Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Telaprevir Enhances Ribavirin-Induced Anaemia through Renal Function Impairment

Background Alterations in renal function have been described with telaprevir (TVR). We examined the relationship between ribavirin (RBV) trough concentration (C), estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) and severe anaemia, before and after TVR introduction in HIV–HCV-coinfected patients included in ANRS HC26 TelapreVIH study. Methods 69 HIV–HCV genotype-1 coinfected patients received 4 weeks of pegylated interferon (PEG-IFN)-α2a/RBV, followed by 12 weeks of TVR/PEG-IFN/RBV, then 32 to 56 weeks of PEG-IFN/RBV. RBV C was determined at week (W)4, W8 and W20/24. eGFR was estimated by the Modification of the Diet in Renal Disease (MDRD) equation. Severe anaemia was defined as haemoglobin <70 g/l, RBV dose reduction, prescription of erythropoietin or blood transfusion. Results 67 patients were analysed. eGFR remained normal between baseline (97.9 ml/min) and W4 (103.4 ml/min), declined to 86.3 ml/min at W8 (P<0.0001), stabilized until W16 and increased back to baseline level at W20 (98.4 ml/min). RBV C increased from 1.88 mg/l at W4 to 2.88 mg/l at W8 (P<0.0001), then decreased to 2.73 mg/l at week 20/24 (P=0.015). An inverse correlation was observed between W8 eGFR and W8 RBV C (r2=0.429; P=0.0005). RBV C≥3 mg/l was observed in 12% of patients at W4, 45% at W8 (P<0.0001) and 38% at W20/24 (P=0.0005). Severe anaemia was observed in 23.9% of patients at W4 and 45.3% at W8. RBV C≥3 mg/l at W8 (OR 7.7 [95% CI 2.2, 27.4]) and baseline haemoglobin <150 g/l (OR 6.4 [1.7, 23.8]) were independently associated with W8 severe anaemia. Conclusions Association of TVR to PEG-IFN/RBV was associated with a decrease in eGFR and increase in RBV C, leading to severe anaemia in 45% of patients.
The active nuclei of z < 1.0 3CRR radio sources

We combine Chandraand XMM-NewtonX-ray data from our previous papers with new X-ray observations and with Spitzer mid-infrared data in order to study the nature of the nuclei o f radio galaxies and radio-loud quasars with z < 1.0 from the 3CRR sample. The significant increase in sample size over our previous work, the reduction of bias in the sample as a result of new observations, and the availability of more mid-infrared data allow us to show conclusively that almost all objects classed as low-excitation ra dio galaxies in optical spectroscopic studies lack a radiatively efficient active nucleus. We show that the distribution of absorbing columns in the narrow-line radio galaxies differs from the population of X-ray-selected radioquiet type-2 quasars and from that in local Seyfert 2s. We comment on the current evidence for the nature of the soft X-ray component in radio-galaxy nuclear spectra, concluding that a jet origin for this component is very hard to evade. Finally, we discuss the recently discovered ‘fundamental plane’ of black hole activity, showing th at care must be taken when placing radio-loud AGN on such diagnostic diagrams.
Role of intracellular calcium stores in hair-cell ribbon synapse

Intracellular calcium stores control many neuronal functions such as excitability, gene expression, synaptic plasticity, and synaptic release. Although the existence of calcium stores along with calcium-induced calcium release (CICR) has been demonstrated in conventional and ribbon synapses, functional significance and the cellular mechanisms underlying this role remains unclear. This review summarizes recent experimental evidence identifying contribution of CICR to synaptic transmission and synaptic plasticity in the CNS, retina and inner ear. In addition, the potential role of CICR in the recruitment of vesicles to releasable pools in hair-cell ribbon synapses will be specifically discussed.
Magnetic fields induce changes in photosynthetic pigments content in date palm (Phoenix dactylifera L.) seedlings.

