Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Isothiocyanate Inhibits Restitution and Wound Repair after Injury in the Stomach: Ex Vivo and in Vitro Studies

The role of isothiocyanate (ITC) in blocking epithelial restitution after injury and in the recovery of round wounds was examined in the ex vivo guinea pig stomach and in rat gastric mucosal-1 (RGM1) cells, respectively. For this, recovery of transepithelial electrical resistance and morphology after injury or the closure of round wounds was evaluated in the presence of 4,4′-diisothiocyanatostilbene-2,2′-disulfonic acid (DIDS) or 4,4-diisothiocyanatodihydrostilbene-2,2′-disulfonic acid (H2DIDS) (two ITC groups), 4-acetamido-4-isothiocyanatostilbene-2,2′-disulfonic acid (SITS) (one ITC group), or 4,4-diinitrostilbene-2,2′-disulfonic acid (DNDS) (no ITC groups). Wounded RGM1 cells were also incubated with bicarbonate-free buffer, ATP, barium, or phloretin to determine the mechanism of ITC inhibition. At 300 μM, DIDS or H2DIDS blocked restitution and wound repair by 100%, SITS blocked wound repair by 50%, and DNDS blocked wound repair by 2%. These results demonstrate the dependence of restitution and wound repair on ITC. ITC-binding purino (ATP) receptors and KATP channels were investigated as potential sites of inhibition, but they were found not to be the target of ITC in wound repair. Phloretin, blocking the monocarboxylate transporter (MCT), dose-dependently inhibited wound repair, and this result was exacerbated when the sodium bicarbonate cotransporter (NBC) was also blocked by bicarbonate-free conditions, resulting in 100% inhibition of wound repair with no reduction in viability when both transporters were blocked simultaneously. ITC potently inhibits both MCT and NBC, which may account for the inhibitory action of DIDS during restitution and wound repair. Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction data verified that MCT-1 is expressed in RGM1 cells. In conclusion, our results suggest that bicarbonate and monocarboxylate transport may work cooperatively to facilitate restitution of the gastric mucosa after injury.
Seasonal prevalence & resting behaviour of Anopheles minimus Theobald & An. fluviatilis James (Diptera: Culicidae) in east-central India

Background & objectives: Anopheles minimus has recently been reported to have re-appeared in Keonjhar district of Orissa after a period of about 45 years of launching the malaria eradication programme. An. minimus and An. fluviatilis were the incriminated major malaria vectors in the district, endemic for falciparum malaria. The information on seasonal prevalence and resting behaviour of the vectors is crucial for implementing appropriate malaria control measures. Therefore, a study was undertaken on seasonal prevalence and resting behaviour of An. minimus and An. fluviatilis in this district. Methods: Seven randomly selected villages of Keonjhar district, Orissa, were studied during August 2005 to November 2007. Daytime resting collections indoors and outdoors were made covering three seasons of the year. The Anopheles mosquitoes obtained from different habitats were identified. Collections were maintained separately according to different sites as well as heights of the walls in human dwellings. Results: Among the indoor collections, the densities of An. minimus and An. fluviatilis were higher in human dwellings than cattle sheds. An. fluviatilis was the predominant (41.5%) species followed by An. minimus (26.3%) in human dwellings. The density of both the vector species in human dwellings peaked during rainy and winter seasons followed by summer. Walls were the most preferred site by these vectors for resting and the maximum number was collected at a height of 3 to 4 ft. Interpretation & conclusions: The resting behaviour of the vector species increases their contact with the sprayed walls and therefore, a quality residual spraying of human dwellings focusing indoor walls could interrupt the malaria transmission in this area.
L-Type Calcium Channels Play a Critical Role in Maintaining Lens Transparency by Regulating Phosphorylation of Aquaporin-0 and Myosin Light Chain and Expression of Connexins

