Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Unique Long Terminal Repeat and Surface Glycoprotein Gene Sequences of Feline Leukemia Virus as Determinants of Disease Outcome

ABSTRACT The outcome of feline leukemia virus (FeLV) infection in nature is variable, including malignant, proliferative, and degenerative disorders. The determinants of disease outcome are not well understood but are thought to include viral, host, and environmental factors. In particular, genetic variations in the FeLV long terminal repeat (LTR) and SU gene have been linked to disease outcome. FeLV-945 was previously identified as a natural isolate predominant in non-T-cell neoplastic and nonneoplastic diseases in a geographic cohort. The FeLV-945 LTR was shown to contain unique repeat elements, including a 21-bp triplication downstream of the enhancer. The FeLV-945 SU gene was shown to encode mutational changes in functional domains of the protein. The present study details the outcomes of infection with recombinant FeLVs in which the LTR and envelope (env) gene of FeLV-945, or the LTR only, was substituted for homologous sequences in a horizontally transmissible prototype isolate, FeLV-A/61E. The results showed that the FeLV-945 LTR determined the kinetics of disease. Substitution of the FeLV-945 LTR into FeLV-A/61E resulted in a significantly more rapid disease onset but did not alter the tumorigenic spectrum. In contrast, substitution of both the FeLV-945 LTR and env gene changed the disease outcome entirely. Further, the impact of FeLV-945 env on the disease outcome was dependent on the route of inoculation. Since the TM genes of FeLV-945 and FeLV-A/61E are nearly identical but the SU genes differ significantly, FeLV-945 SU is implicated in the outcome. These findings identify the FeLV-945 LTR and SU gene as determinants of disease.
Selecting a measure for assessing secondary trauma in nurses.

AIM To summarise the usefulness of available psychometric tools in assessing secondary trauma in nursing staff and examine their limitations, as well as their strengths, to enable researchers to select the most suitable measures. BACKGROUND Secondary trauma is an extreme persistent reaction that can be experienced by nursing staff following exposure to a potentially life-threatening situation. This relatively new concept is increasingly used to explore staff distress, but is complicated by various definitions. In this growing and popular field, few rigorously tested measures are used. Therefore, it is timely to examine the measures available and their robustness. DATA SOURCES In March 2014 the following databases were used: BNI, CINAHL, EMBASE, PILOTS, Medline, PsycINFO and the Cochrane Library. REVIEW METHODS A systematic search of nurse and health research databases was conducted from 1980 to 2014 using the terms nurs* AND PTSD OR Posttraumatic Stress Disorder OR secondary trauma OR secondary traumatic stress OR STS OR compassion fatigue. DISCUSSION To strengthen confidence in research findings and make the most useful contribution to practice, researchers should use the most rigorous measures available. Of the assessment tools used, the only one subject to robust peer review is the Secondary Traumatic Stress Scale (STSS). The scale most frequently used to assess secondary traumatic stress is the Professional Quality of Life Scale (ProQOL); its lack of psychometric evaluation is a potential weakness. CONCLUSION The STSS is the only validated tool reported in the peer-reviewed, published literature and the authors suggest greater application when secondary trauma is a suspected consequence of nursing work. Validated tools such as the HADS and GHQ-28 are more useful in assessing broader-based psychological morbidity. IMPLICATIONS FOR RESEARCH/PRACTICE The authors suggest greater application of the STSS when secondary trauma is a suspected consequence of nursing work. Researchers interested in assessing more than trauma responses are advised to use HADS and GHQ-28.
Reassessment of the corneal endothelial cell organisation in children

