Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Frequency of HBB Mutations Among β-Thalassemia Patients in Hamadan Province, Iran

Abstract β-Thalassemia (β-thal) caused by mutations on the HBB gene is the most common single-gene disorder in the world. In this study, the HBB gene mutation was investigated in Hamadan province, Iran. Forty-one patients referred to a referral hospital were admitted to the study. DNA samples were extracted from peripheral blood. The HBB gene was sequenced in all recruited patients. Eleven mutations and eight polymorphisms were found in the studied patients. IVS-II-1 (G>A) (HBB: c.315+1 G>A) was the most common mutation, accounting for 25.61% of mutant alleles. Other mutations included codon 8 (–AA) (HBB: c.25−26delAA); IVS-I-110 (G>A) (HBB: c.93−21 G>A); codons 8/9 (+G) (HBB: c.27−28insG); IVS-I-1 (G>A) (HBB: c.92 G>A); codon 44 (–C) (HBB: c.135delC); codons 25/26 (+T) (HBB: c.78−79insT); IVS-I-130 (G>C) (HBB: c.93−1 G>C); –28 (A>C) (HBB: c.−78 A>C); codons 36/37 (–T) (HBB: c.112delT) and IVS-I-6 (T>C) (HBB: c.92+6 T>C). According to our findings, the IVS-II-1 mutation has the highest prevalence in Hamadan Province. It was found that the total frequency of the IVS-II-1, codons 25/26 (+T), codons 8/9 (+G), IVS-I-110 and IVS-I-1 mutations was 82.92%. Therefore, given these findings, it is recommended that these five mutations are screened for as a first step in laboratories without sequencing instruments, and that the rest of the gene is subsequently examined.
Rent Sharing in the Multi-Fibre Arrangement: Theory and Evidence from Us Apparel Imports from Hong Kong

Available estimates of tariff equivalents of quotas and welfare calculations on the costs of multi-fibre arrangements (MFA) for developing countries are based on the premise of perfect competition in both product and license markets. It is also assumed that the exporting countries that administer the MFA quotas receive all the scarcity rents. The authors argue that, in the presence of market power on the buyers' side in the product markets combined with concentration in the license markets, the importing countries might retain part of this rent. Although the impact of imperfect competition on rent appropriation has been analyzed in literature, rent sharing has so far been ignored in both analytical and empirical work. This paper makes a theoretical case for rent sharing, and then analyzes U.S. imports of apparel products from Hong Kong. The authors find that rent sharing substantially affects the estimated magnitude of welfare losses that exporting developing countries suffer because of MFA quotas.
Homologous and Heterologous Complement Fixing Antibody in Persons Infected with ECHO, Coxsackie and Poliomyelitis Viruses

Summary A study of heterologous CF antibody responses in persons naturally or experimentally infected with ECHO virus types 10, 16, and 20, Coxsackie B virus type 3, or poliovirus type 1, indicated an antigenic relationship between the following viruses: ECHO types 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 11, 14, 16, and 20, Coxsackie B virus types 1, 3, 4, and 5. No antigenic relationship was noted between ECHO virus type 10 and any of the other enteroviruses.
Characterization of a Bayesian Ship Detection Method in Optical Satellite Images

This letter presents the experimental results obtained for an automatic predetection of small ships (about 5 &times; 5 pixels) in high-resolution optical satellite images. Our images are panchromatic SPOT 5 images, whose resolution is 5 m per pixel. Our detection method is based on the Bayesian decision theory and does not need any preprocessing. Here, we describe the method precisely and the tuning of its two parameters, namely, the size of the analysis window and the threshold used to make a decision. Both are fixed from the receiver operating-characteristic curves that we draw from different sets of tests. Finally, the overall results of the method are given for a set of images, as close as possible to the operational conditions.
Single-chain Variable Fragment Albumin Fusions Bind the Neonatal Fc Receptor (FcRn) in a Species-dependent Manner

