Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Institutional and Economic Determinants of Regional Public Debt in Spain

We analyze from an empirical point of view the evolution and determinants of Spanish regional public debt. Spain offers an interesting case study because of its high level of fiscal decentralization, implemented gradually during the past four decades, the parallel entry into force of a number of national fiscal rules in that period, and the heterogeneity of its regions, both in terms of economic fundamentals and some institutional features. Our main findings are the following: (i) on average, over the sample of study, regional governments’ fiscal policies reacted to public debt increase; (ii) fiscal rules played a limited role in controlling debt surges; (iii) a higher degree of regional fiscal coresponsibility tends to be linked to more subdued debt dynamics; (iv) market disciple has encouraged some fiscal restraint at the regional level; and (v) increases in public commercial debt have affected the standard debt.
Substrate-binding Clusters of the K+-transporting Kdp ATPase of Escherichia coli Investigated by Amber Suppression Scanning Mutagenesis*

The Kdp-ATPase of Escherichia coli is a four-subunit P-type ATPase that accumulates K+ with high affinity and specificity. Residues clustered in four regions of the KdpA subunit of Kdp were implicated as critical for K+binding from the analysis of mutants with reduced affinity for K+ (Buurman, E., Kim, K.-T., and Epstein, W. (1995)J. Biol. Chem. 270, 6678–6685). K+binding by this pump has been analyzed in detail by site-directed mutagenesis. We have examined 83 of the 557 residues in KdpA, from 11 to 34 residues in each of four binding clusters known to affect K+ binding. Amber mutations were constructed in a plasmid carrying the kdpFABC structural genes. Transferring these plasmids to 12 suppressor strains, each inserting a different amino acid at amber codons, created 12 different substitutions at the mutated sites. This study delineates the four clusters and confirms that they are important for K+ affinity but have little effect on the rate of transport. At only 21 of the residues studied did at least three substitutions alter affinity for K+, an indication that a residue is in or very near a K+ binding site. At many residues lysine was the only substitution that altered its affinity. The effect of lysine is most likely a repulsive effect of this cationic residue on K+ and thus reflects the effective distance between a residue and the site of binding or passage of K+ in KdpA. Once a crystallographic structure of Kdp is available, this measure of effective distance will help identify the path of K+ as it moves through the KdpA subunit to cross the membrane.
Toll/IL-1 Receptor Domain-Containing Adaptor Inducing IFN-β (TRIF) Associates with TNF Receptor-Associated Factor 6 and TANK-Binding Kinase 1, and Activates Two Distinct Transcription Factors, NF-κB and IFN-Regulatory Factor-3, in the Toll-Like Receptor Signaling 1

We previously reported a new Toll/IL-1R (TIR)-containing molecule, named TIR domain-containing adaptor inducing IFN-β (TRIF). Although initial study indicated that TRIF possesses the ability to activate not only the NF-κB-dependent but also the IFN-β promoters, the molecular mechanisms of TRIF-induced signaling are poorly understood. In this study, we investigated the signaling cascades through TRIF. TNF receptor-associated factor (TRAF)6 interacted with TRIF through the TRAF domain of TRAF6 and TRAF6-binding motifs found in the N-terminal portion of TRIF. Disruption of TRAF6-binding motifs of TRIF disabled it from associating with TRAF6, and resulted in a reduction in the TRIF-induced activation of the NF-κB-dependent but not IFN-β promoter. TANK-binding kinase (TBK)-1, which was recently reported to be a kinase of IFN regulatory factor-3, which is an essential transcription factor for IFN-β expression, also associated with the N-terminal region of TRIF. Moreover, the association between TRIF and TBK1 appeared to require the kinase activity of TBK1, as well as phosphorylation of TRIF. Because TRAF6 and TBK1 bind close the region of TRIF, it seems that TRAF6 physically prevents the association between TRIF and TBK1. Taken together, these results demonstrate that TRIF associates with TRAF6 and TBK1 independently, and activates two distinct transcription factors, NF-κB and IFN regulatory factor-3, respectively.
Double minute chromosomes in acute myeloid leukemia and myelodysplastic syndrome: Identification of new amplification regions by fluorescence in situ hybridization and spectral karyotyping

