Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Role of Spinal NO in Antiallodynic Effect of Intrathecal Clonidine in Neuropathic Rats

Background The role of spinal nitric oxide (NO) in neuropathic pain remains uncertain. Although intrathecal clonidine causes NO release in the spinal cord, the functional role of spinal No in clonidine‐produced analgesia has not been examined. The objectives of this study were to assess the role of spinal NO in maintenance of allodynia and to determine the role of spinal NO in the antiallodynic effect of intrathecal clonidine. Methods Allodynia was produced in rats by tight ligation of the left L5‐L6 spinal nerves. Intrathecal catheters were inserted with tips in the lumbar intrathecal space. Mechanical allodynia was determined by application of von Frey filaments to the left hindpaw. In the first series of experiments, allodynia was assessed before and after intrathecal injection of saline, L‐arginine, an NO donor (SNAP), two NO synthase inhibitors (TRIM and NMMA), or an NO scavenger (PTIO). In the second series of experiments, 20 [micro sign]g of clonidine was injected intrathecally 15 min after intrathecal injection of saline, TRIM, NMMA, or PTIO. Results Allodynia was not affected significantly by intrathecal injection of L‐arginine, SNAP, TRIM, NMMA, or PTIO. The antiallodynic effect produced by intrathecal injection of clonidine was attenuated significantly by pretreatment with TRIM, NMMA, or PTIO. Conclusions These results demonstrate that spinal NO neither contributes significantly to maintenance of allodynia nor produces detectable antiallodynic effect in this neuropathic pain model. Furthermore, this study provides functional evidence that spinal NO plays an important role in the antiallodynic effect of intrathecal clonidine in neuropathic pain.
Auditors General ' s impact on administrations: a pan-Canadian study (2001-2011)

Purpose - – The influence that Supreme Audit Institutions (SAIs) exert on management of administrations through performance audits has been examined very little and questioned even less. This study of the impact of Auditors General (AG) on management of six Canadian administrations for the 2001-2011 period aims to highlight the auditors ' - successes and the limits imposed on them in their role of agents of change for administrations. Design/methodology/approach - – A survey was sent out to a total of 125 respondents identified by the authorities of the targeted organizations. Eighty-seven usable questionnaires were completed (70% response rate). Findings - – AG appear to influence the organizational life of Canadian entities to a moderate extent. The figures suggest that auditors do exert an influence on the organizations audited, but their influence attempts fail fairly often. Indirect powers to reward and punish conferred on AG by their institutional status are conditioned not only by the will of the central and political authorities of the entities audited but also by the will and capacity of parliamentarians to assume real control over the executive branch. One explanation for this mitigated influence is that the “obligatory reverence” that SAIs inspire in administrations masks the real value that auditees perceive in auditors ' - work. Research limitations/implications - – Given the ten-year period that the study covered, it had to deal with the mortality of respondents and the loss of organizational memory. Practical implications - – The study gives insights about the auditees ' - recognition regarding the auditors ' - added value to administrations through their performance audits. Originality/value - – This paper fulfils an identified need for further empirical research on AG ' - s impact on administrations through their performance audits.
Role of capsular polysaccharides and lipooligosaccharides in Campylobacter surface properties, autoagglutination, and attachment to abiotic surfaces.

