Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Mediation of Corticotropin Releasing Factor Type 1 Receptor Phosphorylation and Desensitization by Protein Kinase C: A Possible Role in Stress Adaptation

Protein kinase C (PKC)-mediated desensitization of the corticotropin releasing factor type 1 (CRF1) receptor was investigated in human retinoblastoma Y79 and transfected COS-7 cells. Because stimulation of Y79 cells with CRF resulted in large (∼30-fold) increases in intracellular cAMP accumulation without changing inositol phosphate levels, the CRF1 receptor expressed in retinoblastoma cells couples to Gs, but not to Gq, and predominantly signals via the protein kinase A cascade. Direct activation of PKC by treatment with the phorbol ester phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA) or 1,2-dioctanoyl-sn-glycerol (DOG) desensitized CRF1 receptors in Y79 cells, reducing the maximum for CRF- (but not forskolin)-stimulated cAMP accumulation by 56.3 ± 1.2% and 40.4 ± 2.1%, respectively (p < 0.001). Pretreating Y79 cells with the PKC inhibitor bisindolylmaleimide I (BIM) markedly inhibited PMA's desensitizing action on CRF-stimulated cAMP accumulation, but did not affect homologous CRF1 receptor desensitization. Retinoblastoma cells were found to express PKCα, βI, βII, δ, λ, and RACK1. When α and β isoforms of PKC were down-regulated 80 to 90% by a 48-h PMA exposure, PMA-induced CRF1 receptor desensitization was abolished. In transfected COS-7 cells the magnitude of CRF1 receptor phosphorylation after a 5-min exposure to PMA was 2.32 ± 0.21-fold greater compared with the basal level. Pretreating COS-7 cells with BIM abolished PMA-induced CRF1 receptor phosphorylation. These studies demonstrate that protein kinase C (possibly α and β isoforms) has an important role in the phosphorylation and heterologous desensitization of the CRF1 receptor.
Recrudescent Infection Supports Hendra Virus Persistence in Australian Flying-Fox Populations

Zoonoses from wildlife threaten global public health. Hendra virus is one of several zoonotic viral diseases that have recently emerged from Pteropus species fruit-bats (flying-foxes). Most hypotheses regarding persistence of Hendra virus within flying-fox populations emphasize horizontal transmission within local populations (colonies) via urine and other secretions, and transmission among colonies via migration. As an alternative hypothesis, we explore the role of recrudescence in persistence of Hendra virus in flying-fox populations via computer simulation using a model that integrates published information on the ecology of flying-foxes, and the ecology and epidemiology of Hendra virus. Simulated infection patterns agree with infection patterns observed in the field and suggest that Hendra virus could be maintained in an isolated flying-fox population indefinitely via periodic recrudescence in a manner indistinguishable from maintenance via periodic immigration of infected individuals. Further, post-recrudescence pulses of infectious flying-foxes provide a plausible basis for the observed seasonal clustering of equine cases. Correct understanding of the infection dynamics of Hendra virus in flying-foxes is fundamental to effectively managing risk of infection in horses and humans. Given the lack of clear empirical evidence on how the virus is maintained within populations, the role of recrudescence merits increased attention.
Immune responses of healthy subjects to a single dose of intramuscular inactivated influenza A/Vietnam/1203/2004 (H5N1) vaccine after priming with an antigenic variant.

BACKGROUND We administered a single dose of influenza A/Vietnam/1203/2004 (H5N1, clade 1) vaccine to subjects who had received 2 doses of influenza A/Hong Kong/156/1997 (H5N1, clade 0) vaccine in 1998. METHODS Thirty-seven subjects previously vaccinated with a baculovirus-expressed recombinant hemagglutinin A/Hong Kong/156/1997 vaccine in 1998 received a single intramuscular dose of 90 microg of inactivated subvirion A/Vietnam/1203/2004 vaccine in 2006. Serum antibody was measured before vaccination and 28 and 56 days after vaccination. Antibody responses were compared with those measured after one or two 90-microg doses in H5-naive subjects. RESULTS On day 28 after a single dose, the geometric mean titer (GMT) of hemagglutination-inhibition antibody in primed subjects was 64.0 (95% confidence interval [CI], 37.8-108.5), with 68% responding (4-fold increase in antibody level to a titer of >or=1:40). In contrast, H5-naive subjects who received two 90-microg doses had a day 56 (28 days after the second dose) GMT of 27.7 (95% CI, 20.3-38.0), with only 43% responding. CONCLUSIONS This study suggests that priming can result in immune responses to a single dose of an antigenically variant strain of H5N1 influenza virus and could be a useful strategy for pandemic control. TRIAL REGISTRATION ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT00240903.
Label-free biosensing using a photonic crystal structure in a total-internal-reflection geometry

