Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Genetic variation within and between two Tyrrhenian populations of the Mediterranean alcyonarian Corallium rubrum

Allozymic variation of 13 gene loci was investigated in 2 samples of Corallium rubrum (L.) collected in the Tyrrhenian Sea (Tuscany, Italy), at the coastal Calafuria cliff (south of Leghorn) and at Elba Island (Tuscan Archipelago) respectively. Among 5 polymorphic loci, Pgm and Pgi showed the highest level of heterozygosity. In the Elba sample all polymorphic loci were in Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium, whereas in the Calafuria sample, Pgm and Pgi were not. Mixing of individuals from genetically different subpopulations (Wahlund effect) may cause this disequilibrium. Nei's indices together with F-statistics show that the samples investigated can be considered as 2 distinct local populations. The results suggest that limited larval dispersal may be more important in promoting C. rubrum population differentiation than differential selection on the migrating larvae.
Weekly chemotherapy with cisplatin, vincristine, doxorubicin, and etoposide is an effective treatment for advanced thymic carcinoma

Thymic carcinoma is a rare neoplasm that often disseminates or metastasizes. The role of chemotherapy in treating this malignancy is unclear. The purpose of the current study was to determine the efficacy and tolerability of a weekly chemotherapy regimen consisting of cisplatin, vincristine, doxorubicin, and etoposide (CODE) for the treatment of advanced thymic carcinoma.
Molecular cloning and characterization of the putative Halloween gene Phantom from the small brown planthopper Laodelphax striatellus

Ecdysteroid hormone 20‐hydroxyecdysone plays fundamental roles in insect postembryonic development and reproduction. Several cytochrome P450 mono‐oxygenases (CYPs), encoded by the Halloween genes, have been documented to be involved in ecdysteroidogenesis in representative insects in Diptera, Lepidoptera and Orthoptera. Here the putative Halloween gene Phantom (Phm, cyp306a1) from a hemipteran insect species, the small brown planthopper Laodelphax striatellus, was cloned. LsPHM shows five insect conserved P450 motifs, that is, Helix‐C, Helix‐I, Helix‐K, PERF and heme‐binding motifs. Temporal and spatial expression patterns of LsPhm were evaluated by quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Through the fourth‐instar and the early fifth‐instar stages, LsPhm showed two expression peaks in day 2 and days 4−5 fourth‐instar nymphs, and three troughs in day 1 and 3 fourth instars and day 1 fifth instars. On day 5 of the fourth‐instar nymphs, LsPhm clearly had a high transcript level in the thorax where the prothoracic glands were located. Dietary introduction of double‐stranded RNA (dsRNA) of LsPhm at the nymph stage successfully knocked down the target gene, decreased expression level of ecdysone receptor (LsEcR) gene and caused a higher nymphal mortality rate and delayed development. Ingestion of 20‐hydroxyecdysone on LsPhm‐dsRNA‐exposed nymphs did not increase LsPhm expression level, but almost completely rescued the LsEcR mRNA level, and relieved the negative effects on survival and development. Thus, our data suggest that the putative LsPhm encodes a functional 25‐hydroxylase that catalyzes the biosynthesis of ecdysteroids in L. striatellus.
Trade Liberalisation and Poverty: The Empirical Evidence

