Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Sulfasalazine, an inhibitor of the cystine-glutamate antiporter, reduces DNA damage repair and enhances radiosensitivity in murine B16F10 melanoma

The sodium-independent cystine-glutamate antiporter plays an important role in extracellular cystine uptake. It comprises the transmembrane protein, xCT and its chaperone, CD98. Because glutathione is only weakly cell membrane permeable, cellular uptake of its precursor, cystine, is known to be a key step in glutathione synthesis. Moreover, it has been reported that xCT expression affects the progression of tumors and their resistance to therapy. Sulfasalazine is an inhibitor of xCT that is known to increase cellular oxidative stress, giving it anti-tumor potential. Here, we describe a radio-sensitizing effect of sulfasalazine using a B16F10 melanoma model. Sulfasalazine decreased glutathione concentrations and resistance to H2O2 in B16F10 melanoma cells, but not in mouse embryonic fibroblasts. It synergistically enhanced the cyto-killing effect of X-irradiation in B16F10 cells. It inhibited cellular DNA damage repair and prolonged cell cycle arrest after X-irradiation. Furthermore, in an in vivo transplanted melanoma model, sulfasalazine decreased intratumoral glutathione content, leading to enhanced susceptibility to radiation therapy. These results suggest the possibility of using SAS to augment the treatment of radio-resistant cancers.
Ageing , productivity and wages in Austria 1

Current demographic developments in industrialized countries and their consequences for workforce ageing challenge the sustainability of intergenerational transfers and economic growth. A shrinking share of the young workforce will have to support a growing share of elderly, non-working people. Therefore, the productivity of the workforce is central to a sustainable economic future. Using a new matched employeremployee panel dataset for Austrian firms for the period 2002-2005, we study the relationship between the age structure of employees, labour productivity and wages. These data allow us to account, simultaneously, for both socio-demographic characteristics of employees and firm heterogeneity, in order to explain labour productivity and earnings. Our results indicate that firm productivity is not negatively related to the share of older employees it employs. We also find no evidence for overpayment of older employees. Our results do not show any association between wages and the share of older employees. Furthermore, we find a negative relationship between the share of young employees and labour productivity as well as wages, which is more prevalent in the industry and construction sector. JEL Codes: J14, J24, J82 Key-Words: age-productivity/ -wage profile, employer-employee data, sector affiliation 1 The authors would like to thank Statistics Austria for setting up the data used in this study as well as for valuable support. The authors appreciate valuable comments on earlier versions of this paper from two anonymous referees, Thomas Fent, Elsa Fontainha, Christian Göbel, Franz Xaver Hof, Helmut Hofer, Stefan Staubli and Thomas Zwick as well as the participants of the 6th European Workshop on Labour Markets and Demographic Change, the Annual Meeting of the Austrian Economic Association (NOeG 2011), the XII European Workshop on Efficiency and Productivity Analysis (EWEPA 2011), the Workshop on Ageing, Health & Productivity of the World Demographic & Ageing Forum, European Population Conference (EPC 2012) and Annual Conference of the European Society for Population Economics (ESPE 2012). The authors acknowledge funding from the Austrian Science Fund (FWF) under project number P21475-G16. The usual disclaimer applies. # Corresponding author: Mahlberg@iwi.ac. at, Phone +43-1-5134411-2040, Fax +43-1-5134411-2099 (Institute for Industrial Research, Mittersteig 10/4, 1050 Vienna, Austria)
Dual Islet Transplantation Modeling of the Instant Blood‐Mediated Inflammatory Reaction

