Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Thum and Condorelli lncRNAs and MicroRNAs in Cardiovascular Pathophysiology

Gene expression reprogramming is the base of pathological cardiac hypertrophy and heart failure (HF). Mechanisms similar to those that govern gene expression in heart development are at the root of those that occur in hypertrophy and HF. For example, pathological cardiac hypertrophy is associated with upregulation of certain fetal genes on the one hand and downregulation of several adult genes on the other, causing the often inevitable deterioration in heart function. Historically, proteins were thought to be the main players in gene expression regulation, but with the development of new, high-resolution technologies for the analysis of the transcriptome, this paradigm has fallen. In fact, it has now been determined that although about three-quarters of the mammalian genome is transcribed, <2% is ultimately translated into protein. These non–protein-coding transcripts form a vast non–protein-coding RNA (ncRNA) world that we have only recently started to study (Figure 1). The fundamental importance of this ncRNA world is inferred from the fact that the degree of complexity of a species correlates better with the amount of DNA that is transcribed into ncRNA than with the number of protein-coding genes. Many ncRNAs with a gene regulatory function have been identified to date and, similarly to proteins, found to act at various steps along the protein biosynthetic process, including transcription, RNA maturation, translation, and protein degradation. This discovery is fueling a new era in pathophysiology. Review
New Zealand's abandonment of the Carbon Neutral Public Service programme

In 2009, New Zealand's new National-led government abandoned the Carbon Neutral Public Service (CNPS) programme, a Labour-led government initiative intended to help Government achieve carbon neutrality within its core agencies. This short analysis article provides an overview and brief assessment of the CNPS initiative by drawing on the relevant scholarly literature and public documents relating to New Zealand's climate change agenda. It is argued that although the CNPS programme faced a range of challenges it was successful in some respects. Although the Labour-led government was keen to act on climate change mitigation, New Zealand no longer intends to take a lead on carbon neutrality under the National-led government.
Relationship between Destination Image and Tourists' Future Behavior: Observations from Jeju Island, Korea

The objectives of this study were to examine the influence of destination image of Jeju Island on tourists' satisfaction and future behavior as well as to suggest ideas Jeju Island should adopt to improve its current marketing strategy. The image of Jeju Island was assessed on four factors: “environment”, “attractions”, “value for money” and “climate”. Three factors, “environment”, “attractions” and “value for money”, have a significant effect on satisfaction and also influence future behavior. The structural equation model (SEM) was used to verify the relationship between image, satisfaction and future behavior. The SEMs were analyzed to find the differences between the four segments in relation to the perceived image of Jeju. Different segments have different image perceptions of Jeju Island. The different dimensions of Jeju Island image have different influences on the different segments of tourists. The findings of this study contribute to development of the marketing strategies to satisfy tourists' needs on Jeju Island, Korea.
Corneal thickness and intraocular pressure in the Barbados eye studies.

OBJECTIVES To describe the distribution of central corneal thickness (CCT) and evaluate its relationship to intraocular pressure (IOP) in the predominantly black population of the Barbados Eye Studies (BES). METHODS Participants received a standardized examination, including pachymetry, applanation tonometry, and a comprehensive ophthalmologic evaluation. Analyses were based on data from all eyes, and generalized estimating equation methods were applied to account for the correlation between eyes. RESULTS Among the 1142 consecutive participants with pachymetry measurements, the mean age was 64.3 years, and 58% were women. Black participants tended to have thinner corneas (mean thickness, 529.8 microm) than mixed (black and white) (537.8 microm) and white participants (545.2 microm), respectively. Among black participants, increasing values of CCT were significantly related to younger age (P<.001), diabetes history (P =.03), and refractive error (P =.03); a marginally significant relationship (with thinner corneas) was found with a clinical diagnosis of glaucoma (P =.07). Intraocular pressure was not associated with CCT in this population. CONCLUSIONS Although other studies have reported a positive correlation between CCT and IOP, such a relationship was not substantiated in the black BES population. Black participants tended to have thinner corneas than white participants, whereas younger individuals, as well as those with a history of diabetes and more positive refractive errors, had thicker corneas.
Prevalence and Risk Factors of Middle Cerebral Artery Stenosis in Asymptomatic Residents in Rongqi County, Guangdong

