Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Nonredundant Roles for Basophils in Immediate- and Delayed-onset Allergic Reactions

Basophils circulate in the peripheral blood under physiological conditions, and they are recruited to affected tissues in allergic reactions, albeit in small numbers. Because of their rarity (less than 1% of peripheral blood leukocytes are basophils), and their similarity to mast cells, basophils have often been considered the lesser relatives of mast cells. Moreover, because basophils have been so difficult to identify, mice were erroneously believed for a long time to lack them. Therefore, the assumption that basophils have only redundant roles has remained unquestioned until recently. The flow-cytometric identification of basophils in mice and the development of in vivo models and reagents useful for their functional analyses have greatly advanced the field of basophil research. Previously unrecognized roles of basophils, dis- tinct from those of mast cells, have been shown in allergic responses and the regulation of acquired immunity. In this re- view, we mainly focus on roles of basophils in immediate- and delayed-onset allergic reactions. Basophils are crucial ini- tiators, rather than effectors, in the development of IgE-mediated, chronic cutaneous allergic inflammation, which is char- acterized by the massive infiltration of eosinophils and neutrophils and can be elicited even in the absence of mast cells and T cells. Basophils are dispensable for the induction of IgE-mediated systemic anaphylaxis, unlike mast cells, but play a major role in IgG-mediated passive and active systemic anaphylaxis, through the release of platelet-activating factor in response to stimulation with antigen-IgG immune complexes. Thus, basophils and their products appear to be promising therapeutic targets for allergic disorders.
How Clustering Dynamics Influence Lumber Utilization Patterns in the Amish-Based Furniture Industry in Ohio

Preliminary studies have suggested that the Amish-based furniture and related products manufacturing cluster located in and around Holmes County, Ohio, uses sizeable quantities of hardwood lumber. The number of firms within the cluster has grown even as the broader domestic furniture manufacturing sector has contracted. The present study was undertaken in 2008 (spring/summer) to develop lumber use estimates specific to Amish manufacturing and provide more detail regarding the impacts of clustering on lumber consumption patterns. Results, based on 196 firms responding to a survey, suggested that lumber use ratios (bd ft per employee) differed among firms of different sizes and type of product manufactured, but in aggregate was similar to the broader US furniture industry. Red oak was the most commonly used species. Local suppliers of hardwood lumber and components were used extensively by most firms. The study confirmed that the Holmes County furniture cluster was important to regional hardwood demand, facilitated by well-developed supply chains that enable high specialization and enhance aggregate productivity among the numerous small manufacturers.
Comparison of neonatal T regulatory cell function in Papua New Guinean and Australian newborns

To cite this article: Lisciandro JG, Prescott SL, Nadal‐Sims MG, Devitt CJ, Pomat W, Siba PM. , Holt PG, Strickland D, van den Biggelaar AHJ. Comparison of neonatal T regulatory cell function in Papua New Guinean and Australian newborns. Pediatr Allergy Immunol 2011: Doi: 10.1111/j.1399‐3038.2011. 01242.x.
Towards 3D Human Pose Estimation in the Wild: A Weakly-Supervised Approach

In this paper, we study the task of 3D human pose estimation in the wild. This task is challenging due to lack of training data, as existing datasets are either in the wild images with 2D pose or in the lab images with 3D pose. ,, We propose a weakly-supervised transfer learning method that uses mixed 2D and 3D labels in a unified deep neutral network that presents two-stage cascaded structure. Our network augments a state-of-the-art 2D pose estimation sub-network with a 3D depth regression sub-network. Unlike previous two stage approaches that train the two sub-networks sequentially and separately, our training is end-to-end and fully exploits the correlation between the 2D pose and depth estimation sub-tasks. The deep features are better learnt through shared representations. In doing so, the 3D pose labels in controlled lab environments are transferred to in the wild images. In addition, we introduce a 3D geometric constraint to regularize the 3D pose prediction, which is effective in the absence of ground truth depth labels. Our method achieves competitive results on both 2D and 3D benchmarks.
Using the evidence base on genital herpes: optimising the use of diagnostic tests and information provision

