Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Bovine immunodeficiency-like virus encodes factors which trans activate the long terminal repeat

Lentiviruses are known to encode factors which trans activate expression from the viral long terminal repeat (LTR); the primary trans activator is the tat gene product. One of the putative accessory genes (tat) of the bovine immunodeficiency-like virus (BIV) bears sequence similarity to other lentivirus tat genes. This finding suggests that BIV may encode a trans-activating protein capable of stimulating LTR-directed gene expression. To test this hypothesis in vitro, BIV LTR-chloramphenicol acetyltransferase (CAT) reporter gene plasmids were constructed and transfected into three cell lines established from canine, bovine, or lapine tissues that are susceptible to BIV infection. The level of BIV LTR-directed CAT gene expression was significantly elevated in BIV-infected cells compared with uninfected cells. The relatively high basal-level expression of BIV LTR-CAT in uninfected canine and bovine cell lines suggests that cellular factors play a role in regulating BIV LTR-directed gene expression. Additionally, by using a clonal canine cell line in which the BIV LTR-CAT plasmid is stably expressed, BIV LTR-directed CAT expression is elevated 15- to 80-fold by cocultivation with BIV-infected cells, supporting the notion that BIV encodes a trans activator. The relative specificity of this viral activation was assessed by coculturing the clonal BIV LTR-CAT cell line with bovine leukemia virus- or bovine syncytial virus-infected cells; these bovine retroviruses increased expression from the BIV LTR only two- to threefold. Thus, BIV LTR regulatory elements in infected cells, like those of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 and other lentiviruses, are trans activated, presumably through the action of a Tat-like protein and cellular factors.
Hα Imaging of Early-Type (Sa-Sab) Spiral Galaxies. I.

Hα and continuum images are presented for 27 nearby early-type (Sa–Sab) spiral galaxies. Contrary to popular perception, the images reveal copious massive star formation in some of these galaxies. A determination of the Hα morphology and a measure of the Hα luminosity suggest that early-type spirals can be classified into two broad categories based on the luminosity of the largest H II region in the disk. The first category includes galaxies for which the individual H II regions have LHα < 1039 ergs s-1. Most of the category 1 galaxies appear to be morphologically undisturbed but show a wide diversity in nuclear Hα properties. The second category includes galaxies that have at least one H II region in the disk with LHα ≥ 1039 ergs s-1. All category 2 galaxies show either prominent dust lanes or other morphological peculiarities such as tidal tails, which suggests that the anomalously luminous H II regions in category 2 galaxies may have formed as a result of a recent interaction. The observations, which are part of an ongoing Hα survey, reveal early-type spirals to be a heterogeneous class of galaxies that are evolving in the current epoch. We have also identified some systematic differences between the classifications of spiral galaxies in the Second General Catalog and the Revised Shapley-Ames Catalog that may be traced to subtle variations in the application of the criteria used for classifying spiral galaxies. An examination of earlier studies suggests that perceptions concerning the Hubble-type dependence of star formation rates among spiral galaxies depends on the choice of catalog.
From Being Departure to Destination Point: International Student Mobility in Turkey

If internationalization of higher education is defined as particular policies and initiatives of countries and academic institutions structured to handle global trends, then policies stimulating international student mobility and students themselves are indispensable components of this process. In the European context, it is the Bologna Process which promotes internal mobility of students, teachers, and administrative staff, and establish a framework of magnifying competition to magnetize international students and have a general purpose of transforming Europe into a prominent knowledge-based society. This article first briefly explains the Bologna Process and its main goals. Subsequently, it will give a brief overview of Turkish higher education system and demonstrates developments and implementations of the Bologna Process. Next, it will concentrate on the situation of international students in Turkey. Consequently, it has several recommendations on how to attract more international students and thus move a step closer to be a knowledge-based society in a globalizing environment.
Serum Cotinine Concentration and Wound Complications in Head and Neck Reconstruction

