Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Influence of Genetic Variation in the C‐Reactive Protein Gene on the Inflammatory Response During and After Acute Coronary Ischemia

The aim of this research was to assess whether common genetic variants within the C‐reactive protein gene (CRP) are related to the degree of acute rise in plasma C‐reactive protein (CRP) levels following an acute coronary syndrome (ACS). While polymorphisms within CRP are associated with basal CRP levels in healthy men and women, less is known about the relationship of such genetic variants and the degree of CRP rise during and after acute ischemia. Plasma CRP is associated with increased rates of recurrent coronary events. We evaluated seven common genetic variants within CRP and assessed their relationship to the degree of rise in CRP levels immediately following an acute coronary syndrome in 1827 European American patients. Variants in the putative promoter region, −757T > C and −286C > T > A, were associated with the highest CRP elevations after ACS. Patients with two copies of the A allele of SNP −286C > T > A had median CRP values of 76.6 mg/L, compared to 11.1 mg/L in patients with no copies of the rare variant (p‐value <0.0001), post ACS. The lowest CRP values were found for patients with minor alleles of the exonic 1059G > C and the 3′untranslated region 1846G > A SNPs. For example, patients homozygous for the minor allele of 1059G > C had 71% lower median CRP values than those homozygous for the major allele [3.5 vs 12.0 mg/L, p < 0.0001]. These trends persisted in the chronic stable phase after ischemia had resolved, and after adjustment for infarct size by peak creatinine kinase levels and clinical status by Killip class. Assessment of CRP genetic variants identified patients with higher and lower CRP elevation after acute coronary syndrome.
The Rice Wall-Associated Receptor-Like Kinase Gene OsDEES1 Plays a Role in Female Gametophyte Development1[C][W]

The wall-associated kinase (WAK) gene family is a unique subfamily of receptor-like kinases (RLKs) in plants. WAK-RLKs play roles in cell expansion, pathogen resistance, and metal tolerance in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana). Rice (Oryza sativa) has far more WAK-RLK genes than Arabidopsis, but the functions of rice WAK-RLKs are poorly understood. In this study, we found that one rice WAK-RLK gene, DEFECT IN EARLY EMBRYO SAC1 (OsDEES1), is involved in the regulation of early embryo sac development. OsDEES1 silencing by RNA interference caused a high rate of female sterility. Crossing experiments showed that female reproductive organs lacking OsDEES1 carried a functional defect. A detailed investigation of the ovaries from OsDEES1 RNA interference plants indicated that the knockdown of OsDEES1 expression did not affect megasporogenesis but that it disturbed female gametophyte formation, resulting in a degenerated embryo sac and defective seed formation. OsDEES1 exhibited a tissue-specific expression pattern in flowers and seedlings. In the ovary, OsDEES1 was expressed in the megagametophyte region and surrounding nucellus cells in the ovule near the micropylar region. OsDEES1 was found to be a membrane-localized protein with a unique sequence compared with other WAK-RLKs. These data indicate that OsDEES1 plays a role in rice sexual reproduction by regulating female gametophyte development. This study offers new insight into the functions of the WAK-RLK family.
Association of Paraoxonase 1 Polymorphism With Beta-Cell Function: A Case of Molecular Heterosis

Abstract: Paraoxonase 1 (PON1) is an antioxidant enzyme that inhibits the oxidative modification of LDL. Since PON1 has been shown to express in pancreatic islets and oxidative stress plays a role in beta-cell dysfunction, we investigated the impact of the PON1 polymorphisms on beta-cell function. This study included 84 healthy and glucose-tolerant white subjects who underwent an oral glucose tolerance test. Beta-cell function (1stPHS and 2ndPHS) was estimated according to the formulae published by Stumvoll et al. The relationship of the L55M and Q192R polymorphisms to beta-cell function was examined. Allelic frequency in this population was 0.37 for the M allele and 0.30 for the R allele. For the L55M polymorphism, the LM genotype had the lowest 1stPHS (P = 0.009) and 2ndPHS (P = 0.007), indicating molecular heterosis. Multivariate analyses confirmed that the L55M polymorphism was an independent determinant for 1stPHS (P = 0.016) and 2ndPHS (P = 0.009), after adjustment for covariates. For the Q192M polymorphism, no difference was noted in 1stPHS and 2ndPHS. We observed the L55M polymorphism of the PON1 gene as an independent determinant for beta-cell function in glucose-tolerant whites. Our observations suggest that this polymorphism could play a role in beta-cell dysfunction.
Somatic mutation in the HLA‐B gene of a patient with acute myelogenous leukaemia