Background: Albumin is utilized as carrier of biopharmaceuticals. FcRn binding regulates its long half-life. Results: ScFv fusion to HSA only slightly reduces human FcRn binding, whereas HSA and scFv-HSA fusions have very weak binding to rodent FcRn. Conclusion: Rodents have limitations for preclinical evaluation of HSA fusions. Significance: We illuminate design of HSA fusions and highlight cross-species differences to consider prior to preclinical evaluation. Albumin has a serum half-life of 3 weeks in humans. This has been utilized to extend the serum persistence of biopharmaceuticals that are fused to albumin. In light of the fact that the neonatal Fc receptor (FcRn) is a key regulator of albumin homeostasis, it is crucial to address how fusion of therapeutics to albumin impacts binding to FcRn. Here, we report on a detailed molecular investigation on how genetic fusion of a short peptide or an single-chain variable fragment (scFv) fragment to human serum albumin (HSA) influences pH-dependent binding to FcRn from mouse, rat, monkey, and human. We have found that fusion to the N- or C-terminal end of HSA only slightly reduces receptor binding, where the most noticeable effect is seen after fusion to the C-terminal end. Furthermore, in contrast to the observed strong binding to human and monkey FcRn, HSA and all HSA fusions bound very poorly to mouse and rat versions of the receptor. Thus, we demonstrate that conventional rodents are limited as preclinical models for analysis of serum half-life of HSA-based biopharmaceuticals. This finding is explained by cross-species differences mainly found within domain III (DIII) of albumin. Our data demonstrate that although fusion, particularly to the C-terminal end, may slightly reduce the affinity for FcRn, HSA is versatile as a carrier of biopharmaceuticals.
Comments on deprivai value and standard setting in measurement: from a symposium to celebrate the work of Professor William T. Baxter

1. Editorial introduction In July 2006 the London School of Economics (LSE) hosted a Symposium to celebrate the work of Professor William T. Baxter. The influence and continuing signijicance of Baxter S work was discussed by expertsfrom a range of academic and practitioner perspectives on the nature, relevance and usefulness of the concept of deprival value, with some views on the direction to be taken in setting measurement standards. In introducing their views, each speaker paid particular tribute to Baxter and then discussed a personal perception of the influence of his work. This summary of their presentations is of fered as a comment on, and celebration oJ the relevance of Baxter’s work in the expectation that the various perspectives will provide useful ideas for those whose research relates to the current debates on measurement and standard setting in accounting. The comments begin with three retrospective analyses. Sir Ian Byatt, past Director General of the w e e of Water Services, spoke on deprival value and its use in the utilities. Peter Holgate, senior technical partner at PricewaterhouseCoopers, reviewed the uses of deprival value in previous periods when inflation accounting was higher on the agenda. Professor Michael Bromwich, of the Department of Accounting and Finance at the London School of Economics, noted Baxter S central role in the sequence of very active development of theories of accounting measurement. With a focus on the present, Professor Shyam Sunder of Yale Universiry reflected on Baxter’s perception of the role of accounting standards. Dr Joanne Horton, senior lecturer in the Department of Accounting and Finance at the London School of Economics, outlined continuing debates on deprival value and relief value. Professor Ken Peasnell of Lancaster University reviewed the position of deprival value today. Professor Richard Macve of the London School of Economics drew the discussion to a close. The editor is grateful to an anonymous reviewer for suggestions on presenting this series of comments.
Taxation, Political Risk and Portfolio Selection