The paper is explicitly empirical in focus. We report theoretical work if it informs empirical studies, but our emphasis is primarily on the study of ex post data pertaining to actual instances of trade liberalisation and related shocks. We also review a little of the Computable General Equilibrium (CGE) modelling literature, which, while fundamentally theoretical, does at least rely on some data. The paper starts with a very brief account of our analytical framework, which provides the organisational framework for the paper. We then survey the evidence on trade liberalisation and poverty under four headings: macro-economic aspects (growth and fluctuations), households and markets, wages and employment and government revenue and spending. While for each component trade liberalisation can facilitate poverty alleviation, in none of them can an unambiguous generalisation be made either in theory or empirically. The ambiguity arises because there are so many reasons why people are poor; and even within broadly defined groups there are huge differences in the circumstances of individual households. The conclusions of much of the work surveyed below are conditional on these circumstances, so a crucial part of any specific analysis must be to identify the different characteristics of the poor including information about their consumption, production and employment activities. Given the variety of circumstances, it will hardly be surprising that there are no general comparative static results about whether trade liberalisation will increase or reduce poverty. Simple statements about ‘the poor’ will, at best, lose information and simple generalisations about all countries will just be wrong. An important aspect of any analysis of poverty is the definition and measurement of poverty itself. Poverty is a complex and multi-dimensional phenomenon and there is considerable controversy in the literature about how it should be defined and measured.3 However, the vast majority of the empirical economic literature on poverty adopts an absolute income or consumption metric. Therefore, while recognising that there are many legitimate approaches to the measurement of poverty, the evidence that we review focuses on this approach. Moreover, a sensible first step towards understanding the effects of trade on poverty and communicating them clearly is to focus on the simplest and most directly observable measures of welfare. Much of the methodological discussion would generalise to other dimensions of poverty if the later could be measured precisely. Finally, it is worth emphasising that our concern is with poverty, not inequality. Since trade liberalisation tends to increase the opportunities for economic activity, it can very easily increase income inequality while at the same time reducing poverty. Consequently, statements about its effects on inequality cannot be translated directly into statements about its impact on absolute poverty. There may be sound positive and normative reasons for interest in inequality, but they are not the concerns of this paper.
IL‐17 is Involved in Helicobacter pylori‐Induced Gastric Inflammatory Responses in a Mouse Model

Background: Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) is the major cause of chronic active gastritis and peptic ulcer disease. Recent studies have shown that H. pylori produces various cytokines that are related to neutrophil or mononuclear cell accumulation. Interleukin‐17 (IL‐17) is the founding member of an emerging family of inflammatory cytokines whose biological activities remain incompletely defined. In this study, the contributions of IL‐17 to the induction of gastric inflammation and to the protection from H. pylori infection were investigated using IL‐17 gene‐knockout (IL‐17−/–) mice.
Fuel utilization in subjects with carnitine palmitoyltransferase 2 gene mutations

Patients with the myopathic form of carnitine palmitoyltransferase II (CPT II) deficiency typically experience muscle pain, cramps, and myoglobinuria during prolonged exercise. It has been suggested that carriers of CPT2 gene mutations also may have milder clinical symptoms, but fatty acid oxidation (FAO) has never been investigated in vivo in this group. We studied fuel utilization by indirect calorimetry and stable isotope methodology in four patients with CPT II deficiency, three subjects who carried one CPT2 gene mutation, and five healthy control subjects. Cycle exercise at a constant workload of 50% of maximal oxygen uptake capacity was used to facilitate FAO. We found that in vivo oxidation of long‐chain fatty acids was normal at rest but severely impaired during prolonged, low‐intensity exercise in patients with CPT II deficiency, and that two of the single CPT2 gene mutation carriers, who displayed symptoms of CPT II deficiency, had an FAO comparable with the patients. These results indicate that residual CPT II activity is sufficient to maintain long‐chain FAO at rest in CPT II deficiency but not to increase FAO during exercise. The findings also suggest that single CPT2 gene mutations may exert a dominant‐negative effect on the tetrameric CPT II protein. Ann Neurol 2005;57:60–66
Mechanism of insulin Gene Regulation by the Pancreatic Transcription Factor Pdx-1