In this report we describe a case of somatic mutation in the HLA‐B gene in the tumour cells of a patient with acute myelogenous leukaemia (AML). Routine human leukocyte antigen (HLA) typing of patient by serology and molecular methodologies rendered discrepant results regarding the expression of a B*15:01 antigen. Sequencing‐based typing of a patient's sample including a very high percentage of blast cells revealed the presence of one nucleotide insertion at exon 3, position 440, codon 123. This insertion resulted in a reading frame shift and a premature stop codon at position 152. The mutation was absent in a sample obtained when the patient was in remission. This case report points out the relevance of the sample source for HLA typing in patients with haematological malignancies.
Modelling Regional House Prices in the UK

Maximum likelihood cointegration methods are used to analyze the determinants of house prices in each of the eleven regions of the United Kingdom. Broad similarities in the structure of house price equations are found across regions in England and Wales (but not Scotland or Northern Ireland), indicating that the source of differences in English and Welsh regional house prices should probably be sought in different regional incomes, opportunity costs, and housing starts. Tests of spatial dependence in regional house prices cast doubt on the well-known 'ripple effect' hypothesis. Copyright 1997 by Scottish Economic Society.
The Mini‐Mental State exam may help in the differentiation of dementia with Lewy bodies and Alzheimer's disease

Since patients with dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) tend to have greater impairment of attention and construction and better memory ability on neuropsychological tests than patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD), we determined if the items that measure attention, memory, and construction in the Mini‐Mental State Examination (MMSE) help to distinguish DLB from AD early in the course of the dementia.
Customers' views of the results of managing quality through ISO 9002 and Investors in People in leisure services

Many UK local authorities manage the quality of their leisure services through ISO 9002, the international quality assurance standard, and Investors in People, the UK standard for people management. However, little is known about the ability of these two standards to affect customer perceptions of service in these contexts. The paper reports primary research that compared customer perceptions of service in cases registered to these different standards. It was found that customers of the IiP registered cases scored these leisure facilities more highly as compared to customers of the ISO 9002 registered cases. This was true both for employee related service elements and for the tangibles and processes which are the focus of ISO 9002.
Job Search In A Dynamic Environment An Empirical Analysis

A dynamic job search model which allows us to distinguish various effects, such as 'offer' probability effects and leisure effects, on an individual's behavior is presented and estimated. We find that: (1) there is disutility from being unemployed, especially after the first three months of unemployment; (2) income receipts other than unemployment benefits and earnings have only a very small effect on the behavior; (3) the conditional probability of leaving unemployment shows no sign of decreasing with duration; (4) the elasticity of expected duration with respect to unemployment benefits in the first three months of the spell is 0.18 for teenage men, 0.13-0.14 for men aged 20-44, 0.08 for men aged 45-54, and 0.06 for men over 55, giving an overall average of 0.12; and (5) these elasticities are zero after the first three months of the spell. Copyright 1993 by Royal Economic Society.
Software piracy and income inequality

We investigate the extent to which income inequality influences national piracy rates across a sample of 34 countries. Economic inequality seems to have a negative significant effect on national rates of piracy. Consistent with previous studies, we also find that judicial efficiency affects piracy rates. Additionally, research results show that income and education are not important determinants of piracy rates.
Incidence and prognostic importance of molecular genetic defects in children with acute myeloblastic leukemia.

