Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Anti-LINGO-1 has no detectable immunomodulatory effects in preclinical and phase 1 studies

Objective: To evaluate whether the anti-LINGO-1 antibody has immunomodulatory effects. Methods: Human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (hPBMCs), rat splenocytes, and rat CD4+ T cells were assessed to determine whether LINGO-1 was expressed and was inducible. Anti-LINGO-1 Li81 (0.1–30 μg/mL) effect on proliferation/cytokine production was assessed in purified rat CD4+ T cells and hPBMCs stimulated with antibodies to CD3 +/– CD28. In humans, the effect of 2 opicinumab (anti-LINGO-1/BIIB033; 30, 60, and 100 mg/kg) or placebo IV administrations was evaluated in RNA from blood and CSF samples taken before and after administration in phase 1 clinical trials; paired samples were assessed for differentially expressed genes by microarray. RNA from human CSF cell pellets was analyzed by quantitative real-time PCR for changes in transcripts representative of cell types, activation markers, and soluble proteins of the adaptive/innate immune systems. ELISA quantitated the levels of CXCL13 protein in human CSF supernatants. Results: LINGO-1 is not expressed in hPBMCs, rat splenocytes, or rat CD4+ T cells; LINGO-1 blockade with Li81 did not affect T-cell proliferation or cytokine production from purified rat CD4+ T cells or hPBMCs. LINGO-1 blockade with opicinumab resulted in neither significant changes in immune system gene expression in blood and CSF, nor changes in CXCL13 CSF protein levels (clinical studies). Conclusions: These data support the hypothesis that LINGO-1 blockade does not affect immune function. Classification of evidence: This study provides Class II evidence that in patients with MS, opicinumab does not have immunomodulatory effects detected by changes in immune gene transcript expression.
Islam in urban spaces: The residential incorporation and choices of Muslims in Lisbon

ABSTRACT This paper examines processes of residential settlement and incorporation of Lisbon's Muslims arriving first in the post-colonial period and later as international labour migrants. Issues related with Islam in the city are under-researched and seen as unproblematic in Portugal due to lower levels of segregation and the contemporary narrative of Portuguese tolerance. Based on an analysis of the spatiality of Islam in the metropolitan area and the individual accounts of 102 Muslims, this paper explores processes of incorporation, residential choice and belonging. The fragmented mosaic of Muslim settlement in local communities shows the role that religion can play alongside culture in creating spaces of belonging producing multiple experiences of the city. In three different localities—the inner city, an inner suburb and on the urban margin—I investigate the ways in which the cumulative action and agency of Muslim migrants over time transform local spaces and emerging structures for consecutive migrants. This paper argues that urban diversity and temporality provide a lens through which to reconceptualise the traditional choice and constraint debate to better understand the complexity of minority residential patterns and their outcomes.
The influence of homocysteine and oxidative stress on pregnancy outcome

Oxidative stress in utero–placental tissues plays an important role in the development of placental-related diseases. Maternal hiperhomocysteinemia is associated with placental mediated diseases, such as preeclampsia, spontaneous abortion and placental abruption. The aim of our study is to appreciate the clinical usefulness of the dosage serum homocysteine and malondialdehyde, as an oxidative stress marker, in the pregnancies complicated with risk of abortion or preterm birth. The study was performed at the Obstetric Gynecology Clinical Hospital Oradea from December 2009 until April 2010. It included 18 patients with risk of abortion (group 1), 22 with preterm birth (group 2). The results were compared with a control group composed by 14 healthy pregnant women. Serum homocysteine level was measured by an enzymatic method, on the instrument Hitachi 912, Roche, reagent: Axis-Shield Enzymatic. For proving the oxidative stress we established the level of malondialdehyde using a method with thiobarbituric acid TBA (Kei Satoh 1978) and the level of ceruloplasmin with the Ravin method . Also AST, ALT,CRP, iron, uric acid, urea were assessed. High level of homocysteine in both groups of study in comparison with the control group was found. The concentration of MDA was significantly higher in pregnancies complicated with risk of abortion and preterm birth compared to the control group (p=0.040, p=0.031). Considerable differences of ceruloplasmin concentration between group 1 and group 2 (p=0.045), and between group 2 and control group (p=0.034), was noticed but not any important differences between group 1 and control group (p=0.683). In women with risk of abortion or with preterm birth an oxidative stress and a hyperhomocysteinemia are present.
Convergence of Signaling Pathways Induced by Systemin, Oligosaccharide Elicitors, and Ultraviolet-B Radiation at the Level of Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases in Lycopersicon peruvianum Suspension-Cultured Cells1

