Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Polysaccharide purified from Ganoderma lucidum inhibits spontaneous and Fas‐mediated apoptosis in human neutrophils through activation of the phosphatidylinositol 3 kinase/Akt signaling pathway

Ganoderma lucidum has been widely used as a remedy to promote health and longevity in China. The polysaccharide component with a branched (1→3)‐β‐D‐glucan moiety from G. lucidum (PS‐G) has shown evidence of enhancement of immune responses and of eliciting anti‐tumor effects. In this study, we investigated the effect of PS‐G on neutrophil viability, which is manifested by spontaneous apoptosis. Annexin V staining and MTT assays reveal that PS‐G is able to inhibit spontaneous and Fas‐induced neutrophil apoptosis, and this effect of PS‐G is enhanced by the presence of zVAD (a caspase inhibitor) and GM‐CSF. The antiapoptotic effect of PS‐G is diminished by the presence of wortmannin and LY294002 (two PI‐3K inhibitors), but is not altered by PD98059 (a MEK inhibitor). Western blotting indicates the stimulating effect of PS‐G on Akt phosphorylation and its inhibition of procaspase 3 degradation, which occurs in neutrophils undergoing spontaneous apoptosis or triggered death by Fas. Taken together, PS‐G elicitation of antiapoptotic effects on neutrophils primarily relies on activation of Akt‐regulated signaling pathways.
Integrating reaction and planning in a heterogeneous asynchronous architecture for mobile robot navigation

We present an architecture for controlling autonomous mobile robots based on control of continuous activities (processes) rather than discrete actions. We define a hierarchy of activity, and argue that different levels of activities require different sorts of computational mechanisms to control them. Many controversial issues concerning the use of persistent internal state and higher levels of abstraction can be better understood in terms of this hierarchy. Two experiments using the architecture to control mobile robots performing complex navigation tasks are described.
Effects of Pregnancy and Bacterial Vaginosis on Proinflammatory Cytokine and Secretory Leukocyte Protease Inhibitor Concentrations in Vaginal Secretions

We compared vaginal proinflammatory cytokine and secretory leukocyte protease inhibitor (SLPI) concentrations among pregnant and nonpregnant women according to bacterial vaginosis (BV) status. One-hundred and twenty-two women at 12–20 weeks' gestation and 133 nonpregnant controls had vaginal concentrations of interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6, IL-8, and SLPI measured by enzyme immunoassay. Multivariable linear regression was used to evaluate factors independently associated with vaginal cytokine and SLPI response. Pregnancy and BV were both independently associated with increased vaginal concentrations of IL-1β and IL-8; pregnant women had increased concentrations of SLPI, while women with BV had decreased SLPI concentrations.
Viral Etiology of Encephalitis in Children in Southern Vietnam: Results of a One-Year Prospective Descriptive Study

Background Acute encephalitis is an important and severe disease in children in Vietnam. However, little is known about the etiology while such knowledge is essential for optimal prevention and treatment. To identify viral causes of encephalitis, in 2004 we conducted a one-year descriptive study at Children's Hospital Number One, a referral hospital for children in southern Vietnam including Ho Chi Minh City. Methodology/Principal Findings Children less than 16 years of age presenting with acute encephalitis of presumed viral etiology were enrolled. Diagnostic efforts included viral culture, serology and real time (RT)-PCRs. A confirmed or probable viral causative agent was established in 41% of 194 enrolled patients. The most commonly diagnosed causative agent was Japanese encephalitis virus (n = 50, 26%), followed by enteroviruses (n = 18, 9.3%), dengue virus (n = 9, 4.6%), herpes simplex virus (n = 1), cytomegalovirus (n = 1) and influenza A virus (n = 1). Fifty-seven (29%) children died acutely. Fatal outcome was independently associated with patient age and Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) on admission. Conclusions/Significance Acute encephalitis in children in southern Vietnam is associated with high mortality. Although the etiology remains unknown in a majority of the patients, the result from the present study may be useful for future design of treatment and prevention strategies of the disease. The recognition of GCS and age as predictive factors may be helpful for clinicians in managing the patient.
Nell-1, a key Functional Mediator of Runx2, Partially Rescues Calvarial Defects in Runx2+/− Mice