In various analyses of the effect of income taxation on an investor's willingness to invest in assets whose rates of return are uncertain, it is an underlying assumption that the investor knows for certain the rates at which his income will be taxed. ' The only uncertainty then attaches to the before-tax rates of return on the risky investments. This paper concentrates on cases where at the time of selecting a portfolio an investor has incomplete knowledge of the tax rates which will be effective in the future. This may be the situation in a parliamentary election year if rival parties are in favour of corporation income taxation and consumption taxation, respectively. In some countries uncertainty about tax rates may be a more permanent feature; for example, at all times there may be a non-zero probability of complete confiscation of investment profits. Under such circumstances the tax rate can appear as a random variable from an investor's point of view. In this way uncertainty about after-tax income can reflect uncertainty as to the tax rates which eventually will become effective-political risk-as well as uncertainty as to before-tax returns-commercial risk. The separation of political risk from commercial risk enables us to study the specific effects of uncertainty about the relevant tax rates when a portfolio decision is made.2 The measurement of political risk is a difficult problem since many measures of risk are associated with certain classes of utility functions and/or probability distributions.3 A non-zero variance of the tax rate is a sufficient and necessary condition for the existence of political risk. Representing changes in political risk in terms of changes in the variance of the tax rate is to be avoided, however, as such a representation would be legitimate only under rather restrictive assumptions. We define a change in political risk in terms of a corresponding change in a dispersion shift parameter which indicates the stretching or compression of the probability distribution of the tax rate around its expected value.4 When the value of the dispersion parameter changes,
Molecular signatures of brain injury after intracerebral hemorrhage

BackgroundThe mechanisms of cellular death in the tissue surrounding an intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) are not defined. ObjectiveTo investigate the relationship of markers of excitotoxicity and inflammation to brain injury after ICH. MethodsA total of 124 consecutive patients with spontaneous ICH admitted within 24 hours of stroke onset were prospectively investigated. The volumes of the initial ICH, peripheral edema on days 3 to 4, and the residual cavity at 3 months were measured on CT scan. Glutamate, cytokines, and adhesion molecules were measured in blood samples obtained on admission. Stroke severity and neurologic outcome were evaluated with the Canadian Stroke Scale. ResultsPoor neurologic outcome at 3 months (Canadian Stroke Scale < 7) was observed in 53 patients (43%). Stroke severity and glutamate concentrations (by each increment of 10 &mgr;mol/L, odds ratio 1.23; 95% CI 1.09 to 1.41), but not the initial volume of ICH, were independent predictors of poor outcome. In the multiple linear regression analyses, tumor necrosis factor-&agr; concentration was correlated (r = 0.83, p < 0.0001) with the volume of perihematoma edema, and glutamate concentrations were correlated (r = 0.78, p < 0.0001) with the volume of the residual cavity. These same results were observed when lobar (n = 58) and deep (n = 66) ICH were analyzed separately. ConclusionsHigh plasma levels of proinflammatory molecules within 24 hours of intracerebral hemorrhage onset are correlated with the magnitude of the subsequent perihematoma brain edema, whereas poor neurologic outcome and the volume of the residual cavity are related to increased plasma glutamate concentrations.
From exploiting to investing: A survey of us firms doing business in russia

US companies have been accused by the Russian media of flooding the Russian markets with their exports, repatriating their revenues or using them to buy Russian resources cheaply, and, as a result, increasing Russia's unemployment and decreasing its standard of living. Russia, argue many Russian experts interviewed in the past several years, is being badly exploited and its culture cheapened with Western candy, which in 1994 took $5 billion from consumers in Russia. On the other hand, US companies, which have been entering the Russian market in increasing numbers, argue that exporting products and services to Russia enhances the satisfaction of Russian consumers and contributes to the country's economy. They further say that as they become more familiar and comfortable with the Russian market, they change their strategies and increase their investment in Russia. Are US companies exploiting Russia or investing in its economic expansion? In this study the author investigated the entry strategies to Russia of 87 large US companies starting in 1989. These were randomly selected corporations, including a cross-section of consumer goods, industrial goods, computers, oil and gas, fast food, and consulting companies. What emerged was a captivating, historical drama, which changes rapidly from making money through exporting to Russia, to commitment through investment in plants and employment. For example, while the most popular entry doors to Russia have been exportlimport and joint ventures, most strategy changes since 1989 have been to wholly-owned subsidiaries, which usually require substantial investment. Yesterday's Snickers Bars exporter, Mars Candy, created a wholly-owned subsidiary, Masterfoods, and spent $70 million to build a chocolate and pet food factory that employs many Russians. In addition, a greater number of US companies entered the Russian market after the 1992 Yeltsin economic shock therapy and had a much needed stabilizing effect on the Russian economy. So, what may have been perceived as a one-sided relationship has been evolving to growth and mutual commitment. And as the Russian economy continues to grow, these companies will grow and prosper, too. Executives who are interested in the Russian market are advised that this market is real, growing, and worth considering. To enter and grow in this market, however, executives are cautioned that business deals in Russia must be structured in unfamiliar ways, and that they must employ local workers and respect Russia's culture and history. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Incentives for improving the public budget balance in local governments and resident migration