INTRODUCTION Acute myeloblastic leukemia (AML) accounts for 15 to 25 percent of childhood acute leukemias. The most common genetic abnormalities seen in pediatric AML patients are AML1-ETO, PML-RARα and CBFB-MYH11 genes resulting in t(8;21), t(15;17) and inv(16). These genetic defects are seen in approximately 20-25% of AML patients. OBJECTIVE We investigated in this study, incidence and prognostic significance of the AML1-ETO, PML-RARα and CBFB-MYH11 genes in children with AML. MATERIALS AND METHODS The authors analyzed 34 children with AML using the real time-polymerase chain reaction for AML1-ETO, PML-RARα and CBFB-MYH11 genes. RESULTS Of the patients, 8.8% were positive for t(8;21), 8.8% for t(15;17) and 3% for inv(16). There were a statistically significant differences between 48 month overall survival rates of the patients positive and negative for t(8;21), t(15;17) and inv(16). CONCLUSION It was concluded that t(15;17), t(8;21) and inv(16) impact on disease prognosis positively, but comprehensive studies with larger patient series are now needed for confirmation.
Fabrication Method for Paper Microfluidics Utilizing 3D Printing and PDMS Stamps

Paper microfluidics is an emerging technology that offers a simple and inexpensive alternative to traditional microfluidics. Paper is an attractive medium for microfluidic devices because of its inherent hydrophilicity and low cost. Hydrophobic materials including wax and photoresist are used to pattern the paper. The most common method for making paper microfluidic analytical devices (μPAD) is wax printing, however, this method requires an expensive and specialized printer that is limited to printing documents and channel designs. Our method uses inexpensive materials and tools accessible to most research labs in the US. We utilize 3D printers, a common tool available in many universities because of their versatility. Poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) wax stamps are used to deposit wax onto paper, forming microfluidic channels. The PDMS stamps are produced with ABS 3D printed molds designed in CAD software. A PDMS stamp is dipped into melted wax and then pressed onto paper much like the process of using a rubber stamp and ink. Once the wax is deposited, the paper is heated, letting the wax penetrate the paper and form hydrophilic channels. This rapid and simple procedure allows researchers to easily produce μPADs with the flexibility of CAD software and 3D printers.
DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT OF 3D PRINTED MYOELECTRIC ROBOTIC EXOSKELETON FOR HAND REHABILITATION

Abstract The development of dynamic rehabilitation devices can be evaluated as a research fastgrowing field. Indeed, robot-assisted therapy is an advanced new technology mainly in stroke rehabilitation. Although patients benefit from this enormous development of technology, including the presence of rehabilitation robots, the therapeutic field still suffering a lack in hand robotic rehabilitation devices. In this context, this work proposes a new design of a 3D printed hand exoskeleton for the stroke rehabilitation. Based on the EMG signals measured from the muscles responsible for the hand motion, the designed mechatronic system detects the intention of hand opening or hand closing from the stroked subject. Based on an embedded controller and five servomotors, the low cost robotic system is able to drive in real time three degrees of freedom (DOFs) for each finger. The real tests with stroked subjects showed that the designed hand exoskeleton architecture has a positive effect on the motion finger range and mainly in the hand ability to perform some simple tasks. The case studies showed a good recovery of the motor functions and consequently the developed system efficiency.
Towards a typology of at-risk students: a case study in Singapore

The purpose of this study is to examine at-risk students and the reasons they give to explain their poor academic performance, with a view to developing a typology of at-risk students. A case study methodology was used to investigate the total population of at-risk students for Semester 2, 2008 studying at the Singapore campus of an Australian-based university. Poor academic performance means that students are placed ‘at-risk’ of exclusion from the University if their grades do not significantly improve in subsequent semesters. The majority of students cite employment pressures (primarily work commitments interfering with study) and personal relationship difficulties (including divorce and family commitments) as the main causes of their at-risk status. Our findings may help universities implementing at-risk programmes reduce student attrition and better aid students in completing their degrees.
High-visibility interference in a Bell-inequality experiment for energy and time.

