Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
C825T polymorphism in the human G protein beta3 subunit gene is associated with long-term clozapine treatment-induced body weight change in the Chinese population

Weight gain, leading to further morbidity and poor treatment compliance, is a common adverse effect of treatment with clozapine. The C825T polymorphism in the human G protein beta3 subunit gene has been noted to be associated with obesity, hypertension and coronary artery disease. Clozapine increases the level of G protein beta3 subunit in the rat striatum. The aim of the present study was to investigate the relationship between G protein beta3 polymorphisms and clozapine-induced body weight change in a Chinese population during long-term treatment. One hundred and thirty-four schizophrenic patients, who were treated with clozapine continuously (13.4±0.5 months), were genotyped for G protein beta3 subunit C825T polymorphism. None of these patients received second-generation antipsychotics before clozapine treatment. Body weight was monitored at baseline before clozapine treatment and at the endpoint after clozapine treatment. Patients with the TT type experienced significantly more weight gain (16.2±2.5%) compared to those with CT (9.3±1.2%) or CC types (5.5±2.4%) after long-term clozapine treatment (P=0.003). Further stratification by gender demonstrated that the effect of C825T polymorphism on weight gain remained significant both in males and females. These findings confirm the importance of genetic factors in body weight change induced by long-term clozapine treatment in patients with schizophrenia, and indicate a role for the G protein beta3 subunit in body weight regulation during long-term clozapine treatment.
Factors associated with difference in prevalence of asthma in children from three cities in China: multicentre epidemiological survey

Abstract Objective To determine the factors associated with difference in prevalence of asthma in children in different regions of China. Design Multicentre epidemiological survey. Setting Three cities in China. Participants 10 902 schoolchildren aged 10 years. Main outcome measures Asthma and atopic symptoms, atopic sensitisation, and early and current exposure to environmental factors. Results Children from Hong Kong had a significantly higher prevalence of wheeze in the past year than those from Guangzhou and Beijing (odds ratio 1.64, 95% confidence interval 1.35 to 1.99). Factors during the first year of life and currently that were significantly associated with wheeze were cooking with gas (odds ratio 2.04, 1.34 to 3.13), foam pillows (2.58, 1.66 to 3.99), and damp housing (1.89, 1.26 to 2.83). Factors protecting against wheeze were cotton quilts and the consumption of fruit and raw vegetables. Conclusion Environmental factors and diet may explain the differences in prevalence of asthma between children living in different regions of China.
Correlation between phenotypic characteristics and DNA relatedness within Enterococcus faecium strains

We noted that a number of enterococcal strains isolated from human clinical specimens resembled Enterococcus faecium but were able to produce acid from glycerol, raffinose, and/or sorbitol, while others failed to form acid from mannitol. An additional concern was that many of these strains with atypical phenotypic characteristics also appeared to acquire vancomycin resistance. In order to determine if such atypical strains were variants of E. faecium or new Enterococcus species, 35 E. faecium or E. faecium-like strains (grouped into 10 phenotypes on the basis of the results of the following tests: capacity to form acid from glycerol, mannitol, raffinose, or sorbitol and susceptibility to vancomycin) and four strains of Enterococcus faecalis were taken from our culture collection, analyzed for their whole-cell protein profiles by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, and identified to the species level by DNA-DNA reassociation experiments. All E. faecium-like strains, including four mannitol-negative variants, conformed to at least two of three DNA-DNA relatedness criteria: they were 70% or more related to the type strain of E. faecium at optimal conditions, they had less than 5% divergence within the related sequences, and they had a relatedness of 60% or greater under stringent conditions. The protein profiles of atypical strains were similar to those of typical strains and were easily distinguishable from those of E. faecalis and other enterococcal species. The five E. faecalis strains were 12 to 16% related to the E. faecium type strain. These results indicate that the phenotypic description of E. faecium should include all of these variable characteristics.
Token Status and Management Aspirations Among Male and Female Employees in Public Sector Workplaces