Double minute chromosomes (dmin) are small chromatin bodies consisting of genes amplified in an extrachromosomal location. dmins are uncommon in hematologic malignancies; they are seen primarily in acute myeloid leukemia, with amplification of the MYC oncogene or, less frequently, the MLL transcription factor. Nine patients with hematologic malignancies with dmin were seen at the Roswell Park Cancer Institute between 1985 and 2000; eight had acute myeloid leukemia and one a myelodysplastic syndrome. Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) demonstrated MYC amplification on dmin in four patients, but MLL amplification was not seen. Spectral karyotyping showed that the dmin derived from chromosome 11 in one patient and from chromosome 19 in two others without MYC or MLL amplification; derivation from these chromosomes was confirmed by FISH with chromosome paint probes. The dmin of chromosome 11 origin hybridized to a bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC) RP11‐112M22 that maps to 11q24.3 and is predicted to contain ETS1 and other markers, including D11S11351 and D11S4091. The dmin of chromosome 19 origin in one patient hybridized to BACs RP11‐46I12 and RP11‐110J19; in the other patient, these clones did not hybridize with the dmin, but were found to be amplified on a marker chromosome that was derived from chromosome 19 in that patient's cells. These BACs have been mapped to 19q12–19q13.1 and 19q11–19q13.1, respectively, and are predicted to contain the markers D19S409 and D19S919 and the gene for ubiquinol‐cytochrome C reductase, Rieske iron‐sulfur polypeptide1 (UQCRFS1). dmin originating from chromosome 19 have not been reported previously in hematologic malignancies. © 2002 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Fast MR parameter mapping using k‐t principal component analysis

Quantification of magnetic resonance parameters plays an increasingly important role in clinical applications, such as the detection and classification of neurodegenerative diseases. The major obstacle that remains for its widespread use in clinical routine is the long scanning times. Therefore, strategies that allow for significant decreases in scan time are highly desired. Recently, the k‐t principal component analysis method was introduced for dynamic cardiac imaging to accelerate data acquisition. This is done by undersampling k‐t space and constraining the reconstruction of the aliased data based on the k‐t Broad‐use Linear Acquisition Speed‐up Technique (BLAST) concept and predetermined temporal basis functions. The objective of this study was to investigate whether the k‐t principal component analysis concept can be adapted to parameter quantification, specifically allowing for significant acceleration of an inversion recovery fast imaging with steady state precession (TrueFISP) acquisition. We found that three basis functions and a single training data line in central k‐space were sufficient to achieve up to an 8‐fold acceleration of the quantification measurement. This allows for an estimation of relaxation times T1 and T2 and spin density in one slice with sub‐millimeter in‐plane resolution, in only 6 s. Our findings demonstrate that the k‐t principal component analysis method is a potential candidate to bring the acquisition time for magnetic resonance parameter mapping to a clinically acceptable level. Magn Reson Med, 2011. © 2011 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Isolation and characterization of herpes simplex virus mutants containing engineered mutations at the DNA polymerase locus

We have derived Vero cell lines containing the herpes simplex virus DNA polymerase (pol) gene that complement temperature-sensitive pol mutants. These cell lines were used to recover viruses containing new mutations at the pol locus. Two spontaneously arising host-range mutants, 6C4 and 7E4, were isolated. These mutants did not grow efficiently on Vero cells or synthesize late polypeptides but formed plaques on a cell line containing the pol gene (DP6 cells). Whereas mutant 6C4 specified a wild-type-size Pol protein, we detected no full-length Pol protein in 7E4-infected cell extracts. Complementation studies demonstrated that 6C4 and 7E4 contain different mutations and indicated that 6C4 is in a complementation group different from that of pol temperature-sensitive mutant tsC7 or tsD9. A mutant in which 2.2 kilobases of pol sequences were replaced with the Escherichia coli lacZ gene under the control of the herpes simplex virus thymidine kinase promoter was constructed. This mutant formed blue plaques on DP6 cells in the presence of 5-bromo-4-chloro-3-indolyl-beta-D-galactoside. Using this virus in marker rescue experiments, we engineered three mutants containing deletions in the pol coding region which grew efficiently on DP6 cells but not on Vero cells and which differed in their synthesis of Pol polypeptides. The lacZ insertion virus was also used to introduce a deletion in the region upstream of the pol long open reading frame, which removes a short open reading frame that could encode a 10-amino-acid peptide. This mutant grew to similar titers on Vero and DP6 cells, indicating that these sequences are not essential for growth of the virus in tissue culture.
Is the Minimum Wage an Effective Response to Income Inequality?