We tested whether signaling pathways induced by systemin, oligosaccharide elicitors (OEs), and ultraviolet (UV)-B radiation share common components in Lycopersicon peruvianum suspension-cultured cells. These stress signals all induce mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) activity. In desensitization assays, we found that pretreatment with systemin and OEs transiently reduced the MAPK response to a subsequent treatment with the same or a different elicitor. In contrast, MAPK activity in response to UV-B increased after pretreatment with systemin and OEs. These experiments demonstrate the presence of signaling components that are shared by systemin, OEs, and UV-B. Based on desensitization assays, it is not clear if the same or different MAPKs are activated by different stress signals. To identify specific stress-responsive MAPKs, we cloned three MAPKs from a tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum) leaf cDNA library, generated member-specific antibodies, and performed immunocomplex kinase assays with extracts from elicited L. peruvianum cells. Two highly homologous MAPKs, LeMPK1 and LeMPK2, were activated in response to systemin, four different OEs, and UV-B radiation. An additional MAPK, LeMPK3, was only activated by UV-B radiation. The common activation of LeMPK1 and LeMPK2 by many stress signals is consistent with the desensitization assays and may account for substantial overlaps among stress responses. On the other hand, MAPK activation kinetics in response to elicitors and UV-B differed substantially, and UV-B activated a different set of LeMPKs than the elicitors. These differences may account for UV-B-specific responses.
Organizational Alienation, Organizational Support And Behavioral Intention To Adopt Information Systems

Organizations invest a huge amount of resources to deploy information systems (IS) to improve their competitive position. Yet, stories of system failure are still reported frequently, and many organizations did not use these systems to the full extent. The acceptance and usage of ISs by organizational employees is one of the key factors to successfully deploy ISs. The implementation of IS, however, may induce organizational or social change. During the process of social or organizational change, the values, needs, and viewpoints regarding the environment of parties involved may easily deviate from new context. A sense of incongruence between the parties and the new context begins to emerge. People may be feeling meaningless and powerless toward the ongoing phenomenon, hence be careless to and alienated from the new organization. Since the frequency and strength of organizational change become larger and larger in recent years, the perception of alienation inside the organization should become more popular and worsened. The extant literature, however, provides no answers to the question that how will the alienation affect the adoption of IS. This study, based on the integrated model of technology acceptance model and innovation diffusion theory, tries to dig out the answers to the above question. 264 samples were collected from students (volunteer users of e-CAI) of a university located in Taipei city. The results of data analysis support the arguments of TAM, and reveal that alienation negatively influences compatibility, ease of use and usefulness. Organization should provide organizational support that increases the perceptions of ease of use, usefulness and compatibility.
rigor mortis encodes a novel nuclear receptor interacting protein required for ecdysone signaling during Drosophila larval development

Pulses of the steroid hormone ecdysone trigger the major developmental transitions in Drosophila, including molting and puparium formation. The ecdysone signal is transduced by the EcR/USP nuclear receptor heterodimer that binds to specific response elements in the genome and directly regulates target gene transcription. We describe a novel nuclear receptor interacting protein encoded by rigor mortis (rig) that is required for ecdysone responses during larval development. rig mutants display defects in molting, delayed larval development, larval lethality, duplicated mouth parts, and defects in puparium formation – phenotypes that resemble those seen in EcR, usp, E75A and βFTZ-F1 mutants. Although the expression of these nuclear receptor genes is essentially normal in rig mutant larvae, the ecdysone-triggered switch in E74 isoform expression is defective. rig encodes a protein with multiple WD-40 repeats and an LXXLL motif, sequences that act as specific protein-protein interaction domains. Consistent with the presence of these elements and the lethal phenotypes of rig mutants, Rig protein interacts with several Drosophila nuclear receptors in GST pull-down experiments, including EcR, USP, DHR3, SVP and βFTZ-F1. The ligand binding domain of βFTZ-F1 is sufficient for this interaction, which can occur in an AF-2-independent manner. Antibody stains reveal that Rig protein is present in the brain and imaginal discs of second and third instar larvae, where it is restricted to the cytoplasm. In larval salivary gland and midgut cells, however, Rig shuttles between the cytoplasm and nucleus in a spatially and temporally regulated manner, at times that correlate with the major lethal phase of rig mutants and major switches in ecdysone-regulated gene expression. Taken together, these data indicate that rig exerts essential functions during larval development through gene-specific effects on ecdysone-regulated transcription, most likely as a cofactor for one or more nuclear receptors. Furthermore, the dynamic intracellular redistribution of Rig protein suggests that it may act to refine spatial and temporal responses to ecdysone during development.
Randomized controlled trial of once- versus thrice-daily tobramycin in febrile neutropenic children undergoing stem cell transplantation.