There have been several important advances in the range of available diagnostic tests for genital herpes simplex virus (HSV) infection in recent years; polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is emerging in routine clinical use and the potential role of type specific serological tests is currently under debate. Several large trials of prophylactic vaccines, subsequently proved to be ineffective, have expanded knowledge of the transmission and epidemiology of HSV infection. This article discusses optimal application of recent research evidence to clinical care, structured around the key issues for patients and their partners. These include acquisition and transmission of genital HSV-1 and HSV-2 infection, the natural history of genital herpes, and the role of partner notification.
Bmper Inhibits Endothelial Expression of Inflammatory Adhesion Molecules and Protects Against Atherosclerosis

Objective—Bone morphogenetic proteins (Bmps) are important mediators of inflammation and atherosclerosis, though their mechanism of action is not fully understood. To better understand the contribution of the Bmp signaling pathway in vascular inflammation, we investigated the role of Bmper (Bmp endothelial cell precursor–derived regulator), an extracellular Bmp modulator, in an induced in vivo model of inflammation and atherosclerosis. Methods and Results—We crossed apolipoprotein E–deficient (ApoE−/−) mice with mice missing 1 allele of Bmper (Bmper+/− mice used in the place of Bmper−/− mice that die at birth) and measured the development of atherosclerosis in mice fed a high-fat diet. Bmper haploinsufficiency in ApoE−/− mice (Bmper+/−;ApoE−/− mice) led to a more severe phenotype compared with Bmper+/+;ApoE−/− mice. Bmper+/−;ApoE−/− mice also exhibited increased Bmp activity in the endothelial cells in both the greater and lesser curvatures of the aortic arch, suggesting a role for Bmper in regulating Bmp-mediated inflammation associated with laminar and oscillatory shear stress. Small interfering RNA knockdown of Bmper in human umbilical vein endothelial cells caused a dramatic increase in the inflammatory markers intracellular adhesion molecule 1 and vascular cell adhesion molecule 1 at rest and after exposure to oscillatory and laminar shear stress. Conclusion—We conclude that Bmper is a critical regulator of Bmp-mediated vascular inflammation and that the fine-tuning of Bmp and Bmper levels is essential in the maintenance of normal vascular homeostasis.
An internet survey of psychiatrists who have a particular interest in cognitive behavioural therapy: what is the place for the cognitive behavioural model in their role as a psychiatrist?

Abstract A survey of psychiatrists with a special interest in CBT was conducted by email correspondence to answer two main questions: ‘What are the uses and the usefulness of the cognitive behavioural model within the day-to-day practice of psychiatrists? ’ and ‘What are the most important roles of the consultant medical psychotherapist who has specialized in CBT? ’ Despite the constraints of a low response rate the results still reflected the views of 46 psychiatrists who were particularly experienced in the area of CBT. They reported that the cognitive behavioural model was useful in general psychiatric settings, in particular in the engagement of patients, improving client's insight, adherence to medications, and for trainee supervision. The responders reaffirmed previously held views about the role of the consultant medical psychotherapist (CBT), in particular the roles of the assessment and management of complex cases, of taking responsibility for patients with a combination of medical and psychological issues and of teaching CBT to psychiatrists and other mental health professionals. The challenges of translating CBT competencies into generic non-CBT psychiatric settings are discussed, with the important potential role of the medical psychotherapist in this respect. The key skill of formulating cases in secondary care is emphasized.
The Young Activist in British Politics