The homeodomain factor Pdx-1 regulates an array of genes in the developing and mature pancreas, but whether regulation of each specific gene occurs by a direct mechanism (binding to promoter elements and activating basal transcriptional machinery) or an indirect mechanism (via regulation of other genes) is unknown. To determine the mechanism underlying regulation of the insulin gene by Pdx-1, we performed a kinetic analysis of insulin transcription following adenovirus-mediated delivery of a small interfering RNA specific for pdx-1 into insulinoma cells and pancreatic islets to diminish endogenous Pdx-1 protein. insulin transcription was assessed by measuring both a long half-life insulin mRNA (mature mRNA) and a short half-life insulin pre-mRNA species by real-time reverse transcriptase-PCR. Following progressive knock-down of Pdx-1 levels, we observed coordinate decreases in pre-mRNA levels (to about 40% of normal levels at 72 h). In contrast, mature mRNA levels showed strikingly smaller and delayed declines, suggesting that the longer half-life of this species underestimates the contribution of Pdx-1 to insulin transcription. Chromatin immunoprecipitation assays revealed that the decrease in insulin transcription was associated with decreases in the occupancies of Pdx-1 and p300 at the proximal insulin promoter. Although there was no corresponding change in the recruitment of RNA polymerase II to the proximal promoter, its recruitment to the insulin coding region was significantly reduced. Our results suggest that Pdx-1 directly regulates insulin transcription through formation of a complex with transcriptional coactivators on the proximal insulin promoter. This complex leads to enhancement of elongation by the basal transcriptional machinery.
An improved theory for the prediction of microcavitation thresholds

An approximate analytical formulation is presented that allows for the calculation of acoustic pressure thresholds for transient cavitation over a variety of frequencies and host fluid parameters. Specifically, R.E. Apfel's (1986) theory is extended to include an estimate of the time delay associated with the Laplace pressure, 2 sigma /R/sub 0/, where sigma is the surface tension and R/sub 0/ is the initial radius. Also presented is a correction factor for the time-averaged pressure difference, across the bubble wall during growth. An optimum size distribution of nuclei for the predisposition of a sample to microcavitation is exhibited. The role of transient cavitation in medical ultrasound is discussed. <<ETX>>
Enteroantigen (eAg)‐binding B lymphocytes in the mouse – phenotype, distribution, function and eAg‐specific antibody secretion

Studies reporting beneficial effects of B lymphocytes in autoimmune diseases have been accumulating and a regulatory role for certain B cell subsets is hence getting more and more recognition. Recently, B cells were shown to exhibit a regulatory effect in a T cell transfer model of colitis. Here, B cells exposed to enteroantigen (eAg) ex vivo abrogated the colitogenic effect if co‐transplanted with Treg‐depleted (CD4+CD25−) T cells into severe combined immune deficiency (SCID) mice. These data may imply a role for B cells that bind eAg (eAg+ B cells) in the immunopathology of colitis. Here, we report the detection of a subset of eAg+ B cells, including both B2 and B1 lineages, and show that these cells are present in all peripheral lymphoid organs of the mouse including the peritoneal cavity. eAg+ B cells are far more efficient as eAg‐presenting cells than unfractionated splenocytes or eAg− B cells in causing proliferation of eAg‐specific T cells. In comparison with eAg− B cells, eAg+ B cells secrete a significant amount of IL‐10 in vitro, suggesting an anti‐inflammatory potential. Compared with wild‐type B cells, B cell receptor (BCR) transgenic, hen egg lysozyme‐specific B cells show inferior eAg binding and T cell stimulatory activity suggesting involvement of the BCR in eAg binding and processing. After activation of CD19+ B cells by eAg and hybridization with hypoxanthine‐aminopterin‐thymidine (HAT) sensitive ×63 lymphoma cells followed by cloning at limiting dilution conditions, around 10% of the hybridoma cells secrete eAg‐specific antibodies.
Self-Reported Speech Problems in Adolescents and Young Adults with 22q11.2 Deletion Syndrome: A Cross-Sectional Cohort Study

Background Speech problems are a common clinical feature of the 22q11.2 deletion syndrome. The objectives of this study were to inventory the speech history and current self-reported speech rating of adolescents and young adults, and examine the possible variables influencing the current speech ratings, including cleft palate, surgery, speech and language therapy, intelligence quotient, and age at assessment. Methods In this cross-sectional cohort study, 50 adolescents and young adults with the 22q11.2 deletion syndrome (ages, 12-26 years, 67% female) filled out questionnaires. A neuropsychologist administered an age-appropriate intelligence quotient test. The demographics, histories, and intelligence of patients with normal speech (speech rating=1) were compared to those of patients with different speech (speech rating>1). Results Of the 50 patients, a minority (26%) had a cleft palate, nearly half (46%) underwent a pharyngoplasty, and all (100%) had speech and language therapy. Poorer speech ratings were correlated with more years of speech and language therapy (Spearman's correlation= 0.418, P=0.004; 95% confidence interval, 0.145-0.632). Only 34% had normal speech ratings. The groups with normal and different speech were not significantly different with respect to the demographic variables; a history of cleft palate, surgery, or speech and language therapy; and the intelligence quotient. Conclusions All adolescents and young adults with the 22q11.2 deletion syndrome had undergone speech and language therapy, and nearly half of them underwent pharyngoplasty. Only 34% attained normal speech ratings. Those with poorer speech ratings had speech and language therapy for more years.
Essential Role for NHERF in cAMP-mediated Inhibition of the Na+-HCO3 -Co-transporter in BSC-1 Cells*