Based on public choice theory, the authors argue that states with more unequal incomes will redistribute revenues through higher taxes. But the facts suggest otherwise. A higher minimum wage can be a better answer to calls for more redistribution, and the data bear this out. A higher minimum wage will reduce inequality because the distance between median and average incomes will narrow. Inequality, then, becomes another argument in favor of a substantial minimum wage.
Executive Functioning in Hyperactive Children as Young Adults: Attention, Inhibition, Response Perseveration, and the Impact of Comorbidity

Tests of several executive functions (EFs) as well as direct observations of symptoms of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) during testing were collected at the young adult follow-up (M = 20 years) on a large sample of hyperactive (H; N = 147) and community control (CC; N = 71) children. The EF tasks included tests of attention, inhibition, and response perseveration. The H group was subdivided into those with and without ADHD (+ or w/o) at follow-up. The H+ADHD group made significantly more inhibition errors than the CC group on a Continuous Performance Test (CPT) and showed more ADHD symptoms while performing the CPT. The H+ADHD group also displayed more ADHD symptoms during a letter cancellation task than did both the hyperactive w/o ADHD and CC groups. Both H groups showed slower reaction times during a Card Playing Task. That subset of hyperactive probands with Conduct Disorder (CD) displayed significantly more perseverative responding on that task than did those without CD, but otherwise it did not differ on any other measures. Current level of anxiety contributed adversely to both CPT commission errors and ADHD behavior during the CPT. Comorbid depression did not contribute to any group differences on these tests. Although developmental improvements were found in both the H and the CC groups in their CPT inattention and inhibition scores since adolescence, the H groups remained distinguishable from the CC groups over this period. We conclude that formerly hyperactive children manifest greater EF deficits at follow-up in the areas of inattention, disinhibition, and slowed reaction time and greater ADHD behavior during testing, but these problems are mostly confined to those with current ADHD. Response perseveration, however, was limited to those hyperactive children with CD by follow-up, consistent with Quay's theory of these two disorders.
Removal of Glare Caused by Water Droplets

Removal of view disturbing noise from an image obtained with a camera under adverse weather conditions is important. In this paper, we present a method of removing glare caused by water droplets, or other foreign objects, adhering to an imaging lens or its protective glass. We have designed and implemented an electronically controlled optical shutter array that detects and removes glare. Our system can easily be used with unmodified, commercially available digital cameras and lenses. We also present the possibility of applying this technique for the removal of general glare caused by the imaging lens itself.
Measurement of intracellular calcium ions and oxygen radicals in polymorphonuclear leucocyte‐erythrocyte ‘ghost’ hybrids.