A novel optical biosensor using a one-dimensional photonic crystal structure in a total-internal-reflection geometry (PCTIR) is presented and investigated for label-free biosensing applications. This simple configuration forms a micro Fabry- Perot resonator in the top layer which provides a narrow optical resonance to enable label-free, highly sensitive measurements for the presence of analytes on the sensing surface or the refractive index change of the surrounding medium in the enhanced evanescent field; and at the same time it employs an open sensing surface for real-time biomolecular binding detection. The high sensitivity of the sensor was experimentally demonstrated by bulk solvent refractive index changes, ultrathin molecular films adsorbed on the sensing surface, and real-time analytes binding, measuring both the spectral shift of the photonic crystal resonance and the change of the intensity ratio in a differential reflectance measurement. Detection limits of 7×10-8 RIU for bulk solvent refractive index, 6×10-5 nm for molecular layer thickness and 24 fg/mm2 for mass density were obtained, which represent a significant improvement relative to state-ofthe- art surface-plasmon-resonance (SPR)-based systems. The PC-TIR sensor is thus seen to be a promising technology platform for high sensitivity and accurate biomolecular detection.
Negative predictive value of acetaminophen concentrations within four hours of ingestion.

OBJECTIVES The objective was to ascertain whether acetaminophen (APAP) concentrations less than 100 μg/mL obtained between 1 and 4 hours after acute ingestion accurately predict a nontoxic 4-hour concentration. METHODS The authors performed a multicenter, prospective cohort study involving five emergency departments (EDs) participating in the ToxIC Research Network. Data were collected from May 2009 to December 2011. Patients with APAP concentrations <100 μg/mL drawn between 1 and 4 hours after acute ingestions, and concentrations drawn 4 or more hours after ingestions, were included in the study. Exclusion criteria included initial concentration >100 μg/mL, initial APAP concentration drawn prior to 1 hour, two undetectable APAP concentrations, the second concentration drawn prior to 4 hours, and unknown time of ingestion. Toxic concentrations 4 or more hours after ingestion were defined as concentrations that plotted above the 150 μg/mL line on the Rumack-Matthew nomogram. RESULTS Data were collected on 83 patients who met inclusion criteria. Of the 83 patients with APAP concentrations <100 μg/mL between 1 and 4 hours, one patient (1.2%) had a ≥ 4-hour toxic concentration. Negative predictive value (NPV) for an APAP concentration <100 μg/mL obtained between 1 and 4 hours after an acute ingestion was 98.8% (95% confidence interval [CI] = 93.5% to 99.8%). CONCLUSIONS An APAP concentration of <100 μg/mL obtained between 1 and 4 hours after ingestion has a high NPV for excluding toxic ingestion. We do not recommend reliance on concentrations obtained between 1 and 4 hours to exclude toxicity, because of a potential false-negative rate of 6.5%.
Toxicity Assessment of Refill Liquids for Electronic Cigarettes

