Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Liquidity Shocks and Stock Bubbles

This study presents and empirically tests a simple framework that examines the effects of market liquidity (the ease with which stocks are traded) and funding liquidity (the ease with which market participants can obtain funding) on stock market bubbles. Three key findings emerge from this research. First, negative market and funding liquidity shocks increase the probability of stock market bubbles collapsing. Second, market liquidity has a more prevalent effect on stock bubbles than funding liquidity. Third, liquidity shocks provide warning signals of impending bubble collapses. A trading rule based on recursive forecasts from the aforementioned framework is used to illustrate the economic significance of the liquidity-bubble relationship.
Association of the DAT1 polymorphism with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD): A family‐based approach

The dopamine transporter gene (DAT1) is of particular interest in the genetic study of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), because psychostimulants interact directly with the dopamine transporter protein. Association between ADHD and the 10‐repeat allele of a 40 base pair (bp) variable number of tandem repeats (VNTR) polymorphism of DAT1 was first reported in 1995 [Cook et al. (1995); Am J Hum Genet 56:993–998]. Subsequently, several investigators have also confirmed this association, although others reported conflicting results. We analyzed the DAT1 polymorphism in a sample of 33 Korean probands with a Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders version IV (DSM‐IV) diagnosis of ADHD and found evidence of increased transmission of the 10‐repeat allele using transmission disequilibrium test (TDT) (P = 0.001; OR = 7.88, CI = 2.20–28.29). These data support the role of DAT1 in ADHD susceptibility among Asian populations. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Ontogeny of the Epidermal Barrier to Water Loss in the Rat: Correlation of Function with Stratum Corneum Structure and Lipid Content

ABSTRACT: The mammalian epidermal permeability barrier is provided by highly hydrophobic lipids forming multiple membrane bilayers within the extracellular domains of the outer, cornified cell layers. To characterize the critical events associated with barrier maturation, we correlated the emergence of a competent barrier to transepidermal water loss with development of the lamellar body secretory system, the organization of stratum corneum membrane bilayers, and the lipid composition of these membranes in the perinatal rat. Whereas pups of 19 d estimated gestational age had no measurable barrier (transepidermal water loss > 10 mg/cm2/h), by 21 d the barrier was well established (mean transepidermal water loss 0.41 mg/cm2/h). Development of a functional barrier correlated with increasing thickness of the stratum corneum, as well as with development of a membrane pattern of lipid deposition, visualized with the hydrophobic fluorescent probe nile red. At 19 d estimated gestational age, the stratum corneum intercellular domains exhibited an abundance of secreted lamellar body contents, but they were not organized into basic bilayer unit structures. Lamellar unit structures became evident by 20 d and extended throughout the stratum corneum interstices by 22 d (term). The quantity of lipid in isolated stratum corneum increased significantly between 19 and 20 d (34.08 versus 50.08 mean μg lipid/cm2, respectively; p < 0.02) and still further between 20 and 21 d estimated gestational age (74.49 μg lipid/cm2, p < 0.001). This increase was due to progressive accumulation of neutral lipids, particularly cholesterol, as well as nonpolar ceramides, as shown by thin-layer chromatography/scanning densitometry. These studies imply that in the development of cutaneous barrier function in the fetal rat both the generation of sufficient quantities of hydrophobic lipids and the organization of these lipids into bilayer unit structures are required.
Acid‐sensing ion channels ASIC2 and ASIC3 do not contribute to mechanically activated currents in mammalian sensory neurones

