Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Constraints on the Very High Energy Emission from BL Lacertae Objects

We present results from observations of 29 BL Lacertae objects, taken with the Whipple Observatory 10 m gamma-ray telescope between 1995 and 2000. The observed objects are mostly at low redshift (z < 0.2), but observations of objects of up to z = 0.444 are also reported. Five of the objects are EGRET sources and two are unconfirmed TeV sources. Three of the confirmed sources of extragalactic TeV gamma rays were originally observed as part of this survey and have been reported elsewhere. No significant excesses are detected from any of the other objects observed, on timescales of days, months, or years. We report 99.9% confidence level flux upper limits for the objects for each observing season. The flux upper limits are typically 20% of the Crab flux, although for some sources, limits as sensitive as 6% of the Crab flux were derived. The results are consistent with the synchrotron self-Compton model predictions considered in this work.
Is Physical Activity Able to Modify Oxidative Damage in Cardiovascular Aging?

Aging is a multifactorial process resulting in damage of molecules, cells, and tissues. It has been demonstrated that the expression and activity of antioxidant systems (SOD, HSPs) are modified in aging, with reduced cell ability to counteract the oxidant molecules, and consequent weak resistance to ROS accumulation. An important mechanism involved is represented by sirtuins, the activity of which is reduced by aging. Physical activity increases the expression and the activity of antioxidant enzymes, with consequent reduction of ROS. Positive effects of physical exercise in terms of antioxidant activity could be ascribable to a greater expression and activity of SOD enzymes, HSPs and SIRT1 activity. The antioxidant effects could increase, decrease, or not change in relation to the exercise protocol. Therefore, some authors by using a new approach based on the in vivo/vitro technique demonstrated that the highest survival and proliferation and the lowest senescence were obtained by performing an aerobic training. Therefore, the in vivo/vitro technique described could represent a good tool to better understand how the exercise training mediates its effects on aging-related diseases, as elderly with heart failure that represents a special population in which the exercise plays an important role in the improvement of cardiovascular function, quality of life, and survival.
GEIGER: investigating evolutionary radiations

SUMMARY GEIGER is a new software package, written in the R language, to describe evolutionary radiations. GEIGER can carry out simulations, parameter estimation and statistical hypothesis testing. Additionally, GEIGER's simulation algorithms can be used to analyze the statistical power of comparative approaches. AVAILABILITY This open source software is written entirely in the R language and is freely available through the Comprehensive R Archive Network (CRAN) at http://cran.r-project.org/.
Stimulation of superoxide and lactoferrin release from polymorphonuclear leukocytes by the type 2 fimbrial lectin of Actinomyces viscosus T14V

Polymorphonuclear leukocyte (PMN)-dependent destruction of Actinomyces viscosus T14V is initiated by the recognition of galactose-containing receptors on sialidase-treated PMNs by the lectin associated with the type 2 fimbriae of these bacteria. A. viscosus T14V also stimulates the respiratory burst in PMNs as well as the release of contents of the secondary granules, as determined by the presence of lactoferrin in the culture supernatants. Under the experimental conditions employed, these bacteria do not induce the release of beta-glucuronidase, a constituent of primary granules. None of the three PMN responses studied occurs in cultures containing a mutant of A. viscosus T14V that lacks fimbriae. Activation of the PMNs is mediated by the lectin associated with the type 2 fimbriae, as demonstrated by the finding that beta-linked galactosides inhibit stimulation of the respiratory burst. Thus, the interaction of the Actinomyces fimbrial lectin with its complementary receptors on PMNs results not only in killing of these bacteria but also in the release of reactive oxygen intermediates and enzymes that may be detrimental to surrounding host tissues.
Externalities and Growth

