Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Alpha‐lipoic acid: An inimitable feed supplement for poultry nutrition

Alpha-lipoic acid (ALA) is a multifunction antioxidant that is produced in small amount by cells as well as its dietary provision facilitates fatty acid mobilization, energy expenditure as well as can scavenge free radicals in poultry birds. It exists in oxidized as well as reduced form, characterized by growth promoting, anti-inflammatory, antioxidative, immunostimulatory, and hypocholesterolemic properties when fed as dietary supplement to farm animals particularly chicken birds. Recently, several studies reported that dietary supplementation of ALA can influence growth performance indicators, immunological, biochemical characteristics, lipid metabolism, and oxidative stress as well as increase antioxidant potential and storability of poultry meat and meat products. Accordingly, this paper adds the reviews and discusses the outcomes of studies documenting the effect of lipoic acid dietary fortification on growth performance, biochemical, and immunological characteristics as well as the effects on lipid peroxidation of fresh meat and meat-based products. Furthermore, this paper also describes the possibilities of utilization of ALA as a feed additive in poultry nutrition to improve the growth performance of poultry as well as meat quality of resultant chicken birds.
Two Conserved Amino Acid Motifs Mediate Protein Targeting to the Micronemes of the Apicomplexan ParasiteToxoplasma gondii

ABSTRACT The micronemal protein 2 (MIC2) of Toxoplasma gondiishares sequence and structural similarities with a series of adhesive molecules of different apicomplexan parasites. These molecules accumulate, through a yet unknown mechanism, in secretory vesicles (micronemes), which together with tubular and membrane structures form the locomotion and invasion machinery of apicomplexan parasites. Our findings indicated that two conserved motifs placed within the cytoplasmic domain of MIC2 are both necessary and sufficient for targeting proteins to T. gondii micronemes. The first motif is based around the amino acid sequence SYHYY. Database analysis revealed that a similar sequence is present in the cytoplasmic tail of all transmembrane micronemal proteins identified so far in different apicomplexan species. The second signal consists of a stretch of acidic residues, EIEYE. The creation of an artificial tail containing only the two motifs SYHYY and EIEYE in a preserved spacing configuration is sufficient to target the surface protein SAG1 to the micronemes ofT. gondii. These findings shed new light on the molecular mechanisms that control the formation of the microneme content and the functional relationship that links these organelles with the endoplasmic reticulum of the parasite.
Bile Acid Promotes Intestinal Metaplasia and Gastric Carcinogenesis

Background: Bile acid and Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) are important toxic factors for gastric mucosal injury. We examined the role of bile acid in promoting histologic gastritis and gastric carcinoma in Japanese patients. Methods: A total of 767 patients (452 men, mean age 51.1 years) were studied. Gastric juice was collected by gastro-endoscopic examination, and the bile acid concentration was examined by enzymatic method. The grade of histologic gastritis was evaluated by gastric biopsies, and the relationship between the bile acid concentration and the gastritis score was examined. The occurrence of gastric cancer was examined by a retrospective cohort study. CDX2/CINC1 expression in RGM-1 cells was evaluated by real-time PCR. Results: In H. pylori–positive patients, we found significant positive correlation between the bile acid concentration and the grades of atrophy/intestinal metaplasia (P < 0.01). However, we found significant negative associations between the bile acid concentrations and the histologic scores of mononuclear cell/neutrophil infiltrations (P < 0.01). Patients with a high concentration of bile acid developed gastric cancer more frequently than those with a low concentration (P < 0.05). Cholic acid treatment significantly increased CDX2 expression in RGM-1 cells. CINC1 expression in RGM-1 cell was significantly induced by coculture with H. pylori, and the induction was reduced by glycochenodeoxycholic acid treatment. Conclusion: The bile acid in gastric juice contributes to the progression of histologic atrophy and intestinal metaplasia without inflammatory cell infiltration, followed by carcinogenesis in H. pylori–positive patients. Impact: Bile acid promotes intestinal metaplasia and gastric carcinogenesis without inflammatory cell infiltration. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev; 21(11); 2101–7. ©2012 AACR.
Peroxiredoxin 3 Is a Redox-Dependent Target of Thiostrepton in Malignant Mesothelioma Cells