We analyzed 42 models from 14 brands of refill liquids for e-cigarettes for the presence of micro-organisms, diethylene glycol, ethylene glycol, hydrocarbons, ethanol, aldehydes, tobacco-specific nitrosamines, and solvents. All the liquids under scrutiny complied with norms for the absence of yeast, mold, aerobic microbes, Staphylococcus aureus, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Diethylene glycol, ethylene glycol and ethanol were detected, but remained within limits authorized for food and pharmaceutical products. Terpenic compounds and aldehydes were found in the products, in particular formaldehyde and acrolein. No sample contained nitrosamines at levels above the limit of detection (1 μg/g). Residual solvents such as 1,3-butadiene, cyclohexane and acetone, to name a few, were found in some products. None of the products under scrutiny were totally exempt of potentially toxic compounds. However, for products other than nicotine, the oral acute toxicity of the e-liquids tested seems to be of minor concern. However, a minority of liquids, especially those with flavorings, showed particularly high ranges of chemicals, causing concerns about their potential toxicity in case of chronic oral exposure.
Migration of Periodontal Ligament Fibroblasts on Nanometric Topographical Patterns: Influence of Filopodia and Focal Adhesions on Contact Guidance

Considered to be the “holy grail” of dentistry, regeneration of the periodontal ligament in humans remains a major clinical problem. Removal of bacterial biofilms is commonly achieved using EDTA gels or lasers. One side effect of these treatment regimens is the etching of nanotopographies on the surface of the tooth. However, the response of periodontal ligament fibroblasts to such features has received very little attention. Using laser interference lithography, we fabricated precisely defined topographies with continuous or discontinuous nanogrooves to assess the adhesion, spreading and migration of PDL fibroblasts. PDL fibroblasts adhered to and spread on all tested surfaces, with initial spreading and focal adhesion formation slower on discontinuous nanogrooves. Cells had a significantly smaller planar area on both continuous and discontinuous nanogrooves in comparison with cells on non-patterned controls. At 24 h post seeding, cells on both types of nanogrooves were highly elongated parallel to the groove long axis. Time-lapse video microscopy revealed that PDL fibroblast movement was guided on both types of grooves, but migration velocity was not significantly different from cells cultured on non-patterned controls. Analysis of filopodia formation using time-lapse video microscopy and labeling of vinculin and F-actin revealed that on nanogrooves, filopodia were highly aligned at both ends of the cell, but with increasing time filopodia and membrane protrusions developed at the side of the cell perpendicular to the cell long axis. We conclude that periodontal ligament fibroblasts are sensitive to nanotopographical depths of 85–100 µm, which could be utilized in regeneration of the periodontal ligament.
Stereodynamics Study of the Reaction of O(3P) with CH4 (v = 0, j = 0)

A new London-Eyring-Polanyi-Sato (LEPS) potential energy surface (PES) is used in the O + CH4 → OH + CH3 reaction via the quasiclassical trajectory method (QCT). Comparing with the experiments and the former ab initio calculations, the new LEPS PES describes the actual potential energy surface of the O + CH4 reaction successfully. The four polarization dependent “generalized” differential cross sections (PDDCS) are presented in the center of mass frame. In the meantime, the distribution of dihedral angle [P(φr), the distribution of angle between k and j′ (P(θr)] and the angular distribution of product rotational vectors in the form of polar plots in θr and φr (P(θr, φr) are calculated. The isotope effect for the reactions O + CD4 is also calculated. These results are in good agreement with the experiments.
Supplementation of Male Pheromone on Rock Substrates Attracts Female Rock Lizards to the Territories of Males: A Field Experiment

Background Many animals produce elaborated sexual signals to attract mates, among them are common chemical sexual signals (pheromones) with an attracting function. Lizards produce chemical secretions for scent marking that may have a role in sexual selection. In the laboratory, female rock lizards (Iberolacerta cyreni) prefer the scent of males with more ergosterol in their femoral secretions. However, it is not known whether the scent-marks of male rock lizards may actually attract females to male territories in the field. Methodology/Principal Findings In the field, we added ergosterol to rocks inside the territories of male lizards, and found that this manipulation resulted in increased relative densities of females in these territories. Furthermore, a higher number of females were observed associated to males in manipulated plots, which probably increased mating opportunities for males in these areas. Conclusions/Significance These and previous laboratory results suggest that female rock lizards may select to settle in home ranges based on the characteristics of scent-marks from conspecific males. Therefore, male rock lizards might attract more females and obtain more matings by increasing the proportion of ergosterol when scent-marking their territories. However, previous studies suggest that the allocation of ergosterol to secretions may be costly and only high quality males could afford it, thus, allowing the evolution of scent-marks as an honest sexual display.
Chromosome 7 and 19 Trisomy in Cultured Human Neural Progenitor Cells