Externalities play a central role in most theories of economic growth. We argue that international externalities, in particular, are essential for explaining a number of empirical regularities about growth and development. Foremost among these is that many countries appear to share a common long run growth rate despite persistently different rates of investment in physical capital, human capital, and research. With this motivation, we construct a hybrid of some prominent growth models that have international knowledge externalities. When calibrated, the hybrid model does a surprisingly good job of generating realistic dispersion of income levels with modest barriers to technology adoption. Human capital and physical capital contribute to income differences both directly (as usual), and indirectly by boosting resources devoted to technology adoption. The model implies that most of income above subsistence is made possible by international diffusion of knowledge.
Anatomic and Compression Topography of the Lesser Occipital Nerve

Background: The surgical treatment of occipital headaches focuses on the greater, lesser, and third occipital nerves. The lesser occipital nerve (LON) is usually transected with relatively limited available information regarding the compression topography thereof and how such knowledge may impact surgical treatment. Methods: Eight fresh frozen cadavers were dissected focusing on the LON in relation to 3 clinically relevant compression zones. The x axis was a line drawn through the occipital protuberance (OP) and the y axis, the posterior midline (PM). In addition, a prospectively collected cohort of 36 patients who underwent decompression of the LON is presented with their clinical results, including migraine headache index scores. Results: The LON was found in compression zone 1, with a mean of 7.8 cm caudal to the OP and 6.3 cm lateral to the PM. The LON was found at the midpoint of compression zone 2, with an average of 5.5 cm caudal to the OP and 6.2 cm lateral to the PM. At compression zone 3, the medial-most LON branch was located approximately 1 cm caudal to the OP and 5.35 cm lateral to the PM, whereas the lateral-most branch was identified 1 cm caudal to the OP and 6.5 cm lateral to the PM. Of the 36 decompression patients analyzed, only 5 (14%) required neurectomy as the remainder achieved statistically significant improvements in migraine headache index scores postoperatively. Conclusion: The knowledge of LON anatomy can aid in nerve dissection and preservation, thereby leading to successful outcomes without requiring neurectomy.
THE INFLUENCE OF HYDROSTATIC PRESSURE ON DADP-TYPE ANTIFERROELECTRICS

We study the effects of hydrostatic pressures on deuterated ND 4 D 2 PO 4 type antiferroelectric crystals. Within the four-particle cluster approximation the free energy of the crystals is calculated, and an equation for the transition temperature and explicit expressions for static dielectric permittivities of the crystals are derived. Model pressure dependences of the effective dipole moments of unit cells are proposed. Some peculiarities of the dipole moment formation in these hydrogen bonded crystals are elucidated. In particular, we show the importance of mutual polarization of the dipole moments. The theory parameters providing a satisfactory description of the experimental data for pressure dependences of transition temperature and dielectric characteristics of the considered crystals are found.
Neglected Role of User in Prominent IS Models and Framework

modern world, organizations implement the Information System (IS) solution to achieve a range of business benefits and manage the huge amount of produced information. In spite of the importance of information system solution for organizations, the success rates of such IS implementation remain quite low. Although many investigations have been done on IS models and framework, the role of user in IS success measurement is neglected, especially in mandatory system usage. Therefore, more effective theoretical model of IS success measurement is needed for an organization's managers to get better understanding of the role of user to decrease existing failure risks. In order to clarify the aforementioned problem, this research reviewed prominent IS models, framework, and theory and compared them to each other. In this study, an exploratory phase followed to identify existing gap in IS models, framework, and theory. in IS success models and framework that have both academic and practical implications. This paper reports initial findings of related literature review by introducing an existing gap on the IS models. The remaining parts of the paper are organized in the following manner. The paper begins with summarizing the well-validated IS success models, framework, and theory and then literatures are presented. Next, existing gap was cleared by compare the IS models, framework, and theory. Finally, discussion and conclusion are presented.
Detection of Enterococcus faecalis in Necrotic Teeth Root Canals by Culture and Polymerase Chain Reaction Methods