Growth, development and plants productivity are usually affected by photosynthetic pigments activity. Mag- netic fields are known to induce biochemical changes and could be used as a stimulator for growth related reactions in- cluding affecting photosynthetic pigments. The impact of magnetic field strengths on chlorophyll and carotenoids were investigated in this study through the use of date palm (Phoenix dactylifera L.) seedlings. To study the effects of magnetic treatments on photosynthetic pigments, date palm seedlings were exposed to magnetic fields in two experiments. In the first experiment, seedlings were treated with static magnetic field at three levels of (10, 50 and 100 mT) and different du- rations (30, 60, 180, 240 and 360 min). At the second experiment, seedlings were treated with alternating magnetic field at 1.5 T for different durations (1, 5, 10 and 15 min). The photosynthetic pigments (chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b, carotenoids and total pigments) were assayed using spectrophotometric methods. Results indicated that pigments content (chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b, carotenoids and total pigments) was significantly increased under static magnetic field. The highest measurements were recorded at 100 mT, after 360 min of exposure. On the other hand, alternating magnetic field has de- creased photosynthetic pigments content after 10 min of treatment with 1.5 T. Low magnetic field doses had a simulative effect on photosynthetic pigments whereas high doses had a negative effect. Chlorophyll a and carotenoids were more af- fected than chlorophyll b. Magnetic fields treatment could be used to enhance plant growth and productivity.
Reduction of stress in humans through nonveridical perceived control of aversive stimulation.

In a reaction time (RT) task 40 subjects were told to react to the onset of a 6-second shock. Following l0 trials, half of the subjects were told that by decreasing their RT they would reduce shock duration. Remaining subjects were simply told that shock duration would he reduced. All subjects, regardless of group assignment or RT, received 3-second shocks in the second half of the study. During the second half of the study, subjects who believed they had control showed fewer spontaneous skin conductance (SC) responses and smaller SC responses to shock onset than subjects who did not feel they had control. Results indicated that perception of
Integrative genome analysis reveals an oncomir/oncogene cluster regulating glioblastoma survivorship

Using a multidimensional genomic data set on glioblastoma from The Cancer Genome Atlas, we identified hsa-miR-26a as a cooperating component of a frequently occurring amplicon that also contains CDK4 and CENTG1, two oncogenes that regulate the RB1 and PI3 kinase/AKT pathways, respectively. By integrating DNA copy number, mRNA, microRNA, and DNA methylation data, we identified functionally relevant targets of miR-26a in glioblastoma, including PTEN, RB1, and MAP3K2/MEKK2. We demonstrate that miR-26a alone can transform cells and it promotes glioblastoma cell growth in vitro and in the mouse brain by decreasing PTEN, RB1, and MAP3K2/MEKK2 protein expression, thereby increasing AKT activation, promoting proliferation, and decreasing c-JUN N-terminal kinase-dependent apoptosis. Overexpression of miR-26a in PTEN-competent and PTEN-deficient glioblastoma cells promoted tumor growth in vivo, and it further increased growth in cells overexpressing CDK4 or CENTG1. Importantly, glioblastoma patients harboring this amplification displayed markedly decreased survival. Thus, hsa-miR-26a, CDK4, and CENTG1 comprise a functionally integrated oncomir/oncogene DNA cluster that promotes aggressiveness in human cancers by cooperatively targeting the RB1, PI3K/AKT, and JNK pathways.
Optimal Trade Execution and Absence of Price Manipulations in Limit Order Book Models

We analyze the existence of price manipulation and optimal trade execution strategies in a model for an electronic limit order book with nonlinear price impact and exponential resilience. Our main results show that, under general conditions on the shape function of the limit order book, placing deterministic trade sizes at trading dates that are homogeneously spaced is optimal within a large class of adaptive strategies with arbitrary trading dates. This extends results from our earlier work with A. Fruth. Perhaps even more importantly, our analysis yields as a corollary that our model does not admit price manipulation strategies. This latter result contrasts the recent findings of Gatheral [Quant. Finance, to appear], where, in a related but different model, exponential resilience was found to give rise to price manipulation strategies when price impact is nonlinear.
Multilayer Brokerage in Geo-Social Networks

