Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Full Characterisation of the Political Economy of Fiscal Adjustment: Evidence from Spanish Municipalities

By means of a dynamic panel data analysis, and using a database from municipalities of the province of Barcelona (1993-99), we describe their process of fiscal adjustment to a shock in tax capacity. About 25% of the shock is internalized through an increase in tax effort, 35% through a reduction in public expenditure (mainly investment), while the rest is covered by an increase in the level of debt (i.e., the adjustment is delayed). However, this process of adjustment is very much influenced by the political situation of the municipality. Coalition and minority governments ("weak" governments) tend to delay the (unavoidable) adjustment, and 70% of their shock is covered by an increase in the level of debt, while the rest of municipalities ("strong" governments) adjust immediately. Leftist governments mostly react through increases in tax effort, while rightist governments reduce public expenditure to a greater extent. Finally, we find that municipalities are relatively reluctant to decrease taxes, that is, they react differently to a negative (28%) and a positive (26%) shock with regard to the level of tax effort.
dPORE-miRNA: Polymorphic Regulation of MicroRNA Genes

Background MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are short non-coding RNA molecules that act as post-transcriptional regulators and affect the regulation of protein-coding genes. Mostly transcribed by PolII, miRNA genes are regulated at the transcriptional level similarly to protein-coding genes. In this study we focus on human miRNAs. These miRNAs are involved in a variety of pathways and can affect many diseases. Our interest is on possible deregulation of the transcription initiation of the miRNA encoding genes, which is facilitated by variations in the genomic sequence of transcriptional control regions (promoters). Methodology Our aim is to provide an online resource to facilitate the investigation of the potential effects of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) on miRNA gene regulation. We analyzed SNPs overlapped with predicted transcription factor binding sites (TFBSs) in promoters of miRNA genes. We also accounted for the creation of novel TFBSs due to polymorphisms not present in the reference genome. The resulting changes in the original TFBSs and potential creation of new TFBSs were incorporated into the Dragon Database of Polymorphic Regulation of miRNA genes (dPORE-miRNA). Conclusions The dPORE-miRNA database enables researchers to explore potential effects of SNPs on the regulation of miRNAs. dPORE-miRNA can be interrogated with regards to: a/miRNAs (their targets, or involvement in diseases, or biological pathways), b/SNPs, or c/transcription factors. dPORE-miRNA can be accessed at http://cbrc.kaust. edu.sa/dpore and http://apps.sanbi. ac.za/dpore/. Its use is free for academic and non-profit users.
The Impact of Outdated CSI on the Finite Blocklength Performance of Relaying

Under the assumption of outdated channel state information (CSI) at the source, we study the blocklength-limited throughput (BL-throughput) of a two-hop relaying network. We introduce SNR weights to let the source choose a relatively lower coding rate based on the weighted outdated SNR. Both a fixed weight scheme and a dynamic weight scheme are studied. We derive the expected BL-throughput of a transmission period based on the corresponding outdated CSI and compare it with the ergodic BL-throughput over channel fading. In particular, we prove that under the dynamic SNR weight scheme the BL-throughput of an upcoming transmission is concave in the coding rate and quasi-concave in the SNR weights. In addition, under the fixed SNR weight scheme we show that the average BL-throughput over time is quasi-concave in these weights. Through numerical investigations, we show the appropriateness of our theoretical model. In addition, we study the performance difference between the dynamic and the fixed weight schemes. We show numerically that relaying outperforms direct transmission under the finite blocklength regime for cases where both systems have similar performance with respect to Shannon capacity. These results indicate that as the blocklength decreases, relaying has a increasing performance advantage over direct transmission despite its inherent reduction in the transmit times.
Weekly bryostatin-1 in metastatic renal cell carcinoma: a phase II study.