Backgrounds: Intracranial atherosclerosis is the commonest vascular lesion for ischemic stroke in Asians. Most research on risk factors for middle cerebral artery (MCA) stenosis has been conducted in symptomatic patients with ischemic stroke or transient ischemic attack. The present study aimed to investigate risk factors for MCA stenosis in an asymptomatic population in Rongqi County in Southern China. Methods: We assessed 1,068 asymptomatic subjects over 50 years of age by transcranial Doppler. Medical history documentation and investigation of biochemical markers were performed for each subject. Multivariant, unconditioned, logistic regression analyses were employed to assess the risk factors associated with MCA stenosis. Results: MCA stenosis was found in 63 subjects (5.9%). Male gender, advancing age, hypertension, diabetes and systolic blood pressure were significant risk factors for MCA stenosis (p < 0.001). Based on logistic regression analyses, 4 factors emerged as independent risk factors (p < 0.001) of MCA stenosis: male gender [95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.49–4.66, OR = 2.63], age (95% CI = 1.01–1.06, OR = 1.04), hypertension (95% CI = 4.57–18.35, OR = 9.16) and diabetes mellitus (95% CI = 3.09–11.29, OR = 5.9). Conclusion: MCA stenosis is relatively common among asymptomatic Chinese subjects. Male gender, advanced age, hypertension and diabetes mellitus are risk factors for MCA stenosis.
An Efficient Unconditionally Stable FDTD Formulation for Open Region Problems

An efficient unconditionally stable finite-difference time-domain (US-FDTD) formulation with the uniaxial anisotropic perfectly matched layer (UPML) has been proposed. Numerical experiments carried out in a 1D case demonstrated the unconditional stability and efficiency of the new formulation. In a similar manner, the formulation can be applied in two- and three-dimensional cases to solve more complicated problems
Attracting Middle-Income Families in the Hope vi  Public Housing Revitalization Program

ABSTRACT: While the growing literature on HOPE VI emphasizes the presumed benefits of income mixing these benefits are most likely to occur if middle-income families with children are drawn to these sites. But is this feasible? Our comparative case study analysis of four HOPE VI sites in Cincinnati, Louisville, Baltimore, and Washington, DC, suggests that it will be difficult to achieve the mixing of lower- and middle-income families with children. None of the four developments explicitly sought middle-income families with children as part of their marketing. Louisville’s HOPE VI site was the only one involving close collaboration between the school district, the housing authority, and city government from the beginning of the HOPE VI process. Moreover, the Louisville site was the only one successful in attracting middle-income (and not simply subsidized moderate-income) families with children. Strategies for making inner-city HOPE VI sites more attractive for middle-income families are discussed.
International Financialization and Depreciation: The Brazilian Real in the International Financial Crisis

Despite sound macroeconomic fundamentals, the Brazilian currency, the real, experienced one of the world's largest exchange rate depreciations during the recent international financial crisis. This depreciation resulted from Brazil's rising ‘international financialization’, i.e. the increased participation of foreign investors in short-term domestic Brazilian assets. One important manifestation of this process, in particular, was the increased internationalization of the Brazilian real, which has become one of the most widely traded emerging-market currencies. However, the rising influence of international investors on Brazil's domestic currency weakened its exchange rate management during the international financial crisis as rapid international portfolio adjustment led to the real's sharp depreciation. Such exchange rate volatility has important implications for macroeconomic policy, especially exchange rate management, since, in the presence of increased international financialization, the standard prudent macroeconomic management that has been advocated by mainstream economics will prove inadequate — and might even undermine efforts — to maintain financial stability.
Enhancing reinsurance efficiency using index‐based instruments

Purpose – Demonstrates the feasibility of, and introduces a practical approach to enhancing, reinsurance efficiency using index-based instruments. Design/methodology/approach – First reviews the general mathematical framework of reinsurance optimization. Next, illustrates how index-based instruments can potentially enhance reinsurance efficiency through a simple yet self-contained example. The simplicity allows the analytical examination of the cost and benefits of an index-based contract. Finally, introduces a real-world model that optimizes index-based reinsurance instruments using the genetic algorithm. Findings – Identifies the key factors that determine the efficiency of index-based reinsurance contracts and demonstrates that, in the property catastrophe reinsurance market, the combined effect of these factors frequently allows the construction of an index-based hedging program that is more efficient than a traditional excess-of-loss reinsurance contract. A robust optimization model based on the genetic algorithm is introduced and shown to be effective in optimizing index-based reinsurance contracts. Research limitations/implications – Most financial optimization procedures are subject to parameter risk, which can adversely affect the robustness of their solutions. The reinsurance optimization approach presented in this paper is not completely immune from this problem. It remains a challenging problem for actuarial researchers and practitioners. Practical implications – The concept and method proposed in this paper can be applied to designing real-world reinsurance programs. Originality/value – This paper makes two contributions to the risk finance literature: a systematic approach for evaluating the costs and benefits of index-based reinsurance instruments, and an innovative and practical model for optimizing reinsurance efficiency.
Sequentially Optimal Mechanisms