Islet xenotransplantation is a potential treatment for diabetes without the limitations of tissue availability. Although successful experimentally, early islet loss remains substantial and attributed to an instant blood‐mediated inflammatory reaction (IBMIR). This syndrome of islet destruction has been incompletely defined and characterization in pig‐to‐primate models has been hampered by logistical and statistical limitations of large animal studies. To further investigate IBMIR, we developed a novel in vivo dual islet transplant model to precisely characterize IBMIR as proof‐of‐concept that this model can serve to properly control experiments comparing modified xenoislet preparations. WT and α1,3‐galactosyltransferase knockout (GTKO) neonatal porcine islets were studied in nonimmunosuppressed rhesus macaques. Inert polyethylene microspheres served as a control for the effects of portal embolization. Digital analysis of immunohistochemistry targeting IBMIR mediators was performed at 1 and 24 h after intraportal islet infusion. Early findings observed in transplanted islets include complement and antibody deposition, and infiltration by neutrophils, macrophages and platelets. Insulin, complement, antibody, neutrophils, macrophages and platelets were similar between GTKO and WT islets, with increasing macrophage infiltration at 24 h in both phenotypes. This model provides an objective and internally controlled study of distinct islet preparations and documents the temporal histology of IBMIR.
The Evaluation of Forecasting Methods at an Institutional Foodservice Dining Facility

ABSTRACT The purpose of this study was to identify the most appropriate method of forecasting meal counts for an institutional food service facility. The forecasting methods analyzed included: naïve model 1, 2, and 3; moving average, double moving average, simple exponential smoothing, double exponential smoothing, Holt's, and Winter's methods; and linear and multiple regressions. The accuracy of the forecasting methods was measured using mean absolute deviation, mean squared error, mean percentage error, mean absolute percentage error, root mean squared error, and Theil's U-statistic. The result of this study showed that multiple regression was the most accurate forecasting method, but naïve method 2 was selected as the most appropriate forecasting method because of its simplicity and high level of accuracy.
VEGF suppresses T‐lymphocyte infiltration in the tumor microenvironment through inhibition of NF‐κB‐induced endothelial activation

Antiangiogenic treatment targeting the vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) signaling pathway is in clinical use, but its effect on vascular function and the tumor microenvironment is poorly understood. Here, we investigate cross‐talk between VEGF and proinflammatory TNF‐α signaling in endothelial cells and its impact on leukocyte recruitment. We found that cotreatment with VEGF decreased TNF‐α‐induced Jurkat cell adhesion to human microvascular endothelial cells by 40%. This was associated with inhibition of TNF‐α‐mediated regulation of 86 genes, including 2 T‐lymphocyte‐attracting chemokines, CXCL10 and CXCL11 [TNF‐α concentration 1 ng/ml; 50% inhibition/inhibitory concentration (IC50) VEGF, 3 ng/ml]. Notably, VEGF directly suppressed TNF‐α‐induced gene expression through negative cross‐talk with the NF‐κB‐signaling pathway, leading to an early decrease in IFN regulatory factor 1 (IRF‐1) expression and reduced phosphorylation of signal transducer and activator of transcription 1 (p‐Stat1) at later times. Inhibition of VEGF signaling in B16 melanoma tumor‐bearing mice by sunitinib treatment resulted in up‐regulation of CXCL10 and CXCL11 in tumor vessels, accompanied by up to 18‐fold increased infiltration of CD3+ T‐lymphocytes in B16 tumors. Our results demonstrate a novel role of VEGF in negative regulation of NF‐κB signaling and endothelial activation in the tumor microenvironment and provide evidence that pharmacological inhibition of VEGF signaling enhances T‐lymphocyte recruitment through up‐regulation of chemokines CXCL10 and CXCL11. —Huang, H. , Langenkamp, E. , Georganaki, M. , Loskog, A. , Fuchs, P. F. , Dieterich, L. C. , Kreuger, J., Dimberg, A. , VEGF suppresses T‐lymphocyte infiltration in the tumor microenvironment through inhibition of NF‐κB‐induced endothelial activation. FASEB J. 29, 227–238 (2015). www.fasebj. org
Free and Bound Phenolic Compound Content and Antioxidant Activity of Different Cultivated Blue Highland Barley Varieties from the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau

