Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Monoclonal autoantibodies specific for oxidized phospholipids or oxidized phospholipid-protein adducts inhibit macrophage uptake of oxidized low-density lipoproteins.

We recently cloned monoclonal IgM autoantibodies which bind to epitopes of oxidized low-density lipoprotein (OxLDL) from apoE-deficient mice (EO- autoantibodies). We now demonstrate that those EO- autoantibodies that were originally selected for binding to copper-oxidized low-density lipoproteins (CuOx-LDL), also bound both to the oxidized protein and to the oxidized lipid moieties of CuOx-LDL. The same EO- autoantibodies showed specific binding to products of oxidized 1-palmitoyl-2-arachidonoyl-phosphatidylcholine (OxPAPC) and to the specific oxidized phospholipid, 1-palmitoyl-2-(5-oxovaleroyl)-phosphatidyl-choline (POVPC), whereas oxidation of fatty acids (linoleic or arachidonic acid) or cholesteryl esters (cholesteryl-oleate or cholesteryl-linoleate) did not yield any binding activity. Those EO- autoantibodies that bound to oxidized phospholipids (e.g., EO6) inhibited the binding and degradation of CuOx-LDL by mouse peritoneal macrophages up to 91%, whereas other IgM EO- autoantibodies, selected for binding to malondialdehyde (MDA)-LDL, had no influence on binding of either CuOx-LDL or MDA-LDL by macrophages. F(ab')2 fragments of EO6 were equally effective as the intact EO6 in preventing the binding of CuOx-LDL by macrophages. The molar ratios of IgM to LDL needed to maximally inhibit the binding varied from approximately 8 to 25 with different CuOx-LDL preparations. Finally, a POVPC-bovine serum albumin (BSA) adduct also inhibited CuOx-LDL uptake by macrophages. These data suggest that oxidized phospholipid epitopes, present either as lipids or as lipid-protein adducts, represent one class of ligands involved in the recognition of OxLDL by macrophages, and that apoE-deficient mice have IgM autoantibodies that can bind to these neoepitopes and inhibit OxLDL uptake.
Irish Trade Unions Under Social Partnership: A Faustian Bargain?

Since 1987 trade unions have been a key party to social partnership agreements in Ireland. Theoretical and empirical studies of corporatism point to positive outcomes for trade unions such as an increase in union density, ease of recognition, and increased employer support. However, apart from a modest increase in union membership numbers, none of these outcomes were realised. Union density levels have decreased significantly, union recognition is more problematic than ever, and employer opposition appears to have increased in scope and intensity. Decline in union density questions the capacity of unions to remain pivotal actors in the future. During the period of partnership union density in the private sector more than halved. It remains the paradox of partnership.
Safety and efficacy of baricitinib at 24 weeks in patients with rheumatoid arthritis who have had an inadequate response to methotrexate

Objectives To investigate baricitinib (LY3009104, formerly INCB028050), a novel, oral inhibitor of JAK1/JAK2 in patients with moderate to severe rheumatoid arthritis (RA) despite treatment with methotrexate. Methods In this phase IIb study, 301 patients were randomised 2:1:1:1:1 to receive once daily doses of placebo or 1, 2, 4 or 8 mg baricitinib for 12 weeks. Patients assigned to 2, 4 and 8 mg baricitinib continued blinded treatment for an additional 12 weeks. Patients assigned to placebo or 1 mg baricitinib were reassigned to 2 mg twice daily or 4 mg once daily baricitinib between weeks 12–24. The primary endpoint was the proportion of patients in the combined 4 and 8 mg groups achieving an American College of Rheumatology 20% (ACR20) response versus placebo at week 12. Results Significantly more patients in the combined baricitinib 4 and 8 mg groups compared with placebo achieved an ACR20 response at week 12 (76% vs 41%, p<0.001). At week 12, significant differences versus placebo were also observed in patients achieving ACR50, ACR70 and remission as measured by Disease Activity Score for 28-joint counts, Clinical Disease Activity Index and Simplified Disease Activity Index. Patients receiving 2, 4, or 8 mg baricitinib maintained or improved in all measures through 24 weeks. Similar proportions of patients experienced at least one adverse event in the placebo and baricitinib groups. Serious infections developed in three patients receiving baricitinib. No cases of tuberculosis, herpes zoster, opportunistic infections or deaths were reported. Dose-dependent decreases in haemoglobin were observed with baricitinib. Conclusions Baricitinib improved the signs and symptoms of RA in methotrexate inadequate responders with active disease. Baricitinib was well tolerated with no unexpected safety findings through week 24. Trial registration number NCT01185353.
Epidemiology of dental trauma treated in an urban pediatric emergency department