This paper establishes that posting a price in each period is a revenue-maximizing allocation mechanism in a finite period model without commitment. A risk-neutral seller has one object to sell and faces a risk-neutral buyer whose valuation is private information and drawn from an arbitrary bounded subset of the real line. The seller has all the bargaining power: she designs a mechanism to sell the object at t, but if trade does not occur at t she can propose another mechanism at t + 1. We show that posting a price in each period is an optimal mechanism. A methodological contribution of the paper is to develop a procedure to characterize optimal dynamic incentive schemes under non-commitment that is valid irrespective of the structure of the agent's type. Copyright 2006, Wiley-Blackwell.
Electromyographic Analysis of Muscle Activation During Sit-and-Reach Flexibility Tests

Abstract Mookerjee, S and McMahon, MJ. Electromyographic analysis of muscle activation during sit-and-reach flexibility tests. J Strength Cond Res 28(12): 3496–3501, 2014—The sit-and-reach test (SRT) has been included in standard fitness test batteries for decades, but empirical evidence of actual muscle activity has been lacking. Furthermore, the positioning of the ankle joint during the execution of this test has received relatively scant attention. Therefore, the purpose of this investigation was to compare surface electromyographic (sEMG) activity of selected lower extremity and back musculature and examine the impact of ankle positioning during the standard SRT and the modified sit-and-reach test (MSRT). Seven male and 7 female subjects performed 3 trials of the SRT and MSRT, each in a dorsiflexed and plantar flexed ankle position. During all trials, muscle activity (sEMG) was measured from the right semimembranous (SM), erector spinae (ES), and gastrocnemius (G). Mean sEMG data from each muscle (SM, ES, and G) were normalized by being expressed as a percent contribution to the total electrical activity (100%). Surface electromyographic activity data were also used to determine muscle activation ratios (e.g., SM to ES). Results revealed significantly higher flexibility scores during the plantar flexion condition for both test modalities. The SM exhibited the greatest percent contribution to total sEMG activity within all testing conditions. The SM to G and SM to ES muscle activation ratios were significantly greater than their inverse counterparts within all 4 testing conditions. Based on the 2 sEMG analysis techniques, the SM seemed to exhibit the greatest muscle activity. This investigation provides direct evidence of sEMG muscle activity during the SRT and MSRT, further confirming these tests to be a valid measure of hamstring flexibility.
Differential Grading Standards and Student Incentives

We present data on grades from three Canadian universities. These data suggest that grading standards differ significantly across disciplines within universities. To the extent that grading standards are not uniform across disciplines, the grade point averages (GPAs) of students with different course mixes cannot be meaningfully compared, and therefore their GPAs cannot legitimately be used to assess their relative achievement. Yet GPAs are used in precisely this way--to award scholarships, honours and degrees, and to ration access to courses, academic programs, and jobs. Hence, we think differential standards raise a fundamental issue of integrity for universities. We develop a simple human capital model to assess some of the distortions arising from differential standards and suggest some non-intrusive ways to rectify the problem.
Neighborhood Effects in Economic Growth

One of the most striking features of the world economy is that wealthy countries are clustered together. This paper theoretically and empirically explains a mechanism for this clustering by extending the Acemoglu and Ventura model so that it takes real geography into account. Countries close to fast growing economies experience faster growth in aggregate demand for their exports, stimulating faster domestic growth. As a result, a poor country that is surrounded by other poor countries finds it more difficult to grow because its terms of trade shift against it. When this model is estimated on data for 1965 to 1985, we find statistically and economically significant effects. If the typical European country were located in Africa, these terms of trade effects would have lowered its growth rate by almost 1 percentage point per year. The results strongly suggest that it is very difficult to raise income in poor countries without dealing with regional problems.
Studies on the Substrate and Stereo/Regioselectivity of Adipose Triglyceride Lipase, Hormone-sensitive Lipase, and Diacylglycerol-O-acyltransferases*

Background: Adipose triglyceride lipase (ATGL) degrades triacylglycerol to diacylglycerol (DAG). The stereo/regioselectivity of ATGL is unknown. Results: ATGL specifically generates sn-1,3 and, in the presence of its co-activator CGI-58, sn-1,3 and sn-2,3 DAG. Conclusion: ATGL generates distinct DAG isoforms that cannot directly enter phospholipid synthesis or activate protein kinase C. Significance: Elucidation of the stereo/regioselectivity of ATGL is crucial to understand cellular DAG metabolism and signaling. Adipose triglyceride lipase (ATGL) is rate-limiting for the initial step of triacylglycerol (TAG) hydrolysis, generating diacylglycerol (DAG) and fatty acids. DAG exists in three stereochemical isoforms. Here we show that ATGL exhibits a strong preference for the hydrolysis of long-chain fatty acid esters at the sn-2 position of the glycerol backbone. The selectivity of ATGL broadens to the sn-1 position upon stimulation of the enzyme by its co-activator CGI-58. sn-1,3 DAG is the preferred substrate for the consecutive hydrolysis by hormone-sensitive lipase. Interestingly, diacylglycerol-O-acyltransferase 2, present at the endoplasmic reticulum and on lipid droplets, preferentially esterifies sn-1,3 DAG. This suggests that ATGL and diacylglycerol-O-acyltransferase 2 act coordinately in the hydrolysis/re-esterification cycle of TAGs on lipid droplets. Because ATGL preferentially generates sn-1,3 and sn-2,3, it suggests that TAG-derived DAG cannot directly enter phospholipid synthesis or activate protein kinase C without prior isomerization.
Comparative Evaluation of Serum C‐Reactive Protein (CRP) Levels in the Different Histological Subtypes of Esophageal Cancer (Squamous Cell Carcinoma and Adenocarcinoma of Esophagus)