The role of capsular polysaccharides and lipooligosaccharides in cell surface hydrophobicity, surface charge, autoagglutination (AAG), and attachment to abiotic surfaces of three strains of Campylobacter jejuni and one strain of C. coli were investigated. This was achieved by removal of capsular polysaccharides and truncation of lipooligosaccharides core oligosaccharides by inactivation of the kpsE and waaF genes, respectively. The mutants and the wild-type strains were compared after growth under planktonic (broth) and sessile (agar) conditions. Cells grown as planktonic cultures showed a significantly (p<0.05) higher degree of hydrophobicity and AAG activity but differed from their sessile counterparts with respect to surface charge and attachment counts, depending on the strain. These results suggest that prior mode of growth affects the surface properties and attachment of Campylobacter in a strain-dependent manner. There were no significant (p>0.05) differences between the three C. jejuni strains and their ΔkpsE and ΔwaaF mutants with respect to all traits tested. Inactivation of the kpsE gene significantly (p<0.05) reduced the surface charge of the C. coli strain from ∼-10 to ∼-6 mV and increased its AAG activity, while disruption of the waaF gene significantly (p<0.05) increased its surface hydrophobicity by >8° and decreased the numbers of cells attaching to stainless steel and glass by ∼0.5 log/cm². These results suggest that surface polysaccharides may influence the surface properties and attachment to abiotic surfaces of C. coli but not C. jejuni. This suggestion, however, requires further investigation using a larger number of strains of both species.
Cell‐transforming activity and mutagenicity of 5 phytoestrogens in cultured mammalian cells

For the simultaneous assessment of in vitro carcinogenicity and mutagenicity of phytoestrogens, the abilities of 5 phytoestrogens, daidzein, genistein, biochanin A, prunetin, and coumestrol, to induce cell transformation and genetic effects were examined using the Syrian hamster embryo (SHE) cell model. Cellular growth was inhibited by all phytoestrogens in a concentration‐related manner. The growth inhibitory effect of the compounds was ranked: genistein, prunetin > coumestrol > biochanin A > daidzein, which did not correspond to their apoptosis‐inducing abilities. Morphological transformation in SHE cells was elicited by all phytoestrogens, except, prunetin. The transforming activities were ranked as follows: genistein > coumestrol > daidzein > biochanin A. Somatic mutations in SHE cells at the Na+/K+ ATPase and hprt loci were induced only by genistein, coumestrol, or daidzein. Chromosome aberrations were induced by genistein or coumestrol, and aneuploidy in the near diploid range was occurred by genistein or biochanin A. Genistein, biochanin A or daidzein induced DNA adduct formation in SHE cells with the abilities: genistein > biochanin A > daidzein. Prunetin was negative for any of these genetic endpoints. Our results provide evidence that genistein, coumestrol, daidzein and biochanin A induce cell transformation in SHE cells and that the transforming activities of these phytoestrogens correspond to at least 2 of the mutagenic effects by each phytoestrogen, i.e., gene mutations, chromosome aberrations, aneuploidy or DNA adduct formation, suggesting the possible involvement of mutagenicity in the initiation of phytoestrogen‐induced carcinogenesis. © 2003 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Anticancer effects of aloe‐emodin on HepG2 cells: Cellular and proteomic studies

Aloe‐emodin (AE) is one of the main bioactive anthraquinones of Rheum palmatum, a widely used herbal medicine. Several recent studies suggested that AE possesses potent anticancer properties, although the mechanisms are yet to be fully elucidated. The present study aimed to identify the molecular targets of AE in a human hepatocellular carcinoma cell line, HepG2. We first found that AE was more cytotoxic and effective in inducing apoptosis and cell cycle arrest than its analog emodin (EM). Proteomic study using 2‐D DIGE revealed that AE affected multiple proteins associated with oxidative stress, cell cycle arrest, antimetastasis, and hepatitis C virus replication. For example, peroxiredoxins (PRDX) and DJ‐1, both of which are redox‐sensitive proteins, were among those markedly up‐regulated, suggesting the presence of oxidative stress in AE‐treated cells. Further biochemical studies demonstrated that AE enhanced the intracellular level of reactive oxygen species and oxidation of PRDX‐2, ‐4, and DJ‐1. In addition, AE inhibited DNA synthesis via up‐regulation of the CDK4 inhibitor p16 and inhibition of Rb phosphorylation. Furthermore, AE was able to decrease cell migration via up‐regulation of the metastasis inhibitor, nm23. Taken together, AE induced anticancer effects in HepG2 cells via multiple pathways by affecting different protein targets.
Genome‐wide amplification and allelotyping of sporadic pituitary adenomas identify novel regions of genetic loss