PURPOSE We conducted a Phase II trial of bryostatin-1, an inhibitor of protein kinase C, in advanced renal cell carcinoma to measure toxicity, response rate, time to progression, and induction of cytokines. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN A total of 32 patients (26 male and 6 female) received bryostatin-1 at 35-40 microg/m(2) i.v. over 1 h on days 1, 8, and 15 of each 4-week cycle. Plasma interleukin-6, tumor necrosis factor-alpha, and C-reactive protein levels were assayed pretreatment, 1 and 23 h after completion of bryostatin-1 infusion at weeks 1 and 5. RESULTS Cycles (102) of bryostatin-1 were given (median 2, range 1-8). The most common grade 1 or 2 toxicities were myalgias (46.8%), fatigue (59.3%), and dyspnea (18.8%). Grade 3-4 toxicity included myalgias (40.6%), ataxia (9.3%), and dyspnea (15.6%). Four (12%) patients experienced cardiac events while on study (cardiac arrhythmias and congestive heart failure occurred in 2 patients, and 2 patients had fatal cardiac arrests). Of 32 patients evaluable for response, 2 (6.3%) had partial responses lasting 9 with 6 months. A total of 15 patients (46.8%) had stable disease, and 6 (18.8%) patients had stable disease for >or=6 months. Plasma interleukin-6 increased >or=2-fold over baseline measurements in 5 of 17 patients (29.4%) but did not correlate with response or toxicity. CONCLUSIONS Although weekly bryostatin-1 at 35-40 microg/m(2) produced a low proportion of objective responses, prolonged (>6 months) stable disease or partial remission in 25% of patients suggests that this agent, or other inhibitors of protein kinase C, may have a role in the treatment of renal cell carcinoma, perhaps in combination with other agents.
Alterations in the regulatory region of the human papillomavirus type 6 genome are generated during propagation in Escherichia coli

We analyzed the long control regions (LCRs) of seven human papillomavirus type 6b (HPV-6b) clones, which contained prototype HPV-6b sequences recloned into various plasmid vectors and propagated in different strains of Escherichia coli. Southern blot analysis and DNA sequencing demonstrated three different sequences, each distinct from the published prototype HPV-6b sequence. Two of the plasmids contained insertions of 24 and 94 base pairs (bp) and a 1-bp deletion. Four plasmids contained insertions of 24 and 58 bp and a deletion of 49 bp. One plasmid contained a single insertion of 77 bp. The 94-, and 58-bp insertions occurred at the same site and had 100% positional identity across their shared lengths. All changes were located in the purine-thymidine-rich region of the LCR (nucleotides 7292 to 7400). Two additional LCR sequences were detected by restriction analysis of two other HPV-6b clones. We conclude that the purine-thymidine-rich region of the LCR is a hot spot for recombination in E. coli and that the alterations are the result of recA-independent events. These results emphasize the need to rigorously prove that a cloned isolate is an authentic copy of the genomic DNA present in the original lesion. In addition, the data indicate that the HPV-6b LCR sequences employed in different laboratories may be different, even if their parental DNAs were identical. Finally, we discuss the need for caution in assigning biological significance to alterations in this region, in view of the limited data available on the true identity of the HPV-6b LCR.
A profile of North Carolina lesbian, gay, and bisexual health disparities, 2011.

OBJECTIVES We investigated the health profile of lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) adults in North Carolina, the first state in the South to include a measure of sexual orientation identity in a probability-based statewide health survey. METHODS Using data from 9876 respondents in the 2011 North Carolina Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance Survey, we compared sexual minorities to heterosexuals on a variety of health indicators. RESULTS LGB respondents were younger and more likely to be reached by cell phone. Many examined indicators were not different by sexual orientation. Significant results, however, were consistent with findings from state population surveys in other regions of the country, including disparities in mental health and, among women, smoking. CONCLUSIONS Reporting LGB identity in North Carolina is associated with poorer health. The concentration of anti-LGB policies in the South warrants ongoing monitoring of LGB health disparities in North Carolina and in other Southeastern states for potential effects on the health and well-being of LGB populations.
Cellular Nucleic Acid Binding Protein Regulates the CT Element of the Human c- myc Protooncogene (*)

