Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Factors affecting the analysis of furan in heated foods

Various experimental factors, which could affect the measurement of furan by automated headspace gas chromatography/mass spectrometry, have been investigated. It was established that furan was not lost during sample heating through leakage or decomposition. Deuterium-labelled furan, used as an internal standard, was stable with respect to incubation in the presence of food and stable in model food systems at raised temperature. Saturation of the aqueous phase of the sample with ammonium sulphate improved the partitioning of furan from samples into the headspace. There was a very small decrease in the peak areas of both d0-furan and d4-furan when heated at acid pH. For food samples heated at normal headspace incubation temperature (50°C), the level of furan was highest at the most acidic conditions used (pH 2.4) and did not differ significantly between pH 5 and 10. Under strong heating, production of furan decreased markedly at very high pH. Quantification based on standard additions or on external calibration gave comparable results for foods containing furan at relatively low, moderate and high levels.
Improved pharmacokinetics and antihyperlipidemic efficacy of rosuvastatin-loaded nanostructured lipid carriers

Abstract In the present study, rosuvastatin calcium-loaded nanostructured lipid carriers were developed and optimized for improved efficacy. The ROS-Ca-loaded NLC was prepared using melt emulsification ultrasonication technique and optimized by Box–Behnken statistical design. The optimized NLC composed of glyceryl monostearate (solid lipid) and capmul MCM EP (liquid lipid) as lipid phase (3% w/v), poloxamer 188 (1%) and tween 80 (1%) as surfactant. The mean particle size, polydispersity index (PDI), zeta potential (ζ) and entrapment efficiency (%) of optimized NLC formulation was observed to be 150.3 ± 4.67 nm, 0.175 ± 0.022, −32.9 ± 1.36 mV and 84.95 ± 5.63%, respectively. NLC formulation showed better in vitro release in simulated intestinal fluid (pH 6.8) than API suspension. Confocal laser scanning showed deeper permeation of formulation across rat intestine compared to rhodamine B dye solution. Pharmacokinetic study on female albino Wistar rats showed 5.4-fold increase in relative bioavailability with NLC compared to API suspension. Optimized NLC formulation also showed significant (p < 0.01) lipid lowering effect in hyperlipidemic rats. Therefore, NLC represents a great potential for improved efficacy of ROS-Ca after oral administration.
p53 and apoptosis alterations in keloids and keloid fibroblasts

Keloids are the result of a dysregulated wound‐healing process and are characterized by formation of excess scar tissue that proliferates beyond the boundaries of the inciting wound. In this study, we investigated the expression of key proteins involved in regulating apoptosis in keloids. Twenty archival paraffin‐embedded keloid samples were randomly selected for an immunoperoxidase assay with antibodies against fas, p53, bcl‐2, and bcl‐x proteins using the target antigen‐retrieval technique. Apoptosis was assessed in keloids and normal skin and in keloid and normal fibroblasts by the TdT‐mediated dUTP nick‐end labeling (tunel) assay on tissue sections, fibroblast cultures, and by flow cytometry for cell suspensions. We found that 18 of 20 keloids expressed p53 protein; bcl‐2 was expressed by keloid fibroblasts in 19 of 20 keloids, and all specimens had prominent fas expression throughout the tissue. The distribution of these three antigens was regional within each lesion and followed a consistent pattern of p53 and bcl‐2 expression colocalized to the hypercellular, peripheral areas of each keloid in a perinuclear pattern (p < .001). In contrast, an inverse distribution of fas expression was shown, with staining being more diffuse across the cell surfaces and limited to the central, more hypocellular regions in 16 of 17 keloids (p < .001). There was no specific staining pattern in these keloids with antihuman bcl‐x. In vitro studies on cultured keloid fibroblasts (derived from six patients) revealed maintenance of the p53+, bcl‐2+ phenotype up to passage 10. Neither neonatal nor normal adult skin fibroblasts expressed either antigen but could be induced to express p53 by exposure to adriamycin. Keloid lesions and keloid fibroblasts were found to have lower rates of apoptosis than normal controls. Keloid fibroblasts displayed enhanced apoptosis rates in response to hydrocortisone, γ interferon and hypoxia treatment as compared with normal adult fibroblasts. Focal dysregulation of p53 combined with upregulation of bcl‐2 may help produce a combination of increased cell proliferation and decreased cell death in the younger hypercellular areas of the keloid. This phenotype is reversed in the older areas of the keloid and may prevent malignan degeneration, thus favoring normal apoptosis as evidenced by prominent fas expression.
Sensitive detection of PD-L1 expression on circulating epithelial tumor cells (CETCs) could be a potential biomarker to select patients for treatment with PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors in early and metastatic solid tumors