Mesenchymal stem cell commitment to an osteoprogenitor lineage requires the activity of Runx2, a molecule implicated in the etiopathology of multiple congenital craniofacial anomalies. Through promoter analyses, we have recently identified a new direct transcriptional target of Runx2, Nell‐1, a craniosynostosis (CS)–associated molecule with potent osteogenic properties. This study investigated the mechanistic and functional relationship between Nell‐1 and Runx2 in regulating osteoblast differentiation. The results showed that spatiotemporal distribution and expression levels of Nell‐1 correlated closely with those of endogenous Runx2 during craniofacial development. Phenotypically, cross‐mating Nell‐1 overexpression transgenic (CMV‐Nell‐1) mice with Runx2 haploinsufficient (Runx2+/−) mice partially rescued the calvarial defects in the cleidocranial dysplasia (CCD)–like phenotype of Runx2+/− mice, whereas Nell‐1 protein induced mineralization and bone formation in Runx2+/− but not Runx2−/− calvarial explants. Runx2‐mediated osteoblastic gene expression and/or mineralization was severely reduced by Nell‐1 siRNA oligos transfection into Runx2+/+ newborn mouse calvarial cells (NMCCs) or in N‐ethyl‐N‐nitrosourea (ENU)–induced Nell‐1−/− NMCCs. Meanwhile, Nell‐1 overexpression partially rescued osteoblastic gene expression but not mineralization in Runx2 null (Runx2−/−) NMCCs. Mechanistically, irrespective of Runx2 genotype, Nell‐1 signaling activates ERK1/2 and JNK1 mitogen‐activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathways in NMCCs and enhances Runx2 phosphorylation and activity when Runx2 is present. Collectively, these data demonstrate that Nell‐1 is a critical downstream Runx2 functional mediator insofar as Runx2‐regulated Nell‐1 promotes osteoblastic differentiation through, in part, activation of MAPK and enhanced phosphorylation of Runx2, and Runx2 activity is significantly reduced when Nell‐1 is blocked or absent. © 2011 American Society for Bone and Mineral Research.
Parametric Policy Gradients for Robotics

Slow convergence is a major problem for policy gradient methods. It is a consequence of the fact that the stateaction histories used to estimate the gradient are obtained by repeatedly sampling from a probabilistic policy. Given that histories vary greatly even for a fixed policy, gradient estimates obtained by perturbing the policy are bound to be noisy. Lately, an alternative approach was proposed, in which the policy perturbations are replaced by perturbations of the parameters of a controller. This greatly reduces the variance in the gradient estimates, since a complete history can be generated from a single sample in parameter space. Moreover, because the parameters are perturbed directly, the method can be applied to non-differentiable controllers. We will show that this new method is much better suited for realistic learning tasks of humanoid robots than other methods usually used. We will examine the relationship of the new method to other fields of machine learning in robotics. Experiments on two kinds of simulations demonstrate the superior performance to evolution strategies, finite difference methods and existing policy gradient methods such as REINFORCE and natural actor critic. Finally we show the successful learning of grasping an object from different positions with a 7 DoF robot arm simulation as a proof of our claims.
Risk, Crisis and Security Management

This book has two aims. First, to consider how risk, crisis and security, may be linked in an organisational context. Second, to review the role of, simulation and gaming in responding to these phenomena. Historically, risk has been an established concept of academic interest for some time in both the pure and social sciences. Risk however, remains a subject of intense social and political controversy. How we manage risk appears to dominate every debate from providing social services such as health, transport and public safety to the regulation of corporate activity. Debates about the theory and practice of security management are less developed. This book will inform the debate by considering the relationships between risk and security.
N-/O-glycosylation analysis of human FVIIa produced in the milk of transgenic rabbits