Sendai virus induced fusion between rat polymorphonuclear leucocytes and human erythrocyte ‘ghosts’ containing the Ca‐activated photoprotein obelin. This resulted in the production of more than 90% of the cell population as viable hybrid cells, containing active photoprotein. Substances entrapped originally within the ‘ghosts’ could be transferred to the hybrids as shown morphologically by fluorescence microscopy, and immunologically by the use of antibodies specific for each of the cell types. Resting free Ca2+ in the hybrids was estimated to be 0.1‐0.3 microM. The relationship between intracellular Ca2+ within the hybrids and the production by the hybrids of oxygen radicals, as measured by luminol chemiluminescence, was investigated. The Ca ionophore A23187 stimulated both a rise in intracellular Ca2+ and oxygen radical production, the maximum rate of oxygen radical production being dependent upon the intracellular Ca2+ concentration. Complement activation at the cell surface, chemotactic peptide, and concanavilin A stimulated a rise in intracellular Ca2+, each with different characteristics: complement activation increased intracellular Ca2+ to 8 microM for at least 60 sec; chemotactic peptide raised it to approximately 0.6 microM for a prolonged period (at least 10 min) and concanavilin A stimulated a transient (t1/2 = approximately 80 sec) rise to approximately 0.6 microM. Un‐opsinized particles, latex beads (diam. approximately equal to 1 micron), which stimulate oxygen radical production, did not produce a detectable rise in intracellular Ca2+. Intracellular EGTA (approximately, 2.5 mM) inhibited both the oxygen radical production and the rises in intracellular Ca2+ induced by chemotactic peptide and concanavilin A, and delayed both the rise in intracellular Ca2+ and the onset of oxygen radical production induced by complement. Intracellular EGTA had no effect on oxygen radical production stimulated by latex particles. An increase in intracellular Ca2+ triggered oxygen radical production by the hybrids in response to the following stimuli: concanavilin A, chemotactic peptide, complement and the Ca ionophore A23187. However, the extent and duration of the increase in cytoplasmic Ca2+ was different for each stimulus, and the apparent relationship between cytoplasmic Ca2+ and oxygen radical production was different for each stimulus. Un‐opsinized particles stimulated oxygen radical production without requiring a rise in intracellular Ca2+ concentration.
Characterization of Histatin 5 with Respect to Amphipathicity, Hydrophobicity, and Effects on Cell and Mitochondrial Membrane Integrity Excludes a Candidacidal Mechanism of Pore Formation*

Histatin 5 is a 24-residue peptide from human saliva with antifungal properties. We recently demonstrated that histatin 5 translocates across the yeast membrane and targets to the mitochondria, suggesting an unusual antifungal mechanism (Helmerhorst, E. J., Breeuwer, P., van‘t Hof, W., Walgreen-Weterings, E., Oomen, L. C. J. M., Veerman, E. C. I., Nieuw Amerongen, A. V., and Abee, T. (1999) J. Biol. Chem. 274, 7286–7291). The present study used specifically designed synthetic analogs of histatin 5 to elucidate the role of peptide amphipathicity, hydrophobicity, and the propensity to adopt α-helical structures in relation to membrane permeabilization and fungicidal activity. Studies included circular dichroism measurements, evaluation of the effects on the cytoplasmic transmembrane potential and on the respiration of isolated mitochondria, and analysis of the peptide hydrophobicity/amphipathicity relationship (Eisenberg, D. (1984) Annu. Rev. Biochem. 53, 595–623). The 14-residue synthetic peptides used were dh-5, comprising the functional domain of histatin 5, and dhvar1 and dhvar4, both designed to maximize amphipathic characteristics. The results obtained show that the amphipathic analogs exhibited a high fungicidal activity, a high propensity to form an α-helix, dissipated the cytoplasmic transmembrane potential, and uncoupled the respiration of isolated mitochondria, similar to the pore-forming peptide PGLa (Peptide with N-terminal Glycine and C-terminal Leucine-amide). In contrast, histatin 5 and dh-5 showed fewer or none of these features. The difference in these functional characteristics between histatin 5 and dh-5 on the one hand and dhvar1, dhvar4, and PGLa on the other hand correlated well with their predicted affinity for membranes based on hydrophobicity/amphipathicity analysis. These data indicate that the salivary protein histatin 5 exerts its antifungal function through a mechanism other than pore formation.
Histological and biomechanical effects of zoledronate on fracture healing in an osteoporotic rat tibia model.