Background The current cancer research strongly focuses on immune therapies, where the PD-1, with its ligands plays an important role. It is known that PD-L1 is frequently up-regulated in a number of different cancers and the relevance of this pathway has been extensively studied and therapeutic approaches targeting PD-1 and PD-L1 have been developed. We used a non-invasive, real-time biopsy for determining PD-L1 and PD-L2 expression in CETCs of solid cancer patients. Methods CETCs were determined from blood of 128 patients suffering from breast (72), prostate (27), colorectal (18) and lung (11) cancer. The number of vital CETCs and the expression of PD-L1 and PD-L2 were investigated using the maintrac® method. Results PD-L1 expressing CETCs were detected in 94.5% of breast, 100% of prostate, 95.4% of colorectal and 82% of lung cancer patients whereas only 75% of breast cancer patients had PD-L2 positive CETCs. In the PD-L1 and PD-L2 expressing patients the cell fraction of PD-L1 positive CETCs is significantly higher than the fraction of PD-L2 positive CETCs (54.6% vs. 28.7%; p<0.001). Breast cancer patients with metastatic disease had significantly more PD-L1 positive CETCs as compared to patients without metastasis (median 75% vs. 61.1%; p<0.05). Conclusion PD-L1 seems to be a major factor in immune evasion and is highly expressed on CETCs regardless of the type of cancer. Monitoring the frequency of PD-L1 positive CETCs could reflect individual patient's response for an anti-PD-1/PD-L1 therapy and may be a promising target of anticancer treatment.
Cell surface expression of the epithelial Na channel and a mutant causing Liddle syndrome: a quantitative approach.

The epithelial amiloride-sensitive sodium channel (ENaC) controls transepithelial Na+ movement in Na(+)-transporting epithelia and is associated with Liddle syndrome, an autosomal dominant form of salt-sensitive hypertension. Detailed analysis of ENaC channel properties and the functional consequences of mutations causing Liddle syndrome has been, so far, limited by lack of a method allowing specific and quantitative detection of cell-surface-expressed ENaC. We have developed a quantitative assay based on the binding of 125I-labeled M2 anti-FLAG monoclonal antibody (M2Ab*) directed against a FLAG reporter epitope introduced in the extracellular loop of each of the alpha, beta, and gamma ENaC subunits. Insertion of the FLAG epitope into ENaC sequences did not change its functional and pharmacological properties. The binding specificity and affinity (Kd = 3 nM) allowed us to correlate in individual Xenopus oocytes the macroscopic amiloride-sensitive sodium current (INa) with the number of ENaC wild-type and mutant subunits expressed at the cell surface. These experiments demonstrate that: (i) only heteromultimeric channels made of alpha, beta, and gamma ENaC subunits are maximally and efficiently expressed at the cell surface; (ii) the overall ENaC open probability is one order of magnitude lower than previously observed in single-channel recordings; (iii) the mutation causing Liddle syndrome (beta R564stop) enhances channel activity by two mechanisms, i.e., by increasing ENaC cell surface expression and by changing channel open probability. This quantitative approach provides new insights on the molecular mechanisms underlying one form of salt-sensitive hypertension.
Multiobjective Simulated Annealing for Fuzzy Clustering With Stability and Validity