Through the use of a candidate gene approach, several previous studies have identified loss of heterozygosity (LOH) at putative tumor‐suppressor gene (TSG) loci in sporadic pituitary tumors. This study reports a genome‐wide allelotyping by use of 122 microsatellite markers in a large cohort of tumors, consisting of somatotrophinomas and non‐functioning adenomas. Samples were first subject to prior whole genome amplification by primer extension pre‐amplification (PEP) to circumvent limitations imposed by insufficient DNA for whole‐genome analysis with this number of microsatellite markers. The overall mean frequency of loss in invasive tumors was significantly higher than that in their non‐invasive counterparts (7 vs. 3% somatotrophinomas; 6 vs. 3% non‐functioning adenomas, respectively). Analysis of the mean frequency of LOH, across all markers to individual chromosomal arms, identified 13 chromosomal arms in somatotrophinomas and 10 in non‐functioning tumors, with LOH greater than the 99% upper confidence interval calculated for the rate of overall random allelic loss. In the majority of cases, these losses were more frequent in invasive tumors than in their non‐invasive counterparts, suggesting these to be markers of tumor progression. Other regions showed similar frequencies of LOH in both invasive and non‐invasive tumors, implying these to be early changes in pituitary tumorigenesis. This genome‐wide study also revealed chromosomal regions where losses were frequently associated with an individual marker, for example, chromosome arm 1q (LOH > 30%). In some cases, these losses were subtype‐specific and were found at a higher frequency in invasive tumors than in their non‐invasive counterparts. Identification of these regions of loss provides the first preliminary evidence for the location of novel putative TSGs involved in pituitary tumorigenesis that are, in some cases, subtype‐specific. This investigation provides an unbiased estimate of global aberrations in sporadic pituitary tumors as assessed by LOH analysis. The identification of multiple “hotspots” throughout the genome may be a reflection of an unstable chromatin structure that is susceptible to a deletion or epigenetic‐mediated gene‐silencing events. © 2003 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
International Differences in Labor Force Participation in Families and Firms

This paper analyzes labor force participation rates for women and men, and the component rates in three types of employment: unpaid work in the family, self employment, and wage and salary. The goal is to account for variation across countries in these participation rates within a micro economic framework of individual and family optimizing behavior. Because the same male and female wage and wealth variables are likely to determine both martial status and participation, only the reduced-form equation is estimated for participation in terms of women's wage opportunities, men's wage opportunities, industrial structure, and wealth. The labor force in unpaid and self employment declines relative to that employed in firms (wage and salary) with development, and increases with education and urbanization. The total participation of men does not vary much along these various dimensions of the society, but for women total participation increase, except at the lowest income levels where women' participate frequently as unpaid family workers. Women's education, my proxy for women's market wage opportunities, and men's education, my proxy for men's wage opportunities, are directly and inversely associated, respectively, with women's participation in wage and salary jobs. This positive own-education effect is substantially larger than the negative male education effect, suggesting that female wage employment increases across countries as the educational attainment of men and women increase together. Because women are gradually catching up to men in their educational attainment in the last thirty years, these estimates of participation rates imply that women are also likely to play an increasing role in the labor force, particularly in wage employment.
Strategic Use of Corporate Venturing

Corporate venturing (CV) is said to be most productive as a path to superior corporate performance when practiced in a strategic manner. Unfortunately, considerable ambiguity exists concerning what it means in an organizational practice sense to strategically pursue CV. The result is a failure of many companies to fully leverage CV for strategic purposes. Based on a review of the CV literature and findings from a field study of 15 Swedish, U.K., and U.S. corporations, this article describes several models that depict the ways in which CV and business strategy coexist as organizational phenomena. Empirically derived propositions are offered to suggest how some companies are strategically engaged in their CV efforts.
Free energy calculations show that acidic P1 variants undergo large pKa shifts upon binding to trypsin

