Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Decreasing Power Output Increases Aerobic Contribution During Low-Volume Severe-Intensity Intermittent Exercise

Abstract Lisbôa, FD, Salvador, AF, Raimundo, JAG, Pereira, KL, de Aguiar, RA, and Caputo, F. Decreasing power output increases aerobic contribution during low-volume severe-intensity intermittent exercise. J Strength Cond Res 29(9): 2434–2440, 2015—High-intensity interval training applied at submaximal, maximal, and supramaximal intensities for exercising at V[Combining Dot Above]O2max (t95V[Combining Dot Above]O2max) has shown similar adaptation to low-volume sprint interval training among active subjects. Thus, the aim of the present study was to investigate t95V[Combining Dot Above]O2max during 2 different intermittent exercises in the severe-intensity domain (e.g., range of power outputs over which V[Combining Dot Above]O2max can be elicited during constant-load exercise) and to identify an exercise protocol that reduces the time required to promote higher aerobic demand. Eight active men (22 ± 2 years, 72 ± 5 kg, 174 ± 4 cm, 47 ± 8 ml·kg−1·min−1) completed the following protocols on a cycle ergometer: (a) incremental test, (b) determination of critical power (CP), (c) determination of the highest constant intensity (IHIGH) and the lowest exercise duration (TLOW) in which V[Combining Dot Above]O2max is attained, and (d) 2 exercise sessions in a randomized order that consisted of a constant power output (CPO) session at IHIGH and a decreasing power output (DPO) session that applied a decreasing work rate profile from IHIGH to 110% of CP. Time to exhaustion was significantly longer in DPO (371 ± 57 seconds vs. 225 ± 33 seconds). Moreover, t95V[Combining Dot Above]O2max (186 ± 72 seconds vs. 76 ± 49 seconds) and O2 consumed (29 ± 4 L vs. 17 ± 3 L) were higher in DPO when compared with the CPO protocol. In conclusion, data suggest that the application of a DPO protocol during intermittent exercise increases the time spent at high percentages of V[Combining Dot Above]O2max.
A Capital Budgeting Analysis of Life Insurance Costs in the United States: 1950-1979

A capital budgeting procedure is applied in developing a real price index for life insurance over three decades. Individual life policies of three types are analyzed. The analysis reveals that although the cost of whole life insurance, measured in nominal values, has decreased over the past thirty years, when properly measured in present value or constant dollar terms, the cost has risen substantially. Term life insurance has been characterized by decreasing costs in both nominal and real terms. The amounts of the cost variations attributable to improving survival rates, changing policy terms, varying discount rates and differing tax status are identified.
Molecular Characterization of the MicroRNA-138-Fos-like Antigen 1 (FOSL1) Regulatory Module in Squamous Cell Carcinoma*

Background: MicroRNA-138 deregulation is a common event in cancer. Results: Our study describes a microRNA regulatory module consisting of tumor suppressor miR-138 and proto-oncogene FOSL1. Conclusion: The deregulation of miR-138-FOSL1 regulatory module may play an important role in cancer initiation and progression. Significance: Our results suggest that microRNAs target both canonical and non-canonical targeting sites located in all areas of mRNA molecules. MicroRNA-138 is one of the most frequently down-regulated microRNAs in cancer. We recently identified 51 candidate targets of microRNA-138 (Jiang, L., Dai, Y., Liu, X., Wang, C., Wang, A., Chen, Z., Heidbreder, C. E., Kolokythas, A., and Zhou, X. (2011) Hum. Genet. 129, 189–197). Among these candidates, Fos-like antigen 1 (FOSL1) is a member of Fos gene family and is a known proto-oncogene. In this study, we first confirmed the microRNA-138-mediated down-regulation of FOSL1 in squamous cell carcinoma cell lines. We then demonstrated the effect of this microRNA-138-FOSL1 regulatory module on downstream genes (homolog of Snail 2 (Snai2) expression and the Snai2-mediated repression of E-cadherin expression), as well as its contributions to tumorigenesis. The microRNA-138-directed recruitment of FOSL1 mRNA to the RNAi-induced silencing complex was confirmed by a ribonucleoprotein-immunoprecipitation assay. Three canonical and three high affinity non-canonical microRNA-138 (miR-138) targeting sites were identified on the FOSL1 mRNA: one in the 5′-UTR, three overlapping sites in the coding sequences, and two overlapping sites in the 3′-UTR. The direct targeting of miR-138 to these sites was confirmed using luciferase reporter gene assays. In summary, we describe an important microRNA regulatory module, which may play an important role in cancer initiation and progression. Our results also provide evidence that microRNAs target both canonical and non-canonical targeting sites located in all areas of the mRNA molecule (e.g. 5′-UTR, coding sequences, and 3′-UTR).
Russian local governmental reforms: autonomy for accounting development?