Homeostasis of intracellular calcium is crucial for lens cytoarchitecture and transparency, however, the identity of specific channel proteins regulating calcium influx within the lens is not completely understood. Here we examined the expression and distribution profiles of L-type calcium channels (LTCCs) and explored their role in morphological integrity and transparency of the mouse lens, using cDNA microarray, RT-PCR, immunoblot, pharmacological inhibitors and immunofluorescence analyses. The results revealed that Ca (V) 1.2 and 1.3 channels are expressed and distributed in both the epithelium and cortical fiber cells in mouse lens. Inhibition of LTCCs with felodipine or nifedipine induces progressive cortical cataract formation with time, in association with decreased lens weight in ex-vivo mouse lenses. Histological analyses of felodipine treated lenses revealed extensive disorganization and swelling of cortical fiber cells resembling the phenotype reported for altered aquaporin-0 activity without detectable cytotoxic effects. Analysis of both soluble and membrane rich fractions from felodipine treated lenses by SDS-PAGE in conjunction with mass spectrometry and immunoblot analyses revealed decreases in β-B1-crystallin, Hsp-90, spectrin and filensin. Significantly, loss of transparency in the felodipine treated lenses was preceded by an increase in aquaporin-0 serine-235 phosphorylation and levels of connexin-50, together with decreases in myosin light chain phosphorylation and the levels of 14-3-3ε, a phosphoprotein-binding regulatory protein. Felodipine treatment led to a significant increase in gene expression of connexin-50 and 46 in the mouse lens. Additionally, felodipine inhibition of LTCCs in primary cultures of mouse lens epithelial cells resulted in decreased intracellular calcium, and decreased actin stress fibers and myosin light chain phosphorylation, without detectable cytotoxic response. Taken together, these observations reveal a crucial role for LTCCs in regulation of expression, activity and stability of aquaporin-0, connexins, cytoskeletal proteins, and the mechanical properties of lens, all of which have a vital role in maintaining lens function and cytoarchitecture.
Environmental Investment Versus Traditional Investment: Alternative or Redundant Pathways?

Considering the short- and long-term equilibrium between indices, the present article analyses the relationship of two segments of stock markets: environmentally sustainable investment and traditional indices. We used Johansen cointegration tests and a multivariate model of conditioned heteroscedasticity on seven stock indices: five corresponding to segments of environmental investment, namely, regarding alternative energy, clean technology, green building, sustainable water, and pollution prevention, and two indices representative of traditional stock market segments, whose philosophy is based on a purely financial logic. The period considered was 8 years. Our result shows that in the long term, the pattern of behaviour of environmental indices differed from traditional indices, and no equilibrium relationships were identified. In the short term, the two groups of indices reported very similar behaviour, with the daily dynamics being determined fundamentally by cross-market factors.
Abstract 18956: Comparison of Global and Regional Myocardial Strains in Patients With Heart Failure With a Preserved Ejection Fraction vs Hypertension vs Age Matched Control

Introduction, Hypothesis: The objective of this study was to analyze global and regional left ventricular (LV) strains using echocardiography speckle tracking in patients with HFpEF and compared those parameters with that of patients with hypertension and normal subjects. Methods: Each regional and global longitudinal, circumferential and radial strains were evaluated with echocardiography using speckle-tracking for fifty patients with HFpEF, fifty-six patients with hypertension and forty-six age-matched normal subjects. Diastolic strain rate was also determined. Results: Peak longitudinal, circumferential and radial strains and strain rate were globally reduced in patients with HFpEF compared to both hypertension patients and normal controls. In addition, the HFpEF patients demonstrated significantly lower longitudinal, circumferential and radial regional strain compared to both hypertension patients and normal controls, in all segments except in inferoseptal and inferolateral apical segments. Notably, g.
Deciphering the 2016 U.S. Presidential Campaign in the Twitter Sphere: A Comparison of the Trumpists and Clintonists