BACKGROUND The benefits of aminoglycoside antibiotics, such as tobramycin, administered as a once-daily dose to manage febrile neutropenia, have been demonstrated in many patient populations. However, toxicity and safety data are lacking for pediatric stem cell transplant recipients, who are at especially high risk for aminoglycoside-related toxicity and infectious morbidity. In particular, the relative nephrotoxicity and efficacy of tobramycin administered as a single daily dose or as three daily doses among this patient population is not known. METHODS We conducted a randomized, double-blind controlled study of tobramycin dosing among children 18 years or younger who had fever and neutropenia while undergoing stem cell transplantation. From October 2000 through November 2002, 60 children were randomly assigned to receive intravenous tobramycin, as either a single daily dose (n = 29) or every 8 hours (n = 31), in combination with either piperacillin or ceftazidime (intravenous). Tobramycin doses were adjusted to achieve pharmacokinetic targets. The primary outcome was nephrotoxicity, as represented by the maximal percent increase in serum creatinine concentration throughout the episode of febrile neutropenia relative to the baseline serum creatinine concentration. Efficacy was a secondary outcome and was defined as survival of the episode without modification of the antibacterial regimen. All statistical tests were two-sided. RESULTS In a modified intent-to-treat analysis, the mean maximal percent increase in serum creatinine concentration was 32% (N = 26) in the once daily dose group and 51% (N = 28) in the every 8 hours dose group (difference = 19%, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0% to 38%; P =.054). Among patients evaluable for efficacy, 12 (46%) of 26 patients in the once daily dose group and five (19%) of 27 patients in the every 8 hours dose group survived the episode of febrile neutropenia without requiring antibacterial treatment modification (difference = 27%, 95% CI = 4% to 52%; P =.03). There was one death in each group. CONCLUSIONS In febrile neutropenic children undergoing stem cell transplantation, tobramycin may be less nephrotoxic and more efficacious when administered as a once daily dose than when administered every 8 hours.
Comparative analgesic efficacy of buprenorphine or clonidine with bupivacaine in the caesarean section

The need for early ambulation for caring of the neonate by mothers makes postoperative pain management after cesarean delivery unique. Favorable results have been observed with buprenorphine, clonidine and bupivacaine as epidural analgesics. This prospective, randomised triple blind control study was carried out among 112 lower segment caesarean segment (LSCS) patients, divided into three groups, to assess the analgesic efficacy and side effects of epidural analgesia, with an intermittent top up of (i) bupivacaine (0.125%) and buprenorphine (0.075 mg) (ii) bupivacaine (0.125%) and clonidine (37.5 microgram) and (iii) bupivacaine (0.125%) alone, in LSCS cases. The demographic characteristics (age, weight and height) of the three groups were comparable and the differences were not statistically significant. The mean duration of the analgesia was significantly longer in the group one patients receiving buprenorphine plus bupivacaine (690 ± 35 minutes) and it was lowest in group three patients receiving bupivacaine (170 ± 31 minutes) alone. The mean highest pain score (VAS scale) was significantly lower (3.4 ± 0.6) in group one patients and it was highest in group three (6.7 ± 0.8) patients. Requirement of continuation of epidural analgesia after 15 hours of operation and requirement of diclonfenac injections as well as incidence of itching and pruritus was significantly lower in group one patients. Incidence of nausea and vomiting was the lowest in group one patients. Incidence of respiratory depression, sedation and hypotension were nil in all three group of patients. Epidural buprenorphine combined with bupivacaine produced significantly longer duration and better quality of analgesia than bupivacaine combined with clonidine or bupivacaine alone, and it was safe in LSCS patients, for post-operative analgesia.
Estimating Risk Preferences from Deductible Choice

We develop a structural econometric model to estimate risk preferences from data on deductible choices in auto insurance contracts. We account for adverse selection by modeling unobserved heterogeneity in both risk (claim rate) and risk aversion. We find large and skewed heterogeneity in risk attitudes. In addition, women are more risk averse than men, risk aversion exhibits a U-shape with respect to age, and proxies for income and wealth are positively associated with absolute risk aversion. Finally, unobserved heterogeneity in risk aversion is greater than that of risk, and, as we illustrate, has important implications for insurance pricing. (JEL D81, G22)
Becoming American: Stereotype Threat Effects in Afro-Caribbean Immigrant Groups