AIM To assess uniformity of the corneal endothelial cell mosaic in children. METHODS 36 healthy children (5–11 years old, 16 boys, 20 girls) were assessed by specular microscopy. Endothelial cell density (ECD) was calculated from measured cell areas, and the number of sides/cell noted. RESULTS Average values for ECD and cell areas were 3987 cells/mm2 (95% CI 3806 to 4168 cells/mm2) and 278 (SD 85) μm2respectively, with normal distribution (COV 28.2%, range 17.4 to 39.2%) and with the average percentage of six sided cells being 66.6% (8.8%). Cell area was positively correlated to number of cell sides (p <0.01, r 2=0.993), but the percentage of six sided cells was negatively correlated to ECD (p <0.01, r=0.493). CONCLUSION A high ECD occurs in children, but this does not mean there is a high percentage of “hexagons”.
Infant Health Outcomes Associated with Voluntary Health Care Model Change in a Choice-Based Medicaid System

Background: Medicaid health plan enrollment changes may be a barrier to optimal care and may increase costs. Methods: Data represented 45,768 infants enrolled in Medicaid in South Carolina, 2000–2002. We examined associations between health plan changes and preventive health care, sick infant doctor visits, emergency department (ED) visits, and hospitalizations. Results: In adjusted results, compared to infants without plan changes, those with changes averaged 40% fewer preventive health visits (P <0.001), over 35% fewer sick infant doctor visits (P < 0.01), 77% more hospitalizations in year one (P <0.001), and 43% more potentially preventable hospitalizations in year one (P <0.01). Conclusions: Infants on Medicaid with a health plan change have less preventive health care, are much less likely to be treated for illness in physicians' offices, and have substantially more costly medical care. These results may be due to unmeasured maternal or family characteristics, or care continuity loss. Plan changes may indicate higher infant health risks.
Use of glucose‐responsive material to regulate insulin release from constitutively secreting cells

Genetically‐engineered cells offer a solution to the cell availability problem in tissue engineering a pancreatic substitute for the treatment of insulin‐dependent diabetes. These cells can be non‐beta cells, such as hepatocytes or myoblasts, retrieved as a biopsy from the same patient and genetically engineered to secrete recombinant insulin constitutively or under transcriptional regulation. However, the continuous or slowly responsive insulin secretion dynamics from these cells cannot provide physiologic glucose regulation in patients. Our objective consists of using such cells as an insulin source and of regulating insulin release by incorporating a glucose‐responsive material, which acts as a control barrier for insulin in a cell–material hybrid device. Experiments were performed with insulinoma βTC3 cells, HepG2 hepatomas, and C2C12 myoblasts, the latter two genetically‐modified to constitutively secrete insulin. The control barrier consisted of concanavalin A (con A)‐based glucose‐responsive material, which forms a gel at low and a sol at high glucose concentrations. Results demonstrated that the device released insulin at a higher rate in response to glucose challenges. In contrast, a device containing an inert hydrogel instead of glucose‐responsive material released insulin at an essentially constant rate, irrespective of the surrounding glucose concentration. Necessary material improvements include increased sensitivity to glucose, so that the material responds to physiologically relevant glucose concentrations, and increased stability. The prospects of developing a properly functional, implantable substitute based on engineered non‐β cells and glucose‐responsive material, and the material and device improvements that need to be made prior to in vivo experiments, are discussed. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
A Binomial Zero Coupon Model of Expected Bond Returns Term Structure

We propose, analyze, and implement a model for the estimation of zero-coupon expected bond returns (EBR), expanding the model developed by Afik and Benninga (AB, 2010). The central idea of AB is to use the m atrix of rating transitions to estimate a Markov model of the EBR. Unlike AB, this paper presents a tree like model that can be used to aggregate market data for each rating category and extract its zero-coupon term structure of EBR and its yield risk premium components, including a certainty equivalence premium which is related to the systematic risk of the CAPM. We use corporate bond transaction data from the Uni ted States and a rating agency transition matrix to extract the term structure of EBR and its components and the term structure of risk-neutral default probabilities. W e then apply our model and its results to the estimation of CDS premium term structure and implement it on our US bond market data set.
Reassessment of MTBE cancer potency considering modes of action for MTBE and its metabolites