Study objective To describe the epidemiology of traumatic dental injuries to children treated in an urban pediatric emergency department (ED). Design A descriptive study of a consecutive series of patients. Setting The ED of a large, academic children's hospital. Participants Children presenting to the ED with dental trauma from December 1992 to November 1993. Results Of 1459 children treated for dental emergencies, 541 had dental trauma (37%) and were enrolled in this study. Patients ranged in age from five months to 18 years. Fifty-nine percent of patients were less than seven years of age, and 59% of patients were male. Falls caused 63% of injuries, followed by being struck (17%), and motor vehicle crashes (2%). Injuries to the soft tissues included lacerations (32%), swelling (8%), abrasions (7%), and contusions (6%). Injuries to hard dental structures included tooth fractures (33%), luxations (18%), concussions (12%), avulsions (8%), and jaw fractures (1%). Tooth luxation and concussion were more common among children less than seven years of age, and fractures to the tooth crown with dentin exposure (Ellis class II) were seen most often among children with permanent dentition (x2 = 41.4, P < 0.005). The central incisors were the teeth most frequently traumatized. Conclusion Findings of this large consecutive series provide a useful description of the epidemiology of this common type of pediatric trauma for pediatric emergency care providers.
Symmetric Monolithic T-coils for Broadband IC Design

A monolithic T-coil fabricated on high-resistivity (2000 Omega-cm) silicon is presented. Mixed-mode S-parameters simplify circuit analysis needed for accurate parameter extraction over a wide bandwidth [19.5 GHz]. Measured |S11| of the 120 mum x 275 mum coil is less than -21 dB [50 MHz-15 GHz] and -17 dB at 19.5 GHz, while the insertion loss is less than 2.2 dB across the full band. The quality of T-coil response is defined into frequency bands for practical use.
Deflators, Net Shareholder Cash Flows, Dividends, Capital Contributions and Estimated Models of Corporate Valuation

Models of corporate valuation based upon a symmetric distribution of information suggest that net shareholder cash flows (the difference between dividends and capital contributions) should have a negative impact on corporate valuation (see, for example, Ohlson, 1989). Using a cross-sectional valuation model approach, a number of studies have empirically investigated this relationship, directly or indirectly. Rees (1997) estimates that dividends have a positive impact on corporate valuation in the UK. He does not estimate the impact of capital contributions, however. In the USA, Rees’ (1997) result is repeated by Hand and Landsman (1999), who also observe a coefficient for capital contributions more in line with symmetric information theory. If these results of a positive relationship between dividends and market value are accepted at face value, they could be consistent with signalling models, based upon an asymmetric
Speech intelligibility in noise with fast compression hearing aids.