Objectives The aim of this study was to investigate the presence of Enterococcus faecalis in endodontic infections in both deciduous and permanent teeth by culture and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) methods. Methods A total of 145 children aged 5–13 years old were involved in this study. The presence of E. faecalis in necrotic deciduous and permanent teeth root canals was studied using culture and polymerase chain reaction methods. Results Among 145 molar teeth, 57% (n=83) presented necrotic asymptomatic pulp tissues and were included in this study. Culture and PCR methods detected the test species in 18 and 22 of 83 teeth involved, respectively. E. faecalis was cultured from 8 (18%) of 45 necrotic deciduous teeth and from 10 (26%) of 38 necrotic permanent teeth. PCR detection identified the target species in 10 (22%) and 12 (32%) of necrotic deciduous and permanent teeth respectively. Statistically significant difference in the presence of E. faecalis in deciduous and permanent teeth was found by culture and PCR methods (P=0.03 and 0.02, respectively). The difference in the presence of E. faecalis between two different methods was not statistically significant (P>.05). Conclusions The results of the present study confirm that both culture and PCR methods are sensitive to detect E. faecalis in root canals.
Quantitative Diffusion-Weighted MRI Parameters and Human Papillomavirus Status in Oropharyngeal Squamous Cell Carcinoma

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Patients with human papillomavirus–positive oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinomas have a better survival rate than those with human papillomavirus–negative oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinomas. DWI characterizes biologically relevant tumor features, and the generated ADC may also provide prognostic information. We explored whether human papillomavirus status and ADC values are independent tumor characteristics. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Forty-four patients with oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinomas underwent pretreatment DWI. ADC values for the primary tumors were determined by using 3 b-values in an ROI containing the largest area of solid tumor on a single section of an axial DWI image. Human papillomavirus status was determined with p16 immunostaining, followed by high-risk human papillomavirus DNA detection on the p16-positive cases. RESULTS: Twenty-two patients were human papillomavirus–positive (50.0%). ADC values were not significantly different between human papillomavirus–negative (ADCmean = 1.56 [1.18–2.18] × 103 mm2/s) and human papillomavirus–positive tumors (ADCmean = 1.46 [1.07–2.16] × 103 mm2/s). CONCLUSIONS: No significant association between ADC and human papillomavirus status was found in oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinomas. In our study population, differences in genetic and histologic features between human papillomavirus–positive and human papillomavirus–negative oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinomas did not translate into different ADC values. Long-term follow-up studies are needed to establish whether ADC has prognostic value and whether this is independent of the human papillomavirus status.
The relevance of prelamin A and RAD51 as molecular biomarkers in cervical cancer

Along with their role in the maintenance of nuclear architecture, nuclear lamins also control genomic stability, DNA damage repair, transcription, cell proliferation, differentiation and senescence. Recent reports reveal that prelamin A–processing defects play a role in cancer development by impacting on transcription of key players in the maintenance of the genome stability, including RAD51. Here, we performed a ‘proof of concept’ study evaluating the role of prelamin A and RAD51 expression in clinical outcome of cervical cancer patients. We analyzed biomarker expression by immunohistochemistry in tumor material from locally advanced cervical cancer (LACC) patients (n=66) and correlated data with clinicopathological parameters and with response to neoadjuvant chemoradiation (CT/RT). In LACC patients who underwent neoadjuvant CT/RT the percentage of cases showing high prelamin A levels was greater in patients who completely responded to treatment (25 of 40, 62.5%) than in patients with macroscopic residual tumor (6 of 26, 23.1%, p=0.0024). Conversely, patients showing high RAD51 expression were less likely to respond to treatment (14 of 26, 53.8%) than were those with low protein levels (12 of 40, 30%, p=0.072). Only prelamin A retained an independent role in predicting response to treatment (p=0.003), while RAD51 approached statistical significance (p=0.07). Notably, high RAD51 expression highly significantly predicted poor outcome, emerging as an independent prognostic factor for disease free survival (p=0.038), while approaching statistical significance for overall survival (p=0.09). Our findings provide a framework for future prospective studies investigating molecular predictors of response to neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy in LACC patients.
Purification, immobilization, and biochemical characterization of l‐arginine deiminase from thermophilic Aspergillus fumigatus KJ434941: Anticancer activity in vitro