The present article deals with an application of multiobjective optimization (MOO) technique for fuzzy clustering. The problem of automatic clustering can be posed as one of the searching for a suitable set of cluster centers such that some measure of cluster validity is optimized. However, no single validity measure works equally well for different kinds of data sets. Moreover, it is extremely difficult to combine the different measures into one, since the modality for such combination may not be possible to ascertain, while sometimes the measures may be incompatible. Thus, it appears natural to keep a number of such measures separate, and to optimize them simultaneously by applying an MOO technique. Here, the mean value of a cluster validity index, computed over the partitionings obtained for different bootstrapped samples of the data, and a measure of its stability, that is defined newly in terms of the validity index, are used for optimization. The search capability of a recently proposed archived multiobjective simulated annealing algorithm called AMOSA is utilized for this purpose. The characteristic features of AMOSA are its concepts of amount of domination and archive in simulated annealing and situation-specific acceptance probabilities. The final solutions are stored in an archive, from which a single solution is chosen in a semisupervised manner that assumes the existence of some labeled points. Results are demonstrated for several artificial and real-life data sets. Comparison is made with another recent multiobjective evolutionary clustering scheme, in addition to a single objective approach and two classical methods.
A Pcl-Like Cyclin of Aspergillus nidulans Is Transcriptionally Activated by Developmental Regulators and Is Involved in Sporulation

ABSTRACT The filamentous fungus Aspergillus nidulansreproduces asexually through the formation of spores on a multicellular aerial structure, called a conidiophore. A key regulator of asexual development is the TFIIIA-type zinc finger containing transcriptional activator Bristle (BRLA). Besides BRLA, the transcription factor ABAA, which is located downstream of BRLA in the developmental regulation cascade, is necessary to direct later gene expression during sporulation. We isolated a new developmental mutant and identified a leaky brlA mutation and the mutatedSaccharomyces cerevisiae cyclin homologuepclA, both contributing to the developmental phenotype of the mutant. pclA was found to be 10-fold transcriptionally upregulated during conidiation, and apclA deletion strain was reduced three- to fivefold in production of conidia. Expression of pclA was strongly induced by ectopic expression of brlA orabaA under conidiation-suppressing conditions, indicating a direct role for brlA andabaA in pclA regulation. PCLA is homologous to yeast Pcl cyclins, which interact with the Pho85 cyclin-dependent kinase. Although interaction with a PSTAIRE kinase was shown in vivo, PCLA function during sporulation was independent of theA. nidulans Pho85 homologue PHOA. Besides the developmental regulation, pclA expression was cell cycle dependent with peak transcript levels in S phase. Our findings suggest a role for PCLA in mediating cell cycle events during late stages of sporulation.
Decentralization and development: Theory and evidence from Bangladesh

There is a view that decentralization brings tangible benefits to the developing world, increasing material welfare and reducing the alienation of traditional societies when faced with centralized and modernizing bureaucracies. In theory, this is plausible, but in practice decentralization seldom lives up to its promises. Only strong states are in a position to cede a realistic range of powers. ‘Successful’ decentralization often takes place in conscious opposition to the state, and for that reason it is likely to be short-lived. This paper draws on the past history and more recent experience of decentralization in Bangladesh, to conclude that the reform of local government structures has not in practice been of benefit to rural areas, the villages and the rural poor. The delivery of basic needs has not improved, nor has there been any significant increase in popular participation. The conclusion emphasizes the need to view decentralization in its social and political context. Proper account needs to be taken of the interests that dominate the political process in a highly stratified society such as Bangladesh.
Labour-supply impacts of effective welfare programme parameters: a reanalysis

We quantify the impact of effective welfare programme parameters on the labour supply of single female household heads – the primary group of welfare recipients in the USA. Our panel of data is derived from the US Census Bureau's Current Population Survey for the years 1979 to 1990 inclusive. Behavioural impacts from a range of economic variables are consistent in sign with predictions made by economic theory. We find that effective welfare gurantee levels and the effective tax rate on earned income both significantly decrease labour supply. The marginal effects of these welfare programme parameters are economically small: a US$1000 increase in the expected welfare guarantee level reduces annual labour supply by about 36 hours; a 10 percentage point increase in the effective tax rate on earned income reduces annual labour supply by about 7.5 hours.
Structural breaks and the Fisher hypothesis in bond and stock markets

