Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
ACBP and cholesterol differentially alter fatty acyl CoA utilization by microsomal ACAT Published, JLR Papers in Press, October 1, 2002. DOI 10.1194/jlr.M200191-JLR200

Microsomal acyl CoA:cholesterol acyltransferase (ACAT) is stimulated in vitro and/or in intact cells by proteins that bind and transfer both substrates, cholesterol, and fatty acyl CoA. To resolve the role of fatty acyl CoA binding independent of cholesterol binding/transfer, a protein that exclusively binds fatty acyl CoA (acyl CoA binding protein, ACBP) was compared. ACBP contains an endoplasmic reticulum retention motif and significantly colocalized with acyl-CoA cholesteryl acyltransferase 2 (ACAT2) and endoplasmic reticulum markers in L-cell fibroblasts and hepatoma cells, respectively. In the presence of exogenous cholesterol, ACAT was stimulated in the order: ACBP > sterol carrier protein-2 (SCP-2) > liver fatty acid binding protein (L-FABP). Stimulation was in the same order as the relative affinities of the proteins for fatty acyl CoA. In contrast, in the absence of exogenous cholesterol, these proteins inhibited microsomal ACAT, but in the same order: ACBP > SCP-2 > L-FABP. The extracellular protein BSA stimulated microsomal ACAT regardless of the presence or absence of exogenous cholesterol. Thus, ACBP was the most potent intracellular fatty acyl CoA binding protein in differentially modulating the activity of microsomal ACAT to form cholesteryl esters independent of cholesterol binding/transfer ability.
Breaking the self-concept enhancement conundrum: Re-conceptualising the next generation of self-concept enhancement research

Due to the benefits of a positive self-concept, enhancing self-concept across the lifespan is recognized internationally as a highly desirable goal in diverse settings ranging from the preschool classroom to the retirement village. Despite this importance placed on the value of enhancing self-concept and the presumed impact of self-concept enhancement on other desirable outcomes, a plethora of self-concept interventions have failed to enhance self-concept. In this paper we encourage researchers to break this self-concept enhancement conundrum. Firstly, we provide a rationale for enhancing self-concept in order to demonstrate that enhancing self-concept is a highly desirable goal and a vital key to maximising human potential and happiness. To underpin this rationale we provide an overview of research evidence from the education sector that demonstrates self-concept's causal impact on subsequent academic achievement and other desirable educational outcomes. Secondly, we present a brief historical overview of self-concept theory and intervention research to illustrate that historically intervention research has been plagued by weak research methodology that continues to dominate enhancement research in this new millennium. Thirdly, we describe advances in self-concept theory, measurement and research that can be capitalized upon to expedite progress in unravelling the self-concept enhancement conundrum. Fourthly, we summarize results from important meta-analyses that critically analyse the effects of a range of self-concept interventions, and outline promising interventions, research designs and methods. Finally, based upon a synthesis of information presented in this paper, we present guidelines to call upon and assist researchers to implement the next generation of self-concept enhancement research to break the self-concept enhancement conundrum
Crab spiders affect flower visitation by bees

In a field experiment, the bumblebee, B. ternarius, visited milkweed patches harboring crab spiders, Misumena vatia, at a lower frequency than patches free of crab spiders, and honeybees showed a similar but non-significant trend. Two other bumblebee species, B. terricola and B. vagans, did not avoid the spider patches. The latter two species are larger than B. ternarius and honeybees and suffer lower crab-spider predation. As far as we know, this is the first field study documenting negative effects of predators on flower visitation rate by pollinator populations. Our study suggests that pollinator response to predation may influence pollinator-plant interactions.
Tumor LINE-1 methylation level and microsatellite instability in relation to colorectal cancer prognosis.