In this study, the polyphenols composition and antioxidant properties of 12 blue highland barley varieties planted on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau area were measured. The contents of the free, bound and total phenolic acids varied between 166.20–237.60, 170.10–240.75 and 336.29–453.94 mg of gallic acid equivalents per 100 g of dry weight (DW) blue highland barley grains, while the free and bound phenolic acids accounted for 50.09% and 49.91% of the total phenolic acids, respectively. The contents of the free, bound and total flavones varied among 20.61–25.59, 14.91–22.38 and 37.91–47.98 mg of catechin equivalents per 100 g of dry weight (DW) of blue highland barley grains, while the free and bound flavones accounted for 55.90% and 44.10% of the total flavones, respectively. The prominent phenolic compounds in the blue hulless barley grains were gallic acid, benzoic acid, syringic acid, 4-coumaric acid, naringenin, hesperidin, rutin, (+)-catechin and quercetin. Among these, protocatechuic acid, chlorogenic acid and (+)-catechin were the major phenolic compounds in the free phenolics extract. The most abundant bound phenolics were gallic acid, benzoic acid, syringic acid, 4-coumaric acid, benzoic acid, dimethoxybenzoic acid, naringenin, hesperidin, quercetin and rutin. The average contribution of the bound phenolic extract to the DPPH• free radical scavenging capacity was higher than 86%, that of free phenolic extract to the ABTS•+ free radical scavenging capacity was higher than 79%, and that of free phenolic (53%) to the FRAP antioxidant activity was equivalent to that of the bound phenol extract (47%). In addition, the planting environment exerts a very important influence on the polyphenol composition, content and antioxidant activity of blue highland barley. The correlation analysis showed that 2,4-hydroxybenzoic acid and protocatechuic acid were the main contributors to the DPPH• and ABTS•+ free radical scavenging capacity in the free phenolic extract, while chlorogenic acid, vanillic acid, ferulic acid and quercetin were the main contributors to the free radical scavenging capacity in the bound phenol extract. The study results show that the blue highland barley grains have rich phenolic compounds and high antioxidant activity, as well as significant varietal differences. The free and bound phenolic extracts in the blue hulless barley grains have an equivalent proportion in the total phenol, and co-exist in two forms. They can be used as a potential valuable source of natural antioxidants, and can aid in enhancing the development and daily consumption of foods relating to blue highland barley.
HOW SUPERVISORS INFLUENCE PERFORMANCE: A MULTILEVEL STUDY OF COACHING AND GROUP MANAGEMENT IN TECHNOLOGY‐MEDIATED SERVICES

This multilevel study examines the role of supervisors in improving employee performance through the use of coaching and group management practices. It examines the individual and synergistic effects of these management practices. The research subjects are call center agents in highly standardized jobs, and the organizational context is one in which calls, or task assignments, are randomly distributed via automated technology, providing a quasi-experimental approach in a real-world context. Results show that the amount of coaching that an employee received each month predicted objective performance improvements over time. Moreover, workers exhibited higher performance where their supervisor emphasized group assignments and group incentives and where technology was more automated. Finally, the positive relationship between coaching and performance was stronger where supervisors made greater use of group incentives, where technology was less automated, and where technological changes were less frequent. Implications and potential limitations of the present study are discussed.
An overview of the oxidation of Ni-based superalloys for turbine disc applications: surface condition, applied load and mechanical performance

In this review, the role of oxidation of chromia-forming Ni-based superalloys used for rotor disc applications in gas turbines is examined. A detailed review of the oxidation performance of these alloys in air is undertaken with emphasis on oxide composition and kinetics. The actual surface condition of the component entering service is important but often overlooked during oxidation studies. The effect of shot-peening on the oxidation of Ni-based superalloys is here evaluated. The oxide growth rates and composition of these alloys was assessed with respect to their response to an applied load or stress. One area where a significant amount of research has been conducted is on the effect of oxidation on the mechanical performance, with oxidation having been shown to reduce time to crack initiation, increase fatigue crack growth rates and therefore reduce overall component fatigue life. It is argued that this enhancement in crack growth rates arises from the cracking of an oxide intrusion ahead of the crack tip, exacerbated by stress-aided grain boundary oxidation.
Charles A . Dice Center for Research in Financial Economics Does Governance Travel Around the World ? Evidence from Institutional Investors