In this paper, we study follower demographics of Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton, the two leading candidates in the 2016 U.S. presidential race. We build a unique dataset US2016, which includes the number of followers for each candidate from September 17, 2015 to December 22, 2015. US2016 also includes the geographical location of these followers, the number of their own followers and, very importantly, the profile image of each follower. We use individuals' number of followers and profile images to analyze four dimensions of follower demographics: social status, gender, race and age. Our study shows that in terms of social influence, the Trumpists are more polarized than the Clintonists: they tend to have either a lot of influence or little influence. We also find that compared with the Clintonists, the Trumpists are more likely to be either very young or very old. Our study finds no gender affinity effect for Clinton in the Twitter sphere, but we do find that the Clintonists are more racially diverse.
Swift and Chandra confirm the intensity-hardness correlation of the AXP 1RXS J170849.0-400910

Convincing evidence of long-term variations in the emission properties of the anomalous X-ray pulsar 1RXS J170849.0-400910 has been gathered in the past few years. In particular, and following the pulsar glitches of 1999 and 2001, XMM-Newton witnessed a decline in 2003 of the X-ray flux accompanied by a definite spectral softening. This suggested the existence of a correlation between the luminosity and the spectral hardness in this source, similar to what was seen in the soft gamma-repeater SGR 1806-20. Here we report on new Chandra and Swift observations of 1RXS J170849.0-400910 performed in 2004 and 2005, respectively. These observations confirm and strengthen the proposed correlation. The trend appears to have now reversed: the flux has increased and the spectrum is now harder. We briefly discuss the consequences of these observations for the twisted magnetosphere scenario for anomalous X-ray pulsars.
The plasmonic engineering of metal nanoparticles for enhanced fluorescence and Raman scattering

We have investigated the effects of tuning the localized surface plasmon resonances (LSPRs) of silver nanoparticles on the fluorescence intensity, lifetime, and Raman signal from nearby fluorophores. The presence of a metallic structure can alter the optical properties of a molecule by increasing the excitation field, and by modifying radiative and nonradiative decay mechanisms. By careful choice of experimental parameters we have been able to decouple these effects. We observe a fourfold increase in fluorescence enhancement and an almost 30-fold increase in decay rate from arrays of Ag nanoparticles, when the LSPR is tuned to the emission wavelength of a locally situated fluorophore. This is consistent with a greatly increased efficiency for energy transfer from fluorophores to surface plasmons, resulting in a significant increase in quantum yield. Additionally, spatial mapping of the surface enhanced Raman scattering signal from a nanoparticle array reveals highly localized differences in the excitation field.
Accounting Information Systems in an ERP Environment and Tunisian Firm Performance

ERP system adoption has largely marked the evolution of accounting information systems (AISs). Modern AISs have great potential to influence business performance. The purpose of this study is to examine the influence of the accounting information system in an ERP environment on firm performance. We investigate the direct effects of top management involvement and external expertise on the AIS. We also examine the interaction effect of accounting staff competency with the AIS and test its impact on firm performance improvement. We conduct an empirical study of 102 Tunisian firms adopting ERP systems. We use the partial least square (PLS) approach for hypothesis testing. The results indicate that top management involvement and external expertise have an impact on the AIS. Furthermore, they show that the accounting techniques used after ERP system adoption influence firm performance. The interaction effect of accounting staff competency with the AIS has a positive impact on firm performance improvement.
Human emotions recognition using adaptive sublayer compensation and various feature extraction mechanisms

Human emotions are an important part of our life. We express our feelings through emotions. Recognition and validation of human emotions have become important for improving the overall human computer interaction. Emotion Recognition is a progressive research area and plays an important role in Computer interaction. For any Emotions Recognition, it is necessary to obtain the image features of face that can be used to detect the emotion class. We implement the adaptive sub-layer compensation (ASLC) based facial emotions recognition method for human emotions recognition with various features extraction mechanism. We modify Marr-Hildreth algorithm by using Adaptive sub-layer compensation and hysteresis analysis to minimize negative effects of Laplacian of Gaussian (LoG), such as image degradation, high response to unwanted details in image, and disconnected edge details from given image. We have studied four different features extraction techniques to identify the emotion. The four feature detection mechanisms implemented are Principal Component Analysis, Local Tetra Pattern, Magnitude Pattern and Wavelet features. The emotion class is identified by using the extracted features and K nearest neighbor algorithm. We identify five different emotion classes i.e. Happy, Sad, Neutral, Surprise and Fear. We have used still image database for the experiments and the results gives identification of input into the five different emotion classes i.e. Happy, Sad, Neutral, Surprise and Fear.
MR angiographic and sonographic indications for endarterectomy.