This paper focuses on accounting in Russian local governments. When the perestroika period began in the middle of the 1980s, a process of restructuring and reforming the Russian society started. One intention of reforms was to change planned economy to a more market-oriented one. This process of transformation has affected local governments, especially when it concerns the relations between central and local governments. The process of restructuring the Russian society is described from a frame of reference consisting of the political ideas that are often connected to the Russian reforms, i.e. glasnost, democracy, autonomy and independence. These political ideas were formulated and argued for by politicians at the central level of the Federation. In this paper we discuss whether this ideology at the central level has influenced Russian local governmental accounting norms. Based on information from Leningrad oblast' (county) the paper also includes a description and discussion of changes in accounting in action. The paper ends with a discussion on changes in accounting in Russian local governments focusing on the question whether the central reform ideology has influenced local action and accounting. The discussion illustrates that given big changes in central ideology and local action, Russian local governmental accounting has not changed fast. Slow changes in the accounting norm system, a difficult local financial situation and difficulties in unlearning the old accounting procedures create barriers to utilize local autonomy in respect to accounting system development.
Differential Effects of Chronic Ethanol Treatment onN-Methyl-d-aspartate R1 Splice Variants in Fetal Cortical Neurons*

FunctionalN-methyl-d-aspartate receptors consisting of NR1 and NR2 subunits are an important site of action of ethanol. Chronic ethanol treatment increases the NR1 polypeptide levelsin vivo and in vitro. Chronic ethanol treatmentin vitro does not significantly alter the NR1 mRNA levels, even though under similar culture conditions ethanol (50 mm, 5 days) enhances the half-life of NR1 mRNA in fetal cortical neurons. To address this phenomenon, we determined by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction and Western blotting whether ethanol (50 mm, 5 days) has a splice variant-specific effect on the expression of the NR1 subunit in mouse fetal cortical neurons. This report analyzes for the first time the distribution of all NR1 splice variants in these neurons. Our data indicate the presence of NR1-3a,b and NR1-4a,b splice variants in cortical neurons. Chronic ethanol treatment significantly decreased the mRNA levels of exon 5-containing NR1 splice variants (NR1-3b and NR1-4b) (−E5/+E5 = 4.6 in untreated neurons and 6.1 in ethanol-treated neurons) and had no effect on the mRNA levels of NR1-3 (+E21/−E22) and NR1-4 (−E21/−E22) splice variants. At the polypeptide level, chronic ethanol treatment significantly reduced exon 5-containing splice variants (NR1-3b and NR1-4b). However, ethanol (50 mm, 5 days) induced a significant increase in polypeptide levels of NR1-4 (−E21/−E22), without any effect on NR1-3 (+E21/−E22) polypeptide levels. These results demonstrate that chronic ethanol treatment has a selective effect on the expression of NR1 splice variants at both the mRNA and polypeptide levels in mouse fetal cortical neurons.
Trade union density and social expenditure: a longitudinal analysis of policy feedback effects in OECD countries, 1980–2010