l‐Arginine deiminase (ADI) has a powerful anticancer activity against various tumors, via arginine depletion, arresting the cell cycle at G1 phase. However, the current clinically tried bacterial ADI displayed a higher antigenicity and lower thermal stability. Thus, our objective was to purify and characterize this enzyme from thermophilic fungi, to explore its catalytic and antigenic properties for therapeutic uses. ADI was purified from thermophilic Aspergillus fumigatus KJ434941 to its electrophoretic homogeneity by 5.1‐fold, with molecular subunit 50 kDa. The purified ADI was PEGylated and covalently immobilized on dextran to explore its catalytic properties. The specific activity of free ADI, PEG‐ADI, and Dex‐ADI was 26.7, 21.5, and 18.0 U/mg, respectively. At 50°C, PEG‐ADI displays twofold resistance to thermal denaturation (t1/2 13.9 h), than free ADI (t1/2 6.9 h), while at 70°C, the thermal stability of PEG‐ADI was increased by 1.7‐fold, with similar stability to Dex‐ADI with the free one. Kinetically, free ADI had the higher catalytic affinity to arginine, followed by PEG‐ADI and Dex‐ADI. Upon proteolysis for 30 min, the residual activity of native ADI, PEG‐ADI, and Dex‐AD was 8.0, 32.0, and 20.0% for proteinase K and 10.0, 52.0, and 90.0% for acid protease, respectively. The anticancer activity of the ADIs was assessed against HCT, HEP‐G2, and MCF7, in vitro. The free and PEG‐ADI exhibits a similar cytotoxic efficacy for the tested cells, lower than Dex‐ADI. The free ADI had IC50 value 22.0, 16.6, and 13.9 U/mL, while Dex‐ADI had 3.98, 5.18, and 4.43 U/mL for HCT, MCF7, and HEPG‐2, respectively. The in vitro anticancer activity of ADI against HCT, MCF7, and HEPG‐2 was increased by five‐, three‐, and threefold upon covalent modification by dextran. The biochemical and hematological parameters of the experimented animals were not affected by ADIs dosing, with no signs of anti‐ADI immunoglobulins in vivo. The in vivo half‐life time of free ADI, PEG‐ADI, and Dex‐ADI was 29.7, 91.1, 59.6 h, respectively. The present findings explored a novel thermostable, less antigenic ADI from thermophilic A. fumigatus, with further molecular and crystallographic analyses, this enzyme will be a powerful candidate for clinical trials. © 2015 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Biotechnol. Prog. , 31:396–405, 2015
Effects of Plant Herb Combination Supplementation on Rumen Fermentation and Nutrient Digestibility in Beef Cattle

Four rumen-fistulated crossbred beef cattle (Brahman native) were randomly assigned according to a 4×4 Latin square design experiment to be fed plant herb supplements in their concentrate mixture. The treatments were: without herb supplementation (Control), lemongrass meal supplementation at 100 g/d (L), lemongrass meal supplementation at 100 g/d plus peppermint powder at 10 g/d (LP), and lemongrass meal supplementation at 100 g/d plus peppermint powder at 10 g/d with garlic powder 40 g/d (LPG), respectively. Based on the present study, the DMI and apparent digestibility of DM, OM, aNDF and ADF were not affected by dietary herb supplementation while CP digestibility tended to be decreased by herb supplement. Moreover, NH3-N and BUN were decreased in all herb supplemented treatments and there was a tendency to an increase in ruminal pH in all herb supplemented groups. While there was no change in TVFA and C4 among lemongrass treatments, C2 was decreased in all herb supplemented treatments while C3 was increased. Methane production by calculation was the lowest in the LP and LPG groups. Population sizes of bacteria and protozoa were decreased in all herb supplemented groups, but not fungal zoospores. In all supplemented groups, total viable and proteolytic bacteria were decreased, while amylolytic and cellulolytic bacteria were similar. More importantly, in all herb supplemented groups, there were higher N balances, while there was no difference among treatments on purine derivative (PD) excretion or microbial N. Based on the results above, it could be concluded that there was no negative effect on ruminal fermentation characteristics and nutrient utilization by plant herb supplement, but protozoal population and CH4 production were reduced. Thus, lemongrass alone or in combination with peppermint and garlic powder could be used as feed additives to improve rumen fermentation efficiency.
Validation of genetic modifiers for Duchenne muscular dystrophy: a multicentre study assessing SPP1 and LTBP4 variants