We attempt to resolve the empirical puzzle in the Fisher effect that nominal stock returns are negatively related to expected inflation. We postulate that this negative relation is caused by simultaneous changes in expected inflation, ex ante real interest rates on bonds and ex ante real returns on stocks due to supply shocks. We find that ex ante real interest rates and real stock returns are not independent of the expected inflation over the structural break subperiods chosen a priori to coincide with the oil price shocks of 1973 and 1979. As an alternative procedure, we employ the Cumulative Sum (CUSUM) test, in which the timing of structural breaks is based completely on sample data without requiring a priori information. The CUSUM test identifies a structural break in 1982Q1, which coincides approximately with the Federal Open Market Committee's (FOMC) deemphasis of the monetary aggregates as intermediate targets. We show that the Fisher effect cannot be rejected after the structural break identified by the CUSUM test in either the aggregate bond or stock market. In sum, our results provide evidence that the puzzling relation of expected inflation and nominal stock returns is limited to the subperiod before the 1982Q1 break.
SPECIAL ISSUE: Industrial Development Policy

This small collection of papers is a response to both the continuing, large external imbalances between the USA, Europe and Asia and the return of serious discussion about industrial policy within the realms of European policy making. The first paper by Bailey and Cowling (Industrial Policy and Vulnerable Capitalism) seeks to put industrial policy in this wider context of the macroeconomy. The argument is made that we now have a vulnerable capitalism whose global imbalances cannot be addressed simply at the level of macro policy making. It will be necessary at the same time to bring industrial policy centre stage given that an underlying feature of this vulnerability is the very industrial structure of advanced capitalism. This is followed in Bailey, De Propris, Sugden and Wilson (Public Policy on Economic Competitiveness: An Analytical Framework and a Research Agenda), which links with the work of EUNIP (European Network on Industrial Policy) that provides an institutional framework for an ongoing discussion within a community of members contributing to a special approach to industrial strategy-making, one founded on the principles of economic democracy. Then come two papers looking at the historical development of industrial policy-making within the European Union: one by Aiginger and Sieber (The Matrix Approach to Industrial Policy) who look at the development of industrial policy since the 1950s, identify a changing philosophy and examine how it will be embedded in a wider economic strategy; and the other by Bianchi and Labory (Empirical Evidence on Industrial Policy using State Aids data) who provide a historical analysis that reveals a new phase in policy since 2000. Finally, Dennis Mueller (Corporate Governance and Economic Performance) offers a careful and quite complete evaluation of the empirical results relating to the impact of government on economic performance across an array of countries, developed and less developed. Mueller concludes that any emerging market economy needs to provide the conditions for the creation of institutions that foster large equity markets.
Inhibition of caspases in vivo protects the rat liver against alcohol-induced sensitization to bacterial lipopolysaccharide.

BACKGROUND The mechanisms of liver sensitization by alcohol to Gram-negative bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS) remain elusive. The purpose of this study was two-fold: (1) to test the hypothesis that alcohol-enhanced liver apoptosis may be a sensitizing mechanism for LPS and (2) to further characterize the liver apoptotic response to alcohol. METHODS Rats were fed a high-fat, alcohol-containing liquid diet for 14 weeks, treated with LPS (1.0 mg/kg of body weight, intravenously) or saline, followed by injection of a pan-caspase inhibitor IDN1965; N-[(1,3-dimethylindole-2-carbonyl)-valinyl]-3-amino-4-oxo-5-fluoropentanoic acid; 10 mg/kg of body weight, intraperitoneally or vehicle, and killed. The following parameters were assessed: plasma aspartate: 2-oxoglutarate aminotransferase activity (AST); liver histology and terminal deoxyribonucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) response; caspase-3, -8, and -9 activity; and mRNA and protein expression for two apoptosis-signaling molecules: Fas receptor and Fas ligand; and three apoptosis adaptors: Bax, Bcl-XL, and Bcl-2. RESULTS Alcohol-feeding-induced liver steatosis, slightly increased caspases' activity, the number of TUNEL-positive nuclei, and facilitated the LPS necrotic effect without affecting mRNA expression of apoptosis signals and adaptors. LPS induced a significant increase in AST and the number of TUNEL-positive nuclei, both effects being more pronounced in alcohol-treated rats. LPS produced hepatic necrosis only in alcohol-treated rats. LPS effects were associated with up-regulation of mRNA expression for both apoptosis adaptors and signaling molecules. IDN1965 administration 3 hr after LPS injection strongly inhibited caspases' activity, particularly that of caspase-3. IDN1965 also abolished the increase in TUNEL-positive nuclei, reversed the effect of LPS on plasma AST in alcohol-treated rats, and prevented LPS-induced necrosis. CONCLUSIONS (1) Alcohol-enhanced liver apoptosis may not involve regulatory steps at the transcriptional level. LPS-induced liver apoptosis seems to involve transcriptional regulation of several apoptosis adaptors. Therefore, alcohol and LPS may enhance liver apoptosis through different mechanisms. (2) Alcohol-enhanced liver apoptosis precedes and may facilitate the hepatic effects of LPS. LPS superimposed on alcohol further elevates the rate of apoptosis in the liver. This may exceed the phagocytosing capacity of the liver so that all the apoptotic cells are not phagocytosed, but rather die of necrosis.
Factor Mobility and International Trade