Background: The authors examined whether the preoperative serum concentrations of cotinine accurately predict the risk of complications in patients undergoing flap reconstruction of head and neck cancer defects. Methods: Patients with incident stage III or IV squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck undergoing resection with pedicled or free flap reconstruction were selected from an existing database of 500 patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck who participated in a prospective epidemiologic study and were reviewed retrospectively. Preoperative serum cotinine concentrations were determined using a competitive microplate immunoassay. Complications were defined as any adverse postoperative wound outcome at either the donor or recipient site. Results: Eighty-nine patients underwent 101 flap reconstructions. Thirty-seven wound complications occurred in 33 patients. Forty of the 89 patients had a serum cotinine concentration greater than 10 ng/ml; twenty (50 percent) developed postoperative complications, whereas only 13 of 49 patients (27 percent) with a serum cotinine concentration of 10 ng/ml or less developed complications (p = 0.028). The relative risk of wound complications for those with a cotinine concentration greater than 10 ng/ml was approximately double that of patients with a lower cotinine concentration (relative risk, 1.9; 95 percent CI, 1.1 to 3.3). Patients with a cotinine concentration greater than 50 ng/ml had a particularly high risk (relative risk, 2.3; 95 percent CI, 1.1 to 16.7; p = 0.024). The relative risk of wound complications was not significantly associated with self-reported smoking status or history. Conclusion: A serum cotinine concentration greater than 10 ng/ml may predict an increased risk of wound complication in head and neck flap reconstruction and may serve as an objective, easily measured variable with which to identify patients who may benefit from an aggressive smoking cessation program before surgery.
Perceptions of Male Circumcision among Married Couples in Rural Malawi

Voluntary medical male circumcision (VMMC) is being suggested as an essential HIV prevention strategy in high-prevalence areas. These analyses reflect data collected from 360 married couples, 50% of which included a circumcised husband and the other 50% uncircumcised, in rural Malawi. Regardless of their circumcision status, men were more likely to perceive that being circumcised was less painful than having a tooth pulled, giving birth, and having malaria. Men reported having the same sexual pleasure regardless of the circumcision status, while women were 2.0 times more likely to report greater sexual pleasure with a circumcised partner. Participants identified the medical benefits of VMMC and highlighted the potential personal benefits of VMMC. As VMMC has become a promising method of HIV prevention, this study revealed opportunities for intervention development to increase rates of VMMC among men.
Belief, Truth, and Biological Function

In this thesis I argue that there is a link between belief and truth, which is indicated by three features of belief relating to how they are formed. I suggest that these features require an explanation from the belief theorist. The first feature is that when we think about what to believe, we find that we immediately and inescapably attend to what is the case (Transparency). The second feature is that beliefs are not the kinds of thing which are able to be willed, that is, we cannot just believe something, like we can just raise our arms (the Uncontrollability Thesis). The third feature is that beliefs can be correct (when they are true) and incorrect (when they are false), and are also appropriate targets for claims that they are rational, irrational, justified, unjustified, and so on (Epistemic Normativity). These features, which indicate a link between belief and truth, have been thought to be necessary features of belief, that is, features of all beliefs, of all believers, across all possible worlds. This is a claim which I deny. I argue that accounts which have understood the features in this way cannot explain them, and so ought to be rejected. I offer an alternative account of these features by appeal to the biological functions of our mechanisms for belief-production. My account offers explanations of these features which cast them as contingent features of belief, grounded in the biological histories of some believers. Belief then is not to be understood as an attitude which is necessarily linked to truth.
Distribution of Helicobacter pylori in north China.

AIM To compare the distribution of virulence-associated genotypes of Helicobacter pylori (H pylori) in two areas of north China with different gastric cancer risk and furthermore probe into the pathogenicity of the bacterium. METHODS Gastric biopsies were taken from 355 subjects from Zhuanghe, a high risk area of gastric cancer, and 136 subjects from Shenyang, a low risk area of gastric cancer. A total of 149 H pylori strains isolated from these patients were studied by PCR for differences in the genotypes of cagA, vacA, and iceA. RESULTS In patients with high risk for gastric cancer, higher frequencies of vacA s1 or s1m1b genotypes were found as compared to those from the low risk area. CONCLUSION There is significantly different distribution of H pylori genotypes between Zhuanghe and Shenyang areas in north China.
The philosophies of science

