adenocarcinoma, and in patients with stage II disease.
Relationships Between Ligand Affinities for the Cerebellar Cannabinoid Receptor CB1 and the Induction of GDP/GTP Exchange

Abstract: The hypothesis of these studies is that ligand efficacy at the neuronal CB1 receptor is dependent on the ratio of ligand affinities for the active and inactive states of the receptor. Agonist efficacy was determined in rat cerebellar membranes using agonist‐induced guanosine 5′‐O‐(3‐[35S]thiotriphosphate) binding; efficacy was variable among the CB1 agonists examined. Ligand affinities for the active and inactive state of the CB1 receptor were determined by competition with [3H]CP55940 and [3H]SR141716A in the presence of 5′‐guanylylimidodiphosphate, respectively. All of the agonists investigated had a higher affinity for the active state than the inactive state. The fraction of CB1 receptors in the active state at a maximally effective concentration was calculated for each agonist and was found to correlate significantly with agonist efficacy. These studies demonstrate that the CB1 receptor of the cerebellum can assume an active conformation in the absence of agonist and that the variability in efficacy among CB1 receptor agonists can be explained by the relative affinities of these ligands for the CB1 receptor in the active and inactive states.
Relationship between heart rate and mortality and morbidity in the irbesartan patients with heart failure and preserved systolic function trial (I‐Preserve)

Higher heart rate is associated with poorer outcomes in patients with heart failure and reduced ejection fraction (HF‐REF). Less is known about the association between heart rate and outcomes in patients with heart failure and preserved ejection fraction (HF‐PEF). Therefore, we examined the relationship between heart rate and outcomes in the irbesartan in patients with heart failure and preserved systolic function trial (I‐Preserve) in patients with an ejection fraction >45% aged >60 years.
Coenzymes Q9 and Q10, Vitamin E and Peroxidation in Rat Synaptic and Non-Synaptic Occipital Cerebral Cortex Mitochondria during Ageing

Abstract Great attention has been devoted both to ageing phenomena at the mitochondrial level and to the antioxidant status of membrane structures. These kinds of investigations are difficult to perform in the brain because of its heterogeneity. It is known that synaptic heavy mitochondria (HM) may represent an aged mitochondrial population characterized by a partial impairment of their typical mitochondrial function. We arranged a novel system requiring no extraction procedure, very limited handling of the samples and their direct injection into the HPLC apparatus, to carry out, for the first time, a systematic and concomitant determination of vitamin E, Coenzyme Q[9] (CoQ[9]) and Coenzyme Q[10] (CoQ[10]) contents in rat brain mitochondria. The trends found for CoQ[9] and CoQ[10] levels in synaptic and nonsynaptic occipital cerebral cortex mitochondria during rat ageing are consistent with previous data. Hydroperoxides (HP) differed with age and it was confirmed that in the HM fraction the summation of contributions results in an oxidatively jeopardized subpopulation. We found that vitamin E seems to increase with age, at least in nonsynaptic free (FM) and synaptic light (LM) mitochondria, while it was inclined to remain substantially constant in HM.
Moderate Temperatures Affect Escherichia coli Inactivation by High‐Pressure Homogenization Only through Fluid Viscosity

The inactivation of suspensions of Escherichia coli MG1655 by high‐pressure homogenization was studied over a wide range of pressures (100–300 MPa) and initial temperatures of the samples (5–50 °C). Bacterial inactivation was positively correlated with the applied pressure and with the initial temperature. When samples were adjusted to different concentrations of poly(ethylene glycol) to have the same viscosity at different temperatures below 45 °C and then homogenized at these temperatures, no difference in inactivation was observed. These observations strongly suggest, for the first time, that the influence of temperature on bacterial inactivation by high‐pressure homogenization is only through its effect on fluid viscosity. At initial temperatures ≥45 °C, corresponding to an outlet sample temperature >65 °C, the level of inactivation was higher than what would be predicted on the basis of the reduced viscosity at these temperatures, suggesting that under these conditions heat starts to contribute to cellular inactivation in addition to the mechanical effects that are predominant at lower temperatures. Second‐order polynomial models were proposed to describe the impact of a high‐pressure homogenization treatment of E. coli MG1655 as a function of pressure and temperature or as a function of pressure and viscosity. The pressure‐viscosity inactivation model provided a better quality of fit of the experimental data and furthermore is more comprehensive and versatile than the pressure‐temperature model because in addition to viscosity it implicitly incorporates temperature as a variable.
SUBURBANISATION AND INTERNATIONAL IMMIGRATION: THE CASE OF THE BARCELONA METROPOLITAN REGION (1998–2009)