Human coagulation factor VIIa is a glycoprotein that promotes haemostasis through activation of the coagulation cascade extrinsic pathway. Most haemophilia A/B patients with inhibitors are treated by injection of plasma-derived or recombinant FVIIa. The use of recombinant products raises questions about the ability of the host cell to produce efficiently post-translationally modified proteins. Glycosylation is especially critical considering that it can modulate protein safety and efficacy. The present paper reports the N-/O-glycosylation pattern of a new recombinant human factor VIIa expressed in the mammary glands of transgenic rabbits. Glycosylation was investigated by chromatography and advanced mass spectrometry techniques for glycan identification and quantitation. Mass spectrometry (MS)/MS analyses were performed to confirm the glycan structures as well as the position and branching of specific monosaccharides or substituents. The two N-glycosylation sites were found to be fully occupied mostly by mono- and bi-sialylated biantennary complex-type structures, the major form being A2G2S1. Some oligomannose/hybrid structures were retrieved in lower abundance, the major ones being GlcNAcα1,O-phosphorylated at the C6-position of a Man residue (Man-6-(GlcNAcα1,O-)phosphate motif) as commonly observed on lysosomal proteins. No immunogenic glycotopes such as Galili (Galα1,3Gal) and HD antigens (N-glycolylneuraminic acid (NeuGc)) were detected. Concerning O-glycosylation, the product exhibited O-fucose and O-glucose-(xylose)0, 1, 2 motifs as expected. The N-glycosylation consistency was also investigated by varying production parameters such as the period of lactation, the number of consecutive lactations and rabbit generations. Results show that the transgenesis technology is suitable for the long-term production of rhFVIIa with a reproducible glycosylation pattern.
A Burkholderia cepacia complex non-ribosomal peptide-synthesized toxin is hemolytic and required for full virulence

Members of the Burkholderia cepacia complex (Bcc) have recently gained notoriety as significant bacterial pathogens due to their extreme levels of antibiotic resistance, their transmissibility in clinics, their persistence in bacteriostatic solutions, and their intracellular survival capabilities. As pathogens, the Bcc are known to elaborate a number of virulence factors including proteases, lipases and other exoproducts, as well as a number of secretion system associated effectors. Through random and directed mutagenesis studies, we have identified a Bcc gene cluster capable of expressing a toxin that is both hemolytic and required for full Bcc virulence. The Bcc toxin is synthesized via a non-ribosomal peptide synthetase mechanism, and appears to be related to the previously identified antifungal compound burkholdine or occidiofungin. Further testing shows mutations to this gene cluster cause a significant reduction in both hemolysis and Galleria mellonella mortality. Mutation to a glycosyltransferase gene putatively responsible for a structural-functional toxin variant causes only partial reduction in hemolysis. Molecular screening identifies the Bcc species containing this gene cluster, of which several strains produce hemolytic activity.
Acceptance of mobile money by poor citizens of India: integrating trust into the technology acceptance model

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to understand the acceptance of mobile-money (m-money) among target populations, i.e. below-poverty-line citizens in India, using the technology acceptance model (TAM). The m-money service is a major initiative that can enable the provision of low-cost and speedy money transfer through mobile phones, especially in developing countries such as India. For a large section of the population in India, m-money can act as a way to achieve financial inclusion. However, for m-money to succeed, users should accept the initiative wholeheartedly. Design/methodology/approach – The survey data were collected from 225 actual and prospective m-money users and analysed using partial least square technique. Findings – The findings imply that the trust and the core constructs of TAM such as perceived usefulness, trust and attitude towards usage contribute in influencing the intention to accept m-money. Perceived ease of use neither impacts perceived usefulness nor attitude towards usag.
Creating a Novel Origin of Replication through Modulating DNA-Protein Interfaces