Thiostrepton (TS) is a thiazole antibiotic that inhibits expression of FOXM1, an oncogenic transcription factor required for cell cycle progression and resistance to oncogene-induced oxidative stress. The mechanism of action of TS is unclear and strategies that enhance TS activity will improve its therapeutic potential. Analysis of human tumor specimens showed FOXM1 is broadly expressed in malignant mesothelioma (MM), an intractable tumor associated with asbestos exposure. The mechanism of action of TS was investigated in a cell culture model of human MM. As for other tumor cell types, TS inhibited expression of FOXM1 in MM cells in a dose-dependent manner. Suppression of FOXM1 expression and coincidental activation of ERK1/2 by TS were abrogated by pre-incubation of cells with the antioxidant N-acetyl-L-cysteine (NAC), indicating its mechanism of action in MM cells is redox-dependent. Examination of the mitochondrial thioredoxin reductase 2 (TR2)-thioredoxin 2 (TRX2)-peroxiredoxin 3 (PRX3) antioxidant network revealed that TS modifies the electrophoretic mobility of PRX3. Incubation of recombinant human PRX3 with TS in vitro also resulted in PRX3 with altered electrophoretic mobility. The cellular and recombinant species of modified PRX3 were resistant to dithiothreitol and SDS and suppressed by NAC, indicating that TS covalently adducts cysteine residues in PRX3. Reduction of endogenous mitochondrial TRX2 levels by the cationic triphenylmethane gentian violet (GV) promoted modification of PRX3 by TS and significantly enhanced its cytotoxic activity. Our results indicate TS covalently adducts PRX3, thereby disabling a major mitochondrial antioxidant network that counters chronic mitochondrial oxidative stress. Redox-active compounds like GV that modify the TR2/TRX2 network may significantly enhance the efficacy of TS, thereby providing a combinatorial approach for exploiting redox-dependent perturbations in mitochondrial function as a therapeutic approach in mesothelioma.
On the pp-wave limit and the BMN structure of new Sasaki-Einstein spaces

We construct the pp-wave string associated with the Penrose limit of Yp,q and Lp,q,r families of Sasaki-Einstein geometries. We identify in the dual quiver gauge theories the chiral and the non-chiral operators that correspond to the ground state and the first excited states. We present an explicit identification in a prototype model of L1,7,3.
Phonons in SiO2: The low-temperature heat capacity of cristobalite

Abstract The heat capacity of cristobalite, a low-density crystalline form of SiO2, has been measured between 2 and 20 K using a thermal relaxation technique. Except at the lowest temperatures, the temperature variation is similar to that of vitreous silica, and markedly different from that of quartz. Since the positions of the silicon atoms in cristobalite are very similar to the positions of atoms in the diamond lattice, the heat capacity is explained on the basis of a low-frequency transverse acoustic mode. A simple representation of this mode leads to quantitative agreement with experiment, with an average zone boundary frequency for the TA mode in cristobalite of 45 cm−1. The close resemblance between the heat capacities of cristobalite and vitreous silica is discussed in terms of recent calculations of the vibrational density of states in amorphous solids.
Treatment with harmine ameliorates functional impairment and neuronal death following traumatic brain injury

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a leading cause of mortality in young individuals, and results in motor and cognitive deficiency. Excitotoxicity is an important process during neuronal cell death, which is caused by excessive release of glutamate following TBI. Astrocytic glutamate transporters have a predominant role in maintaining extracellular glutamate concentrations below excitotoxic levels, and glutamate transporter 1 (GLT-1) may account for >90% of glutamate uptake in the brain. The β-carboline alkaloid harmine has been demonstrated to exert neuroprotective actions in vivo, and the beneficial effects were specifically due to elevation of GLT-1. However, whether harmine provides neuroprotection following TBI remains to be elucidated. The present study performed intraperitoneal harmine injections in rats (30 mg/kg per day for up to 5 days), in order to investigate whether harmine treatment attenuates brain edema and improves functional recovery in a rat model of TBI. The neuronal survival ratio and the protein expression of apoptosis-associated caspase 3 were also assessed in the hippocampus of the rat brain. Furthermore, the expression levels of GLT-1 and inflammatory cytokines were detected, in order to determine the underlying mechanisms. The results of the present study demonstrated that administration of harmine significantly attenuated cerebral edema, and improved learning and memory ability. In addition, harmine significantly increased the protein expression of GLT-1, and markedly attenuated the expression levels of interleukin-1β and tumor necrosis factor-α, thereby attenuating apoptotic neuronal death in the hippocampus. These results provided in vivo evidence that harmine may exert neuroprotective effects by synergistically reducing excitotoxicity and inflammation following TBI.
A rational analysis of the selection task as optimal data selection.