Background Stem cell expansion and differentiation is the foundation of emerging cell therapy technologies. The potential applications of human neural progenitor cells (hNPCs) are wide ranging, but a normal cytogenetic profile is important to avoid the risk of tumor formation in clinical trials. FDA approved clinical trials are being planned and conducted for hNPC transplantation into the brain or spinal cord for various neurodegenerative disorders. Although human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) are known to show recurrent chromosomal abnormalities involving 12 and 17, no studies have revealed chromosomal abnormalities in cultured hNPCs. Therefore, we investigated frequently occurring chromosomal abnormalities in 21 independent fetal-derived hNPC lines and the possible mechanisms triggering such aberrations. Methods and Findings While most hNPC lines were karyotypically normal, G-band karyotyping and fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH) analyses revealed the emergence of trisomy 7 (hNPC+7) and trisomy 19 (hNPC+19), in 24% and 5% of the lines, respectively. Once detected, subsequent passaging revealed emerging dominance of trisomy hNPCs. DNA microarray and immunoblotting analyses demonstrate epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) overexpression in hNPC+7 and hNPC+19 cells. We observed greater levels of telomerase (hTERT), increased proliferation (Ki67), survival (TUNEL), and neurogenesis (βIII-tubulin) in hNPC+7 and hNPC+19, using respective immunocytochemical markers. However, the trisomy lines underwent replicative senescence after 50–60 population doublings and never showed neoplastic changes. Although hNPC+7 and hNPC+19 survived better after xenotransplantation into the rat striatum, they did not form malignant tumors. Finally, EGF deprivation triggered a selection of trisomy 7 cells in a diploid hNPC line. Conclusions We report that hNPCs are susceptible to accumulation of chromosome 7 and 19 trisomy in long-term cell culture. These results suggest that micro-environmental cues are powerful factors in the selection of specific hNPC aneuploidies, with trisomy of chromosome 7 being the most common. Given that a number of stem cell based clinical trials are being conducted or planned in USA and a recent report in PLoS Medicine showing the dangers of grafting an inordinate number of cells, these data substantiate the need for careful cytogenetic evaluation of hNPCs (fetal or hESC-derived) before their use in clinical or basic science applications.
Map 1 : Non-white Ethnic Group in England and Wales , 2001

We document ethnic segregation in secondary schools in England in 2001 in order to contribute to the debate on the degree of ethnic group social integration. We use indices of dissimilarity and isolation to compare the patterns of segregation across nine ethnic groups. We find that levels of ethnic segregation in England’s schools are high, with considerable variation both across LEAs and across different minority ethnic groups. By combining the two indices we are able to identify areas of particular concern as scoring highly on both. For pupils of Asian origin, we find that these areas coincide almost exactly with the locations of the severe disorders in the summer of 2001. Finally, we show that ethnic segregation is only weakly related to income segregation.
Malaria Journal Cohort Study of the Association of Antibody Levels to Ama1, Msp1 19 , Msp3 and Glurp with Protection from Clinical Malaria in Ghanaian Children

Background: Antigen-specific antibody-mediated immune responses play an important role in natural protection against clinical malaria, but conflicting estimates of this association have emerged from immuno-epidemiological studies in different geographical settings. This study was aimed at assessing in a standardized manner the relationship between the antibody responses to four malaria vaccine candidate antigens and protection from clinical malaria, in a cohort of Ghanaian children.
FurinDB: A Database of 20-Residue Furin Cleavage Site Motifs, Substrates and Their Associated Drugs