In this last decade, Spanish urban areas have received large amounts of international immigrants, modifying (sub)urban dynamics. The paper specifically explores the metropolitan region of Barcelona (RMB), where, between 1998 and 2009, foreign nationality residents rose from 1.8 to 14.9 per cent of total population. Research focuses on the impact of foreign immigration on three specific dynamics: population growth and distribution/segregation of both Spanish and foreign populations within the metropolitan area; their respective residential mobility patterns; and consequences on their age and sex structure. Results show that there are remarkable differences between the two populations: foreign immigrants have preferably settled in the core city's least affluent neighbourhoods and, in a second phase, in inner ring municipalities, while the Spanish population continues to move to suburban municipalities.
Measuring Customer-Based Restaurant Brand Equity

Strong brand equity is significantly correlated with revenues for quick-service restaurants. In a study 394 respondents gauged the strength of seven quick service restaurant brands doing business in Seoul, Korea. The study tested four elements of brand equity, namely, brand awareness, brand image, brand loyalty, and perceived quality. Of those attributes, brand awareness had the strongest direct effect on revenues, while loyalty had the least effect. Dividing the restaurants into high-performing and low-performing groups, the researchers found that customers differentiated the high-performing restaurants on several product-quality measures, including knowledgeable employees and food served on time and as ordered. Oddly, high-and low-performing restaurants were not differentiated on such other quality factors as making quick corrections to errors, experienced personnel, and cleanliness. One other contrary finding was that although brand equity comprises all four factors being tested, awareness showed the smallest effect on brand equity, far eclipsed by image, loyalty, and product quality.
Evidence of recombination and an antigenically diverse immunoglobulin A1 protease among strains of Streptococcus pneumoniae

The genetic relationships among 114 isolates of Streptococcus pneumoniae representing mainly nine serotypes that frequently cause severe childhood disease in Northern Europe were examined by use of multilocus enzyme electrophoresis. A comparison was made of the corresponding antigenic variations of excreted immunoglobulin A1 (IgA1) proteases detected by enzyme neutralization assays. Allelic variation at 13 gene loci among 70 electrophoretic types disclosed a comparatively low mean genetic diversity per locus (H = 0.319). In contrast, IgA1 proteases showed extensive antigenic diversity as 17 different inhibition types were distinguished. A lack of overall clonality was apparent from the linkage equilibrium of alleles harbored by 28 isolates chosen to represent the genetic diversity of the study population. However, certain clones, such as those marked by identical electrophoretic type, serotype, and IgA1 protease type, persisted for a sufficiently long time to enable clonal spread between distant geographic areas. Among clonally related isolates, examples illustrating a shift of capsular serotype or IgA1 protease type supported the view that recombination occurs in vivo in corresponding genes. In conclusion, over time, horizontal genetic exchange appears to be sufficiently frequent to disrupt the clonal structure otherwise generated by binary fission in natural populations of S. pneumoniae. The clonal instability combined with considerable antigenic heterogeneity renders the pneumococcal IgA1 protease less attractive as a potential component of future vaccines.
Latin American Class Structures: Their Composition and Change during the Neoliberal Era

This article proposes a framework for the analysis of social classes in Latin America and presents evidence on the composition of the class structure in the region and its evolution during the last two decades, corresponding to the years of implementation of a new economic model in most countries. The paper is an update of an earlier article on the same topic published in this journal at the end of the period of import substitution industrialization. Relative to that earlier period, the present era registers a visible increase in income inequality, a persistent concentration of wealth in the top decile of the population, a rapid expansion of the class of micro-entrepreneurs, and a stagnation or increase of the informal proletariat. The contraction of public sector employment and the stagnation of formal sector labor demand in most countries have led to a series of adaptive solutions by the middle and lower classes. The rise of informal self-employment and micro-entrepreneurialism throughout the region can be interpreted as a direct result of the new adjustment policies. We explore other, less orthodox adaptive strategies, including the rise of violent crime in the cities and migration abroad by an increasingly diversified cross-section of the population. The impact that changes in the class structure have had on party politics and other forms of popular political mobilization in Latin American countries is discussed.