Harre shows how various views about the nature of science are related to the great historical schools of philosophy. He sets out his argument in terms of concrete episodes in the history of science. This new edition includes a chapter on science and society, which explores issues such as the morality of experimentation on live animals and the premise that knowledge is a basis for moral good. Harre also examines the theory that science is a form of art, and looks at the way scientific knowledge affects out religious beliefs.
Integrable sigma models

A fundamental result relevant to spin chains and two-dimensional disordered systems is that the sphere sigma model with instanton coupling θ = π has a non-trivial low-energy fixed point and a gapless spectrum. This result is extended to two series of sigma models with θ = π: the SU (N)/SO(N) sigma models flow to the SU (N) 1 WZW theory, while the O(2N)/O(N) × O(N) models flow to O(2N) 1 (2N free Majorana fermions). These models are integrable, and the exact quasiparticle spectra and S matrices are found. One interesting feature is that charges fractionalize when θ = π. I compute the energy in a background field, and verify that the perturbative expansions for θ = 0 and π are the same as they must be. I discuss the flows between the two sequences of models, and also argue that the analogous sigma models with Sp(2N) symmetry, the Sp(2N)/U (N) models, flow to Sp(2N) 1 .
Goliath : Britain's dangerous places

In this book the author argues that the violence, joyriding and urban rioting of 1991 reveal a new face of late 20th-century Britain. Through her conversations with joyriders, offenders, police officers, community activists and "ordinary" citizens, the author probes the new forms of offending, defending and spending and brings a feminist analysis to the facts of daily existence. The author has also written "Wigan Pier Revisited", which won the Cheltenham Festival Prize for Literature and "Iron Ladies" which won the Fawcett Prize.
Light‐evoked current responses in rod bipolar cells, cone depolarizing bipolar cells and AII amacrine cells in dark‐adapted mouse retina

Light‐evoked excitatory cation current (ΔIC) and inhibitory chloride current (ΔICl) of rod and cone depolarizing bipolar cells (DBCRs and DBCCs) and AII amacrine cells (AIIACs) in dark‐adapted mouse retinal slices were studied by whole‐cell voltage‐clamp recording techniques, and the cell morphology was revealed by Lucifer yellow fluorescence with a confocal microscope. ΔIC of all DBCRs exhibited similar high sensitivity to 500 nm light, but two patterns of ΔICl were observed in DBCRs with slightly different axon morphology. At least two types of DBCCs were identified: one with axon terminals ramified in 70–85% of the depth of the inner plexiform layer (IPL) and DBCR‐like ΔIC sensitivity, whereas the other with axon terminals ramified in 55–75% of IPL depth and much lower ΔIC sensitivity. The relative rod/cone inputs to DBCs and AIIACs were analysed by comparing the ΔIC and ΔICl thresholds and dynamic ranges with the corresponding values of rods and cones. On average, the sensitivity of a DBCR to the 500 nm light is about 20 times higher than that of a rod. The sensitivity of an AIIAC is more than 1000 times higher than that of a rod, suggesting that AIIAC responses are pooled through a coupled network of about 40 AIIACs. Interactions of rod and cone signals in dark‐adapted mouse retina appear asymmetrical: rod signals spread into the cone system more efficiently than cone signals into the rod system. The mouse synaptic circuitry allows small rod signals to be highly amplified, and effectively transmitted to the cone system via rod–cone and AIIAC–DBCC coupling.
The influence of contextual variability on word learning

In a series of analyses over mega datasets, Jones, Johns, & Recchia (2012) and Johns et al. (2012) found that a measure of semantic distinctiveness (SD), which takes into account the semantic variability of a word’s contexts, provides a better fit to both visual and spoken word data than traditional measures, such as word frequency or raw context counts. The present study offers strong empirical support for this account’s extensibility to natural language. In a self-paced reading experiment, subjects were incidentally exposed to novel words as they rated short selections from articles, books, and newspapers. When novel words were encountered across distinct discourse contexts, subjects were both faster and more accurate at recognizing them than when they are seen in redundant contexts. However, learning across redundant contexts promoted the development of more stable semantic representations. These findings are predicted by a model of SD trained on the same materials as our subjects.
Deficiency of Glutathione Peroxidase-1 Accelerates the Progression of Atherosclerosis in Apolipoprotein E-Deficient Mice