Elevated C‐reactive protein (CRP) levels have been found in patients with several malignancies. The aim of the present study was to analyze the diagnostic and prognostic values of CRP levels measurement in esophageal cancer (EC) patients in relation to its different histological subtypes (squamous cell carcinoma—ESCC and adenocarcinoma—AC of esophagus) and compared them with classic tumor markers—carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) and squamous cell cancer antigen (SCC‐Ag). The diagnostic sensitivity, specificity, and the areas under receiver operating characteristic curves (AUC) for all the proteins tested were defined. Serum CRP levels were statistically higher in EC, ESCC, and AC patients compared to healthy subjects and significantly increased in EC and ESCC patients with the presence of lymph node and distant metastases. The percentage of elevated CRP results in all the analyzed subgroups (EC, ESCC, and AC) was higher than CEA and SCC‐Ag, similarly as AUC for CRP in comparison to SCC‐Ag. Serum CRP level was a significant predictor of EC and ESCC patients’ survival in univariate analysis. In conclusion, these results indicate that CRP can be used as an adjunct in evaluating the tumor markers—CEA and SCC‐Ag and may improve the clinical diagnosis and follow‐up of EC patients, especially for ESCC subgroup.
Mitochondrial Function in Leydig Cell Steroidogenesis

Abstract: The first and rate‐limiting step in the biosynthesis of steroid hormones is the transfer of cholesterol into mitochondria, which is facilitated by the steroidogenic acute regulatory (StAR) protein. Recent studies of Leydig cell function have focused on the molecular events controlling steroidogenesis; however, few studies have examined the importance of the mitochondria. The purpose of this investigation was to determine which aspects of mitochondrial function are necessary for Leydig cell steroidogenesis. MA‐10 tumor Leydig cells were treated with 8‐bromo‐cAMP (cAMP) and site‐specific mitochondrial disrupters, pro‐oxidants, and their effects on progesterone synthesis, StAR expression, mitochondrial membrane potential (ΔΨm) and ATP synthesis were determined. Dissipating ΔΨm with CCCP inhibited progesterone synthesis, even in the presence of newly synthesized StAR protein. The electron transport inhibitor antimycin A significantly reduced cellular ATP, inhibited steroidogenesis, and reduced StAR protein expression. The F0/F1 ATPase inhibitor oligomycin reduced cellular ATP and inhibited progesterone synthesis and StAR protein expression, but had no effect on ΔΨm) Disruption of pH with nigericin significantly reduced progesterone production and StAR protein, but had minimal effects on ΔΨm. Sodium arsenite at low concentrations inhibited StAR protein but not mRNA expression and inhibited progesterone without disrupting ΔΨm. The mitochondrial Ca2+ inhibitor Ru360 also inhibited StAR protein expression. These results demonstrate that ΔΨm, ATP synthesis, ΔpH and [Ca2+]mt are all required for steroid biosynthesis, and that mitochondria are sensitive to oxidative stress. These results suggest that mitochondria must be energized, polarized, and actively respiring to support Leydig cell steroidogenesis and alterations in the state of mitochondria may be involved in regulating steroid biosynthesis.
Performance Management and the Psychological Contract in the Australian Federal Public Sector

This study explores employee responses to individual performance management practices in two culturally dissimilar agencies of the federal public sector, the Department of Finance and Administration (DOFA) and the Australian Defence Force (Army). In so doing, it invokes Rousseau’s distinction between ‘relational’ and ‘transactional’ psychological contracts and Guest’s model of the causes, content and consequences of the psychological contract. In DOFA, neither system processes nor outcomes have lived up to the high employee expectations built up by management discourse about a new transactional culture of high rewards for performance excellence. Conversely, in the Army, expectations are less inflated, the constraints on promotion-based rewards are well understood and the system of developmental appraisal provides solid reinforcement for the prevailing hierarchical culture with its characteristic emphasis on a relational psychological contract. These findings raise doubts about whether individual performance pay is appropriate for public sector staff. They also suggest that the achievement and maintenance of a positive psychological contract requires close attention to the full range of causal factors, including human resource practices used as well as the modes of organisational communication in use, the contours of organisational culture, and employees’ prior experience and expectations.