The CT element of the c- myc gene is required for promoter P1 usage and can drive expression of a heterologous promoter. Both double strand (Sp1) and single strand (hnRNP K) CT-binding proteins have been implicated as mediators of CT action. Although significant levels of CT activity persisted following Sp1 immunodepletion, EGTA totally abolished transactivation, thus implicating another metal requiring factor in CT element activity. As hnRNP K binds to one strand of the CT element, but has no metal requirement, the opposite (purine-rich strand) was examined as a target for a metal-dependent protein. A zinc-requiring purine strand binding activity was identified as cellular nucleic acid binding protein (CNBP), a protein previously implicated in the regulation of sterol responsive genes. Two forms of CNBP differed in their relative binding to the CT- or sterol-response elements. CNBP was shown to be a bona fide regulator of the CT element by cotransfection of a CNBP expression vector that stimulated expression of a CT-driven but not an AP1-dependent reporter. These data suggest that hnRNP K and CNBP bind to opposite strands and co-regulate the CT element.
Circulating Matrix Metalloproteinases 1, 2, 9 and Their Inhibitors TIMP-1 and TIMP-2 as Serum Markers of Liver Fibrosis in Patients With Chronic Hepatitis C: Comparison With PIIINP and Hyaluronic Acid

OBJECTIVES:Histological examination of liver biopsy is currently required in the management of patients with chronic hepatitis C. Our aim was to evaluate the diagnostic utility of a panel of circulating markers in detecting the stage of fibrosis.METHODS:One hundred and ninety four-patients who had undergone a percutaneous liver biopsy before antiviral treatment, and 194 age- and sex-matched healthy subjects were studied. Serum levels of hyaluronate, procollagen type III N-terminal peptide (PIIINP), matrix metalloproteinases (MMP)-1, MMP-2, MMP-9 and their tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinases (TIMP)-1 and TIMP-2 were determined by RIA and ELISA. Histological lesions were staged according to the METAVIR score.RESULTS:Hyaluronate, PIIINP, TIMP-1, and TIMP-2 serum levels were significantly higher in patients than in controls. Six markers were significantly correlated with fibrosis: MMP-2 (r = 0.28; p< 0.01), TIMP-1 (r = 0.42; p< 0.001), HA (r = 0.50; p< 0.001), PIIINP (r = 0.62; p< 0.0001), MMP-1 (r =−0.32; p< 0.01), and MMP-9 (r =−0.22; p< 0.05). By multivariate analysis, only PIIINP and MMP-1 were independently associated with fibrosis, and were combined using the equation of the logistic regression model. Using receiver-operating characteristics analysis, the area under the curve of the score to discriminate mild (F0/F1) from significant fibrosis (F2/F3/F4) was 0.82, with a sensitivity of 60% for a specificity of 92%. CONCLUSIONS:Our results suggest that combining two serum markers reflecting fibrogenesis (PIIINP) and fibrolysis (MMP-1) may provide a useful tool for evaluating liver fibrosis.
Improved Temporal Relation Classification using Dependency Parses and Selective Crowdsourced Annotations

We study the problem of classifying the temporal relationship between events and time expressions in text. In contrast to previous methods that require extensive feature engineering, our approach is simple, relying only on a measure of parse tree similarity. Our method generates such tree similarity values using dependency parses as input to a convolution kernel. The resulting system outperforms the current state-of-the-art. To further improve classifier performance, we can obtain more annotated data. Rather than rely on expert annotation, we assess the feasibility of acquiring annotations through crowdsourcing. We show that quality temporal relationship annotation can be crowdsourced from novices. By leveraging the problem structure of temporal relation classification, we can selectively acquire annotations on problem instances that we assess as more difficult. Employing this annotation strategy allows us to achieve a classification accuracy of 73.2%, a statistically significant improvement of 8.6% over the previous state-of-the-art, while trimming annotation efforts by up to 37%. Finally, as we believe that access to sufficient training data is a significant barrier to current temporal relationship classification, we plan to share our collected data with the research community to promote benchmarking and comparative studies.
Research of the Social Comment Data Emotional Tendency Based on Object Select SVM-Text Sentiment Model

In the study of hits of the drama, the useful of the social comment data is more and more important. But the most research concentrated on the volume or the kinds of the social data. The research of the emotional tendency indicated from the social date is insufficient. In this paper, we demonstrate that (1) because of the difference between drama social comment data and other comment, it’s necessary to build an emotional vocabulary for it; (2) confirming the object of the comment can improve the accuracy of result; (3) the emotion reverse is common in social comment data, it affects the real emotional tendency; (4) positive and negative words play different roles in the comment, they should be treated with different weight. In consideration of all the features extracted from Social comment data, we use the model of object Select SVM-Text Sentiment to get the accurate emotional tendency. Compared with the HowNet and NTUSD, the veracity is improved by 10% and 12% respectively; with confirming the comment object, the accuracy is improved nearly 7.1%; compared with the NBM and SVM,OSS-TS has the advantage of 14% and 15% respectively.
A complete mutation screen of the ADPKD genes by DHPLC.