tion of the young in Britain it is perhaps surprising that even a small number of young people should indulge in overt partypolitical activity. It is less surprising, however, when we see how much of this activity is nominal or itself expressive of political conservatism and effective disaffiliation. Five per cent say they are paid-up members of a political party; this greatly exaggerates the number who play any active, continuous or influential part in the political process. The questions we shall discuss in this paper are the following: how many activists are there and how are they organized? What are their distinctive values and ideologies? What are the main patterns of recruitment at the present time and why? What impact do young activists have on the policies and prospects of the parties they support? For answers to these questions we have drawn on information provided by the parties and other political organizations themselves and on the results of the pilot inquiry of a large study of political activists now in progress. Quantification of these results-the fruit of 105 long interviews (varying between 6 and 15 hours)-will be attempted at one or two points only; it should of course be regarded as extremely tentative.1 Three preliminary points may be noted. First, that the energies of young activists are concentrated in and around the three parliamentary parties. There is no important political action by the young outside this framework. Young people have participated in two major efforts to escape from or change the existing structure of political organization in the last decade-the New Left and the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament-both have failed. Secondly, the parties have made serious efforts to appeal to the young only in periods of electoral adversity-the Liberals before 1905 and since 1955, the Conservatives after 1906 and again after I946, the Labour Party in the 1930's and since i959. One might infer from this that there is no substantial rapport between any
Inhibition of microRNA‐14 contributes to actinomycin‐D‐induced apoptosis in the Sf9 insect cell line

Actinomycin‐D (Act‐D) and other inhibitors of RNA synthesis induce extensive and rapid apoptosis in the lepidopteran insect cells. Interestingly, a similar effect is not observed in the case of protein synthesis shutdown, implying that certain RNA species may be critically required for cell survival. In order to assess whether depletion of certain anti‐apoptotic microRNAs may result in insect cell apoptosis induced by these transcriptional inhibitors, we inhibited two antiapoptotic microRNAs, viz. bantam and miR‐14 (microRNA‐14), with known functions in insect systems, by transfecting lepidopteran Sf9 cell line (derived from Spodoptera frugiperda) with sequence‐specific inhibitory anti‐miRs. Our results indicate that miR‐14 is indeed required for constitutive cell survival as its inhibition caused considerable apoptosis. Importantly, exogenous supplementation with the mimics of miR‐14 precursor molecules could partially inhibit the Act‐D‐induced Sf9 cell death. Further, our results indicate that miR‐14 may function downstream of mitochondrial cytochrome c release in preventing Act‐D‐induced apoptosis, implying possible inhibitory interactions with caspases as reported previously in other organisms. While the microRNA species are known to regulate cell death in Drosophila, which belongs the insect order Diptera, the present study demonstrates a definitive antiapoptotic role of miR‐14 in lepidopteran apoptosis as well. Our study also indicates that additional microRNA species may be regulating lepidopteran cell survival and death, thus warranting further in‐depth investigations into these important mechanisms of cell death. Since lepidopteran cells are an excellent model for general stress resistance, this study presents important information about their stress response mechanisms.
The nature of blocking antibodies in human brucellosis.

Agglutinating antibodies were found in γ-and β-globulins of the sera of patients with brucellosis. “Blocking” antibodies were found to appear later than the agglutinating antibodies. They were seen first in the γ-globulins but soon shifted to the β-globulins. They persisted after the agglutinating antibodies subsided. The “blocking” and prozone phenomena seem to be related. The prozone phenomenon does not represent the effect of antibody excess. A combination of equal volumes of “blocking” fractions resulted in a “blocking” titer corresponding approximately to the algebraic sum of the titers of the constituent fractions. Extraction with ether or incubation with Salmonella typhi failed to eliminate the “blocking” effect, but absorption with Brucella abortus did so. This suggests that the “blocking” substance in the β-globulins is a specific antibody.
Effect of Treatment pH on the End Products of the Alkaline Hydrolysis of TNT and RDX