FurinDB (freely available online at http://www.nuolan.net/substrates.html) is a database of furin substrates. This database includes experimentally verified furin cleavage sites, substrates, species, experimental methods, original publications of experiments and associated drugs targeting furin substrates. The current database release contains 126 furin cleavage sites from three species: mammals, bacteria and viruses. A main feature of this database is that all furin cleavage sites are recorded as a 20-residue motif, including one core region (eight amino acids, P6–P2′) and two flanking solvent accessible regions (eight amino acids, P7–P14, and four amino acids, P3′–P6′), that represent our current understanding of the molecular biology of furin cleavage. This database is important for understanding the molecular evolution and relationships between sequence motifs, 3D structures, cellular functions and physical properties required by furin for cleavage, and for elucidating the molecular mechanisms and the progression of furin cleavage associated human diseases, including pathogenic infections, neurological disorders, tumorigenesis, tumor invasion, angiogenesis, and metastasis. FurinDB database will be a solid addition to the publicly available infrastructure for scientists in the field of molecular biology.
Dynamics analysis of a redundant parallel manipulator driven by elastic cables

In this paper the dynamic analysis of a cable-driven parallel manipulator is studied in detail. The manipulator architecture is a simplified planar version adopted from the structure of large adaptive reflector (LAR), the Canadian design of next generation giant radio telescopes. This structure consists of a parallel redundant manipulator actuated by long cables. The dynamic equations of this structure are nonlinear and implicit. Long cables, large amounts of impelling forces and high accelerations raise more concern about the elasticity of cables during dynamic analysis, which has been neglected in the preceding works. In this paper, the kinematic analysis of such manipulator is illustrated first. Then the nonlinear dynamic of such mechanism is derived using Newton-Euler formulation. Next a simple model for cable dynamics containing elastic and damping behavior is proposed. The proposed model neither ignores longitude elasticity properties of cable nor makes dynamic formulations heavily complicated like previous researches. Finally, manipulator dynamic with cable dynamic is derived, and the cable elasticity effects are compared in a simulation study. The results show significant role of elasticity in a cable-driven parallel manipulator such as the one used in LAR mechanism.
Cytoskeletal Proteins Are Coordinately Increased in Maize Genotypes with High Levels of eEF1A1[w]

The opaque2 (o2) mutation increases the Lys content of maize (Zea mays) endosperm by reducing the synthesis of zein storage proteins and increasing the accumulation of other types of cellular proteins. Elongation factor 1A (eEF1A) is one of these proteins, and its concentration is highly correlated with the amount of other Lys-containing proteins in the endosperm. We investigated the basis for this relationship by comparing patterns of protein accumulation and gene expression between a high (Oh51Ao2) and a low (Oh545o2) eEF1A inbred, as well as between high and low eEF1A recombinant inbred lines obtained from their cross. The content of α-zein and several cytoskeletal proteins was measured in high and low eEF1A inbred lines, and the levels of these proteins were found to correlate with that of eEF1A. To extend this analysis, we used an endosperm expressed sequence tag microarray to examine steady-state levels of RNA transcripts in developing endosperm of these genotypes. We identified about 120 genes coordinately regulated in association with eEF1A content. These genes encode proteins involved in several biological structures and processes, including the actin cytoskeleton, the endoplasmic reticulum, and the protein synthesis apparatus. Thus, higher levels of eEF1A in o2 mutants may be related to a more extensive cytoskeletal network surrounding the rough endoplasmic reticulum and increased synthesis of cytoskeleton-associated proteins, all of which contribute significantly to the Lys content of the endosperm.
The Relationship between Ownership and Performance: A Review of Theory and Evidence

This paper surveys the theoretical basis for, and empirical evidence on the relationship between ownership structure and corporate performance from two perspectives: ownership concentration and managerial ownership. We pay special attention to see reasons for discrepancies among previous empirical research, such as corporate governance environments, data issues, variable measurements, and estimation methods. G eneral directions for future work are discussed as well.
SINGA: A Distributed Deep Learning Platform

Deep learning has shown outstanding performance in various machine learning tasks. However, the deep complex model structure and massive training data make it expensive to train. In this paper, we present a distributed deep learning system, called SINGA, for training big models over large datasets. An intuitive programming model based on the layer abstraction is provided, which supports a variety of popular deep learning models. SINGA architecture supports both synchronous and asynchronous training frameworks. Hybrid training frameworks can also be customized to achieve good scalability. SINGA provides different neural net partitioning schemes for training large models. SINGA is an Apache Incubator project released under Apache License 2.