Objective Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is characterised by progressive muscle weakness. It has recently been reported that single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) located in the SPP1 and LTBP4 loci can account for some of the inter-individual variability observed in the clinical disease course. The validation of genetic association in large independent cohorts is a key process for rare diseases in order to qualify prognostic biomarkers and stratify patients in clinical trials. Methods Duchenne patients from five European neuromuscular centres were included. Information about age at wheelchair dependence and steroid use was gathered. Melting curve analysis of PCR fragments or Sanger sequencing were used to genotype SNP rs28357094 in the SPP1 gene in 336 patients. The genotype of SNPs rs2303729, rs1131620, rs1051303 and rs10880 in the LTBP4 locus was determined in 265 patients by mass spectrometry. For both loci, a multivariate analysis was performed, using genotype/haplotype, steroid use and cohort as covariates. Results We show that corticosteroid treatment and the IAAM haplotype of the LTBP4 gene are significantly associated with prolonged ambulation in patients with DMD. There was no significant association between the SNP rs28357094 in the SPP1 gene and the age of ambulation loss. Conclusions This study underlines the importance of replicating genetic association studies for rare diseases in large independent cohorts to identify the most robust associations. We anticipate that genotyping of validated genetic associations will become important for the design and interpretation of clinical trials.
Convergence properties of mixed-norm algorithms under general error criteria

The convergence properties of mixed-norm algorithms as applied to echo cancelers under general error criteria are derived for correlated and identically distributed inputs. The convergence analysis of this class of algorithms is carried out using the linearization process of the error nonlinearities. Necessary and sufficient conditions for convergence are derived for the independent input case.
QT interval abnormalities are often present at diagnosis in diabetes and are better predictors of cardiac death than ankle brachial pressure index and autonomic function tests

Objectives: To study serial measures of maximum QT interval corrected for heart rate (QTc) and QT dispersion (QTD) and their association with cardiac mortality patients with non-insulin dependent diabetes and to compare QT abnormalities with other mortality predictors (ankle brachial pressure index (ABPI) and autonomic function tests) in their ability to predict cardiac death. Setting: Teaching hospital. Methods and patients: QT interval analysis, heart rate (RR) variation in response to deep breathing and standing, and ABPI were analysed in 192 patients with non-insulin dependent diabetes. Cardiac death was the primary end point. Results: Mean (SD) follow up was 12.7 (3.2) years (range 1.2–17.1 years). There were 48 deaths, of which 26 were cardiac. QTc and QTD were individually significant predictors of cardiac mortality throughout the follow up period (p < 0.001). The predictability of QT parameters was superior to the predictability of ABPI and RR interval analysis. Temporal changes in QT parameters showed that the mean absolute QT parameter was a significant predictor of cardiac death (p < 0.001), whereas an intraindividual change in QT parameter over time was not predictive. Conclusion: QT abnormalities seem to exist at the point of diagnosis of diabetes and do not appear to change between then and the subsequent cardiac death. Furthermore, the analysis of QT interval is superior to ABPI and the RR interval in identifying diabetic patients at high risk of cardiac death.