Educational and occupational data suggest that second-generation West Indian immigrants have less favorable outcomes than their first-generation counterparts, who are typically shown to outperform comparison groups of African Americans. In two studies, we explore the social psychological process of stereotype threat as it differentially affects the performance of first-and second-generation West Indian students. An initial questionnaire study of 270 West Indian students provided data on perceived favorability of African American and West Indian stereotypes, ethnic identification, and perceptions of discrimination. An experimental study of stereotype threat showed a significant interaction between generation and stereotype threat condition: first-and second-generation West Indian students performed equally in neutral conditions, but differed significantly when stereotype threat was present. While first-generation students increased their performance in the threat condition, second-generation students showed the performance decrements characteristic of African American students. Effects due to the race of the experimenter were also found, suggesting the importance of context in testing situations. Overall, the findings argue for the relevance of psychological processes in understanding broader demographic patterns of immigration and change.
Task Difficulty, Self-Handicapping and Performance: A Study of Implicit Theories of Ability

Article History: Received 23.07. 2012 Received in revised form 17.09. 2012 Accepted 24.09. 2012 Available online 15.12. 2012 Self-theories, or the theories people hold about their own qualities such as abilities, have important consequences for motivation and behavior. Examining self-theories could help us to understand how ability beliefs affect student performance and self-handicapping. The purpose of this study was to assess the impact of self-theories about ability and task difficulty on student performance and use of self-handicapping strategies in sport competitions. In this study, a blocked factorial design was conducted. The subjects were 30 entity and 30 incremental theorists Iranian male students who were divided into four equal sized groups. The first and third groups participated in a 540m track event with a 180-second time limit. The second and forth groups participated in a similar race with a 120second time limit. After racing, all subjects completed a self-handicapping questionnaire and their performance also was recorded. MANOVA analyses of the resulting data showed incremental students reported fewer self-handicapping strategies for their next race as well as better performance compared with entity participants. These findings were, however, evident in the second competition. Moreover, subjects who participated in the first race, regardless of ability beliefs, did not show significant difference between self-handicapping strategies and performance. The findings highlight that ability beliefs can affect the students’ performance and degree of effort; this emerges when fail probability is high. © 2012 IOJES. All rights reserved
Effect of strut length and orientation on elastic mechanical response of modified body-centered cubic lattice structures

Lattice structures (LSs) have been exploited for wide range of applications including mechanical, thermal, and biomedical structures because of their unique attributes combining the light weight and high strength. The main goal of this research is to investigate the effect of strut length and orientation on the mechanical characteristics of modified body-centered cubic (BCC) LS subjected to a quasi-static axial compressive loading within linear elastic limit using finite element analysis. In this study, two sets of LS were built and analyzed in commercial finite element software, ABAQUS/CAE/EXPLICIT 6.16, using a “smart procedure,” which was developed for this research to reduce the computational time and increase the accuracy of results by creating hexahedral mesh elements. The first set comprises 13 models having fixed strut length with strut angle variation from 40° to 100° with a step of 5°. The second set also includes 13 models; however, having variant strut length, kept constant for a single unit cell and through the entire model but varied from one model to another, with the same strut angle variation as the first set. In addition, the BCC LS with a strut angle of 70.53° was replicated in both sets because it was considered as a reference model to compare the results with it. Furthermore, specimens of the reference model were fabricated by a fused deposition modeling- (FDM) based 3D printer using acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) material and tested experimentally under compression. Experimental results are observed to be in good agreement with those of the finite element simulation, hence the same loading and boundary conditions were adopted for all other models. It was observed that the fixed strut length BCC LS with a strut angle of 100° offers the highest modulus. However, the highest specific strain energy absorption and specific stiffness as well as the least value of weight were dictated by a variant strut length BCC LS with a strut angle of 40°.
Crowdfunding: An Industrial Organization Perspective

The first objective of the paper is to identifiy a number of issues related to crowdfunding that are worth studying from an industrial organization (IO) perspective. To this end, we first propose a definition of crowdfunding; next, on the basis on a previous empirical study, we isolate what we believe are the main features of crowdfunding; finally, we point to a number of strands of the literature that could be used to study the various features of crowdfunding. The second objective of the paper is to propose some preliminary efforts towards the modelization of crowdfunding. In a first model, we associate crowdfunding with pre-ordering and price discrimination, and we study the conditions under which crowdfunding is preferred to traditional forms of external funding. In a second model, we see crowdfunding as a way to make a product better known by the consumers and we give some theoretical underpinning for the empirical finding that non-profit organizations tend to be more successful in using crowdfunding. JEL classification codes: G32, L11, L13, L15, L21, L31