BACKGROUND Hypomethylation in long interspersed nucleotide element-1 (LINE-1) and high-degree microsatellite instability (MSI-high) in colorectal cancer (CRC) have been associated with inferior and superior survival, respectively; however, it remains uncertain whether the prognostic association of LINE-1 hypomethylation differs by MSI status. We hypothesized that the adverse prognostic association of LINE-1 hypomethylation might be stronger in MSI-high CRCs than in microsatellite stable (MSS) CRCs. METHODS Utilizing 1211 CRCs in the Nurses' Health Study and the Health Professionals Follow-up Study, we examined patient survival according to LINE-1 hypomethylation status in strata of MSI status. A Cox proportional hazards model was used to compute multivariable CRC-specific mortality hazard ratios (HRs) for a 10% decrease in LINE-1 methylation level (range = 23.1-93.1%), adjusting for potential confounders, including CpG island methylator phenotype, and KRAS, BRAF, and PIK3CA mutations. Statistical tests (log-rank test, chi-square test, and likelihood ratio test) were two-sided. RESULTS In MSI-high cancers, the association of LINE-1 hypomethylation with higher mortality (HR = 2.45, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.64 to 3.66, P < .001) was stronger than that in MSS cancers (HR = 1.10, 95% CI = 0.98 to 1.24, P = .11) (P interaction < .001, between LINE-1 and MSI statuses). In MSI-high cases with CRC family history, the association of LINE-1 hypomethylation with higher mortality (HR = 5.13, 95% CI = 1.99 to 13.2; P < .001) was stronger than that in MSI-high cases without CRC family history (HR = 1.62, 95% CI = 0.89 to 2.94, P = .11) (P interaction = .02, between LINE-1 and CRC family history statuses). CONCLUSIONS The association of LINE-1 hypomethylation with inferior survival is stronger in MSI-high CRCs than in MSS CRCs. Tumor LINE-1 methylation level may be a useful prognostic biomarker to identify aggressive carcinomas among MSI-high CRCs.
Zero-forcing assisted spatial stream allocation in uplink multiuser MIMO systems

This paper introduces a low complexity postprocessing technique allocating spatial streams for uplink transmissions in multiuser (MU) multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) systems. The scheme is based on zero-forcing (ZF) cancelation of the multiple access interference (MAI) caused by simultaneous transmissions to the access point (AP) equipped with multiple receive antennas from selected users equipped with multiple transmit antennas. The ZF based post-processing at the AP using all channel gain matrices in MU-MIMO is further aided by the singular value decomposition (SVD) preprocessing utilizing local channel state information (CSI) only. Moreover, an antenna selection algorithm is proposed to gain performance advantage from the channel diversity in multiuser environments. Simulation results are provided to demonstrate the potential of our technique in terms of bit error rate performance and capacity.
On Metric Skyline Processing by PM-tree

The task of similarity search in multimedia databases is usually accomplished by range or k nearest neighbor queries. However, the expressing power of these "single-example" queries fails when the user's delicate query intent is not available as a single example. Recently, the well-known skyline operator was reused in metric similarity search as a "multi-example" query type. When applied on a multi-dimensional database (i.e., on a multi-attribute table), the traditional skyline operator selects all database objects that are not dominated by other objects. The metric skyline query adopts the skyline operator such that the multiple attributes are represented by distances (similarities) to multiple query examples. Hence, we can view the metric skyline as a set of representative database objects which are as similar to all the examples as possible and, simultaneously, are semantically distinct. In this paper we propose a technique of processing the metric skyline query by use of PM-tree, while we show that our technique significantly outperforms the original M-tree based implementation in both time and space costs. In experiments we also evaluate the partial metric skyline processing, where only a controlled number of skyline objects is retrieved.
HER-2/neu Testing and Therapy in Gastroesophageal Adenocarcinoma