This study brings the literature on tokenism together with multiple theoretical lenses on the formation and social construction of men’s and women’s career aspirations. The study builds on comprehensive survey data from the Danish public sector. Results show that, after controlling for alternative explanations with respect to both personal life situation and differences between occupations, token status has a significantly negative effect on women’s management aspirations, while it has no effect on men’s aspirations to management. Furthermore, these findings are generalizable across occupational contexts. At the same time, however, analysis across occupations show that token women are mainly to be found in occupations where women have relatively high managerial aspirations. Token women are therefore characterized by aspirations to management positions, but their status as tokens minimizes these aspirations.
Recruitment of a chromosomally encoded maleylacetate reductase for degradation of 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid by plasmid pJP4

When Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAO1c or P. putida PPO200 or PPO300 carry plasmid pJP4, which encodes enzymes for the degradation of 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (TFD) to 2-chloromaleylacetate, cells do not grow on TFD and UV-absorbing material with spectral characteristics of chloromaleylacetate accumulates in the culture medium. Using plasmid pRO1727, we cloned from the chromosome of a nonfluorescent pseudomonad, Pseudomonas sp. strain PKO1, 6- and 0.5-kilobase BamHI DNA fragments which contain the gene for maleylacetate reductase. When carrying either of the recombinant plasmids, pRO1944 or pRO1945, together with pJP4, cells of P. aeruginosa or P. putida were able to utilize TFD as a sole carbon source for growth. A novel polypeptide with an estimated molecular weight of 18,000 was detected in cell extracts of P. aeruginosa carrying either plasmid pRO1944 or plasmid pRO1945. Maleylacetate reductase activity was induced in cells of P. aeruginosa or P. putida carrying plasmid pRO1945, as well as in cells of Pseudomonas strain PKO1, when grown on L-tyrosine, suggesting that the tyrosine catabolic pathway might be the source from which maleylacetate reductase is recruited for the degradation of TFD in pJP4-bearing cells of Pseudomonas sp. strain PKO1.
Leadership as a driver of entrepreneurship: an international exploratory study

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to examine the influence of cultural leadership factors (charismatic/value-based, team oriented, participative, humane, autonomous and self-protective) on the rates of opportunity and necessity entrepreneurship.Design/methodology/approachThe study integrates insights from institutional and cultural leadership theories to provide a fresh perspective to advance comparative entrepreneurship research. To test the hypotheses, the authors conduct a multiple regression analysis with observations from 34 countries, using data (from the year 2013) from the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor for the dependent variable and from Global Leadership and Organizational Behavior Effectiveness to create leadership factors as independent variables.FindingsThe results show that all the types of leadership considered in the study have a relevant effect on entrepreneurial activity. However, charismatic leadership has a greater effect on entrepreneurial activity, particularly on opportunity entrepreneurship. The research also shows that autonomous leadership has a negative impact on entrepreneurial activity, although, when it is moderated by the humane dimension, this relationship changes.Practical implicationsSince the alternative dimensions facilitate or inhibit the generation of new firm creation, it is critical for researchers, teachers and leaders to learn about and to foster such leadership types.Originality/valueThis research covers a gap in the cross-cultural evidence presented in the literature and suggests the integration of the concepts leadership and entrepreneurship.
Alternating direction method of multipliers framework for super-resolution in ultrasound imaging

Ultrasound image resolution enhancement is an ongoing challenge to date. Though many works have been performed using device-based approach, there exists few works dealing with post-processing methods. This paper investigates a technique based on the Alternating Direction Method of Multipliers for the resolution enhancement in ultrasound imaging, which includes the deblurring and denoising tasks. We here point out the characteristics of the proposed technique and thereby underline the features that must be dealt with for successful ultrasound image restoration. Synthetic and in vivo ultrasound images are processed in order to asses its performances.
Recombinant preparation and characterization of interactions for a calmodulin‐binding chromogranin A peptide and calmodulin