BACKGROUND Genetic analysis is a useful diagnostic tool in autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD), especially when imaging results are equivocal. However, molecular diagnostics by direct mutation screening has proved difficult in this disorder due to genetic and allelic heterogeneity and complexity of the major locus, PKD1. METHODS A protocol was developed to specifically amplify the exons of PKD1 and PKD2 from genomic DNA as 150 to 450 bp amplicons. These fragments were analyzed by the technique of denaturing high-performance liquid chromatography (DHPLC) using a Wave Fragment Analysis System (Transgenomics) to detect base-pair changes throughout both genes. DHPLC-detected changes were characterized by sequencing. RESULTS Cost effective and sensitive mutation screening of the entire coding regions of PKD1 and PKD2 by DHPLC was optimized. All base-pair mutations to these genes that we previously characterized were detected as an altered DHPLC profile. To assess this method for routine diagnostic use, samples from a cohort of 45 genetically uncharacterized ADPKD patients were analyzed. Twenty-nine definite mutations were detected, 26 PKD1, 3 PKD2 and a further five possible missense mutations were characterized leading to a maximal detection rate of 76%. A high level of polymorphism of PKD1 also was detected, with 71 different changes defined. The reproducibility of the DHPLC profile enabled the recognition of many common polymorphisms without the necessity for re-sequencing. CONCLUSIONS DHPLC has been demonstrated to be an efficient and effective means for gene-based molecular diagnosis of ADPKD. Differentiating missense mutations and polymorphisms remains a challenge, but family-based segregation analysis is helpful.
Recombinant Acyl-CoA:cholesterol Acyltransferase-1 (ACAT-1) Purified to Essential Homogeneity Utilizes Cholesterol in Mixed Micelles or in Vesicles in a Highly Cooperative Manner*

Acyl-coenzyme A:cholesterol acyltransferase (ACAT) is an integral membrane protein located in the endoplasmic reticulum. It catalyzes the formation of cholesteryl esters from cholesterol and long-chain fatty acyl coenzyme A. The first gene encoding the enzyme, designated as ACAT-1, was identified in 1993 through an expression cloning approach. We isolated a Chinese hamster ovary cell line that stably expresses the recombinant human ACAT-1 protein bearing an N-terminal hexahistidine tag. We purified this enzyme approximately 7000-fold from crude cell extracts by first solubilizing the cell membranes with the zwitterionic detergent 3-[(3-cholamidopropyl)dimethylammonio]-1-propanesulfonate, then proceeding with an ACAT-1 monoclonal antibody affinity column and an immobilized metal affinity column. The final preparation is enzymologically active and migrates as a single band at 54 kDa on SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Pure ACAT-1 dispersed in mixed micelles containing sodium taurocholate, phosphatidylcholine, and cholesterol remains catalytically active. The cholesterol substrate saturation curves of the enzyme assayed either in mixed micelles or in reconstituted vesicles are both highly sigmoidal. The oleoyl-coenzyme A substrate saturation curves of the enzyme assayed under the same conditions are both hyperbolic. These results support the hypothesis that ACAT is an allosteric enzyme regulated by cholesterol.
Pleural effusion caused by a malpositioned umbilical venous catheter in a neonate

Umbilical venous catheterisation (UVC) insertion is a common procedure performed in most neonatal units. We report a case of a neonate who developed pleural and pericardial effusions and ascites due to a malpositioned UVC causing diaphragmatic perforation. Timely diagnosis using bedside sonography and prompt removal of the catheter resulted in resolution of the effusions without undue complications.
Expression of the myostatin gene in the adductor muscle of the Pacific lion-paw scallop Nodipecten subnodosus in association with growth and environmental conditions.