The molecular basis of mechanosensory transduction by primary sensory neurones remains poorly understood. Amongst candidate transducer molecules are members of the acid‐sensing ion channel (ASIC) family; nerve fibre recordings have shown ASIC2 and ASIC3 null mutants have aberrant responses to suprathreshold mechanical stimuli. Using the neuronal cell body as a model of the sensory terminal we investigated if ASIC2 or 3 contributed to mechanically activated currents in dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurones. We cultured neurones from ASIC2 and ASIC3 null mutants and compared response properties with those of wild‐type controls. Neuronal subpopulations [categorized by cell size, action potential duration and isolectin B4 (IB4) binding] generated distinct responses to mechanical stimulation consistent with their predicted in vivo phenotypes. In particular, there was a striking relationship between action potential duration and mechanosensitivity as has been observed in vivo. Putative low threshold mechanoreceptors exhibited rapidly adapting mechanically activated currents. Conversely, when nociceptors responded they displayed slowly or intermediately adapting currents that were smaller in amplitude than responses of low threshold mechanoreceptor neurones. No differences in current amplitude or kinetics were found between ASIC2 and/or ASIC3 null mutants and controls. Ruthenium red (5 μm) blocked mechanically activated currents in a voltage‐dependent manner, with equal efficacy in wild‐type and knockout animals. Analysis of proton‐gated currents revealed that in wild‐type and ASIC2/3 double knockout mice the majority of putative low threshold mechanoreceptors did not exhibit ASIC‐like currents but exhibited a persistent current in response to low pH. Our findings are consistent with another ion channel type being important in DRG mechanotransduction.
Outcomes of a Mentoring Program Based on Occupational Adaptation for Participants in a Juvenile Drug Court Program

This case-based study describes an occupational adaptation– based mentoring program and outcomes for six adolescents involved in a juvenile drug court. The Occupational Adaptation Practice Guide provided structure for goal setting, and outcomes were measured using the Relative Mastery Measurement Scale. Occupational therapy service-learning students assisted in program administration by creating individual and group activities related to participants’ goals. Positive changes in relative mastery were associated with good attendance, specificity of goals, and a detailed plan for occupational responses. This research demonstrates the application of a theory-driven program for an emerging practice setting with an underserved population of court-involved participants.
Dealing with an Ageing Labour Force: What Do European Employers Expect and Do?

This study examines employers' behaviours and attitudes regarding the ageing of the population and the labour market in four different countries: the United Kingdom, Spain, Greece and the Netherlands. Four questions are addressed: to what extent is there a sense of urgency among employers regarding the ageing of the population and its consequences? What do employers see as the possible implications of an ageing workforce for their organisations and what organisational policies are implemented? Which policy measures are currently implemented or considered in organisations in response to labour supply shortages? And which policies do employers prefer with regard to preventing a shrinking labour force? The results show large differences between the four countries, not only with respect to the degree of ageing, but also with respect to employers' responses. Only the United Kingdom seems more or less fit to face the challenge of an ageing labour force.
25-Hydroxyvitamin D insufficiency is associated with cardiometabolic risk in Korean adolescents: the 2008–2009 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES)

Abstract Objective Vitamin D insufficiency is known to be related to cardiometabolic disorders; however, the associations among serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) concentration and metabolic syndrome and cardiometabolic risk factors in children and adolescents have not yet been clearly delineated. For this reason, we investigated the relationship among serum 25(OH)D concentration and metabolic syndrome and cardiometabolic risk factors among Korean adolescents. Design We performed a cross-sectional analysis and used hierarchical multivariate logistic regression analysis models to adjust for confounding variables. Setting We used the data gathered during the 2008–2009 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES). Subjects Our subjects included 1504 Korean adolescents aged 12–18 years who participated in the KNHANES. Results Vitamin D insufficiency, defined as 25(OH)D concentration <50 nmol/l, was found in 75·3 % of Korean adolescents and was associated with an increased risk of the prevalence of metabolic syndrome. Waist circumference and BMI were the most closely correlated cardiometabolic components of metabolic syndrome according to serum 25(OH)D status, but no significant relationship was found between serum 25(OH)D concentration and insulin resistance or for the risks for high blood pressure, hyperglycaemia, reduced HDL-cholesterol or hypertriacylglycerolaemia, with or without adjustment for confounding variables. Conclusions Low serum 25(OH)D concentration appears to be associated with several cardiometabolic risk factors and an increased risk of the prevalence of metabolic syndrome in Korean adolescents.
Variable step size dichotomous coordinate descent affine projection algorithm

A new affine projection (AP) algorithm based on dichotomous coordinate descent (DCD) iterations has been recently proposed for acoustic echo cancellation (AEC). It uses a constant step size parameter and, therefore, has to compromise between fast convergence and tracking on the one hand, and low misadjustment and robustness to the presence and variations of a near-end signal on the other hand. In this paper we propose a variable step-size (VSS) version of the DCD-AP algorithm (VSS-DCD-AP) that does not require any a priori information about the acoustic environment. It is shown that the new algorithm is robust against near-end signal variations, including double-talk (DT).
Improving child survival through environmental and nutritional interventions: the importance of targeting interventions toward the poor.