The effect of fast (syllabic) compression with overshoot reduction was studied in moderately hearing-impaired and in severely hearing-impaired listeners in quiet and in noisy situations. A test battery of daily masking noises was selected using multidimensional scaling techniques. Four relevant noises were selected: a multi-talker babble, the noise in an industrial plant, in a printing office and a city-noise background. The speech measurements show that only selected patients benefit from syllabic compression, i.e. listeners with a poor speech discrimination score. The effect in noisy surroundings was tested at the critical signal-to-noise ratio of each patient, showing whether they benefited from compression in the most critical condition or not. It turns out that the effect depends largely on the speech discrimination score and the modulation of the noise signal. When the speech discrimination score is good, compression tends to impair the results. When the speech discrimination score is poor, compression helps if the noise is modulated.
Study of five-phase space vector PWM considering third order harmonics

Five-phase motors are usually designed with non-pure-sinusoidal back-EMF and the 3rd order harmonics is the main harmonic. Since the 3rd order voltage can be with arbitrary phase-shift with the fundamental voltage, this paper points out that the space-vector-modulation for five-phase motor drive should consider both fundamental and 3rd order voltage, which is a double-vector combination. With SVPWM to generate both fundamental and 3rd order reference voltage, the distribution of the two different zero vectors builds the relationship between SVPWM and carrier based PWM. This paper has done a study for the SVPWM of five phase motor drive with arbitrary distributed 3rd order harmonics and proved that with different amplitude and phase shift, the modulation index of SPWM and SVPWM will change. SVPWM keeps higher modulation index than SPWM and DPWM will keep the same modulation index with SVPWM in the whole region.
Family Background and Economic Status in Finland

The importance of family background for economic outcomes is analyzed, using a Finnish data set. The estimates for intergenerational and sibling correlations in earnings are comparatively low. By estimating the magnitude of family influence conditional on parental earnings, children with poor parents are found to have lower intergenerational elasticities, while the sibling resemblance is higher. Children with rich parents have higher intergenerational elasticities and the sibling resemblance is also higher, except for daughters. The results also indicate that the largest share of the intergenerational correlation is transmitted through observed characteristics, such as education and, in particular, occupation. Copyright 2001 by The editors of the Scandinavian Journal of Economics.
Characterization of CS4 and CS6 antigenic components of PCF8775, a putative colonization factor complex from enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli E8775

PCF8775 is a putative colonization factor complex present on the surface of 10 to 20% of enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli strains and has been reported to be composed of antigen CS6 (morphology undefined) expressed alone or together with either of the rigid fimbrial antigens CS4 and CS5. To better define the individual components of this complex and the determinants of their expression, we prepared antiserum to the PCF8775 complex as it was expressed on prototype strain E8775 and then used the antiserum to identify the subunit structure of the antigens, to study their morphology, and to detect expression of individual components of the complex after transfer of plasmids into laboratory strain HB101. CS4 was purified from strain E8775, confirmed to be fimbrial by electron microscopy, and found to be composed of a 22-kilodalton protein subunit whose N-terminal amino acid sequence (1 to 20) was similar to that of colonization factor antigen I. Transconjugants that express CS6 but not CS4 were obtained by mating prototype strain E8775 with HB101. CS6 expression was mediated by a 61-megadalton plasmid. Expression of CS6 in the transconjugants correlates with expression of a 16-kilodalton cell surface protein. The CS6 antigen was confirmed to be present on the cell surface by immunogold labeling, but its morphology was beyond the limits of resolution by electron microscopy.
A 1 adenosine receptor antagonism improves glucose tolerance in Zucker rats

Xu, Baiyang, Deborah A. Berkich, George H. Crist, and Kathryn F. LaNoue. A1 adenosine receptor antagonism improves glucose tolerance in Zucker rats. Am. J. Physiol. 274 (Endocrinol. Metab. 37): E271–E279, 1998. —The A1 adenosine receptor (A1ar) antagonist 1,3-dipropyl-8-(p-acrylic)phenylxanthine (BW-1433) was administered to lean and obese Zucker rats to probe the influence of endogenously activated A1ars on whole body energy metabolism. The drug induced a transient increase in lipolysis as indicated by a rise in serum glycerol in obese rats. The disappearance of the response by day 7 of chronic studies was accompanied by an increase in A1ar numbers. Glucose tolerance tests were administered to rats treated with BW-1433. Peak serum insulin levels and areas under glucose curves (AUGs) were 34 and 41% lower in treated obese animals than in controls, respectively, and 19 and 39% lower in lean animals. With chronic administration (6 wk), AUGs decreased 47 and 33% in obese and lean animals, respectively. There was no effect of BW-1433 in either lean or obese rats on weight gain or percent body fat. Thus the major sustained influence of whole body A1ar antagonism in both lean and obese animals was an increase in whole body glucose tolerance at lower levels of insulin.
Gender Differences in Land Inheritance, Schooling and Lifetime Income: Evidence from the Rural Philippines