Human reasoning in hypothesis-testing tasks like P. C. Wason's (1968) selection task has been depicted as prone to systematic biases. However, performance on this task has been assessed against a now outmoded falsificationist philosophy of science. Therefore, the experimental data is reassessed in the light of a Bayesian model of optimal data selection in inductive hypothesis testing. The model provides a rational analysis (J. R. Anderson, 1990) of the selection task that fits well with people's performance on both abstract and thematic versions of the task. The model suggests that reasoning in these tasks may be rational rather than subject to systematic bias.
Clinical and immunological determinants of severe/refractory asthma (SRA): association with Staphylococcal superantigen‐specific IgE antibodies

To cite this article: Kowalski ML, Cieślak M, Pérez‐Novo CA, Makowska JS, Bachert C. Clinical and immunological determinants of severe/refractory asthma (SRA): association with Staphylococcal superantigen‐specific IgE antibodies. Allergy 2011; 66: 32–38.
Material properties and fabrication parameters in selective laser sintering process

As part of a manufacturing system, rapid prototyping (RP) should be integrated with other manufacturing technologies. To ensure that this integration is successful and intelligent, it is necessary to understand and incorporate the properties of RP components. Selective laser sintering (SLS) is an important RP method because of its wide range of materials which can be used. The properties of different SLS powders influence the fabrication parameters in the process and these fabrication parameters in turn affect the mechanical properties of the resultant component. SLS components generally require post‐processing which can also affect the mechanical properties. To obtain optimum quality output, knowledge of the effects of sintering and post‐processing must be incorporated into design and process planning.
International Comparative Analysis of the Impact of Board of Directors ’ Independence on a Firm ’ s Knowledge and Intellectual Capital Performance

The primary of this paper, therefore, is to provide an international comparative investigation of the relationship between the level of independence of a firm's board of directors and its knowledge and intellectual capital (K&IC) performance. This diverges with the prior literature in two major ways. First, the prior literature has virtually relied on data from the United States. Second, prior research has defined firm performance using measures of a firm's physical capital. It is widely acknowledged in the literature that K&IC capital is now the pivotal factor of a firm's future wealth-creation and not its physical capital. Thus, a firm future performance and survivability should be measure in terms of its K&IC. A total of 286 firms from three nations, South Africa, Sweden and the United Kingdom are surveyed in this study. Four proxies for board independence are examined. These are: (1) level of outside director representation on the board; (2) percentage of share ownership amongst inside directors; (3) leadership structure; and (4) extent of cash based remuneration of directors. K&IC performance was measured using the Value Added Intellectual Coefficient (VAIC™) technique developed by Pulic (1998). Empirical findings suggest only a marginal association between board independence and IC performance. The most significant proxy for board independence was the separation of individuals working in the roles of chief executive officer and chairperson. Further, results suggested the significance of the affect of board independence on IC performance varied across national boundaries. Overall, the results of this study are consistent with governance requirements varying across firms, thereby, contrasting with the notion that uniform board structures should be mandated. Key Words: Knowledge and intellectual capital; performance; board structures; emerging economies; gender; race. Abstract: The primary of this paper, therefore, is to provide an international comparative investigation of the relationship between the level of independence of a firm's board of directors and its knowledge and intellectual capital (K&IC) performance. This diverges with the prior literature in two major ways. First, the prior literature has virtually relied on data from the United States. Second, prior research has defined firm performance using measures of a firm's physical capital. It is widely acknowledged in the literature that K&IC capital is now the pivotal factor of a firm's future wealth-creation and not its physical capital. Thus, a firm future performance and survivability should be measure in terms of its K&IC. A total of 286 firms from three nations, South …
Modelling of Calcium Sulphate Solubility in Concentrated Multi-component Sulphate Solutions