CONTEXT The United Nations Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) set targets related to important global poverty, health, and sustainability issues. A critical but underinvestigated question for planning and allocating resources toward the MDGs is how interventions related to one MDG might affect progress toward other goals. OBJECTIVES To estimate the reduction in child mortality as a result of interventions related to the environmental and nutritional MDGs (improving child nutrition and providing clean water, sanitation, and fuels) and to estimate how the magnitude and distribution of the effects of interventions vary based on the economic status of intervention recipients. DESIGN, SETTING, AND POPULATION Population-level comparative risk assessment modeling the mortality effects of interventions on child nutrition and environmental risk factors, stratified by economic status. Data on economic status, child underweight, water and sanitation, and household fuels were from the nationally representative Demographic and Health Surveys for 42 countries in Latin America and the Caribbean, South Asia, and sub-Saharan Africa. Data on disease-specific child mortality were from the World Health Organization. Data on the hazardous effects of each MDG-related risk factor were from systematic reviews and meta-analyses of epidemiological studies. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE Child mortality, stratified by comparable international quintiles of economic status. RESULTS Implementing interventions that improve child nutrition and provide clean water and sanitation and clean household fuels to all children younger than 5 years would result in an estimated annual reduction in child deaths of 49,700 (14%) in Latin America and the Caribbean, 0.80 million (24%) in South Asia, and 1.47 million (31%) in sub-Saharan Africa. These benefits are equivalent to 30% to 48% of the current regional gaps toward the MDG target on reducing child mortality. Fifty percent coverage of the same environmental and nutritional interventions, as envisioned by the MDGs, would reduce child mortality by 26,900, 0.51 million, and 1.02 million in the 3 regions, respectively, if the interventions are implemented among the poor first. These reductions are 30% to 75% larger than those expected if the same 50% coverage first reached the wealthier households, who nonetheless are in need of similar interventions. CONCLUSIONS Interventions related to nutritional and environmental MDGs can also provide substantial gains toward the MDG of reducing child mortality. To maximize the reduction in childhood mortality, such integrated management of interventions should prioritize the poor.
Expression of Brain Natriuretic Peptide Gene in Human Heart: Production in the Ventricle

To elucidate the expression of the brain natriuretic peptide gene in the human heart, we have measured brain natriuretic peptide mRNA levels in hearts using the Northern blot hybridization method. Brain natriuretic peptide mRNA was present with a size of approximately 0.9 kb in the ventricle as well as in the atrium. The brain natriuretic peptide mRNA level in the ventricle was 52% of that in the atrium, whereas the atrial natriuretic peptide mRNA level in the ventricle was approximately two orders of magnitude lower than that in the atrium. Taking atrial and ventricular weights into account, the total amount of brain natriuretic peptide mRNA in the ventricle represented 77% of that in the whole heart These results demonstrate that most of brain natriuretic peptide mRNA occurs in the ventricle, in contrast with atrial natriuretic peptide mRNA, which is present mainly in the atrium, indicating that the ventricle is a major production site of brain natriuretic peptide.
Deletion of LCE3C and LCE3B is a susceptibility factor for psoriatic arthritis: a study in Spanish and Italian populations and meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVE The LCE3C_LCE3B-del variant is associated with psoriasis and rheumatoid arthritis. Its role in psoriatic arthritis (PsA) is unclear, however, as shown by 3 recent studies with contradictory results. In order to investigate whether LCE3C_LCE3B-del constitutes a risk factor for PsA susceptibility, we first tested this variant in patients with PsA from Spanish and Italian populations and then performed a meta-analysis including the previous case-control studies. METHODS We genotyped LCE3C_LCE3B-del and its tag single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP), rs4112788, in an original discovery cohort of 424 Italian patients with PsA and 450 unaffected control subjects. A Spanish replication cohort consisting of 225 patients with PsA and 469 control subjects was also genotyped. A meta-analysis considering 7,758 control subjects and 2,325 patients with PsA was also performed. RESULTS We observed a significant association between PsA and the LCE3C_LCE3B-del tag SNP in the Italian and Spanish cohorts, with an overall corrected P value of 0.00019 and a corresponding odds ratio of 1.35 (95% confidence interval 1.14-1.59). Stratified analyses by subphenotype indicated a stronger association for patients with oligoarticular disease. Meta-analysis including data from all previous published studies confirmed an association of PsA with the LCE3C_LCE3B-del tag SNP. CONCLUSION LCE3C_LCE3B-del is a susceptibility factor for PsA, confirming the existence of a shared risk factor involving the epidermal skin barrier in autoimmune disorders.
Anti‐inflammatory and antimicrobial effect of lectin from Lonchocarpus sericeus seeds in an experimental rat model of infectious peritonitis