This paper examines the incentives for local governments to improve their own fiscal balances in an environment of inter-regional resident migration, and shows that whether a local government chooses to make its fiscal balances efficient depends on the condition of population distribution. Since residents migrate between regions in the pursuit of higher utility, their utility will become equal at a migration equilibrium. We obtain the following results from this property of resident migration: a local government in a country with two regions will improve its own fiscal balance efficiently when the utility of residents in the other region increases with emigration from there. If the residents’ utility in the other region decreases, the local government will have an incentive to deteriorate its own fiscal balance. However, residents’ utility will not decrease under this deterioration.
Enhancement of Glutathione and γ-Glutamylcysteine Synthetase, the Rate Limiting Enzyme of Glutathione Synthesis, by Chemoprotective Plant-Derived Food and Beverage Components in the Human Hepatoma Cell Line HepG2

Glutathione (GSH) is an important antioxidant and cofactor of detoxifying metabolism. Therefore, elevation of GSH as achieved by inducing γ-glutamylcysteine synthetase (GCS), the limiting enzyme of GSH synthesis, may contribute to chemoprevention against cancer. In previous animal studies, increases in GCS were mainly found in liver and other organs that are not easily accessible in humans. Thus, employment and evaluation of alternative systems such as human-derived cell lines are encouraged. In the present experiment, we used the hepatoma cell line HepG2 to investigate the response of GCS and GSH to five plant-derived chemoprotectants contained in regularly consumed foodstuffs and beverages (kahweol/cafestol [K/C] [15.5-62.0 μM], α-angelicalactone [100-400 μM], benzyl isothiocyanate [1.7-5.0 μM], diallyl sulfide [175-700 μM], and quercetin [10-50 μM]). All treatments led to dose-dependent increases in both GCS activity and GSH concentration. Time course studies with K/C indicated that the enhancement of GCS preceded that of GSH, suggesting a causal relationship. K/C did not enhance γ-glutamyl transpeptidase, a further enzyme that assists GSH-related chemoprotection. Although GCS induction has been suggested to require an initial short-lived GSH depletion, we did not find any decrease in GSH after 3 h of incubation with K/C. In summary, HepG2 cells were shown to be a useful model to investigate the capacity of potential chemoprotectants to enhance GCS and GSH. To our knowledge, the present study is also the first to show increases in GCS by K/C and a-angelicalactone in vitro and by diallyl sulfide and quercetin in any system.
Turning round the telescope. Centre-right parties and immigration and integration policy in Europe1

Because those who study migration do not focus much on parties, while those who study parties tend to focus on migration only insofar as it affects electoral competition and positioning, the role of political parties in immigration control and integration policy is underestimated. Parties on the centre-right, which have enjoyed nowhere near the attention devoted to their more radical counterparts, are particularly important and interesting in this respect. They make up many European governments and therefore help to determine state and EU policy. Maintaining their ownership of the issues involved makes electoral sense but their policies on control and integration are not purely, or at least primarily, a strategic response to the populist radical right; even before the rise of the latter, immigration and integration were matters of genuine ideological and practical concern for Europe's market liberal, conservative and Christian Democratic parties. Too hard a line, however, risks alienating their supporters in business and in civil society. It is a difficult balance, but one that makes a big difference both to the parties involved and the public policies they help to produce.
Occupation-related risks for colorectal cancer.