We report on a two-photon interference experiment proposed by Franson [Phys. Rev. Lett. 62, 2205 (1989)], in which sinusoidal fringes with visibilities greater than 70.7%, such as those predicted by quantum mechanics, violate a Bell inequality. We observe visibility of 80.4±0.6%, implying a violation of the inequality by 16 standard deviations. Here the elements of reality under consideration are energy and time rather than spin components. Any classical field models describing separate beams in a Franson interferometer are limited to visibilities less than 50%, and hence ruled out as well, without the need for any supplementary assumptions
Ataxia Telangiectasia Mutated (ATM) Inhibition Transforms Human Mammary Gland Epithelial Cells*

Carriers of mutations in the cell cycle checkpoint protein kinase ataxia telangiectasia mutated (ATM), which represent 1–2% of the general population, have an increased risk of breast cancer. However, experimental evidence that ATM deficiency contributes to human breast carcinogenesis is lacking. We report here that in MCF-10A and MCF-12A cells, which are well established normal human mammary gland epithelial cell models, partial or almost complete stable ATM silencing or pharmacological inhibition resulted in cellular transformation, genomic instability, and formation of dysplastic lesions in NOD/SCID mice. These effects did not require the activity of exogenous DNA-damaging agents and were preceded by an unsuspected and striking increase in cell proliferation also observed in primary human mammary gland epithelial cells. Increased proliferation correlated with a dramatic, transient, and proteasome-dependent reduction of p21WAF1/CIP1 and p27KIP1 protein levels, whereas little or no effect was observed on p21WAF1/CIP1 or p27KIP1 mRNAs. p21WAF1/CIP1 silencing also increased MCF-10A cell proliferation, thus identifying p21WAF1/CIP1 down-regulation as a mediator of the proliferative effect of ATM inhibition. Our findings provide the first experimental evidence that ATM is a human breast tumor suppressor. In addition, they mirror the sensitivity of ATM tumor suppressor function and unveil a new mechanism by which ATM might prevent human breast tumorigenesis, namely a direct inhibitory effect on the basal proliferation of normal mammary epithelial cells.
Entry Mode Choices in Transition Economies: The Moderating Effect of Institutional Distance on Managers’ Personal Experiences

This article examines the moderating effect of institutional distance on the relation between personal experiences of chief executive officers (CEOs) and entry mode choice. Hypotheses are tested with data on 156 foreign direct investments made by west-European multinational enterprises in 10 central and eastern European economies in the 1992–2002 period of transition. Two demographic features are examined: CEOs’ age and international experience. The results provide support for the theory that the impact of CEOs’ experiences on the entry mode choice is conditional on the institutional distance between home and host countries.
Tolerance for Failure and Incentives for Collaborative Innovation

Most organizations employ collaborative teams to manage innovation projects. Although the use of collaborative innovation teams is a good starting point, an organization's ability to innovate can be enhanced by managing risk‐taking behavior through monetary incentive schemes and through an organizational culture that tolerates failure. This article reports the results of two controlled experiments aimed at understanding how tolerance for failure and incentives impact the decisions of individuals engaged in a collaborative innovation initiative. A key element of our experiments is the notion of endogenous project risk, which we define as the explicit link between resources allocated to a project and the likelihood of project success. We observe that when penalties are low, the amount of risk an individual assumes is fairly insensitive to the rewards that are offered. In an analogous result, when individuals make decisions alone (rather than collaboratively), higher tolerance for failure does little to increase the amount of risk an individual is willing to take. Taken together, these results highlight the importance of implicit incentives that are created as a result of project and organizational characteristics.
Evaluating the toxicity of TiO2-based nanoparticles to Chinese hamster ovary cells and Escherichia coli: a complementary experimental and computational approach