Despite ongoing advances in the treatment of gastroesophageal cancer, prognosis remains poor. The best promise to improve this poor survival is provided by new targeted agents. Of these, human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) is currently in the spotlight. In this review, we provide an overview of recent developments in HER2 testing and results of clinical trials targeting HER2 in gastroesophageal adenocarcinoma. Based on the encouraging ToGA trial findings it is now expected that routine HER2 testing will be included in the diagnostic work-up of patients with advanced gastric cancer. With regard to this testing, overexpression of the HER2 protein seems to possess the best predictive properties. However, HER2 immunohistochemistry (IHC) is subject to assay and interobserver variability, so standardization and internal and external proficiency testing is an absolute prerequisite, especially as the IHC scoring system in gastric cancer is different from that of breast cancer. Further study is needed to investigate the clinical meaning of the significant heterogeneity observed in both gene amplification and protein overexpression in gastroesophageal cancer. Highly effective therapies for gastroesophageal cancer can only be accomplished by a multi-targeted approach, considering crosstalk between pathways and continuing to optimize chemotherapy.
Genome-Wide Identification and Expression Profiling of Tomato Hsp20 Gene Family in Response to Biotic and Abiotic Stresses

The Hsp20 genes are involved in the response of plants to environment stresses including heat shock and also play a vital role in plant growth and development. They represent the most abundant small heat shock proteins (sHsps) in plants, but little is known about this family in tomato (Solanum lycopersicum), an important vegetable crop in the world. Here, we characterized heat shock protein 20 (SlHsp20) gene family in tomato through integration of gene structure, chromosome location, phylogenetic relationship, and expression profile. Using bioinformatics-based methods, we identified at least 42 putative SlHsp20 genes in tomato. Sequence analysis revealed that most of SlHsp20 genes possessed no intron or a relatively short intron in length. Chromosome mapping indicated that inter-arm and intra-chromosome duplication events contributed remarkably to the expansion of SlHsp20 genes. Phylogentic tree of Hsp20 genes from tomato and other plant species revealed that SlHsp20 genes were grouped into 13 subfamilies, indicating that these genes may have a common ancestor that generated diverse subfamilies prior to the mono-dicot split. In addition, expression analysis using RNA-seq in various tissues and developmental stages of cultivated tomato and the wild relative Solanum pimpinellifolium revealed that most of these genes (83%) were expressed in at least one stage from at least one genotype. Out of 42 genes, 4 genes were expressed constitutively in almost all the tissues analyzed, implying that these genes might have specific housekeeping function in tomato cell under normal growth conditions. Two SlHsp20 genes displayed differential expression levels between cultivated tomato and S. pimpinellifolium in vegetative (leaf and root) and reproductive organs (floral bud and flower), suggesting inter-species diversification for functional specialization during the process of domestication. Based on genome-wide microarray analysis, we showed that the transcript levels of SlHsp20 genes could be induced profusely by abiotic and biotic stresses such as heat, drought, salt, Botrytis cinerea, and Tomato Spotted Wilt Virus (TSWV), indicating their potential roles in mediating the response of tomato plants to environment stresses. In conclusion, these results provide valuable information for elucidating the evolutionary relationship of Hsp20 gene family and functional characterization of the SlHsp20 gene family in the future.
Exports and Skills: The Impact of Destination in a Middle Income Country

In this work we analyse the links between exports and its destination to high income countries and the demand for skilled labour. The theoretical literature argues that exporting to high-income countries leads to quality upgrading that is skill intensive, and which requires additional skill intensive services. We test this theory using a panel of Uruguayan manufacturing firms for the period 1997-2006 using data from the Encuesta de Actividad Economica from the Instituto Nacional de Estadisticas, which was merged with export data from the Direccion Nacional de Aduanas. Firstly, we analyse associations by means of OLS estimations. Then we use IV-GMM models to analyse causality. Our preliminary results seem to indicate that contrary to previous studies for developed and other middle income economies such as Mexico (Verhoogen 2008) and Argentina (Brambilla et al. 2012), exports to high income countries do not translate into a higher demand for skills for the Uruguayan case, while exports in general do. The explanation for these results may lie in the productive specialization of the country, characterised by sectors of low scope for vertical differentiation, or as Hausmann et al. (2005) argue “what we export matters”.
Specificity and clinical utility of methods for the detection of macroprolactin.