This article examines the difference in lifetime incomes arising from parental preferences in the allocation of land inheritance and investments in schooling between sons and daughters in the rural Philippines. Sons are preferred with respect to land inheritance, receiving 0.15 additional hectares of land, while daughters are treated more favourably in schooling investments, receiving 1.5 more years of schooling. However, differences in both current and life-cycle incomes between sons and daughters are insignificant. This suggests that Filipino parents allocate intergenerational transfers to equalise incomes among their children, without sacrificing efficiency.
Market capitalization and efficiency. Does it matter? Evidence from the Athens Stock Exchange

The efficient market hypothesis (EMH) is tested in the case of the Athens Stock Exchange (ASE) after the introduction of the euro for three different indices. The underlying assumption is that stock prices would be more transparent; their performance easier to compare; the exchange rate risk eliminated and as a result we expect the new currency to strengthen the argument in favour of the EMH. The FTSE/ASE20, which consists of ‘high capitalization’ companies, the FTSE/ASE Mid 40, which consists of medium sized companies and the FTSE/ASE Small Cap, which covers the next 80 companies, are used. Five statistical tests are employed to test the residuals of the random walk model: the BDS, McLeod–Li, Engle LM, Tsay and Bicovariance test. Bootstrap as well as asymptotic values of these tests are estimated. The random walk hypothesis is rejected in all three cases and alternative GARCH models are estimated.
Delineating breast ductal carcinoma using combined dye‐enhanced wide‐field polarization imaging and optical coherence tomography

Intra‐operative delineation of breast cancer is a challenging problem. We used dye‐enhanced wide‐field polarization imaging for rapid demarcation of en face cancer margins and optical coherence tomography (OCT) for cross‐sectional evaluation. Ductal carcinoma specimens were stained with methylene blue. Wide‐field reflectance images were acquired at 440 and 640 nm. Wide‐field fluorescence images were excited at 640 nm and registered between 660 nm and 750 nm. OCT images were acquired using a 1310 nm swept‐source system. The results were validated against histopathology. Both imaging modalities provided diagnostic information on cancer margins. Combined OCT and wide‐field polarization imaging shows promise for intra‐operative detection of ductal breast carcinoma (© 2013 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Legal and Ethical Considerations in Allowing Parental Exemptions From Newborn Critical Congenital Heart Disease (CCHD) Screening

Critical congenital heart disease (CCHD) screening is rapidly becoming the standard of care in the United States after being added to the Recommended Uniform Screening Panel (RUSP) in 2011. Newborn screens typically do not require affirmative parental consent. In fact, most states allow parents to exempt their baby from receiving the required screen on the basis of religious or personally held beliefs. There are many ethical considerations implicated with allowing parents to exempt their child from newborn screening for CCHD. Considerations include the treatment of religious exemptions in our current legal system, as well as medical and ethical principles in relation to the rights of infants. Although there are significant benefits to screening newborns for CCHD, when a parent refuses for religious or personal beliefs, in the case of CCHD screening, the parental decision should stand.
Advances in the Deterministic Synthesis of Uniform Amplitude Pencil Beam Concentric Ring Arrays

We present some modifications to the deterministic approach (DA) recently proposed for fast design of aperiodic concentric ring arrays. Such modifications are aimed at improving the array performances in terms of directivity, side lobe level (SLL) and number of control points. In particular, an easy implementation of the size-tapering concept is provided within the processing scheme of the DA procedure; moreover, an improved collocation criterion is presented. Finally, a local optimization procedure, tailored to the concentric ring array case, is addressed.
Biological Information Processing Requires Quantum Logic