Chromogranin‐derived peptides have important and varied biological activities. They affect a wide spectrum of targets such as fungal membranes, blood vessels, myocardial cells, and pancreatic cells. Despite the biological significance and the diverse activities, the molecular mechanisms of the interactions between the peptides and the target proteins have not been well understood. Here, we studied the interaction between a chromogranin A–derived peptide (CGA40–65) and its target protein, calmodulin, with NMR spectroscopy. Calmodulin was easily prepared with standard recombinant technology, but CGA40–65 posed challenges requiring multistep procedures. The recombinantly produced peptide retained the calmodulin‐binding property of the full‐length CGA, as shown by the HSQC binding experiment. By applying resonance assignments, we identified the residues in calmodulin involved in the CGA40–65 binding. We also found that the peak changes are close to those exhibited by the peptides having the wrap‐around binding mechanism. Further analysis revealed that the CGA40–65‐induced changes are more similar to those by CaMKIp peptide than those by smMLCKp peptide among the wrap‐around binding peptides, suggesting that CGA40‐65 can be categorized as a CaMKIp‐like peptide. Our report is the first residue‐resolution mechanistic study involving chromogranin peptides and their target proteins. Our approaches should be applicable to interaction studies involving other chromogranin‐derived peptides and their cellular target proteins. Copyright © 2007 European Peptide Society and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Volatility spillover between stock and foreign exchange market of China: evidence from subprime Asian financial crisis

This paper aims to examine the volatility spillover dynamics between stock and foreign exchange market of China considering subprime 2007 financial crisis period. ,This study considered daily data from January 2, 2002, to December 31, 2013. The sample period has been further divided into three periods; full sample period (January 2002-December 2013), pre-crisis period (January 2002-October 2007) and post-crisis period (October 2007-December 2013). This study opted Exponential Generalized Autoregressive Heteroskedasticity (EGARCH) model for the purpose of investigating asymmetric volatility spillover. ,The results obtained using the EGARCH model imply that volatility spillover dynamics varies from period to period. In full sample period, the results show evidence of significant unidirectional volatility spillover from foreign exchange market to stock market. In pre-crisis period, the results indicate unidirectional volatility spillover from stock market to foreign exchange market. However, in post-crisis period, the results reveal significant bidirectional volatility spillover between stock and foreign exchange market. ,The results of the study are important for policy makers because understanding the behavior of the financial markets, i.e. stock and foreign exchange market, would increase the success of policies implemented in a crisis situation. The results would help investors to formulate efficient portfolios. ,This study is an important contribution to the existing literature in terms of analyzing volatility spillover between stock and foreign exchange market in an emerging economy, China. Furthermore, this study explored the volatility spillover dynamics between the two markets by considering the pre and post subprime Asian crisis period.
Mechanisms of genetic variability in Halobacterium halobium: the purple membrane and gas vesicle mutations.

Several phenotypic variants of Halobacterium halobium arise spontaneously at extremely high frequencies (up to 1%) and are readily identified by inspection of bacterial colonies. Two mutant types, those lacking the buoyant gas vesicles or the photosynthetic purple membrane, have been studied in detail by phenotypic and molecular genetic analysis. In the wild-type NRC-1 strain, the bop gene, encoding the purple membrane protein bacterio-opsin, is found on the bacterial chromosome, while the gas vesicle protein genes, gvpA and gvpC, are present on pNRC100, a multicopy plasmid of approximately 150 kilobase pairs. The gvpA and gvpC genes are on a single transcription unit, while the major bop mRNA is monocistronic. Essentially all of the purple membrane deficient mutants contain insertion sequence (IS) elements into or upstream of the bop gene. Two elements, ISH 1 and ISH 2, account for most (80-90%) of the purple membrane mutations, but at least three other elements, ISH 23, ISH 26, and ISH S1, have also been implicated. The gas vesicle mutants are more heterogeneous, with many displaying partial phenotypes. Three major classes of gas vesicle mutants are distinguishable: class I and class III mutants are the result of large deletions in pNCR100; however, while class I mutants are partially gas vesicle deficient and contain a correspondingly reduced number of gvpAC operon copies, class III mutants contain no detectable copies of the gas vesicle genes and are essentially completely gas vesicle deficient. Class II mutants, like the purple membrane mutants, contain IS elements into or upstream of the gas vesicle genes. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Spatial variation in the temporal change of male and female melanic ornamentation in the barn owl