BACKGROUND Increased serum concentrations of macroprolactin are a relatively common cause of misdiagnosis and mismanagement of hyperprolactinemic patients. METHODS We studied sera from a cohort of 42 patients whose biochemical hyperprolactinemia was explained entirely by macroprolactin. Using 5 pretreatments, polyethylene glycol (PEG), protein A (PA), protein G (PG), anti-human IgG (anti-hIgG), and ultrafiltration (UF), to deplete macroprolactin from sera before immunoassay, we compared residual prolactin concentrations with monomer concentrations obtained by gel-filtration chromatography (GFC). A monomeric prolactin standard was used to assess recovery and specificity of the pretreatment procedures. RESULTS Residual prolactin concentrations in all pretreated sera differed significantly (P < 0.001) from monomeric concentrations obtained after GFC. PEG underestimated (mean, 75%), whereas PA, PG, anti-hIgG, and UF overestimated (means, 178%, 151%, 178%, and 112%, respectively) the amount of monomer present. Of the 5 methods examined, PEG correlated best with GFC (r = 0.80) followed by PG (r = 0.78), PA (r = 0.72), anti-hIgG (r = 0.70), and UF (r = 0.61). After UF or pretreatment with anti-hIgG or PEG, recovery of monomeric prolactin standard was low: 60%, 85%, and 77% respectively. In contrast, pretreatment with PA or PG gave almost quantitative recovery. CONCLUSIONS None of the methods examined yielded results identical to the GFC method. PEG pretreatment yielded results that correlated best and is recommended as the first-choice alternative to GFC.
Mapping Virtual Machines onto Physical Machines in Cloud Computing

Cloud computing enables users to provision resources on demand and execute applications in a way that meets their requirements by choosing virtual resources that fit their application resource needs. Then, it becomes the task of cloud resource providers to accommodate these virtual resources onto physical resources. This problem is a fundamental challenge in cloud computing as resource providers need to map virtual resources onto physical resources in a way that takes into account the providers’ optimization objectives. This article surveys the relevant body of literature that deals with this mapping problem and how it can be addressed in different scenarios and through different objectives and optimization techniques. The evaluation aspects of different solutions are also considered. The article aims at both identifying and classifying research done in the area adopting a categorization that can enhance understanding of the problem.
Attenuation of Nicotine-Induced Antinociception, Rewarding Effects, and Dependence in μ-Opioid Receptor Knock-Out Mice

The involvement of μ-opioid receptors in different behavioral responses elicited by nicotine was explored by using μ-opioid receptor knock-out mice. The acute antinociceptive responses induced by nicotine in the tail-immersion and hot-plate tests were reduced in the mutant mice, whereas no difference between genotypes was observed in the locomotor responses. The rewarding effects induced by nicotine were then investigated using the conditioning place-preference paradigm. Nicotine produced rewarding responses in wild-type mice but failed to produce place preference in knock-out mice, indicating the inability of this drug to induce rewarding effects in the absence of μ-opioid receptors. Finally, the somatic expression of the nicotine withdrawal syndrome, precipitated in dependent mice by the injection of mecamylamine, was evaluated. Nicotine withdrawal was significantly attenuated in knock-out mutants when compared with wild-type mice. In summary, the present results show that μ-opioid receptors are involved in the rewarding responses induced by nicotine and participate in its antinociceptive responses and the expression of nicotine physical dependence.
Returns to Publicly Owned Transport Infrastructure Investment. A Cost Function/Cost Share Approach for Norway, 1971-1991

An issue of major concern to politicians and policy-makers around the world today is whether transport infrastructure investments, such as those in roads and airports, generate enough economic benefits to justify their very large price tag. Beginning in the mid 1970s, nearly all OECD countries experienced a sustained decline both in public investment and in private sector output. Since infrastructure comprises the vast majority of public capital in these countries, this led many economists to conclude that underinvestment in infrastructure was largely responsible for the low growth rates in output and productivity which were experienced by these countries. In our paper, we discuss the findings in the literature with respect to both econometric and modeling deficiencies. Based on these criticisms, we develop a cost function modeling approach which includes public transport infrastructure capital, perform an econometric analysis and discuss several of our estimates of infrastructure productivity effects. The paper concludes that, in nearly all production sectors (except oil/agriculture), the public transport infrastructure investments made in Norway over the last 20 years significantly reduced private production costs and altered demand for private inputs. However, we find such effects to be statistically insignificant at the aggregate level.
Laplacian lines for real-time shape illustration