Abstract Chaos dynamics, which characterizes biological information processing, generates information along the course of temporal development of the relevant system. In this system, the macroscopic uncertainty principle holds between observation time Δt and phase space volume ΔΩ determined by this observation. In other words Δt and ΔΩ cannot simultaneously be small. This principle corresponds to the microscopic uncertainty principle that holds in quantum physics. Through an analogy to this correspondence, it is shown that quantum logic might also govern such macroscopic phenomena as are governed by chaos dynamics.
The Human Capital Model of Selection and the Long-run Economic Outcomes of Immigrants

In Canada, the selection of economic immigrants throughout the 1990s and 2000s was based largely on the human capital model of immigration. This model posits that selecting immigrants with high levels of human capital is particularly advantageous in the long run. It is argued that higher educational levels allow immigrants to both bring the skills needed in a "knowledge-based economy" and, perhaps more importantly, better adjust to both cyclical and structural changes in the labour market than immigrants with lower educational levels. This paper examines the trends in the earnings advantage that more highly educated immigrants hold over less educated immigrants by immigration class. The focus is on three questions. First, did the well-documented decline in entry earnings observed over the last quarter-century vary by immigrant educational level and by admission class? Second, have there been significant shifts across recent cohorts in the economic advantage that more highly educated immigrants hold over their less educated counterparts, both at entry and in the longer run? Third, and most importantly, does the relative earnings advantage of more highly educated immigrants change with time spent in Canada, that is, in the longer run?
Individually Rational Collective Choice Under Random Preferences

In this paper I consider the following problem: there is a collection of exogenously given socially feasible sets, and for each one of them, each one of a group of individuals chooses from an individually feasible set. The fact that the product of the individually feasible sets is larger than the socially feasible set notwithstanding, there arises no conflict between individuals. Assuming that individual preferences are random, I here characterize collective choices in terms of the way in which individual preferences must co-vary in order to explain them. I do this by combining standard revealed preference theory and its counterpart under random preferences. I also argue that there exist collective choices that cannot be rationalized, and hence that the individual rationality assumption can be refuted.
Bank Reconciliation as a Due Process Imperative for Effective Financial Management

This paper establishes the importance of Bank Reconciliation as a mandatory activity for ensuring effective financial management. Every financial manager wants to keep close tab on the bank balances as his job involves real time decisions that have cost implications in his favour or against. A little delay in the clearing of an effect could result in huge financial losses to the organization in terms of interest charges or other opportunity costs. A delay could also be the source of loss of goodwill which can spell huge consequences for the entity’s business relationships. The paper affirms that there are several ways of carrying out bank reconciliation. However, it further concludes that the bank reconciliation process ensures that undue losses are not sustained through inadvertence of the staff of either the focal organization or the bank. Key words: Bank reconciliation; Opportunity cost; Uncleared effect; Uncredited cheques; Stale effects; Due date; Unpresented effects; Effective financial management; Fair view; Due process
The Demand For Package Tours: A Mode Choice Model

A model is presented to explain a traveler's choice of vacation mode. The possible modes considered are independent travel, travel on an inclusive package tour, and travel on a basic package tour. The model is tested using logit analysis and survey data on travel to the Hawaiian Islands. The results indicate that purchasers ofpackage tours are likely to be elderly, be intent on visiting several destinations, contain few people in the party, intend to make short visits, and be first-time visitors to the destination.
Energy Consumption by Industry

An abridged version is presented of a part of the study of energy requirements by the Solar Energy Research Institute in 1980. Using the concept of energy service, the setting of goals for energy consumption in the industrial sector to the year 2000 begins with base-year energy use and with recent trends upon which that base-year use can be projected in the absence of efficiency improvement. Efficiency improvements are built onto this projection in two steps: a brief description of cost-effective technical opportunities and a policy-dependent target-setting exercise. 56 refs.