We have investigated the anti‐inflammatory and antimicrobial effect of the lectin from Lonchocarpus sericeus seeds (LSL) in a model of infectious peritonitis in adult Wistar rats. Animals were treated with saline or LSL (10mg kg−1, i.v) immediately and 6h after the induction of peritonitis via cecal ligation and single puncture. Twelve hours after surgery, animals were killed and the infectious process was monitored by total and differential count of cells from blood and peritoneal washing liquid, adenosine deaminase activity, antibiogram and the number of viable bacteria of the peritoneal cavity. LSL treatment decreased the inflammatory response evoked by the induction of peritonitis, as seen by the inhibition of neutrophil migration into peritoneal cavities, leucocytosis and reduction of adenosine deaminase activity in the peritoneal fluid. All these effects were reversed by the lectin association to N‐acetyl‐glucosamine. LSL in‐vitro did not show any antimicrobial action, but promoted a marked decrease of the viable bacterial population in peritoneal cavities. In conclusion, LSL inhibited the inflammatory response and the bacterial colonization of infectious peritonitis in rats.
RELNA: Ranking Attributes in Social Networks to Detect Overlapping Communities Efficiently

A community is a group of entities not only with high density but also with similar characteristics. Just recent works have merged the graph structure of the networks with the attributes of nodes. Some of them make weight modification, linear combination, and the most promising are the model-based algorithms, which faces the mixture of structure and attributes in a centralized way, this integration increases the dimensionality of the problem. Moreover, not all the attributes are relevant for that purpose, and there are works that rank attributes in each iteration of the community detection process, others do not consider multiple groups with the same attribute. Based on the principle that linked nodes are likely to adopt similar attributes, we calculated weight to each attribute to get the most RELevant Node Attributes (RELNA) based on the relations of the nodes. We integrated the selected attributes to overlapping community detection methods like the well-known CESNA (Communities from Edge Structure and Node Attributes) and our method QMUCA (Quality Measure to Upgrade Communities using Attributes and structure), which is a model-based approach that uses optimization in a regression analysis and a new similarity measure. Experiments show that QMUCA with the ranking of RELNA improves the performance of the accuracy of other methods, but we are still working on it.
Practical Experiences in the Use of Pattern-Recognition Strategies to Transform Software Project Plans into Software Business Processes of Information Technology Companies

Business process management (BPM) is a strategic advantage for all kinds of organizations, including information technology companies (ITCs), which cannot stay out of the BPM approach. ITCs manage business processes like projects to create and maintain software. Although Project Management Systems (PMSs), such as Microsoft™ Project Server® (MPS®), are considered as non-process-aware information systems (Non-PAISs), they may be a source to generate processes. In this paper, we propose a reverse engineering approach, which uses patterns to transform software projects stored in MPS® legacy databases into software business processes. For this, we base on the model-driven engineering paradigm and deal with the time perspective of the processes. This kind of experiences are scarce or almost nonexistent, so we show the AQUA-WS project case study, which runs with MPS® as source system and software process modeling languages as target systems. ITCs can benefit from this research by gathering knowledge about perspectives of their processes that would otherwise be wasted, such as executed projects or expired documents used in Non-PAISs. This fact can become a key factor for ITCs, which can increase their competitiveness and reduce software costs, as part of the BPM lifecycle of continuous improvement.
Protein Tyrosine Kinases and L-Type Ca2+ Currents in Cells That Have Survived in Epicardial Border Zone of Canine Infarcted Heart