OBJECTIVES This study aims to investigate the effects of zoledronate therapy on histological and biomechanical properties of bone healing via a fracture model generated on osteoporotic rat tibiae. MATERIALS AND METHODS Ovariectomized 40 Wistar-Dawley female rats weighing 300 g to 350 g were used in the study. After one week, 2 IU/g heparin injection was started subcutaneously. After four weeks of daily injections, osteoporosis was ensued proven with bone mineral density measurements. Osteoporotic rats were separated into four equal groups randomly as group A (control), group B (calcium and vitamin D), group C (0.1 mg/kg subcutaneous zoledronic acid), and group D (calcium and vitamin D / 0.1 mg/kg subcutaneous zoledronic acid). Six weeks later, all rats were sacrificed, their tibiae were resected, and histopathologic and biomechanical studies were performed. RESULTS Group C (30.2±1 Nm) and group D (33.3±3 Nm) had significantly higher peak torque values than group A (21.6±6 Nm) and group B (23.6±4 Nm) (p=0.007 and p=0.005, respectively). Group C (1.8) and group D (2.0) had higher stiffness values than group A (1.4) and group B (1.7); however, the difference was not statistically significant (p>0.05 for all). CONCLUSION According to histopathological and biomechanical test results, single dose zoledronic acid treatment improves fracture healing in an osteoporotic rat fracture model. Orally administered daily calcium and vitamin D treatment had no effect on fracture healing. There was no additional improvement in fracture healing when calcium and vitamin D treatment was added to zoledronic acid treatment. Positive effects of zoledronic acid treatment on osteoporotic fracture healing and callus quality should be shown by future clinical studies.
Sensitivity Shaping under Degree Constraint: Bi-Tangential Nevanlinna-Pick Interpolation with a Complexity Constraint Approach

A solution to the bi-tangential Nevanlinna-Pick interpolation with a complexity constraint is presented. The solution can be described by the ratio of functions, PsiQ-1, similar to the previous works. It is obtained by minimizing a strictly convex functional. The essence in the present work lies in the construction of the domain of Q. The theory is applied to a sensitivity shaping problem, and a certain class of the free design parameter Psi is suggested to obtain a controller of low degree
Recent Developments in Inflation Expectations

Recent increases in energy and food prices have fed concerns about the prospect of inflation in the near future. While the rising prices of these important commodities are felt by everyone, as two prices among many, they do not necessarily signal impending inflation. For a better gauge of future inflation, we turn to various measures of inflation expectations. Inflation expectations are both a predictor and an important factor in future inflation, and as it happens, most of the short-term inflation expectation measures we have looked at have been rising lately.
On readouts of multiple micro/nano resonator sensors with mismatch

Resonators are used to detect small mass changes, which in turn can be used to detect vapours, chemicals, viruses etc. The sensitivity of these detectors can be enhanced by decreasing their mass using micro/nano technologies. However, this leads to a reduction in their effective surface area. To increase the available surface area, several detectors can be manufactured on the same substrate. Parallel excitation and summing of the outputs of the different detectors is the least bandwidth exhaustive readout mechanism for this type of system. However, mismatch between the detectors, which arises due to manufacturing variations, introduces errors in the detection system. In this paper, we study the effect of mismatch on the performance of micro/nano mass sensors with parallel readout. It is shown that resonators with high quality factors, which are otherwise desirable, are also highly susceptible to mismatch. Coupling between the detectors is suggested as a technique to remove the effects of mismatch without increasing the output bandwidth.
Stability of domain 4 of the anthrax toxin protective antigen and the effect of the VWA domain of CMG2 on stability

The major immunogenic component of the current anthrax vaccine, anthrax vaccine adsorbed (AVA) is protective antigen (PA). We have shown recently that the thermodynamic stability of PA can be significantly improved by binding to the Von‐Willebrand factor A (VWA) domain of capillary morphogenesis protein 2 (CMG2), and improvements in thermodynamic stability may improve storage and long‐term stability of PA for use as a vaccine. In order to understand the origin of this increase in stability, we have isolated the receptor binding domain of PA, domain 4 (D4), and have studied the effect of the addition of CMG2 on thermodynamic stability. We are able to determine a binding affinity between D4 and CMG2 (∼300 nM), which is significantly weaker than that between full‐length PA and CMG2 (170–300 pM). Unlike full‐length PA, we observe very little change in stability of D4 on binding to CMG2, using either fluorescence or 19F‐NMR experiments. Because in previous experiments we could observe a stabilization of both domain 4 and domain 2, the mechanism of stabilization of PA by CMG2 is likely to involve a mutual stabilization of these two domains.