Prior studies have indicated a requirement for the PDZ domain-containing protein,Na+/H + Exchanger Regulatory Factor (NHERF), for protein kinase A (PKA)-mediated inhibition of the renal basolateral Na+-HCO 3 − co-transporter (NBC). The present studies explore the potential mechanisms by which NHERF transduces cAMP signals to inhibit NBC. In BSC-1 cells, cells that express NBC but lack NHERF, 8-bromo-cAMP (100 μm for 15 min) failed to inhibit transport until wild-type mNHERF-(1–355) was expressed. mNHERF-(116–355) containing PDZ II and C-terminal ezrin-binding sequences or a mutant unphosphorylated form of rabbit NHERF effectively transduced the cAMP signals that inhibited NBC. By contrast, mNHERF-(1–126) encompassing N-terminal PDZ I and mNHERF-(1–325), which lacks ezrin-binding, failed to support cAMP inhibition of NBC activity. NBC and NHERF did not associate with each other in yeast two-hybrid or co-immunoprecipitation assays, and confocal microscopy indicated distinct subcellular localization of the two proteins. NBC was phosphorylated in BSC-1 cells, but its phosphorylation was not increased by cAMP nor was immunoprecipitated NBC phosphorylated by PKA in vitro. Acute exposure of mNHERF-(1–355)-expressing BSC-1 cells to cAMP did not change cell surface expression of NBC. Although these results established an essential role for NHERF in cAMP-mediated inhibition of NBC in BSC-1 cells, they also suggest a novel mechanism for NHERF-mediated signal transduction distinct from that previously characterized from studies of other NHERF targets.
The impact of spatial spillovers on interprovincial migration in China, 2005–10

ABSTRACT In a migration network system, any change of regional characteristics may affect outflows and inflows from and to the region itself and potentially its neighbouring regions. To explore the impact of spatial spillovers on interprovincial migration flows in China, we proposed four spatial autoregressive interaction models by introducing different network structures to gravity models. The results indicate that the model taking account of dependence structure among origins, destinations and flows is more accurate than the other models. Population size is the most critical determinant in interprovincial migration from 2005 to 2010 in China and is greatly strengthened by spatial spillovers.
Supportment for organization and management competences of ASEAN community and European Union toward Industry 4.0

Article history: Received 7 November 2018 Received in revised form 28 January 2019 Accepted 28 January 2019 The paper focuses on supporting environment for Organization and Management Competences of the European Union and ASEAN Community, by which Industry 4.0 is the challenge. The paper used available, trusted sources of data to compare and investigate Organization and Management Competences supporting dimensions of European Union and ASEAN Community countries, i.e., Strategy, Leadership, Governance, Supply Chain Network, Culture, People and Process Digitalization. Result presentation discusses several observations on the issue of interest. Countries that are the most and least opportune to O&M competences are identified and discussed. Also, selected economy of interest, i.e., Austria, Italy, Slovakia, and Thailand, were further investigated and discussed in detail.
BiP (GRP78) and Endoplasmin (GRP94) Are Induced following Rotavirus Infection and Bind Transiently to an Endoplasmic Reticulum-Localized Virion Component