We examine whether institutional investors affect corporate governance by analyzing portfolio holdings of institutions in companies from 23 countries during the period 2003-2008. We find that firm-level governance is positively associated with international institutional investment. Changes in institutional ownership over time positively affect subsequent changes in firm-level governance, but the opposite is not true. Foreign institutions and institutions from countries with strong shareholder protection play a crucial role in promoting governance improvements outside of the U.S. Institutional investors affect not only which corporate governance mechanisms are in place, but also outcomes. Firms with higher institutional ownership are more likely to terminate poorly performing CEOs and exhibit improvements in valuation over time. Our results suggest that international portfolio investment by institutional investors promote good corporate governance practices around the world. JEL classification: G32, G34, G38
Aerosol effects on clouds, precipitation, and the organization of shallow cumulus convection

Abstract This study investigates the effects of aerosol on clouds, precipitation, and the organization of trade wind cumuli using large eddy simulations (LES). Results show that for this shallow-cumulus-under-stratocumulus case, cloud fraction increases with increasing aerosol as the aerosol number mixing ratio increases from 25 (domain-averaged surface precipitation rate ∼0.65 mm day−1) to 100 mg−1 (negligible surface precipitation). Further increases in aerosol result in a reduction in cloud fraction. It is suggested that opposing influences of aerosol-induced suppression of precipitation and aerosol-induced enhancement of evaporation are responsible for this nonmonotonic behavior. Under clean conditions (25 mg−1), drizzle is shown to initiate and maintain mesoscale organization of cumulus convection. Precipitation induces downdrafts and cold pool outflow as the cumulus cell develops. At the surface, the center of the cell is characterized by a divergence field, while the edges of the cell are zones of .
The molecular dimension of microbial species: 1. Ecological distinctions among, and homogeneity within, putative ecotypes of Synechococcus inhabiting the cyanobacterial mat of Mushroom Spring, Yellowstone National Park

Based on the Stable Ecotype Model, evolution leads to the divergence of ecologically distinct populations (e.g., with different niches and/or behaviors) of ecologically interchangeable membership. In this study, pyrosequencing was used to provide deep sequence coverage of Synechococcus psaA genes and transcripts over a large number of habitat types in the Mushroom Spring microbial mat. Putative ecological species [putative ecotypes (PEs)], which were predicted by an evolutionary simulation based on the Stable Ecotype Model (Ecotype Simulation), exhibited distinct distributions relative to temperature-defined positions in the effluent channel and vertical position in the upper 1 mm-thick mat layer. Importantly, in most cases variants predicted to belong to the same PE formed unique clusters relative to temperature and depth in the mat in canonical correspondence analysis, supporting the hypothesis that while the PEs are ecologically distinct, the members of each ecotype are ecologically homogeneous. PEs responded differently to experimental perturbations of temperature and light, but the genetic variation within each PE was maintained as the relative abundances of PEs changed, further indicating that each population responded as a set of ecologically interchangeable individuals. Compared to PEs that predominate deeper within the mat photic zone, the timing of transcript abundances for selected genes differed for PEs that predominate in microenvironments closer to upper surface of the mat with spatiotemporal differences in light and O2 concentration. All of these findings are consistent with the hypotheses that Synechococcus species in hot spring mats are sets of ecologically interchangeable individuals that are differently adapted, that these adaptations control their distributions, and that the resulting distributions constrain the activities of the species in space and time.
HIV/STI interventions targeting women who experience forced sex: A systematic review of global literature

ABSTRACT Women are disproportionately affected by HIV in many regions of the world and they represent the fastest growing demographic in the HIV epidemic. In addition, sexual violence against women is a global public health issue which increases women's vulnerability of HIV/STI acquisition. However, the relationship between sexual violence and HIV/STI risk are complex and contribute to the growing epidemic of women infected with HIV/STIs. Our purpose for this review is to examine existing HIV/STI interventions that target women who experience forced sex. Interventions designed to address women's unique needs in HIV/STI prevention are critical in reducing women's vulnerability to HIV/STIs.
Animal models for filovirus infections