Serine proteinases and their protein inhibitors belong to one of the most comprehensively studied models of protein–protein interactions. It is well established that the narrow trypsin specificity is caused by the presence of a negatively charged aspartate at the specificity pocket. X‐ray crystallography as well as association measurements revealed, surprisingly, that BPTI with glutamatic acid as the primary binding (P1) residue was able to bind to trypsin. Previous free energy calculations showed that there was a substantially unfavorable binding free energy associated with accommodation of ionized P1 Glu at the S1‐site of trypsin. In this study, the binding of P1 Glu to trypsin has been systematically investigated in terms of the protonation states of P1 Glu and Asp189, the orientation of Gln192, as well as the possible presence of counterions using the linear interaction energy (LIE) approach and the free energy perturbation (FEP) method. Twenty‐four conceivable binding arrangements were evaluated and quantitative agreement with experiments is obtained when the P1 Glu binds in its protonated from. The results suggest that P1 Glu is one of the variants of BPTI that inhibit trypsin strongest at low pH, contrary to the specificity profile of trypsin, suggesting a new regulation mechanism of trypsin‐like enzymes. Proteins 2006. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Sustainability Innovation Contests: Evaluating Contributions with an Eco Impact-Innovativeness Typology

Companies operating in business-to-consumer markets have been increasingly pressured to transcend the focus on economic and technological innovations and to address more environmental-friendly and socially desirable products and services, i.e. to engage in Sustainability-oriented Innovation (SOI). This paper examines the suitability of innovation contests to generate SOIs and the resulting degree of innovativeness in conventional and ecological terms. Using a case study of an innovation contest in the shoe industry, we derive three strands of results. First, a large majority of the submissions belongs to the category of product care. Second, submissions categorised as ‘greenwashing’ receive a better average assessment, although technically equal to the ones of product care. Third, using eco-impact class as the first axis, and the (conventional) innovativeness criteria – as judged by the experts – as the second axis, we develop an eco impact-innovativeness grid. It illustrates that a vast majority of user submissions falls into the classes incremental innovation and radical conventional innovation. Results go beyond previous studies and thus contribute to the fields of open innovation and SOI.
Serologic studies of monozygotic twins with systemic lupus erythematosus.

OBJECTIVE The goal of these studies was to assess the role of genetic factors and disease expression in the pattern and titer of autoantibodies to several RNA protein antigens in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) by studying identical twins concordant and discordant for disease expression. METHODS Autoantibodies to Ro/SS-A, La/SS-B, U1 RNP, and Sm were measured by quantitative enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay using affinity-purified antigens. RESULTS Detailed serologic studies were performed in 7 pairs of identical twins, 3 of whom were concordant and 4 of whom were discordant for disease expression. Autoantibody titers were higher in affected than in unaffected twins from discordant pairs, but in 3 of 4 pairs, the profile of anti-RNA proteins (e.g., Ro/SS-A, La/SS-B, U1 RNP, and Sm) was virtually identical. In the SLE pairs concordant for disease expression, the autoantibody titers were very similar, as were the anti-RNA protein profiles. When the identical twins were matched by sex, race, and age to pairs of nontwin SLE patients, the 6 white twins shared an average of 2.5 (+/- 1.05 SD) anti-RNA proteins, while the control SLE pairs shared only 0.33 (+/- 0.82), P less than 0.01 (t = 4.0, P less than 0.01). In addition, in the white SLE twins, all had elevated levels of anti-U1 RNP while in white nontwin SLE patients, the frequency of anti-U1 RNP was 30%. CONCLUSION These data point to a dominant role for genetic factors in the determination of specific autoantibody profiles.
L'intégration du développement durable dans le pilotage stratégique de l'entreprise : enjeux et perspectives des « Sustainability Balanced Scorecards »