The chemistry of several calcium sulphate systems was successfully modelled in multi-component acid-containing sulphate solutions using the mixed solvent electrolyte (MSE) model for calculating the mean activity coefficients of the electrolyte species. The modelling involved the fitting of binary mean activity, heat capacity and solubility data, as well as ternary solubility data. The developed model was shown to accurately predict the solubility of calcium sulphate from 25 to 95 • C in simulated zinc sulphate processing solutions containing MgSO 4 , MnSO 4 , Fe 2 (SO 4) 3 , Na 2 SO 4 , (NH 4) 2 SO 4 and H 2 SO 4. The addition of H 2 SO 4 results in a significant increase in the calcium sulphate solubility compared to that in water. By increasing the acid concentration, gypsum, which is a metastable phase above 40 • C, dehydrates to anhydrite, and the conversion results in a decrease in the solubility of calcium sulphate. In ZnSO 4 –H 2 SO 4 solutions, it was found that increasing MgSO 4 , Na 2 SO 4 , Fe 2 (SO 4) 3 and (NH 4) 2 SO 4 concentrations do not have a pronounced effect on the solubility of calcium sulphate. From a practical perspective, the model is valuable tool for assessing calcium sulphate solubilities over abroad temperature range and for dilute to concentrated multi-component solutions.
Hymenoscyphus fraxineus, the correct scientific name for the fungus causing ash dieback in Europe

Under the rules for the naming of fungi with pleomorphic life-cycles adopted in July 2011, the nomenclaturally correct name for the fungus causing the current ash dieback in Europe is determined to be Hymenoscyphus fraxineus, with the basionym Chalara fraxinea, and Hymenoscyphus pseudoalbidus as a taxonomic synonym of H. fraxineus.
On the species status of the root-knot nematode Meloidogyne ulmi Palmisano & Ambrogioni, 2000 (Nematoda, Meloidogynidae)

Abstract The root-knot nematode Meloidogyne ulmi is synonymised with Meloidogyne mali based on morphological and morphometric similarities, common hosts, as well as biochemical similarities at both protein and DNA levels. M. mali was first described in Japan on Malus prunifolia Borkh. ; and M. ulmi in Italy on Ulmus chenmoui W.C. Cheng. Morphological and morphometric studies of their holo- and paratypes revealed important similarities in the major characters as well as some general variability in a few others. Host test also showed that besides the two species being able to parasitize the type hosts of the other, they share some other common hosts. Our study of the esterase and malate dehydrogenase isozyme phenotypes of some M. ulmi populations gave a perfectly comparable result to that already known for M. mali. Finally, phylogenetic studies of their SSU and LSU rDNA sequence data revealed that the two are not distinguishable at DNA level. All these put together, leave strong evidences to support the fact that M. ulmi is not a valid species, but a junior synonym of M. mali. Brief discussion on the biology and life cycle of M. mali is given. An overview of all known hosts and the possible distribution of M. mali in Europe are also presented.
High serum levels of soluble interleukin 2 receptor in patients with B chronic lymphocytic leukemia.

By using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, the presence of the soluble form of the interleukin-2 receptor (sIL-2R) was evaluated in the peripheral blood of 54 patients with B cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia (B-CLL). Serum levels of sIL-2R were correlated with clinical features, relevant hematologic and immunological data, and in some cases, with in vitro functional studies. In 51 patients (94.4%), the levels of sIL-2R were increased as compared with normal age-matched controls (1,781 U/mL +/- 231 v 276 U/mL +/- 26, respectively; P less than .001). Although this increase was observed in all stages of the disease and independently of several hematologic and immunologic parameters, a trend toward lower levels of sIL-2R was documented in patients with a less-invasive disease. When the values were correlated with the functional status of the residual T cell population, it was found that patients with the lowest levels of sIL-2R showed the best mitogenic response and helper capacity. It is suggested that in B-CLL patients the high levels of serum sIL-2R, capable of binding to its ligand, may block the T cell-produced IL-2, thus contributing toward a defective physiological action by this lymphokine. In turn, this defective availability of IL-2 may play a part in the abnormal immunoregulation that is implicated in the hypogammaglobulinemia, susceptibility to infections, and incidence of second neoplasias often observed in this disease.
ICE volume 35 issue 8 Cover and Front matter