Background—We have recently demonstrated that activity of red blood cell glutathione peroxidase-1 is inversely associated with the risk of cardiovascular events in patients with coronary artery disease. The present study analyzed the effect of glutathione peroxidase-1 deficiency on atherogenesis in the apolipoprotein E-deficient mouse. Methods and Results—Female apolipoprotein E-deficient mice with and without glutathione peroxidase-1 deficiency were placed on a Western-type diet for another 6, 12, or 24 weeks. After 24 weeks on Western-type diet, double-knockout mice (GPx-1−/−ApoE−/−) developed significantly more atherosclerosis than control apolipoprotein E-deficient mice. Moreover, glutathione peroxidase-1 deficiency led to modified atherosclerotic lesions with increased cellularity. Functional experiments revealed that glutathione peroxidase-1 deficiency leads to increased reactive oxygen species concentration in the aortic wall as well as increased overall oxidative stress. Peritoneal macrophages from double-knockout mice showed increased in vitro proliferation in response to macrophage-colony-stimulating factor. Also, we found lower levels of bioactive nitric oxide as well as increased tyrosine nitration as a marker of peroxynitrite production. Conclusions—Deficiency of an antioxidative enzyme accelerates and modifies atherosclerotic lesion progression in apolipoprotein E-deficient mice.
NAD(P)H:quinone oxidoreductase (NQO1) polymorphism, exposure to benzene, and predisposition to disease: A HuGE review

NAD(P)H:quinone oxidoreductase (NQO1) catalyzes the two- or four-electron reduction of numerous endogenous and environmental quinones (e.g., the vitamin E α-tocopherol quinone, menadione, benzene quinones). In laboratory animals treated with various environmental chemicals, inhibition of NQO1 metabolism has long been known to increase the risk of toxicity or cancer. Currently, there are 22 reported single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the NQO1 gene. Compared with the human consensus (reference, “wild-type”) NQO1*1 allele coding for normal NQO1 enzyme and activity, the NQO1*2 allele encodes a nonsynonymous mutation (P187S) that has negligible NQO1 activity. The NQO1*2 allelic frequency ranges between 0.22 (Caucasian) and 0.45 (Asian) in various ethnic populations. A large epidemiologic investigation of a benzene-exposed population has shown that NQO1*2 homozygotes exhibit as much as a 7-fold greater risk of bone marrow toxicity, leading to diseases such as aplastic anemia and leukemia. The extent of the contribution of polymorphisms in other genes involved in the metabolism of benzene and related compounds—such as the P450 2E1 (CYP2E1), myeloperoxidase (MPO), glutathione-S-transferase (GSTM1, GSTT1), microsomal epoxide hydrolase (EPHX1), and other genes—should also be considered. However, it now seems clear that a lowered or absent NQO1 activity can increase one's risk of bone marrow toxicity, after environmental exposure to benzene and benzene-like compounds. In cancer patients, the NQO1*2 allele appears to be associated with increased risk of chemotherapy-related myeloid leukemia. Many other epidemiological studies, attempting to find an association between the NQO1 polymorphism and one or another human disease, have now begun to appear in the medical literature.
Hydrodynamics and Marine Optics during Cold Fronts at Santa Rosa Island, Florida