PURPOSE Our objective was to determine whether appropriate criteria could be developed for performing an endarterectomy on the basis of sonographic and MR angiographic findings. METHODS Fifty patients were examined prospectively with sonography, MR angiography, and conventional angiography. All three imaging studies were performed within 2 weeks of one another, and conventional angiography served as the reference standard. RESULTS All 10 carotid occlusions were detected with sonography and MR angiography. Sonography accurately showed flow in two arteries, and MR angiography showed flow in one of three nearly occluded arteries with extremely slow flow. Multislab three-dimensional time-of-flight MR angiographic sequences underestimated the degree of stenosis in 12 arteries, and in two cases this resulted from high T1 signal within the atherosclerotic plaque. With conventional angiography as the reference standard for 70% to 99% stenosis, sonography had a sensitivity of 96%, a specificity of 91%, and a positive predictive value of 90%, while concordant sonographic findings and the presence of a signal void on multislab 3-D time-of-flight sequences had a sensitivity of 72%, a specificity of 98%, and a positive predictive value of 97%. CONCLUSION Endarterectomy performed on the basis of sonographic findings of 70% to 99% stenosis and of a signal void on multislab 3-D time-of-flight MR angiographic sequences is appropriate.
Information Centrality and Ordering of Nodes for Accuracy in Noisy Decision-Making Networks

This technical note considers a network of stochastic evidence accumulators, each represented by a drift-diffusion model accruing evidence towards a decision in continuous time by observing a noisy signal and by exchanging information with other units according to a fixed communication graph. These network dynamics model distributed sequential hypothesis testing as well as collective decision making. We prove the relationship between the location of each unit in the graph and its certainty as measured by the inverse of the variance of its state. Under mild connectivity assumptions, we show that only in balanced directed graphs do the node variances remain within a bounded constant from the minimum possible variance. We then prove that, for these digraphs, node ranking based on certainty is governed by information centrality, which depends on the notion of effective resistance suitably generalized to directed graphs. Our results, which describe the certainty of each unit as a function of the structural properties of the graph, can guide the selection of leaders in problems that involve the observation of noisy external signals by a cooperative multi-agent network.
What's the value of your privacy? Exploring factors that influence privacy-sensitive contributions to participatory sensing applications

Mobile sensing applications leverage sensors embedded in today's mobile phones to gather both user-centric and environmental data in unprecedented quantity and quality. The collection of sensor readings annotated with time and location information may however endanger users' privacy, as they may reveal their routines and habits. Our paper investigates different factors that may foster user contributions to these applications despite the related privacy threats. In particular, we analyze the impact of demographics, incentives, and gathering conditions on both the importance and value of privacy by means of a questionnaire-based user study with 200 anonymous participants. Our results show that young participants already sharing information online are more susceptible to contribute to participatory sensing applications initiated by academic institutions for a mean monthly reward of 50 euros.
Identifying the influence of leisure-based social circus on the health and well-being of young people in Australia

ABSTRACT The purpose of this study was to identify how leisure-based participation in social circus-arts may impact the health and well-being of children aged between 8 and 14 years in Australia. Research regarding the influence of arts participation has shown positive health outcomes. Performing and visual arts have been used as therapy, in illness prevention and for the promotion of good health. However, a gap in knowledge currently exists regarding the influence participation in the circus-arts may have for Australian youth in the general population. This qualitative study collaborated with a community embedded, not-for-profit, South Australian Circus School. Focus group results indicated active participation in circus for leisure, positively influenced children’s mental well-being, aided socialisation skills, encouraged enjoyment of physical activity and built resilience to adversity. Circus participation for leisure may be viewed as a resource for positively influencing participant’s health and well-being.
Where's the Race in Culturally Relevant Pedagogy?.