Several population data bases were used to generate hypotheses about associations between colorectal cancer and workplace exposures. The Third National Cancer Survey interview sample was used to select 343 male and 208 female cases and 626 male and 1,235 female cancer controls. Potential work exposures were assigned with the use of data from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health National Occupational Hazard Survey. Dietary factors were modeled from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey data. Work-related stress was considered with the use of a model based on the U.S. Department of Labor's Quality of Employment Survey. Other risk factors included age, race, ponderosity, and menopausal status. Logistic analysis yielded hypotheses for colon cancer risk in males with potentially high exposure to solvents, abrasives, and fuel oil and in those in jobs with high demand and low control (high "stress"). Hypotheses emerged for females with potentially high exposure to dyes, solvents, and grinding wheel dust.
Expression and Function of Bicarbonate/Chloride Exchangers in the Preimplantation Mouse Embryo (*)

Bicarbonate/chloride (HCO−3/Cl−) exchangers regulate intracellular pH in the alkaline range. Previously, it has been shown that mouse embryos at the two-cell stage exhibit this activity, but that the otherwise ubiquitous mechanisms for regulating intracellular pH in the acid-to-neutral range are undetectable. We have examined mouse embryos during preimplantation development (one-cell zygote through blastocyst) to determine whether HCO−3;/Cl− exchange activity exists at all stages, whether it is necessary for preimplantation development, and whether messenger RNAs from the known HCO−3;/Cl− exchanger genes are expressed. We have found that all stages of preimplantation embryo have detectable HCO−3;/Cl− exchange activity. In addition, inhibition of this activity with the stilbene anion exchange inhibitor DIDS (4,4′-diisothiocyanostilbene-2,2′-disulfonic acid) disrupts intracellular pH homeostasis and markedly inhibits embryo development from the two-cell stage to blastocysts in culture under conditions of moderately high external pH. Finally, mRNA encoding two members of the band 3-related AE anion exchanger gene family are expressed in preimplantation embryos.
NS1- and Minute Virus of Mice-Induced Cell Cycle Arrest: Involvement of p53 and p21cip1

ABSTRACT The nonstructural protein NS1 of the autonomous parvovirus minute virus of mice (MVMp) is cytolytic when expressed in transformed cells. Before causing extensive cell lysis, NS1 induces a multistep cell cycle arrest in G1, S, and G2, well reproducing the arrest in S and G2 observed upon MVMp infection. In this work we investigated the molecular mechanisms of growth inhibition mediated by NS1 and MVMp. We show that NS1-mediated cell cycle arrest correlates with the accumulation of the cyclin-dependent kinase (Cdk) inhibitor p21 cip1 associated with both the cyclin A/Cdk and cyclin E/Cdk2 complexes but in the absence of accumulation of p53, a potent transcriptional activator of p21 cip1 . By comparison, MVMp infection induced the accumulation of both p53 and p21 cip1 . We demonstrate that p53 plays an essential role in the MVMp-induced cell cycle arrest in both S and G2 by using p53 wild-type (+/+) and null (−/−) cells. Furthermore, only the G2 arrest was abrogated in p21 cip1 null (−/−) cells. Together these results show that the MVMp-induced cell cycle arrest in S is p53 dependent but p21 cip1 independent, whereas the arrest in G2 depends on both p53 and its downstream effector p21 cip1 . They also suggest that induction of p21 cip1 by the viral protein NS1 arrests cells in G2 through inhibition of cyclin A-dependent kinase activity.
Tonotopic Mapping in Auditory Cortex of the Adult Chinchilla with Amikacin-Induced cochlear Lesions: Mapeo tonotópico de la corteza auditiva de la chinchilla adulta con lesiones cocleares inducidas con amikacina

We have found a reorganization of tonotopic maps (based on neuron response thresholds) in primary auditory cortex of the adult chinchilla after amikacin-induced basal cochlear lesions. We find an over-representation of a frequency that corresponds to the border area of the cochlear lesion. The reorganization observed is similar in extent to that previously seen in a developmental model. The properties of neurons within the over-represented area were investigated in order to determine whether their responses originated from a common input (an indication of true plasticity) or represented only the result of truncating the activity of the sensory epithelium (“pseudo-plasticity”). Some aspects of our data fit with a true plasticity model and indicate the potential for the deafferented cortex of the mature cortex to regain connections with the surviving sensory epithelium.