Executive Summary: A Compendium of Strategies to Prevent Healthcare-Associated Infections in Acute Care Hospitals: 2 0 1 4 Updates • Deborah S. Yokoe, MD, MPH; Deverick J. Anderson, MD, MPH; Sean M. Berenholtz, MD, MHS; David P. Calfee, MD, MS; Erik R. Dubberke, MD, MSPH; Katherine D. Ellingson, PhD; Dale N. Gerding, MD; Janet P. Haas, PhD, RN, CIC; Keith S. Kaye, MD, MPH; Michael Klompas, MD, MPH; Evelyn Lo, MD; Jonas Marschall, MD; Leonard A. Mermel, DO, ScM; Lindsay E. Nicolle, MD; Cassandra D. Salgado, MD, MS; Kristina Bryant, MD; David Classen, MD, MS; Katrina Crist, MBA; Valerie M. Deloney, MBA; Neil O. Fishman, MD; Nancy Foster; Donald A. Goldmann, MD; Eve Humphreys, MBA, CAE; John A. Jernigan, MD, MS; Jennifer Padberg, MPH; Trish M. Perl, MD, MSc; Kelly Podgorny, DNP, MS, RN; Edward J. Septimus, MD; Margaret VanAmringe, MHS; Tom Weaver, DMD; Robert A. Weinstein, MD; Robert Wise, MD; Lisa L. Maragakis, MD, MPH
On the Combinatorics of Locally Repairable Codes via Matroid Theory

This paper provides a link between matroid theory and locally repairable codes (LRCs) that are either linear or more generally almost affine. Using this link, new results on both LRCs and matroid theory are derived. The parameters (n, k, d, r, δ) of LRCs are generalized to matroids, and the matroid analog of the generalized singleton bound by Gopalan et al. for linear LRCs is given for matroids. It is shown that the given bound is not tight for certain classes of parameters, implying a nonexistence result for the corresponding locally repairable almost affine codes that are coined perfect in this paper. Constructions of classes of matroids with a large span of the parameters (n, k, d, r, δ) and the corresponding local repair sets are given. Using these matroid constructions, new LRCs are constructed with prescribed parameters. The existence results on linear LRCs and the nonexistence results on almost affine LRCs given in this paper strengthen the nonexistence and existence results on perfect linear LRCs given by Song et al.
Role of Human TRIM5α in Intrinsic Immunity

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) has a very narrow host range. HIV type 1 (HIV-1) does not infect Old World monkeys, such as the rhesus monkey (Rh). Rh TRIM5α was identified as a factor that confers resistance, intrinsic immunity, to HIV-1 infection. Unfortunately, human TRIM5α is almost powerless to restrict HIV-1. However, human TRIM5α potently restricts N-tropic murine leukemia viruses (MLV) but not B-tropic MLV, indicating that human TRIM5α represents the restriction factor previously designated as Ref1. African green monkey TRIM5α represents another restriction factor previously designated as Lv1, which restricts both HIV-1 and simian immunodeficiency virus isolated from macaque (SIVmac) infection. TRIM5 is a member of the tripartite motif family containing RING, B-box2, and coiled-coil domains. The RING domain is frequently found in E3 ubiquitin ligase, and TRIM5α is thought to degrade viral core via ubiquitin–proteasome-dependent and -independent pathways. The alpha isoform of TRIM5 has an additional C-terminal PRYSPRY domain, which is a determinant of species-specific retrovirus restriction by TRIM5α. On the other hand, the target regions of viral capsid protein (CA) are scattered on the surface of core. A single amino acid difference in the surface-exposed loop between α-helices 6 and 7 (L6/7) of HIV type 2 (HIV-2) CA affects viral sensitivity to human TRIM5α and was also shown to be associated with viral load in West African HIV-2 patients, indicating that human TRIM5α is a critical modulator of HIV-2 replication in vivo. Interestingly, L6/7 of CA corresponds to the MLV determinant of sensitivity to mouse factor Fv1, which potently restricts N-tropic MLV. In addition, human genetic polymorphisms also affect antiviral activity of human TRIM5α. Recently, human TRIM5α was shown to activate signaling pathways that lead to activation of NF-κB and AP-1 by interacting with TAK1 complex. TRIM5α is thus involved in control of viral infection in multiple ways.