Previously a reduction was shown in the density of the L-type Ca2+ currents in cells that have survived in the epicardial border zone of the 5-day infarcted canine heart (IZ). A hyporesponsiveness of ICaL to &bgr;-adrenergic stimulation in IZs versus cells from the noninfarcted heart (NZs) was also shown. To determine the role of protein tyrosine kinase (PTK) activity in this altered adrenergic response as well as in the reduced basal current function in IZs, the effects of genistein and T23, specific inhibitors of PTK, on basal ICaL in the absence and presence of isoproterenol (5 n M) were studied using whole-cell patch-clamp techniques. Genistein reduction of ICaL was similar in NZs and IZs and was not mimicked by daidzein, an inactive analogue of genistein. Submaximal isoproterenol produced a small response in both cell types that was potentiated in the presence of genistein. T23 also reduced ICaL in both NZs and IZs; however, submaximal isoproterenol was not potentiated in its presence. In sum, basal ICaL is sensitive to genistein and T23, suggesting that persistent PTK activity contributes to ICaL in both NZs and IZs. With genistein but not with T23, there is an enhanced sensitivity of ICaL to isoproterenol in both NZs and IZs but peak ICaL is not fully restored in IZs. Thus, dysregulation of PTK activity cannot account for the reduced basal Ca2+ currents or hyporesponsiveness of ICaL to isoproterenol in the cells that have survived in the infarcted heart.
Mosaicism Causing True Hermaphroditism

Karem Nieto, Rocı́o Peña, Icela Palma, Luis M. Dorantes, Luis Eraña, Rebeca Alvarez, Ricardo Garcı́a-Cavazos, Susana Kofman-Alfaro, and Gloria Queipo* Department of Genetics, Hospital General de Mexico-Facultad de Medicina, UNAM, Mexico City, Mexico Department of Pathology, Endocrinology and Urology, Hospital Infantil de Mexico Federico Gomez, Mexico City, Mexico Biomedical Research Department, Instituto Nacional de Perinatologia, Mexico City, Mexico
Protein Kinase C Isoform Antagonism Controls BNaC2 (ASIC1) Function*

We explored the involvement of protein kinase C (PKC) and its isoforms in the regulation of BNaC2. Reverse transcriptase PCR evaluation of PKC isoform expression at the level of mRNA revealed the presence of α and ε/ε′ in all glioma cell lines analyzed; most, but not all cell lines expressed δ and ζ. No messages were found for the βI and βII isotypes of PKC in the tumor cells. Normal astrocytes expressed β but not γ. The essential features of these results were confirmed at the protein level by Western analysis. This disproportionate pattern of PKC isoform expression in glioma cell lines was further echoed in the functional effects of these PKC isoforms on BNaC2 activity in bilayers. PKC holoenzyme or the combination of PKCβI and PKCβII isoforms inhibited BNaC2. Neither PKCε nor PKCζ or their combination had any effect on BNaC2 activity in bilayers. The inhibitory effect of the PKCβI and PKCβII mixture on BNaC2 activity was abolished by a 5-fold excess of a PKCε and PKCζ combination. PKC holoenzymes, PKCβI, PKCβII, PKCδ, PKCε, and PKCζ phosphorylated BNaC2in vitro. In patch clamp experiments, the combination of PKCβI and PKCβII inhibited the basally activated inward Na+ conductance. The variable expression of the PKC isotypes and their functional antagonism in regulating BNaC2 activity support the idea that the participation of multiple PKC isotypes contributes to the overall activity of BNaC2.