ABSTRACT Two causal mechanisms have been invoked to explain the positive correlation between union membership and social expenditure. Unions try to influence policy, but they are also more successful in mobilizing members in economic systems in which actors engage in co-ordinated strategic interaction. Applying insights from the policy feedback and comparative capitalism literatures, our analysis indicates that union density is a determinant of social expenditure. A strong policy feedback effect is also present whereby social expenditure has a positive effect on union density. We find a positive effect of union density on social expenditure in co-ordinated market economies, but not in liberal market economies. We discuss the implications of these findings for citizens’ capacity to influence policy in varied contexts and for the ‘varieties of capitalism’ literature, and we close with some speculation about the implications of these findings in the current economic downturn.
Riboswitch RNAs: Regulation of gene expression by direct monitoring of a physiological signal

Riboswitches are cis-encoded, cis-acting RNA elements that directly sense a physiological signal. Signal response results in a change in RNA structure that impacts gene expression. Elements of this type play an important role in bacteria, where they regulate a variety of fundamental cellular pathways. Riboswitch-mediated gene regulation most commonly occurs by effects on transcription attenuation, to control whether a full-length transcript is synthesized, or on translation initiation, in which case the transcript is constitutively synthesized but binding of the translation initiation complex is modulated. An overview of the role of riboswitch RNAs in bacterial gene expression will be provided, and a few examples are described in more detail to illustrate the types of mechanisms that have been uncovered.
Random Forests for Medical Applications

Machine learning incarnates a key component for integrating the knowldege and experience of physicians into medical imaging applications such as computer aided diagnosis, detection and segmentation. In the last decade, random forests became a popular ensemble learning algorithm, as they achieve state-of-the-art performance in numerous computer vision tasks. Consisting in an ensemble of independent decision trees, random forests are very intuitive models, that offer a flexible probabilistic framework for solving different learning tasks. In this thesis, we formalize random forests models as ensemble partitioning approaches and propose novel related techniques for classification, regression and clustering. We introduce new task-specific forest models and demonstrate their great potential in different medical applications such as organ localization, segmentation, lesion detection and image categorization.
Bonding and Nonbonding Signals of Product Quality

This article examines the essential role of bonding in most signaling models where quality is subject to moral hazard problems. An advertising model, in which advertising is a durable asset whose value is reduced by cheating, illustrates how the bonding capacity of a signal determines its cost. Characteristics of the market that govern how well a signal is targeted to relevant consumers and how information about cheating is spread are critical to determining bonding capacity and, hence, to the choice among potential signals. This bonding perspective explains the literature's widely divergent predictions about the conditions necessary for quality signals. Copyright 1990 by the University of Chicago.
Analyst Initiations of Coverage and Stock Return Synchronicity

We examine how the information produced by analysts when they initiate coverage contributes to the mix of firm-specific, industry-, and market-wide information available about the firm. We hypothesize that the first analyst to initiate coverage provides low cost market and industry information allowing him/her to follow more stocks, whereas subsequent analysts provide firm-specific information to distinguish themselves from existing analysts. We use stock return synchronicity to measure the mix of information available about a firm, with higher synchronicity indicating more industry and market information. Coverage initiations of firms with no prior analyst coverage increase synchronicity suggesting that analysts produce industry- and market-wide information. In contrast, analysts initiating coverage on firms with existing coverage appear to focus on producing firm-specific information as these initiations lead to reduced synchronicity. Together, our findings indicate that the type of information analysts produce at initiation depends on the information provided by other analysts.
A Plasmodium falciparum PHIST protein binds the virulence factor PfEMP1 and comigrates to knobs on the host cell surface