Abstract A 1999 California state agency cancer potency (CP) evaluation of methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE) assumed linear risk extrapolations from tumor data were plausible because of limited evidence that MTBE or its metabolites could damage DNA, and based such extrapolations on data from rat gavage and rat and mouse inhalation studies indicating elevated tumor rates in male rat kidney, male rat Leydig interstitial cells, and female rat leukemia/lymphomas. More recent data bearing on MTBE cancer potency include a rodent cancer bioassay of MTBE in drinking water; several new studies of MTBE genotoxicity; several similar evaluations of MTBE metabolites, formaldehyde, and tert-butyl alcohol or TBA; and updated evaluations of carcinogenic mode(s) of action (MOAs) of MTBE and MTBE metabolite's. The lymphoma/leukemia data used in the California assessment were recently declared unreliable by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Updated characterizations of MTBE CP, and its uncertainty, are currently needed to address a variety of decision goals concerning historical and current MTBE contamination. To this end, an extensive review of data sets bearing on MTBE and metabolite genotoxicity, cytotoxicity, and tumorigenicity was applied to reassess MTBE CP and related uncertainty in view of MOA considerations. Adopting the traditional approach that cytotoxicity-driven cancer MOAs are inoperative at very low, non-cytotoxic dose levels, it was determined that MTBE most likely does not increase cancer risk unless chronic exposures induce target-tissue toxicity, including in sensitive individuals. However, the corresponding expected (or plausible upper bound) CP for MTBE conditional on a hypothetical linear (e.g., genotoxic) MOA was estimated to be ∼2 × 10–5 (or 0.003) per mg MTBE per kg body weight per day for adults exposed chronically over a lifetime. Based on this conservative estimate of CP, if MTBE is carcinogenic to humans, it is among the weakest 10% of chemical carcinogens evaluated by EPA.
Joint Elevation and Azimuth Direction Finding Using L-Shaped Array

For two-dimensional (2-D) directions-of-arrival (DOA) estimation problem, the L-shaped array seems to have higher accuracy than other structured arrays [see ¿An L-shaped array for estimating 2-D directions of wave arrival¿ by Hua for details], and has received much attention. To estimate elevation and azimuth angles, two correctly matched electric angles (functions of elevation and azimuth angles) are estimated in advance, so that elevation and azimuth angles are obtained from the two correctly matched electric angles. However, the failure in pairing will cause severe performance degradation. In this communication, a novel algorithm, which doesn't require match procedure, is proposed to estimate 2-D DOA in the L-shaped array geometry. The key points of this communication are: i) by introducing a novel electric angle, the steering vector is separated into two parts; ii) the two parts can be obtained in turn by generalized ESPRIT approach and eigenvalue decomposition (EVD) of one particular matrix, respectively; iii) elevation and azimuth angles can be obtained from the recovered steering vector. The resultant algorithm avoids match operation, and requires one-dimensional search once. Simulation results are presented to validate the performance of the proposed method.
The articulation of price-earnings ratios and market-to-book ratios and the evaluation of growth

This paper interprets the price-earnings ratio (PIE) and the marketto-book ratio (PIB) and describes how they articulate. It also describes the role of book rate-of-return on equity (the ratio of their denominators) in the determination of the ratios and the relation between them. Although both are reported regularly, there is not a common understanding of these issues. For example, the PIE ratio has been interpreted as an earnings growth indicator (Cragg and Malkiel [1982] and Litzenberger and Rao [1971]), a risk measure (Ball [1978]), and an earnings capitalization rate (Graham, Dodd, and Cottle [1962], Boatsman and Baskin [1981], and Alford [1992]). Derivations based on the Gordon [1962] model describe it as determined by return on equity. Beaver and Morse [1978] show that this ratio indicates transitory earnings (the "Molodovsky effect" from Molodovsky [1953]). It has also been interpreted as an indicator of mispriced stocks (Basu [1977] and Jaffee, Keim, and Westerfield [1989]) and as a product of accounting principles (Craig, Johnson, and Joy [1987]). The P/B ratio received less academic attention until Fama and French [1992]. Traditionally, it was interpreted as indicating expected return on equity (see, for example, Graham, Dodd, and Cottle [1962]). This interpretation is given expression in the standard formula reconciling price to book value (in Preinreich [1938], Edwards and Bell [1961], and Peasnell [1982], for example). Like PIE, P/B has been modeled as a growth
Magnesium sulfate for tocolysis and risk of spastic cerebral palsy in premature children born to women without preeclampsia.