Background While the molecular mechanisms of DNA-protein specificity at the origin of replication have been determined in many model organisms, these interactions remain unknown in the majority of higher eukaryotes and numerous vertebrate viruses. Similar to many viral origins of replication, adeno-associated virus (AAV) utilizes a cis-acting origin of replication and a virus specific Replication protein (Rep) to faithfully carry out self-priming replication. The mechanisms of AAV DNA replication are generally well understood. However, the molecular basis of specificity between the Rep protein and the viral origin of replication between different AAV serotypes remains uncharacterized. Methodology/Principal Findings By generating a panel of chimeric and mutant origins between two AAV serotypes, we have mapped two independent DNA-Protein interfaces involved in replicative specificity. In vivo replication assays and structural modeling demonstrated that three residues in the AAV2 Rep active site are necessary to cleave its cognate origin. An analogous origin (AAV5) possesses a unique interaction between an extended Rep binding element and a 49 aa region of Rep containing two DNA binding interfaces. Conclusions/Significance The elucidation of these structure-function relationships at the AAV origin led to the creation of a unique recombinant origin and compatible Rep protein with properties independent of either parent serotype. This novel origin may impact the safety and efficacy of AAV as a gene delivery tool. This work may also explain the unique ability of certain AAV serotypes to achieve site-directed integration into the human chromosome. Finally, this result impacts the study of conserved DNA viruses which employ rolling circle mechanisms of replication.
Towards Secure and Usable User Authentication on Mobile Devices

Nowadays, mobile devices like smartphones and tablets can be found everywhere, they are truly ubiquitous. These devices often contain many private information, such as contact data, pictures, and emails. Interestingly, many users do not realize the true value of their data. However, such data plays an important role not only for secret services or companies in order to create user profiles but also for thieves and their criminal intentions. Moreover, if the device is unlocked, it is also easy for attackers to generate profit by means of premium rate text messages or phone calls. More sophisticated attackers can use the device to steal the owner’s identity, too. A common countermeasure to protect the user against these attacks is user authentication. Unfortunately, available authentication schemes are either insecure, cumbersome, or their security is even unknown. In this context, our contribution is twofold: First, we consider existing schemes and analyze their security. Second, we propose new schemes that improve on individual security and usability aspects. We start with analyzing a graphical user authentication system especially designed for the Android operating system, the so-called Android Unlock Patterns. By means of several user studies we quantify their security, discover drawbacks, and propose new arrangements to improve the current scheme. While each new arrangement aims at mitigating a special kind of weakness, we find the Circle scheme to be more secure than the plain Android Unlock Patterns. We stay at the topic of graphical user authentication and propose a novel scheme that utilizes geometric objects, colors, and positions as authentication secret. We show that this scheme is not only more secure than existing approaches from a theoretical point of view but also usable in practice. We shift from graphical information to authentication by means of numbers and consider the plain PIN scheme. While this scheme is not secure against shouldersurfing attacks, we present an extension that utilizes the smartphone’s tactile feedback to create a secure channel between the smartphone and the user. Again, we show that this scheme is secure against sophisticated shoulder-surfing attacks and it is usable as well. Next, we switch to user authentication based on behavioral biometrics. We propose a software keyboard that stores movement patterns though smartphone sensors while the user is entering text. These sensor values allow us to create a behavioral fingerprint we can compare subsequent interaction with. Finally, we consider the user’s understanding of the Android permission system. We found that users do not comprehend that combinations of permissions can lead to several attacks. To improve on this, we implemented a prototype to present comprehensible informations of already installed application’s permissions. An
Genome-Wide Analysis of Selective Constraints on High Stability Regions of mRNA Reveals Multiple Compensatory Mutations in Escherichia coli