Open network structures and brokerage positions have long been seen as playing a crucial role in sustaining social capital and competitive advantage. The degree to which individuals intermediate between otherwise disconnected others can differ across online and offline social networks. For example, users may broker online between two others who then exchange offline the information received through social media. Yet network studies of social capital have often neglected the interplay between online and offline interactions, and have concentrated primarily on a single layer. Here, we propose a geo-social multilayer approach to brokerage that casts light on the integrated online and offline foundations of social capital. Drawing on a data set of 37,722 Foursquare users in London, we extend the notion of brokerage by examining users’ positions in an online social network and their offline mobility patterns through checkins. We find that social and geographic brokerage positions are distinct and asymmetric across the social and co-location networks. On the one hand, users may appear to be brokers online when in fact their ability to intermediate would be mitigated if their offline positions were also taken into account. On the other, users who appear to have little brokerage power offline may be active brokers within networks that combine both online and offline interactions.
Effects of furosemide on extravascular diffusion, protein binding and urinary excretion of cephalosporins and aminoglycosides in rabbits.

We studied the effects of furosemide on the disposition of cefazolin and gentamicin in rabbits. The following points were investigated: protein binding (PB) by ultracentrifugation in vitro; renal excretion and distribution in extravascular fluid (EF) obtained from s.c. tissue cages in vivo. Single i.m. injections of cefazolin (30 mg/kg) and gentamicin (1.5 mg/kg) alone or in combination with furosemide (0.5, 1 and 5 mg/kg) were made. After furosemide injection, blood and EF levels of gentamicin significantly decreased. Cefazolin blood levels were unchanged. Cefazolin appeared in EF earlier and at higher levels, up to 4 hr after furosemide injection, than when administered alone. Late cefazolin EF levels (8 and 12 hr) were reduced. All these effects were furosemide dose-dependent. Furosemide, in vitro, decreased cefazolin PG from 80 to 50%, whereas PB of gentamicin remained minimal (0--4%). Furosemide significantly increased the renal excretion of cefazolin and gentamicin without any effect on the glomerular filtration rate. A competitive effect of furosemide on the PB of cephradin and netilmicin was also demonstrated in vitro and in vivo. Our studies outline two kinds of interaction between furosemide and antibiotics. With protein-bound drugs, furosemide induced a competitive reduction of PB responsible for earlier EF diffusion and increased glomerular filtered load, but also induced an increased renal excretion by a tubular process. The latter was the only one induced by furosemide on unbound drugs (gentamicin).
Ties that Bind: The Strategic Use of Transnational Relationships in Demarcating Identity and Managing Difference

Transnational migration is disrupting definitions of cultural identity as its processes of cross-border mobility unsettle associations between people and place. Relationships, as one element of everyday cultural practice that circumscribes identity and belonging, are also affected by this mobility. Using data from qualitative research with Australian transnational professionals working in Asia, this paper elaborates on the interaction between identity and relationship formation. The findings indicate that participants’ attempts to develop professional and social relationships in a new cultural context lead to a re-evaluation of identity and the development of mobile subjectivity to manage difference and re-find points of comfort defined by shared meanings. The analysis is placed within broader reflections on the processes of migration and the dynamics of cultural change that are taking place within transnational global flows, supporting arguments that processes of deterritorialisation do not necessarily equate with declining allegiance to a national identity.
Differential Cell Sensitivity between OTA and LPS upon Releasing TNF-α

The release of tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α) by ochratoxin A (OTA) was studied in various macrophage and non-macrophage cell lines and compared with E. coli lipopolysaccharide (LPS) as a standard TNF-α release agent. Cells were exposed either to 0, 2.5 or 12.5 µmol/L OTA, or to 0.1 µg/mL LPS, for up to 24 h. OTA at 2.5 µmol/L and LPS at 0.1 µg/mL were not toxic to the tested cells as indicated by viability markers. TNF-α was detected in the incubated cell medium of rat Kupffer cells, peritoneal rat macrophages, and the mouse monocyte macrophage cell line J774A.1: TNF-α concentrations were 1,000 pg/mL, 1,560 pg/mL, and 650 pg/mL, respectively, for 2.5 µmol/L OTA exposure and 3,000 pg/mL, 2,600 pg/mL, and 2,115 pg/mL, respectively, for LPS exposure. Rat liver sinusoidal endothelial cells, rat hepatocytes, human HepG2 cells, and mouse L929 cells lacked any cytokine response to OTA, but showed a significant release of TNF-α after LPS exposure, with the exception of HepG2 cells. In non-responsive cell lines, OTA lacked both any activation of NF-κB or the translocation of activated NF-κB to the cell nucleus, i.e., in mouse L929 cells. In J774A.1 cells, OTA mediated TNF-α release via the pRaf/MEK 1/2-NF-κB and p38-NF-κB pathways, whereas LPS used pRaf/MEK 1/2–NF-κB, but not p38-NF-κB pathways. In contrast, in L929 cells, LPS used other pathways to activate NF-κB. Our data indicate that only macrophages and macrophage derived cells respond to OTA and are considered as sources for TNF-α release upon OTA exposure.
Reactions to HRM: An Employee Perspective from South Africa and New Zealand