Cet article etudie les conditions d’integration de la problematique de responsabilite sociale d’entreprise et du developpement durable dans le systeme de pilotage de l’entreprise, en particulier a travers le concept de tableaux de bord strategiques de type « Sustainability Balanced Scorecards » (SBSC). Il montre que les systemes d’information et de gestion refletent le type de strategie adoptee par l’entreprise en matiere de RSE et qu’il convient de depasser le stade ambigu du reporting externe et penetrer plus en profondeur dans les systemes de gestion internes de l’entreprise.
Virtual Teams and International Business Teaching and Learning: The Case of the Global Enterprise Experience (GEE)

The increasing importance of global virtual teams in business is reflected in the classroom by the increased adoption of activities that facilitate real-time cross-cultural interaction. This article documents the experience of students from two Colombian universities who participated in a collaborative international project using virtual teams as part of the international business (IB) curriculum. The data reveals that in spite of challenges associated with time zone differences, technology limitations, and trust issues, the vast majority of students perceived that the use of virtual teams as a teaching tool facilitates cultural understanding and IB-relevant learning. The findings of this research suggest that online experiential exercises can be an effective approach in teaching and in the development of virtual collaboration skills.
The Global Economics of Water: Is Water a Source of Comparative Advantage?

Freshwater scarcity is bound to be a major challenge of the 21st century. Drawing on newly available data, I investigate to what extent countries make efficient use of the very uneven water resources on a global scale. In particular, I find that countries that are relatively water abundant tend to export more water-intensive products. This evidence supports the hypothesis that water is a source of comparative advantage. My findings also indicate that water contributes significantly less to the pattern of exports than the traditional production factors such as labor and physical capital. In light of climate change, this suggests relatively moderate disruptions to trade on a global scale due to changing precipitation patterns. My results do not provide consistent evidence that there is a difference in the extent to which water determines the pattern of trade between water-scarce and water-abundant countries.
Influence of low temperature on productivity, proteome and protein phosphorylation of CHO cells.

Proliferation of mammalian cells can be controlled by low cultivation temperature. However, depending on cell type and expression system, varying effects of a temperature shift on heterologous protein production have been reported. Here, we characterize growth behavior and productivity of the Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cell line XM111-10 engineered to synthesize the model-product-secreted alkaline phosphatase (SEAP). Shift of cultivation temperature from 37 degrees C to 30 degrees C caused a growth arrest mainly in the G1 phase of the cell cycle concomitant with an up to 1.7-fold increase of specific productivity. A low temperature cultivation provided 3.4 times higher overall product yield compared to a standard cultivation at 37 degrees C. The cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying the effects of low temperature on growth and productivity of mammalian cells are poorly understood. Separation of total protein extracts by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis showed altered expression levels of CHO-K1 proteins after decrease in cultivation temperature to 30 degrees C. These changes in the proteome suggest that mammalian cells respond actively to low temperature by synthesizing specific cold-inducible proteins. In addition, we provide the first evidence that the cold response of mammalian cells includes changes in postranslational protein modifications. Two CHO proteins were found to be phosphorylated at tyrosine residues following downshift of cultivation temperature to 30 degrees C. Elucidating cellular events during cold exposure is necessary for further optimization of host-cell lines and expression systems and can provide new strategies for metabolic engineering.
Design of compact LTCC millimeter filters using two kinds of novel resonators

This letter presents multilayer low temperature co-fired ceramic (LTCC) millimeter wave filters using the two kinds of embedded resonators. One is wire patch resonator and the other is double ring resonator. Operation principle of the two kinds of resonators is given in detail. The resonators exhibit good electrical performances, compact dimensions and high integration in multilayer dielectric. The LTCC filters implemented in a stripline configuration have an volume of 4.5×2.5×0.6mm3. The performance of the filters are simulated by full-wave electromagnetic simulator-Ansoft HFSS. The simulated results validate the proposed filters.