Message RNA (mRNA) carries a large number of local secondary structures, with structural stability to participate in the regulations of gene expression. A worthy question is how the local structural stability is maintained under the constraint that multiple selective pressures are imposed on mRNA local regions. Here, we performed the first genome-wide study of natural selection operating on high structural stability regions (HSRs) of mRNAs in Escherichia coli. We found that HSR tends to adjust the folded conformation to reduce the harm of mutations, showing a high level of mutational robustness. Moreover, guanine preference in HSR was observed, supporting the hypothesis that the selective constraint for high structural stability may partly account for the high percentage of G content in Escherichia coli genome. Notably, we found a substantially reduced synonymous substitution rate in HSRs compared with that in their adjacent regions. Surprisingly and interestingly, the non-key sites in HSRs, which have slight effect on structural stability, have synonymous substitution rate equivalent to background regions. To explain this result, we identified compensatory mutations in HSRs based on structural stability, and found that a considerable number of synonymous mutations occur to restore the structural stability decreased heavily by the mutations on key sites. Overall, these results suggest a significant role of local structural stability as a selective force operating on mRNA, which furthers our understanding of the constraints imposed on protein-coding RNAs.
Global Competition Law and Economics

1 Introduction A. The Framework of Legal Issues Raised by Basic Antitrust Economics B. The Remedial Structure 2 Which Horizontal Agreements Are Illegal? A. Relevant Laws And Basic Legal Elements B. Horizontal Price Fixing C. Horizontal Output Restrictions D. Horizontal Market Divisions E. Horizontal Agreements Not To DealWith Particular Firms F. Are SocialWelfare Justifications Admissible? G. Does Protecting a Legal Monopoly Conferred by Intellectual Property Law Justify an Anticompetitive Restraint? H. Buyer Cartels 3 What Unilateral Conduct Is Illegal? A. Relevant Laws and Basic Legal Elements B. The Power Element C. Second Element: Anticompetitive Conduct D. Causal Connection Between First and Second Elements Required? E. Attempted Monopolisation 4 Vertical Agreements that Restrict Dealing with Rivals A. Introduction B. Exclusive Dealing C. Tying D. Loyalty and Bundled Discounts 5 Agreements and Conduct that Arguably Distort Downstream Competition in Distributing a Supplier's Products A. Introduction B. Intrabrand Distributional Restraints on Resale C. Price Discrimination that Arguably Distorts Downstream Competition 6 Proving an Agreement or Concerted Action A. Are The Defendants Separate Entities? B. Standards for Finding a Vertical Agreement C. Standards for Finding a Horizontal Agreement or Concerted Action 7 Mergers A. Horizontal Mergers B. Vertical Mergers C. Conglomerate Mergers 8 Markets that Span Multiple Antitrust Regimes A. Extraterritorial Conduct Affecting Domestic Commerce B. Special Treatment of Conduct Affecting Exports C. Anticompetitive Conduct Involving Foreign Sovereigns D. The Trade-Antitrust Intersection E. International Cooperation In Antitrust Enforcement F. The Prospects For International Antitrust Law
Rubella antibody screening during pregnancy in an urban area of Northern Italy

Various countries have implemented anti-rubella vaccination campaigns with the main aim of preventing congenital infection. In 2003, Italy joined the European WHO programme for the elimination of congenital rubella and issued a special healthcare plan, one of the objectives of which was to reduce the proportion of rubella-susceptible pregnant women to less than 5% by 2005. The aim of this study was to determine the percentage of seronegative pregnant women after the implementation of this plan. Anti-rubella IgG and IgM antibodies were sought in 2385 pregnant women who attended our hospital for serological screening between 1 July 2008 and 30 June 2010. They included 750 women of foreign origin (31.4%). Eight percent of the women were anti-rubella seronegative: 6.2% of the Italians and 11.7% of the non-Italians. Among the women of foreign origin, the percentage of seronegativity ranged from 5.6% of those coming from Eastern Europe to 17.7% of those coming from Latin America. The level of seropositivity among women of Italian origin is high, although the objective of ensuring less than 5% of susceptible pregnant women has not yet been quite reached in our area. However, particular attention needs to be given to women coming from geographical areas characterised by different epidemiologies and vaccination strategies because the percentage of seronegativity is in some cases double that of Italian women.