Titania-supported palladium, gold and bimetallic nanoparticles (second-generation nanoparticles) demonstrate promising photocatalytic properties. However, due to unusual reactivity, second-generation nanoparticles can be hazardous for living organisms. Considering the ever-growing number of new types of nanoparticles that can potentially contaminate the environment, a determination of their toxicity is extremely important. The main aim of presented study was to investigate the cytotoxic effect of surface modified TiO2-based nanoparticles, to model their quantitative nanostructure–toxicity relationships and to reveal the toxicity mechanism. In this context, toxicity tests for surface-modified TiO2-based nanoparticles were performed in vitro, using Gram-negative bacteria Escherichia coli and Chinese hamster ovary (CHO-K1) cells. The obtained cytotoxicity data were analyzed by means of computational methods (quantitative structure–activity relationships, QSAR approach). Based on a combined experimental and computational approach, predictive models were developed, and relationships between cytotoxicity, size, and specific surface area (Brunauer–Emmett–Teller surface, BET) of nanoparticles were discussed.
The EAL domain containing protein STM2215 (rtn) is needed during Salmonella infection and has cyclic di‐GMP phosphodiesterase activity

Salmonella Typhimurium gene STM2215 (rtn) is conserved among many enterobacteriaceae. Mutants lacking STM2215 poorly colonized the liver and spleen in intraperitoneal infection of mice and poorly colonized the intestine and deeper tissues in oral infection. These phenotypes were complemented by a wild‐type copy of STM2215 provided in trans. STM2215 deletion mutants grew normally in J774A.1 murine macrophages but were unable to invade Caco‐2 colonic epithelial cells. Consistent with this finding, mutants in STM2215 produced lower levels of effectors of the TTSS‐1. STM2215 is a predicted c‐di‐GMP phosphodiesterase, but lacks identifiable sensor domains. Biochemical analysis of STM2215 determined that it is located in the inner membrane and has c‐di‐GMP phosphodiesterase activity in vitro dependent on an intact EAL motif. Unlike some previously identified members of this family, STM2215 did not affect motility, was expressed on plates, and in liquid media at late exponential and early stationary phase during growth. Defined mutations in STM2215 revealed that neither the predicted periplasmic domain nor the anchoring of the protein to the inner membrane is necessary for the activity of this protein during infection. However, the EAL domain of STM2215 is required during infection, suggesting that its phosphodiesterase activity is necessary during infection.
Multistage Evaluation of Measurement Error in a Reliability Study

Summary We introduce sequential testing procedures for the planning and analysis of reliability studies to assess an exposure's measurement error. The designs allow repeated evaluation of reliability of the measurements and stop testing if early evidence shows the measurement error is within the level of tolerance. Methods are developed and critical values tabulated for a number of two‐stage designs. The methods are exemplified using an example evaluating the reliability of biomarkers associated with oxidative stress.
Insulinemia in Children at Low and High Risk of NIDDM

OBJECTIVE Fasting hyperinsulinemia in the presence of normoglycemia usually indicates insulin resistance and is characteristic of populations at high risk for developing NIDDM. Hyperinsulinemia predicts the development of impaired glucose tolerance and NIDDM in Pima Indians, a population with a high incidence of NIDDM. Insulin concentrations in population-based samples of children who have different risks of developing NIDDM later in life have not been reported previously. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS We compared fasting insulin concentrations in two populations of nondiabetic children, 6–19 yr of age: Pima Indians from southern Arizona and Caucasians from Minnesota. RESULTS Insulin concentration varied with age, sex, glucose concentration, and relative weight. Mean fasting insulin concentration was 140.3 pM in Pima Indian males, 94.4 pM in Caucasian males, 171.5 pM in Pima Indian females, and 107.1 pM in Caucasian females. For each sex, the mean fasting insulin concentration, controlled for age, glucose, and relative weight, was significantly higher in the Pima Indians than in the Caucasians (P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS From a young age, Pima Indian children have higher fasting insulin concentrations than Caucasian children. As hyperinsulinemia predicts subsequent NIDDM, these data suggest that the susceptibility to NIDDM is manifest at a young age as fasting hyperinsulinemia.