OBJECTIVE Our aim was to examine magnesium sulfate tocolysis and cerebral palsy in infants born prematurely to women without preeclampsia. STUDY DESIGN We conducted a retrospective case-control study of infants with birth weights <1500 g and of infants with birth weights from 1500 to 1999 g who were born at <33 weeks' gestation. The study infants were born in level 2 or level 3 hospitals from 1988 through 1994 to women without preeclampsia, were delivered >3 hours after admission, and had survived to age 2 years. RESULTS Among 170 children with cerebral palsy and 288 control subjects, similar proportions of case mothers (58%) and control mothers (62%) had received magnesium sulfate tocolysis. In women with some tocolytic treatment, these proportions were 78% and 76%, respectively. The duration of treatment with magnesium was comparable for case and control women, as were the intervals from beginning and termination of treatment to delivery. Adjustment for gestational age, birth weight, and other variables did not alter this result. CONCLUSION Magnesium exposure was not associated with a lower risk of cerebral palsy in infants born prematurely to women without preeclampsia. The difference between this finding and that in our previous study showing an apparent neuroprotective effect of magnesium is not explained by the more restrictive selection criteria used here and may be related to a number of changes in medical practice between the 2 periods.
Examining the Relationship between Religious Coping and the Misuse of Prescription Stimulants among a Sample of Undergraduate Students

ABSTRACT Background: There is a well-established inverse relationship in undergraduate samples between a person's religious coping and substance abuse. Positive religious coping (PRC) has been associated with decreases in the use of alcohol, tobacco, and marijuana. Investigations examining prescription drug misuse and PRC found that higher levels of PRC were related to a reduction in the misuse of some prescription drugs. However, the literature has yet to identify an inverse relationship between PRC and the misuse of prescription stimulants (MPS) among undergraduates. Objective: Examine the association between religious coping and past-year MPS in a sample of undergraduate students. Methods: Undergraduates were recruited to complete an anonymous online survey from three universities (1 private, 2 public) in the United States. Results: The sample consisted of 908 undergraduates between the ages of 18 and 25. Statistical analyses revealed that higher levels of PRC were associated with a reduction in past-year MPS. A separate model found that attending religious events also decreased the behavior. Conversely older students, males, Greek organization affiliation, a lower GPA and having a current stimulant prescription all increased the odds of reporting past-year MPS. Negative religious coping and a student's race were not significantly associated with MPS. Conclusions: Findings indicate that PRC skills have the potential to reduce MPS in college students. Therefore, it is possible that the development of similar secular skills could have the same effect. Future studies should explore the role that positive coping skills having on the reduction of MPS among undergraduates regardless of religious conviction.
Corporate Life Cycle and the Value Relevance of Cash Flow versus Accrual Financial Information

Motivated by recently renewed criticism of the current accrual accounting model we re-examine the extent to which cash flow and accrual accounting based measures are value relevant, and capable of explaining periodic changes in the firm's market value. Using the R square as a measure of explanatory power, we find that, in general, both cash flow and accrual accounting figures exhibit a low value-relevant level but, depending on the firm's life cycle, the explanatory power of accrual accounting exceeds that of cash flow measures. We also find that the firm's industry affiliation does not affect the cash flow/accrual accounting dominance relations per se. It affects, however, the magnitude of the gap between the R squares measures that pertain to the cash flow figures and those pertaining to their accrual accounting counterpart figures. Implications of our findings for researchers and the valuation of firm's value are also offered in the paper.
Virion Envelope Content, Infectivity, and Neutralization Sensitivity of Simian Immunodeficiency Virus