Abstract : The development of effective treatment options for munitions contaminants is essential for Department of Defense live fire range management and sustainability. The energetic compounds 2,4,6-trinitotoluene (TNT) and hexahydro-13,5-trinitro-1,3,5-triazine (RDX) have been identified in range soil. Alkaline hydrolysis, initiated through treatment with lime, has been shown to effectively destroy these compounds in solution and in well-mixed soil. This study was conducted to evaluate the effect of treatment pH on the end products of the alkaline hydrolysis of TNT and RDX. Titrations were performed at pH 10.5, 11.5 and 12.5 using unlabeled and universally labeled-14C-TNT or RDX. At the completion of the titration, reverse-phase high performance liquid chromatography established that there was no TNT or RDX present in the solutions except for the untreated control. TNT degraded rapidly at pH 12.5 and 11.5. At pH 10.5, the degradation was slow enough to observe many intermediate products, only some of which were identifiable under standard Method 8330 methods. RDX also degraded rapidly at pH 12.5 and 11.5. At pH 10.5, the reaction appeared to proceed by the established pathway, but at a much slower rate. Using gel permeation chromatography, we determined that the end products from the TNT and RDX alkaline hydrolysis were polar, small molecular weight compounds. Hydrolysis byproducts, including nitrate and formate, were determined using ion chromatography.
You Can't Always Get What You Want: Trade-Size Clustering and Quantity Choice in Liquidity

This paper examines whether investors care more about trading their exact quantity demands at some times than at others. Using a new data set of foreign-exchange transactions, I find that customers trade more precise quantities at quarter-end, as evidenced by less trade-size clustering. Customers trade more odd lots and fewer round lots, while the number of trades and total volume are not significantly changed. I also find that the price impact of order flow is greater when customers care more about trading precise quantities. This work sheds new light on trade-size clustering and offers a potential explanation for time-series and cross-sectional variations in common liquidity measures.
Connexin Mediates Gap Junction-Independent Resistance to Cellular Injury

Although gap junctions regulate essential processes during development and differentiation, the role of gap junctions in cell death is poorly understood. We demonstrate here that the forced expression of connexin 43 (Cx43), the main constituent of astrocytic gap junctions, protected against cell injury with a potency that was comparable with that from the expression of the proto-oncogenebcl2. The expression of two other members of the Cx family, Cx32 and Cx40, also increased the resistance to injury from exposures to calcium overload, oxidative stress, metabolic inhibition, tamoxifen, and UV irradiation, but not against staurosporine- and dexamethasone-mediated death. Surprisingly, the anti-death activity of connexin proteins was independent of gap junction channel function, because physical isolation or the pharmacological inhibition of coupling did not significantly increase cell death. Moreover, cells expressing nonfunctional mutant connexins also acquired a high resistance to injury. These observations identify Cx proteins as active players in cell survival.
Polyploidy‐associated genomic instability in Arabidopsis thaliana

Formation of polyploid organisms by fertilization of unreduced gametes in meiotic mutants is believed to be a common phenomenon in species evolution. However, not well understood is how species in nature generally exist as haploid and diploid organisms in a long evolutionary time while polyploidization must have repeatedly occurred via meiotic mutations. Here, we show that the ploidy increased for two consecutive generations due to unreduced but viable gametes in the Arabidopsis cyclin a1;2‐2 (also named tardy asynchronous meiosis‐2) mutant, but the resultant octaploid plants produced progeny of either the same or reduced ploidy via genomic reductions during meiosis and pollen mitosis. Ploidy reductions through sexual reproduction were also observed in independently generated artificial octaploid and hexaploid Arabidopsis plants. These results demonstrate that octaploid is likely the maximal ploidy produced through sexual reproduction in Arabidopsis. The polyploidy‐associated genomic instability may be a general phenomenon that constrains ploidy levels in species evolution. genesis 48:254–263, 2010. © 2010 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
The Lived Meanings of Chinese Social Network Sites (SNSs) among Urban White-Collar Professionals

ABSTRACT A phenomenological study reveals the lived meanings of Chinese social network sites (SNSs) among urban, white-collar professional users through an investigation of a newly launched SNS, Happy Network. Their shared meanings of the Happy Network were interdependent with participants’ interpretations of time, fun, need to belong, and social interactions, shaped by and reflective of their social role as white-collar professionals and the cultural characteristics of contemporary Chinese society. Specifically, participants’ understandings of the Happy Network entailed five dialectic relations: in control/controlled by, dependent/independent, public/private, intimate/distant, and personal/social.
What Helps Citizens to Have Consistent Attitudes? A Cross Country Analysis of the Individual and Contextual Determinants of Attitude Constraint