Uniquely among malaria parasites, Plasmodium falciparum‐infected erythrocytes (iRBCs) develop membrane protrusions, known as knobs, where the parasite adhesion receptor P. falciparum erythrocyte membrane protein 1 (PfEMP1) clusters. Knob formation and the associated iRBC adherence to host endothelium are directly linked to the severity of malaria and are functional manifestations of protein export from the parasite to the iRBC. A family of exported proteins featuring Plasmodium helical interspersed sub‐telomeric (PHIST) domains has attracted attention, with members being implicated in host‐parasite protein interactions and differentially regulated in severe disease and among parasite isolates. Here, we show that PHIST member PFE1605w binds the PfEMP1 intracellular segment directly with Kd = 5 ± 0.6 μM, comigrates with PfEMP1 during export, and locates in knobs. PHIST variants that do not locate in knobs (MAL8P1.4) or bind PfEMP1 30 times more weakly (PFI1780w) used as controls did not display the same pattern. We resolved the first crystallographic structure of a PHIST protein and derived a partial model of the PHIST‐PfEMP1 interaction from nuclear magnetic resonance. We propose that PFE1605w reinforces the PfEMP1‐cytoskeletal connection in knobs and discuss the possible role of PHIST proteins as interaction hubs in the parasite exportome. —Oberli, A. , Slater, L. M. , Cutts, E. , Brand, F. , Mundwiler‐Pachlatko, E. , Rusch, S. , Masik, M. F. G. , Erat, M. C. , Beck, H. ‐P., Vakonakis, I. A Plasmodium falciparum PHIST protein binds the virulence factor PfEMP1 and comigrates to knobs on the host cell surface. FASEB J. 28, 4420–4433 (2014). www.fasebj. org
Private Investment in Developing Countries: An Empirical Analysis

The effects of several policy and other macroeconomic variables on the ratio of private investment to gross domestic product in developing countries during 1975-87 is analyzed. Econometric evidence indicates that the rate of private investment is positively related to real GDP growth, level of per capita GDP, and the rate of public sector investment, and negatively related to real interest rates, domestic inflation, the debt-service ratio, and the ratio of debt to GDP. The impact of most variables was greatest before the 1982 debt crisis, but the ratio of debt to GDP has since become more important.
Factors influencing families' consent for donation of solid organs for transplantation.

CONTEXT Transplantation has become the therapy of choice for patients with organ failure. However, the low rate of consent by families of donor-eligible patients is a major limiting factor in the success of organ transplantation. OBJECTIVE To explore factors associated with the decision to donate among families of potential solid organ donors. DESIGN AND SETTING Data collection via chart reviews, telephone interviews with health care practitioners (HCPs) or organ procurement organization (OPO) staff, and face-to-face interviews with family for all donor-eligible deaths at 9 trauma hospitals in southwestern Pennsylvania and northeastern Ohio from 1994 to 1999. PARTICIPANTS Family members, HCPs, and OPO staff involved in the donation decision for 420 donor-eligible patients. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE Factors associated with family decision to donate or not donate organs for transplantation. RESULTS A total of 238 of the 420 cases led to organ donation; 182 did not. Univariate analysis revealed numerous factors associated with the donation decision. Multivariable analysis of associated variables revealed that family and patient sociodemographics (ethnicity, patient's age and cause of death) and prior knowledge of the patients' wishes were significantly associated with willingness to donate (adjusted odds ratio [OR], 7.68; 95% confidence interval [CI], 6.55-9.01). Families who discussed more topics and had more conversations about organ donation were more likely to donate (adjusted OR, 5.22; 95% CI, 4.32-6.30), as were families with more contact with OPO staff (adjusted OR, 3.08; 95% CI, 2.63-3.60) and those who experienced an optimal request pattern (adjusted OR, 2.96; 95% CI, 2.58-3.40). Socioemotional and communication variables acted as intervening variables. CONCLUSIONS Public education is needed to modify attitudes about organ donation prior to a donation opportunity. Specific steps can be taken by HCPs and OPO staff to maximize the opportunity to persuade families to donate their relatives' organs.
Mapping genes that underlie ethnic differences in disease risk: methods for detecting linkage in admixed populations, by conditioning on parental admixture.