ABSTRACT A truncating E767stop mutation was introduced into the envelope glycoprotein of simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV) strain SIV239-M5 (moderately sensitive to antibody-mediated neutralization and lacking five sites for N-linked carbohydrate attachment) and strain SIV316 (very sensitive to neutralization, with eight amino acid changes from the neutralization-resistant parental molecular clone, SIV239). The truncating mutation increased Env content in virions, increased infectivity, and decreased sensitivity to antibody-mediated neutralization in both strains. However, the magnitude of the effect on infectivity and neutralization sensitivity differed considerably between the two strains. In the context of strain SIV239-M5, truncation increased Env content in virions approximately 10-fold and infectivity in a reporter cell assay 24-fold. The truncated SIV239-M5 was only slightly more resistant to neutralization by polyclonal monkey sera and by monoclonal antibodies than SIV239-M5 with a full-length envelope glycoprotein. In the context of strain SIV316, truncation increased infectivity a dramatic 480-fold, while envelope content in virions was increased only about 14-fold. This dramatic increase in infectivity cannot be simply explained by the increase in envelope content and is likely due to an increase in inherent infectivity, i.e., infectivity per spike, that results from truncation. The truncated SIV316 was extremely resistant to antibody-mediated neutralization. In fact, it was not neutralized by any of the antibodies tested. When increasing amounts of SIV316 envelope glycoprotein (full length) were provided in trans to SIV316, infectivity was increased and sensitivity to neutralization was decreased, but to nowhere near the degree that was obtained when truncated SIV316 envelope glycoprotein was used. Truncated forms of SIV239 and SIV239-M5 required higher levels of soluble CD4 for inhibition of infection than their nontruncated forms; truncated SIV316 did not. Our results suggest that envelope content in SIV virions, infectivity, and resistance to antibody-mediated neutralization can be increased not only by truncation of the cytoplasmic domain but also by provision of excess envelope in trans. The striking increase in infectivity that results from truncation in the context of SIV316 appears to be due principally to an increase in inherent infectivity per spike.
Electron Paramagnetic Resonance Spectroscopy of Site-directed Spin Labels Reveals the Structural Heterogeneity in the N-terminal Domain of ApoA-I in Solution*

Apolipoprotein A-I (apoA-I) is the major protein constituent of high density lipoprotein (HDL) and plays a central role in phospholipid and cholesterol metabolism. This 243-residue long protein is remarkably flexible and assumes numerous lipid-dependent conformations. Consequently, definitive structural determination of lipid-free apoA-I in solution has been difficult. Using electron paramagnetic spectroscopy of site-directed spin labels in the N-terminal domain of apoA-I (residues 1-98) we have mapped a mixture of secondary structural elements, the composition of which is consistent with findings from other insolution methods. Based on side chain mobility and their accessibility to polar and non-polar spin relaxers, the precise location of secondary elements for amino acids 14-98 was determined for both lipid-free and lipid-bound apoA-I. Based on intermolecular dipolar coupling at positions 26, 44, and 64, these secondary structural elements were arranged into a tertiary fold to generate a structural model for lipid-free apoA-I in solution.
Human Capital and Economic Growth: Evidence from Selected Developing Countries

Despite the crucial role of human capital in the theoretical growth models, the empirical growth literature has yet to develop a consensus on the nature of relationship between human capital and economic growth.This study has been conducted to investigate whether human capital in terms of education and health indicators has a direct impact on output growth or indirect effect through total factor productivity growth.The study also attempts to explore the linear as well as non linear human capital-growth linkages and sensitivity of the human capital estimates to different econometric estimation techniques.The study has been conducted on a sample of selected countries covering all developing regions of the world. Our findings reveal that human capital has a well established role in accelerating growth through both its ‘level effects’ and ‘rate effects’. The results are not sensitive to the definition of the education variable.The impact of human capital components on both output growth and TFP growth are positive regardless of the estimation technique employed. However, the significance of the coefficients of human capital components changes with the estimation technique.The parametric models in general do not give sufficient evidence for non linearity in the human capital-growth relationship.The semi parametric model, on the other hand, points out the existence of the non linear link, yet it does not indicate the exact form of the non linear connection.