This paper presents a novel object-space line drawing algorithm that can depict shape with view dependent feature lines in real-time. Strongly inspired by the Laplacian-of-Gaussian (LoG) edge detector in image processing, we define Laplacian Lines as the zero-crossing points of the Laplacian of the surface illumination. Compared to other view dependent features, Laplacian lines are computationally efficient because most expensive computations can be pre-processed. Thus, Laplacian lines are very promising for interactively illustrating large-scale models.
Rehabilitation with Poststroke Motor Recovery: A Review with a Focus on Neural Plasticity

Motor recovery after stroke is related to neural plasticity, which involves developing new neuronal interconnections, acquiring new functions, and compensating for impairment. However, neural plasticity is impaired in the stroke-affected hemisphere. Therefore, it is important that motor recovery therapies facilitate neural plasticity to compensate for functional loss. Stroke rehabilitation programs should include meaningful, repetitive, intensive, and task-specific movement training in an enriched environment to promote neural plasticity and motor recovery. Various novel stroke rehabilitation techniques for motor recovery have been developed based on basic science and clinical studies of neural plasticity. However, the effectiveness of rehabilitative interventions among patients with stroke varies widely because the mechanisms underlying motor recovery are heterogeneous. Neurophysiological and neuroimaging studies have been developed to evaluate the heterogeneity of mechanisms underlying motor recovery for effective rehabilitation interventions after stroke. Here, we review novel stroke rehabilitation techniques associated with neural plasticity and discuss individualized strategies to identify appropriate therapeutic goals, prevent maladaptive plasticity, and maximize functional gain in patients with stroke.
Industrial ecology: a new perspective on the future of the industrial system.

Industrial ecology? A surprising, intriguing expression that immediately draws our attention. The spontaneous reaction is that "industrial ecology" is a contradiction in terms, something of an oxymoron, like "obscure clarity" or "burning ice". Why this reflex? Probably because we are accustomed to considering the industrial system as isolated from the Biosphere, with factories and cities on one side and nature on the other, as well as the recurrent problem of trying to minimise th impact of the industrial system on what is "beyond" it: its surroundings, the "environment". As early as the 1950's, this end-of-pipe angle was the one adopted by ecologists, whose first serious studies focused on the consequences of the various forms of pollution on nature. In this perspective on the industrial system, human industrial activity as such remained outside the field of research. Industrial ecology explores the opposite assumption: The industrial system can be seen as a certain kind of ecosystem. After all, the industrial system, just as natural ecosystems, can be described as a particular distribution of materials, energy, and information flows. Furthermore, the entire industrial system relies on resources and services provided by the Biosphere, from which it cannot be dissociated. (It should be specified that "industrial", in the context of industrial ecology, refers to all human activities occurring within modern technological society. Thus, tourism, housing, medical services, transportation, agriculture, etc. are part of the industrial system.) Besides its rigorous scientific conceptual framework (scientific ecology), industrial ecology can also be seen as a practical approach to sustainability. It is an attempt to address the question, "How can the concept of sustainable development be made operational in an economically feasible way? " Industrial ecology represents precisely one of the paths that could provide concrete solutions. Governments have traditionally approached development and environmental issues in a fragmented and compartmentalised way. This is illustrated in the classical end-of-pipe strategy for the treatment of pollution, which has proven to be quite useful, but not adequate to make an efficient use of limited resources, in the context of a growing population with increasing economic aspirations. Thus, industrial ecology emerges at a time when it is becoming increasingly clear that the traditional pollution treatment approach (end-of-pipe) is not only insufficient to solve environmental problems, but also too costly in the long run.