Genes that underlie ethnic differences in disease risk can be mapped in affected individuals of mixed descent if the ancestry of the alleles at each marker locus can be assigned to one of the two founding populations. Linkage can be detected by testing for association of the disease with the ancestry of alleles at the marker locus, by conditioning on the admixture (defined as the proportion of genes that have ancestry from the high-risk population) of both parents. With regard to exploiting the effects of admixture, this test is more flexible and powerful than the transmission-disequilibrium test. Under the assumption of a multiplicative model, the statistical power for a given sample size depends only on parental admixture and the risk ratio r between populations that is generated by the locus. The most informative families are those in which mean parental admixture is . 2-. 7 and in which admixture is similar in both parents. The number of markers required for a genome search depends on the number of generations since admixture and on the information content for ancestry (f) of the markers, defined as a function of allele frequencies in the two founding populations. Simulations using a hidden Markov model suggest that, when admixture has occurred 2-10 generations earlier, a multipoint analysis using 2,000 biallelic markers, with f values of 30%, can extract 70%-90% of the ancestry information for each locus. Sets of such markers could be selected from libraries of single-nucleotide polymorphisms, when these become available.
Afterload Mismatch and Preload Reserve in Chronic Aortic Regurgitation

We examined the interrelationship of afterload, preload and left ventricular (LV) performance at two levels of systolic loading in 20 patients with chronic aortic regurgitation to determine if the concept of afterload mismatch and preload reserve can be applied to this clinical entity. We identified two groups of patients at different stages in the natural history of volume overload. Patients in group I had moderate LV enlargement (LV end-diastolic volume < 150 ml/m2), and patients in group 2 had severe LV enlargement (LV end-diastolic volume > 150 ml/m2). Both groups had sufficient eccentric hypertrophy, measured by LV mass, to keep afterload as measured by mean systolic LV wall stress only slightly above normal; LV mean systolic wall stress was similar in each group. Patients in group 2 had a lower LVejection fraction and velocity of circumferential fiber shortening than those in group 1 at a similar lower level of afterload. At a similar higher level of afterload, which increased end-diastolic volume from 134 4 to 157 ± 6ml/m2 in group 1 and from 191 ± 9 to 218 13 ml/m2 in group 2 (average increase 18% vs 14%, NS), patients in group 1 maintained their ejection fraction and forward stroke volume and had a significant increase in total LV stroke volume, whereas patients in group 2 had a decrease in ejection fraction and in forward stroke volume and no significant change in LV stroke volume. The velocity of circumferential fiber shortening decreased in both groups in response to increased afterload. These data indicate that patients with moderate LV dilatation due to aortic regurgitation and sufficient hypertrophy to normalize afterload have a preload reserve that permits normal LV performance during a basal state as well as during acute increases in afterload. Patients with severe LV dilatation, however, despite sufficient hypertrophy to normalize afterload, have afterload mismatch due to a depressed inotropic state, and have exhausted preload reserve such that acute increases in afterload worsen the afterload mismatch and cause further deterioration of LV performance. The velocity of circumferential fiber shortening appears to be a less useful indicator of afterload mismatch than other ejection-phase indexes of contractility. Thus, the concept of afterload mismatch and preload reserve describes the natural history of hemodynamic alterations in chronic aortic regurgitation.
The Interaction between the Major Capsid Protein and the Smallest Capsid Protein of Human Cytomegalovirus Is Dependent on Two Linear Sequences in the Smallest Capsid Protein

ABSTRACT The assembly of human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) with recombinant systems has not been accomplished. An understanding of specific interactions between individual capsid proteins could point to unique characteristics of the assembly process of HCMV capsids. Similar to its herpes simplex virus counterpart, VP26 (UL35), the HCMV smallest capsid protein (SCP; UL48/49) decorates hexons in the mature capsid. In contrast to VP26, the HCMV SCP is essential for virus assembly. In this study we have shown that the major capsid protein (MCP) and the SCP interact in the cytoplasm of transfected cells and can be coprecipitated from insect cells expressing the MCP and the SCP. Using a two-hybrid reporter assay, we demonstrated that two linear sequences within the SCP are sufficient for SCP and MCP interactions.