The family Filoviridae, which includes the genera Marburgvirus and Ebolavirus, contains some of the most pathogenic viruses in humans and non-human primates (NHPs), causing severe hemorrhagic fevers with high fatality rates. Small animal models against filoviruses using mice, guinea pigs, hamsters, and ferrets have been developed with the goal of screening candidate vaccines and antivirals, before testing in the gold standard NHP models. In this review, we summarize the different animal models used to understand filovirus pathogenesis, and discuss the advantages and disadvantages of each model with respect to filovirus disease research.
Microencapsulation of Korean Mistletoe (Viscum album var. coloratum) Extract and Its Application into Milk

This study was designed to develop microencapsulated Korean mistletoe extract, to determine the stability in vitro and to examine its application in milk. Coating materials used were polyglycerol monostearate (PGMS) and medium-chain triacylglyderol (MCT). The highest efficiency of microencapsulation was 78.3% with 15:1:40 (w/w/v) as PGMS : mistletoe extract: distilled water and 66.1% with 15:1 (w/w) as MCT : mistletoe extract. The size of microcapsule was about 30.0 and 19.5 μm with PGMS and MCT, respectively. When microcapsules of mistletoe extract were incubated in simulated gastric fluid at pH 2 for 60 min, 14.8 and 17.2% of lectin was released from capsules which were coated with PGMS and MCT, respectively. Comparatively, 83.2 and 87.3% of lectin was released in simulated intestinal fluid (pH 8) after 60 min incubation of capsules coated with PGMS and MCT, respectively. The subsequent study determined the changes of physicochemical and sensory characteristics of milk with fortification of the mistletoe extract microcapsules during 12 day storage. TBA value was significantly lower in microcapsule-added groups than in the uncapsulated mistletoe extract-added group during the storage. When 100 ppm microencapsulated mistletoe extract was added, the L-, a- and b-values and viscosity were not significantly different from those of the control. In addition, the release of lectin from mistletoe extract over 12 days was 8.3 and 9.5 mg/100 ml in milk containing microcapsules made by PGMS and MCT, respectively. All sensory attributes showed a significant difference in uncapsulated mistletoe extract-added milk compared with other groups. The present study indicated that microcapsules of Korean mistletoe extract could be applied to milk and microcapsules coated with PGMS were effectively released in a simulated intestinal environment.
Modeling and Analysis of Carbon Nanotube Buckling Using Thick Shell Theory

Treated herein is the elastic buckling problem of Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes (SCNTs) under axial compression. Critical buckling strains cr ε of stocky SCNTs (length/diameter less than 8) that have been obtained by modeling them as first-order shear deformation (thick) shell theory (FSDST). The buckling strains are compared with those obtained by commonly used thin shell theories, such as the Donnell shell theory (DST) and the Sanders shell theory (SST). Molecular Dynamic (MD) simulation results will be used as benchmarks to assess the validity, convergence and accuracy of the shell theory results. The comparison study shows that FSDST gives a better prediction of the critical strains of stocky SCNTs than DST and SST.
Ultraviolet Divergences and Scale-Dependent Gravitational Couplings

I review the field-theoretic renomalization group approach to quantum gravity, built around the existence of a non-trivial ultraviolet fixed point in four dimensions. I discuss the implications of such a fixed point, found in three largely unrelated non-perturbative approaches, and how it relates to the vacuum state of quantum gravity, and specifically to the running of $G$. One distinctive feature of the new fixed point is the emergence of a second genuinely non-perturbative scale, analogous to the scaling violation parameter in non-abelian gauge theories. I argue that it is natural to identify such a scale with the small observed cosmological constant, which in quantum gravity can arise as a non-perturbative vacuum condensate. (Plenary Talk, 12-th Marcel Grossmann Conference on Recent Developments in General Relativity, Astrophysics and Relativistic Field Theories, UNESCO Paris, July 12-18, 2009).
A HMM-Based Approach to Modeling Ant Behavior

Modeling societies of individuals is a challenging task increasingly attracting the interest of the machine learning community. Here we present an application of graphical model methods in order to model the behavior of an ant colony. Ants are tagged with RFID so that their paths through the environment can be constantly recorded. A Structured Hidden Markov Model has been used to build the model of single individual activities. Then, the global profile of the colony has been traced during the migration from one nest to another. The method provided significant information concerning the social dynamics of ant colonies.