ABSTRACT Rotavirus infection induces profound alterations in the morphology and biochemistry of the host cell. Using two-dimensional (2D) gel electrophoresis combined with metabolic labeling, we have identified four proteins that are specifically upregulated in rotavirus-infected cells. Two of these have been identified as BiP (GRP78) and endoplasmin (GRP94), members of a family of glucose-regulated chaperone proteins that reside in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) lumen, the site of rotavirus morphogenesis. The level of mRNA and the transcriptional activity of the BiP and endoplasmin genes are increased markedly in rotavirus-infected cells, and these genes are also induced when a single rotavirus protein, the nonstructural glycoprotein NSP4, is expressed in MA104 cells. However, NSP4 does not associate with either BiP or endoplasmin, implying that the mechanism of BiP and endoplasmin gene activation by NSP4 may differ from that triggered by viral membrane glycoproteins of other viruses. The interaction of BiP and endoplasmin with rotavirus structural polypeptides suggests that these chaperones are involved in the process of viral maturation in the ER lumen.
Open creative workspaces impacts for new product development team creativity and effectiveness

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to further explore the relationship between new product development project teams and their workspace regarding the impact of the physical (space variety, indoor environmental quality, large meeting room, workstation) and sociotechnical environments (project commitment, IT environment) on their creativity and effectiveness. Design/methodology/approach The authors gathered data on an enterprise’s ten multidisciplinary teams operating in diverse workspaces by four means: over 40 interviews and four months of observation, secondary data and a survey with 645 responses. Findings For teams co-located on site and abroad, employees express that proximity in open space is paramount even considering the augmented density. The relationship between team effectiveness and team creativity is strong and bidirectional (correlationβ = 0.40****), but the patterns of relationship between these two variables and certain dimensions of the physical and sociotechnical environment are different. There is a positive and direct impact on team effectiveness, but to a lesser degree on creativity which, in turn, positively influences team effectiveness. Moreover, creativity intervenes (mediator variable) between project commitment, satisfaction with large meeting rooms and the IT environment on their relationship with team effectiveness. When the authors added a direct link between the variables and team effectiveness, the model explains 47.1 per cent of the variance. Research limitations/implications The scope of the data is somewhat limited by the time that the company and its teams could allocate to this paper. Practical implications The arrangement of space reinforces employees’ sense of belonging to their team as measured by project commitment which along with satisfaction with the large meeting rooms and IT environment influence both team effectiveness and creativity. Managers could consider these three elements as levers for action. Space variety (or balanced layout) is also a way to support team creativity. Originality/value Even if open spaces are frequently used, the literature on creative spaces is dedicated mainly to an individual. This paper delivers some results and evidence on the concrete and simultaneous impacts of the workspaces on creativity and effectiveness of multidisciplinary new product development (NPD) team.
Hypothermia is better than ischemic preconditioning for preventing early hepatic ischemia/reperfusion in rats.

BACKGROUND Topical hypothermia (TH) and ischemic preconditioning (IPC) are used to decrease I/R injury. The efficacy of isolated or combined use of TH and IPC in the liver regarding inflammation and cytoprotection in early ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury needs to be evaluated. MATERIAL AND METHODS Wistar rats underwent 70% liver ischemia for 90 min followed by 120 min of reperfusion. Livers of animals allocated in the sham, normothermic ischemia (NI), IPC, TH, and TH+IPC groups were collected for molecular analyses by ELISA and Western blot, aiming to compare proinflammatory, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant profiles. RESULTS Compared with NI, TH presented decreased tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6 and IL-12 concentrations and increased IL-10 levels. TH animals displayed lower inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and higher endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) expressions. NAD(P)H-quinone oxidoreductase-1(NQO1) expression was also lower with TH. Isolated IPC and NI were similar regarding all these markers. TH+IPC was associated with decreased IL-12 concentration and reduced iNOS and NQO1 expressions, similarly to isolated TH. Expression of Kelch-like ECH-associated protein (Keap)-1 was increased and expression of nuclear and cytosolic nuclear erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) was decreased with TH+IPC vs. NI. CONCLUSION TH was the most effective method of protection against early I/R injury. Isolated IPC entailed triggering of second-line antioxidant defense enzymes. Combined TH+IPC seemed to confer no additional advantage over isolated TH in relation to the inflammatory process, but had the advantage of completely avoid second-line antioxidant defense enzymes.