Background/Context: When Ladson-Billings described the pedagogical practices of successful teachers of African American children and consequently conceptualized culturally relevant pedagogy as an analytic resource to describe and make sense of pedagogical practices of teachers, her discussion was situated in a frame that examined instructional moves of teachers, especially with Black students. Since the introduction of this pedagogy, researchers and theorists have broadened Ladson-Billings’s conceptualization to include various other factors. However, race is no longer as central as it was when the framework was introduced.
LUTEINIZING HORMONE RECEPTOR Expression and post-translational regulation of the rat receptor and its ectodomain splice variant PIRJO APAJA

The luteinizing hormone receptor (LHR) is a G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) that has a large Nterminal ligand binding ectodomain. The LHR ectodomain splice variant, expressed concomitantly with the full-length LHR in tissues, has an unknown biological function. GPCRs are a major pharmacological target, however, very little is known about the intracellular regulation of these receptors. In the present work, expression and maturation of the rat LHR and its variant were elucidated using both tissues and heterologous expression systems. A special effort was made to identify the role of developmental stage and tissue type on the LHR maturation and to find out about the molecular role of the ectodomain splice variant. We found two sites of localization for the receptor, namely the sensory system and urogenital tissues. This was demonstrated at mRNA and protein level and by rat LHR promoter-driven βgalactosidase (β-Gal) expression in the mice. In neurons, the β-Gal co-localized with the cytochrome P450 side chain cleavage enzyme, which may indicate a novel role in the neurosteroid synthesis. The neuronal LHR was expressed in the mature and immature protein forms in both developing and adult tissues, being able to bind hormone with similar high-affinity as gonadal receptors. In contrast, only immature receptors were detected in the fetal rat urogenital structures. A significant novel finding was substantial upregulation of the LHR in pregnant female rat adrenal glands and kidneys at a time that coincides with the differentiation of the fetal urogenital tissues. The mice overexpressing the ectodomain splice variant showed interference in pituitary-gonadal functions and morphological changes in the urogenital tissues. The studies showed that the variant was an endoplasmic reticulum (ER)-retained soluble protein. It accumulated in juxtanuclear regions of the ER together with ER folding chaperones and was a substrate for ER associated degradation (ERAD). The co-expression of the variant with the full-length receptor decreased the amount of receptors and misrouted them to the juxtanuclear ER subcompartment. Taken together, we suggest that the maturation of the LHR protein is developmentally and physiologically regulated at the post-translational level in tissues. The LHR ectodomain splice variant possibly modulates post-translationally the number of full-length receptors through physiological signals. Our observation of the chaperone and protein accumulation into a specific ER subcompartment may represent a protein quality control holding compartment for inefficiently/ misfolded ERAD substrates.
Euro‐Mediterranean rainfall and ENSO—a seasonally varying relationship

Using observational datasets and atmospheric reanalyses, we show that interannual variability of rainfall in the Euro‐Mediterranean sector is significantly influenced by ENSO in a way that is seasonally varying. Spatially coherent correlation patterns are found in central and eastern Europe during winter and spring, and in western Europe and the Mediterranean region during autumn and spring. A composite analysis of ENSO events indicates that during an El Nino western Mediterranean rainfall has a 10% increase (decrease) in the autumn preceeding (spring after) the mature phase of an event, corresponding to a rainy season arriving (retreating) earlier compared to the climatology. The atmospheric reanalyses show that an anomalous atmospheric circulation and moisture transport extending from the Atlantic Ocean into the Euro‐Mediterranean region accompanies the observed rainfall anomalies. Multidecadal variations characterize the ENSO Euro‐Mediterranean relationship during the 20th century.