The cDNA sequence of the myostatin gene in the Pacific lion-paw Nodipecten subnodosus (Ns-mstn) was characterized, and the temporal expression during grow-out was analyzed for the first time in a scallop. Ns-mstn encodes a 459-amino-acid protein in which two propeptide proteolytic sites were identified, the previously recognized (RSKR) and a second one at position 266-269 aa (RRKR). The alternative furin cleavage site could be related with post-translational processing, or it could be a tissue-specific mechanism for signaling activity. The Ns-mstn transcript was located by in situ hybridization in sarcomeres and around the nucleus of muscle fibers. The temporal expression analysis by qPCR in the adductor muscle showed that Ns-mstn expression was significantly different (P < 0.05) between months during the grow-out period, increasing largely during the summer months when both biomass and muscle weight did not increase or even decreased; muscle fiber size and number were found to decrease significantly. Exogenous and endogenous factors such as high temperature and low food availability, as well as gametogenesis and reproduction, can be associated with the growth pattern and Ns-mstn expression changes. Our results indicate that MSTN is involved in adductor muscle growth regulation in N. subnodosus as it occurs in vertebrate skeletal muscle although Ns-mstn expression in non-muscle organs/tissues suggests additional functions.
A cohort study of psychosocial work stressors on work ability among Brazilian hospital workers.

BACKGROUND Hospital work is characterized by stressors that can influence work ability. The present study aims to assess the association between psychosocial work stressors and changes in work ability in a group of Brazilian hospital employees. METHODS From 1,022 workers included in a 3-year cohort started in 2009, 423 (41.4%) returned the applied questionnaires in 2012. Changes in work ability were considered as the dependent variable and the investigated psychosocial work stressors as independent variables. Logistic regression models adjusted for potential con-founders (demographic, occupational features, social support, overcommitment, and situations liable to cause pain/injury). RESULTS High levels of exposure to psychosocial work stressors were significantly associated with decreased work ability: job strain (OR = 2.81), effort-reward imbalance (OR = 3.21). CONCLUSION Strategies to reduce psychosocial work stressors should be considered to maintain hospital employees' work ability. Such strategies have implications for institutional and social policies and might be included in quality management programs.
Metaphors for Happiness in English and Mandarin Chinese.

Patterns of conceptualization reflected in figurative language are motivated by embodied experience, and comparisons of emotion metaphors in English, Mandarin Chinese and other languages have shown widespread similarity in such metaphors crossculturally (Lakoff & Johnson 1980, 1999; King 1989; Yu 1996; Kövecses 2005). Nonetheless, we can also expect a large degree of variation in the patterns of organization and use of metaphor across languages and individuals (Lakoff 1987:336, Kövecses 2008, Yu 2009). In this dissertation, I examine metaphors associated with the English term “happiness” and the Chinese term (xingfu, ‘happiness’) through corpus analysis and behavioral experiments. The corpus analyses adopt elements of both Metaphor Pattern Analysis (MPA, Stefanowitsch 2006) and the version of the Metaphor Identification Procedure developed at Vrije Universiteit (MIPVU, Steen et al. 2010b) to characterize how conceptual metaphor structures the semantics of happiness in English and Mandarin Chinese. Aside from variation in source domain recruitment, English and Chinese are each biased toward separate poles of a conceptual dual for the event structure metaphor CHANGE OF STATE IS MOVEMENT, similar to the duality reported for relative motion in the TIME IS SPACE metaphor (Lakoff 1993, Boroditsky 2001, Fauconnier & Turner 2008:60; for review see Bergen, Polley & Wheeler 2010), whereby an ego can be conceptualized as moving to static events or, alternatively, events can be understood as moving in relation to a static ego. The subsequent behavioral experiments elucidate the extent to which such divergences in mappings correspond with discernible differences in how English and Chinese speakers conceptualize happiness. The results of these experiments are discussed with reference to the principle of linguistic relativity, also commonly referred to as the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis, namely, the notion that semantic structure as encoded in language conditions non-linguistic cognition, such that people of different cultures experience the world in systematically different ways.