Abstract Keen, T.R. and Stavn, R.H. , 2012. Hydrodynamics and marine optics during cold fronts at Santa Rosa Island, Florida. Observations of optical and hydrodynamic processes were made on the open beach on Santa Rosa Island, Florida, in March 1995. This study focuses on the passage of two cold fronts. The observations have been supplemented by a bio-optical model; a suite of hydrodynamic models to simulate coastal flows forced by waves, tides, local wind, and coastal sea level; and a geo-optical model that predicts scattering by mineral particles resuspended by wave action. These models have been used to examine the interaction of atmospheric forcing and hydrodynamics with respect to the observed marine hydrosol. The optical and hydrodynamic measurements, and the model results, have been used to conceive a cold-front regime model of the hydrosol for open beaches in the Gulf of Mexico. The optical environment during the cold front was determined by three hydrosol phases: (1) a prefrontal steady-state hydrosol consisting of fine resuspended mineral particles, phytoplankton cells, organic detritus, and colored dissolved organic matter; (2) a frontal phase dominated by resuspended mineral particles; and (3) a postfrontal hydrosol containing large phytoplankton, detritus, and fine mineral particles. This concept is useful for identifying the physical processes responsible for observed optical properties. It should be applicable to other regions and types of events.
KCNH2-K897T Is a Genetic Modifier of Latent Congenital Long-QT Syndrome

Background—Clinical heterogeneity among patients with long-QT syndrome (LQTS) sharing the same disease-causing mutation is usually attributed to variable penetrance. One potential explanation for this phenomenon is the coexistence of modifier gene alleles, possibly common single nucleotide polymorphisms, altering arrhythmia susceptibility. We demonstrate this concept in a family segregating a novel, low-penetrant KCNH2 mutation along with a common single nucleotide polymorphism in the same gene. Methods and Results—The proband is a 44-year-old white woman with palpitations associated with presyncope since age 20, who presented with ventricular fibrillation and cardiac arrest. Intermittent QT prolongation was subsequently observed (max QTc, 530 ms), and LQT2 was diagnosed after the identification of a missense KCNH2 mutation (A1116V) altering a conserved residue in the distal carboxyl-terminus of the encoded HERG protein. The proband also carried the common KCNH2 polymorphism K897T on the nonmutant allele. Relatives who carried A1116V without K897T were asymptomatic, but some exhibited transient mild QTc prolongation, suggesting latent disease. Heterologous expression studies performed in cultured mammalian cells and using bicistronic vectors linked to different fluorescent proteins demonstrated that coexpression of A1116V with K897T together resulted in significantly reduced current amplitude as compared with coexpression of either allele with WT-HERG. Thus, the presence of KCNH2-K897T is predicted to exaggerate the IKr reduction caused by the A1116V mutation. These data explain why symptomatic LQTS occurred only in the proband carrying both alleles. Conclusions—We have provided evidence that a common KCNH2 polymorphism may modify the clinical expression of a latent LQT2 mutation. A similar mechanism may contribute to the risk for sudden death in more prevalent cardiac diseases.
[Influence of temporal aspects in auditory temporal processing tests].

BACKGROUND Auditory temporal processing. AIM To compare the performance of children in auditory temporal processing tests according to different temporal variables such as inter-stimulus interval, stimuli duration and type of task (discrimination or ordering). METHOD 27 children, with ages between 9 to 12 years, were evaluated. In order to analyze the effect of temporal variables, an adaptation of the American "Repetition test" was developed, containing four tests of frequency discrimination and ordering, and four tests of temporal discrimination and ordering. In order to investigate the variable 'type of requested task', tests involving frequency and temporal discrimination and ordering were elaborated. In order to evaluate the variable 'stimulus duration', frequency discrimination and ordering tests were elaborated, with stimulus durations of 200 ms and 100 ms. In addition, temporal discrimination and ordering tests were carried out, with stimulus durations of 200/400 ms and 300/600 ms. In order to evaluate the variable 'inter-stimulus interval', tests were elaborated with randomly variable inter-stimulus intervals, ranging between 50 ms and 250 ms. RESULTS Regarding inter-stimulus interval, there was no statistically significant difference between the average number of correct answers when intervals varied between 50 and 250 ms, in all of the tests. Regarding stimulus duration, the research group presented a poor performance for when stimulus had a shorter duration (100 ms), compared to those with longer duration, but only in the tests involving frequency. Regarding order, the research group presented a poor performance in ordering tasks when compared to discrimination tasks. CONCLUSION Temporal variables such stimuli duration and type of task (discrimination and ordering) can interfere in the performance of children in tests of auditory temporal processing.