The inconsistency of the beliefs citizens have about political issues is neither a new nor a surprising finding for political scientists (Converse 1964). Still at least from a normative point of view attitude constraint is a desideratum that is important for the quality of electoral decisions and ultimately for the quality of democracy (Friedman 2006). Under these circumstances it is not surprising that several studies examined the constraint between the attitudes of the citizens (Converse 1964; Converse and Pierce 1986; Peffley and Hurwitz 1985; Zaller 1990; 1992 Sturgis, Roberts and Allum 2005; Granberg and Holmberg 2006). One factor that is especially important is the level of political knowledge, more informed voters should have higher levels of attitude constraint as they are better able to identify their preferences (Althaus 1998; Carmines and Stimson 1980; Delli Carpini and Keeter 1996; Lau and Redlawsk 1997; 2006; Downs 1957; Dahl 1989; Converse 1964). But at the same time as most voters are politically ignorant, a simple heuristic such as having a party ID might help them have consistent political attitudes, compensating for lower levels of political knowledge (Lupia 1994; Popkin 1994; Lau and Redlawsk 2001; Zaller 2004). This paper will further investigate the determinants of attitude/issue constraint with an emphasis on political knowledge and party ID, as a simple heuristic. Its major contribution is that it will go further than the single country environment in which this was studied before. Using the 2009 European Election study, will also allow me to bring context into the picture by analyzing how the level of attitude constraint varies across the institution rich environment provided by the 27 member states of the EU. Two contextual factors are chosen to explain the cross country variation of the consistency between citizens’ attitudes: elite constraint and ideological polarization. By combining a simple correlation approach with a bayesian approach the paper that indeed political knowledge and partisanship, both at an individual at a macro level, have an overall positive role on attitude/issues constraint. Also while no evidence was found to support that polarization has any effect of attitude constraint, elite consistency was shown to have a consistent effect across issue domains.
DEVELOPMENT OF NOVEL FURANOCOUMARIN DIMERS AS POTENT AND SELECTIVE INHIBITORS OF CYP3A4

Grapefruit juice has been found to cause an increase in the oral bioavailability of many therapeutic agents. Such interactions are believed to result from the mechanism-based inhibition of CYP3A4 activity in the intestine. Furanocoumarin dimers present in the juice have been found to be extremely potent inhibitors of CYP3A4 activity. The aim of this work was to synthesize and test a series of dimers with a view to defining the relationship between structure and inhibitory activity and establish whether they might make suitable probes of CYP3A4 activity. Eleven furanocoumarin dimers were synthesized and evaluated as inhibitors of CYP3A4 using human liver microsomes, with testosterone as the marker substrate. Four of the most potent dimers were also investigated for their effects on CYP3A4 activity in the human intestine and on five additional hepatic cytochrome P450 isoforms. The dimers showed potent dose-dependent inhibition of CYP3A4 activity in both liver and intestine; IC50 values ranged from 0.021 ± 0.002 to 0.146 ± 0.041 μM (mean ± S.D. n = 3). Of the four dimers evaluated further, all showed time-dependent inhibition of CYP3A4 activity. 88Prop showed moderate inhibition of both CYP2C19 and CYP1A2 with IC50 values of 4.42 ± 0.01 and 1.98 ± 0.34 μM, 88Octa was found to inhibit CYP2C19 (IC50 = 3.16 ± 0.01 μM) and 58Prop to inhibit CYP1A2 (IC50 = 2.39 ± 0.77 μM). Minimal inhibition of CYP2D6 and CYP2C9 was observed (IC50 > 10 μM). In conclusion, all the dimers tested were extremely potent inhibitors of CYP3A4 activity. In particular, dimer 55EE was highly selective toward the enzyme, suggesting that this compound is a suitable probe for determining the contribution of CYP3A4 to drug metabolism.