Because the magnitude of selection can vary between sexes and in space and time, sexually antagonistic selection is difficult to demonstrate. In a Swiss population of barn owls (Tyto alba), a heritable eumelanic colour trait (size of black spots on ventral feathers) was positively selected with respect to yearling survival only in females. It remains unclear whether the absence of negative selection in males is typical in this species. To tackle this issue indirectly, we measured the size of black spots in 1733 skin specimens collected by museums from 1816 to 2001 in seven European countries and in the Middle‐East. The temporal change in spot size was sex‐ and country‐specific. In males, spots became smaller particularly in three countries (Middle‐East, Italy and Switzerland). In females, the size of spots increased significantly in two countries (UK and Spain) and decreased in two others (Germany and Switzerland). Because migration and phenotypic plasticity cannot explain these results, selection is the most likely cause. The weaker temporal change in spot size in females than males may be because of the combined effect of strong genetic correlation between the sexes and stronger negative selection in males than positive selection in females. We thus suggest that in the barn owl, spot size (or genetically correlated traits) is sexually antagonistically selected and that its pattern of selection may account for the maintenance of its variation and sexual dimorphism.
Employee coaching and counseling program metode alternatif untuk optimalisasi human capital pada pegawai aparatur sipil negara (ASN)

: State Civil Servants Apparatus (ASN) have to be more integrity, professional, neutral and capable to carrying out a public service to the community. It was an important one that can be optimized through development of human capital. Based on previous research investigated role of Human Capital towards Services and performance of Public Service, shows that staff and head divison level only has moderate degree of human capital. While, Emotional Capital was a most dominan aspect in Human Capital. Otherwise, Social Capital aspects results in the low level. It comes with consequences to optimized them through psychological intervention with group Employee Coaching and Counseling Program (ECCP). This study was action research, experimental one group preteset and postest design. The result shows that ECCP was contribute effectively to enhance Human Capital, particularly in Emotional Capital optimization.
Antigen analysis of several pathogenic strains of Trichomonas vaginalis

Analysis of several human strains of Trichomonas vaginalis and one bovine strain of Tritrichomonas foetus was accomplished with standard sodium dodecyl sulfate-gel electrophoresis and fluorography technology. Highly motile, live trichomonads were radiolabeled, and total trichloroacetic acid-precipitated proteins were electrophoresed. Complex protein profiles of the various human strains of T. vaginalis were obtained with proteins ranging in molecular weight from 20,000 to greater than 200,000. The parasite biosynthesis of the Coomassie brilliant blue-stained protein bands was demonstrated by efficient radiolabeling of trichomonads with [35S]methionine or a 3H-amino acid digest before electrophoresis and fluorography. Immunogenic trichomonal proteins were then identified by a radioimmunoprecipitation method. A detergent extract of [35S] methionine-labeled T. vaginalis proteins was mixed with serum from an immunized rabbit or pooled sera from subcutaneously infected mice and soluble antibody-antigen complexes isolated by adsorption to protein A-bearing Staphylococcus aureus. The radiolabeled protein antigens were then identified by gel electrophoresis and fluorography. Immunized rabbit serum and pooled sera from challenged mice contained high-titered antibody which reacted with numerous high- and low-molecular-weight proteins. Individual subcutaneously infected mice were found to possess identical antibody responses to these immunogenic trichomonal proteins. A high degree of serological cross-reactivity among the various trichomonads was demonstrated. No differences in the composition of immunogenic proteins were observed among cultures grown in vitro for various lengths of time under the experimental conditions employed. Finally, electrophoretic analysis of cloned colonies of T. vaginalis organisms revealed no differences in their protein composition. The biological relevance of these observations is discussed.
Emergence and genetic evolution of HIV‐1 variants with mutations conferring resistance to multiple reverse transcriptase and protease inhibitors