ABSTRACT The aim of this paper is to provide a representation of the employee viewpoint on emerging issues related to HRM practices associated with the ‘new employment relationship’. Data obtained from employees across two studies in two very different countries – South Africa and New Zealand has been used to represent the employee perspective. Interestingly, a number of shared perceptions about these HRM practices are found to exist between employees from South Africa and New Zealand, suggesting the problems employees currently experience with the HR practices in the workplace that aim to promote this new relationship could be more widely shared. The areas of shared concern highlighted by employees were mainly related to the implementation of HRM practices. For example, insufficient line management commitment, unfairness and inconsistency in the application of HR policies were all issues that were commonly raised, as was poor communication. Employees attributed these problems to the inadequate skills of those responsible for the implementation of HRM, and tended to be of the view that they could effectively be resolved through the HR department playing a more central role in the implementation of HRM in an organisation, training of line managers to carry out their HR responsibilities more effectively and increased consultation with employees. Employees participating in these studies appeared to demonstrate a surprisingly high level of awareness and cognisance in identifying problems with HR practice and more significantly how these problems might be rectified. This would support the importance of accessing the employee perspective in both the implementation and research into HRM in practice. Based on the issues highlighted by the employees, increased co operation between line management, the HR department and employees is suggested to facilitate the effective design and implementation of HRM practice in this era of new employment relations.
Comparison of quantitative cultures to semiquantitative loop cultures of bronchoscopic protected specimen brush samples.

STUDY OBJECTIVE To compare quantitative growth from a calibrated loop to growth from the standard serial dilution technique of culturing bronchoscopic protected specimen brush (PSB) samples and to determine the effect of refrigeration of the PSB sample on subsequent quantitative growth. DESIGN Laboratory stock cultures were sampled with a PSB and cultured by both standard 100-fold serial dilution as well as 1:100 mL and 1:1,000 mL calibrated loops. Stock cultures were also sampled with a PSB and growth before and after refrigeration for 24 h at 4 degrees C (both serial dilution and calibrated loops) was compared. Clinical PSB samples from seven patients suspected of having lower respiratory tract infections were cultured by both techniques as well. SETTING Clinical research laboratory and teaching hospital. PATIENTS AND INTERVENTIONS PSB samples from inpatients and outpatients who had clinically indicated bronchoscopy. No interventions. MEASUREMENTS AND RESULTS Quantitative growth from the 1:1,000 mL calibrated loop was within 1 log10 of growth from the serial dilution technique for 20 of 21 organisms, including 2 yeasts. Except for Haemophilus influenzae (known to be cold intolerant), there were no important differences in growth of bacteria before and after 24 h at 4 degrees C. For quantitative bacterial growth, there was a significant correlation between serial dilution and the 1:1,000 mL loop cultures (r=0.86, p < 0.0001). CONCLUSION In this study, quantitative growth from a single 1:1,000 mL loop culture of PSB samples was comparable to growth from the standard serial dilution technique. Our results also suggest that overnight refrigeration of PSB samples may be possible in certain clinical situations.
Restricted Mobility Improves Delay-Throughput Tradeoffs in Mobile Ad Hoc Networks

In this paper, we analyze asymptotic delay-throughput tradeoffs in mobile ad hoc networks comprising heterogeneous nodes with restricted mobility. We show that node spatial heterogeneity has the ability to drastically improve upon existing scaling laws established under the assumption that nodes are identical and uniformly visit the entire network area. In particular, we consider the situation in which each node moves around its own home-point according to a restricted mobility process which results into a spatial stationary distribution that decays as a power law of exponent δ with the distance from the home-point. For such restricted mobility model, we propose a novel class of scheduling and routing schemes, which significantly outperforms all delay-throughput results previously obtained in the case of identical nodes. In particular, for δ = 2 it is possible to achieve almost constant delay and almost constant per-node throughput (except for a polylogarithmic factor) as the number of nodes increases, even without resorting to sophisticated coding or signal processing techniques.
Blocking the Bullies: Has South Carolina's Safe School Climate Act Made Public Schools Safer?