This paper develops a two-country model of trade and factor mobility, in which capital is sector-specific but international mobile. The model avoids the indeterminacy and propensity to specialise of Heckscher-Ohlin models and exhibits a rich variety of responses to exogenous shocks, including transfers, capital taxes and tariffs. The result throw light on the relationship between goods and factor trade, reconciling the conflicting views of previous writers. It is argued that the model holds out the possibility of a new paradigm in international trade theory, in which international factor movements play a central rather than a peripheral role.
PALATAL POSITIONING OF IMPLANTS IN SEVERELY RESORBED POSTERIOR MAXILLAE

Objectives: To evaluate an alternative treatment for rehabilitation of the severely resorbed posterior maxilla with palatal positioning of implants using the pre-existing anatomic features. Material and Methods: A retrospective study was conducted of thirty eight patients who received palatally positioned implants in the posterior maxilla using optimally the palatal curvature to avoid sinus grafting between Sep. 2005 and Sep. 2009. Patients with class IV and V atrophied maxillae according to the Cawood and Howell classification were included in this study. All patients received implant-retained fixed metal ceramic crowns. Panoramic radiographs and computerized tomographs of the maxillae had been made prior to surgery. Patients were followed-up for forty eight months after prosthesis delivery. Mesial and distal bone loss around the implants was measured on periapical radiographs and the largest value was considered as the bone loss. Periotest values (PV) of inserted implants were analyzed. Results: Thirty eight resorbed posterior maxillae were treated with fixed prosthesis supported by a combination of 196 upright and palatally positioned implants. All implants were placed as planned, 56 implants were placed in the palatal curvature through optimal use of the anatomic features of the posterior arch,140 implants were placed in upright position using the residual pristine bone. The success rate of palatally positioned implants during the four-years observation period was 96% (54/56). Clinical evaluation of the results showed stable implants according to PV. The mean bone loss of implants with palatal infection or inflammation. Conclusion: Palatal positioning of implants in situation where there is sufficient palatal bone medial to the maxillary sinus, may be a predictable alternative to avoid sinus grafting for rehabilitation of the atrophied posterior maxilla.
The pricing of infrastructure initial public offerings: evidence from Australia

This paper explores first‐day returns on infrastructure entity initial public offerings (IPOs) in Australia from 1996 to 2007. While a good deal has been written on the first‐day returns of industrial and mining company IPOs and Real Estate Investment Trust IPOs, first‐day returns of infrastructure entity IPOs have yet to be reported in the literature. The study uses ordinary least squares regression analysis to identify factors that might influence the percentage first‐day returns theoretically available to investing subscribers and factors that might influence the aggregate amount of money left to subscribers by issuers. The study finds that first‐day returns, on average, are not significantly different from zero. There is evidence, however, that suggests higher dividend yields and higher percentage direct costs of capital raising influence these first‐day returns. The study also finds that infrastructure entity IPOs that seek to raise more equity capital leave less money on the table for subscribing investors.