The emergence of genotypic resistance in protease and reverse transcriptase (RT) gene regions was longitudinally evaluated in plasma samples from a group of 12 HIV‐1–infected patients treated with different combination of antiretroviral therapies and selected on the basis of their clinical failure. Complex mutational patterns in the reverse transcriptase gene were observed. In particular, combinations of AZT (41L, 67N, 70R, 210W, and 219Q/E) and 3TC (184M) were seen in 10 patients. Two patients presented codon 151 multinucleoside analogue resistance (MNR). Additionally, seven patients harbored RT nonnucleoside analogue‐related resistance substitutions (98G, 103N, and 181C). Multiple protease‐selected mutations were found in each patient with an average of six substitutions per patient, with 10I/F/V, 63P, 71V, 82A/T, 84V, and 90M being the most prevalent substitutions. Overall, these results showed that for most patients virological failure was coupled with detectable genotypic resistance. Furthermore, most patients exhibited genotypic resistance to almost all available anti–HIV‐1 drugs. The high viral loads found in most patients at the end of the study suggest that the replication of these multidrug resistant viruses are not severely compromised. Phylogenetic analysis of these pol sequences revealed that a specific HIV‐1 genotype prone to develop multidrug resistance was not found. J. Med. Virol. 59:480–490, 1999. © 1999 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Are Automated Molecular Dynamics Simulations and Binding Free Energy Calculations Realistic Tools in Lead Optimization? An Evaluation of the Linear Interaction Energy (LIE) Method

An extensive evaluation of the linear interaction energy (LIE) method for the prediction of binding affinity of docked compounds has been performed, with an emphasis on its applicability in lead optimization. An automated setup is presented, which allows for the use of the method in an industrial setting. Calculations are performed for four realistic examples, retinoic acid receptor gamma, matrix metalloprotease 3, estrogen receptor alpha, and dihydrofolate reductase, focusing on different aspects of the procedure. The obtained LIE models are evaluated in terms of the root-mean-square (RMS) errors from experimental binding free energies and the ability to rank compounds appropriately. The results are compared to the best empirical scoring function, selected from a set of 10 scoring functions. In all cases, good LIE models can be obtained in terms of free-energy RMS errors, although reasonable ranking of the ligands of dihydrofolate reductase proves difficult for both the LIE method and scoring functions. For the other proteins, the LIE model results in better predictions than the best performing scoring function. These results indicate that the LIE approach, as a tool to evaluate docking results, can be a valuable asset in computational lead optimization programs.
The VirA protein of Agrobacterium tumefaciens is autophosphorylated and is essential for vir gene regulation

The virA and virG gene products are required for the regulation of the vir regulon on the tumor-inducing (Ti) plasmid of Agrobacterium tumefaciens. VirA is a membrane-associated protein which is homologous to the sensor molecules of other two-component regulatory systems. We overproduced truncated VirA proteins in Escherichia coli by deleting different lengths of the 5'-coding region of the virA gene and placing these genes under lacZ control. These proteins were purified from polyacrylamide gels and renatured. The renatured proteins became radiolabeled when they were incubated with [gamma-32P]ATP but not with [gamma-32P]GTP or [alpha-32P]ATP, which suggests an ATP gamma-phosphate-specific autophosphorylation. The smallest VirA protein, which retained only the C-terminal half of the protein, gave the strongest autophosphorylation signal, which demonstrates that the C-terminal domain has the autophosphorylation site. The phosphorylated amino acid was identified as phosphohistidine, and a highly conserved histidine was found in all of the VirA homologs. When this histidine was changed to glutamine, which cannot be phosphorylated, the resulting VirA protein lost both its ability to autophosphorylate and its biological function as a vir gene regulator. Results of this study indicate that VirA autophosphorylation is required for the induction of the vir regulon and subsequent tumor induction on plants by A. tumefaciens.