Abstract Recent news in the national media about two students’ deaths as a result of harassment in school has highlighted a renewed desire for educators to address the culture of bullying and harassment in public schools, especially when the victims are targeted for their real or perceived differences. South Carolina's legislature responded to this need in June 2006 with the passage of the Safe School Climate Act. This statute was designed to limit and punish “harassment, intimidation, or bullying” among public school students, and it required school districts to establish policies to address this issue before January 1, 2007. However, failure to adequately implement the provision may provide an explanation as to why the Safe School Climate Act has failed to significantly change the culture of schools in South Carolina. South Carolina's legislative intentions provide a reference for similar legislation and policy changes nationwide. Current research shows that only quality staff development combined with ongoing, effective training in and education about any new policies will lead to its effective implementation. The complex causes of bullying and its impact on school culture continue to be debated by educational researchers, psychologists, and social theorists. If we are to radically change the culture of our schools to limit the effects of bullying, intimidation, and harassment, we need to formulate long-term prevention strategies to affect change. Legal remedies and punitive measures for bullies alone have not solved the problem.
Output zeroing for discrete time non-minimum phase bilinear systems

Linear control design techniques for output setpoint tracking or regulation problems can be extended, through Input Output Feedback Linearization (IOFL), to nonlinear, input-affine systems, but are not applicable to the case of equilibrium points that exhibit non-minimum phase characteristics. Rather than resort to minimum phase approximations, this paper instead proposes a relaxation of IOFL that does not require IOFL to be implemented at every sampling instant. The relaxation introduces degrees of freedom which, in the case of bilinear systems, can be used efficiently to achieve exact tracking/regulation in minimum time, and to maintain this property (to within small perturbations caused by the relaxation) until the desired state is reached. The results of the paper are demonstrated through simulation examples.
Oceanic Uptake of Fossil Fuel CO2: Carbon-13 Evidence

The δ13C value of the dissolved inorganic carbon in the surface waters of the Pacific Ocean has decreased by about 0.4 per mil between 1970 and 1990. This decrease has resulted from the uptake of atmospheric CO2 derived from fossil fuel combustion and deforestation. The net amounts of CO2 taken up by the oceans and released from the biosphere between 1970 and 1990 have been determined from the changes in three measured values: the concentration of atmospheric CO2, the δ13C of atmospheric CO2 and the δ13C value of dissolved inorganic carbon in the ocean. The calculated average net oceanic CO2 uptake is 2.1 gigatons of carbon per year. This amount implies that the ocean is the dominant net sink for anthropogenically produced CO2 and that there has been no significant net CO2 released from the biosphere during the last 20 years.
Attachment and Social Cognition Theories of Romantic Relationships: Convergent or Complementary Perspectives?

Adult attachment and social cognition perspectives of romantic relationships have developed relatively independently of one another, despite the fact that both stress the importance of cognitive conceptual frameworks of relationship functioning. This study examines the strength of the association between constructs from the two perspectives and their associations with concurrent relationship adjustment and 6-month longitudinal relationship dissolution. Results from 68 dating couples suggested a modest degree of convergence between measures of attachment, relationship beliefs and relationship attributions. Measures of both adult attachment and relationship beliefs and attributions were uniquely related to concurrent relationship adjustment, although between-partner differences on attachment and social cognition measures were largely unrelated to relationship adjustment. The only relationship cognition variable that was predictive of subsequent relationship dissolution was stronger endorsement by women of partner responsibility attributions (i.e. viewing negative partner behavior as blameworthy, intentional and selfishly motivated). These results suggest that attachment and social cognition may offer complementary perspectives of romantic relationships.