Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Increased Non-switched Memory B Cells are Associated with Plasmablasts, Serum IL-6 Levels and Renal Functional Impairments in IgAN Patients

ABSTRACT Background: Circulating B cells are crucial for the pathogenesis of IgA nephropathy (IgAN). This study aimed at investigating the relationship between frequency of different subsets of circulating B cells and clinical measures in IgAN patients. Methods: The percentages of different subsets of circulating B cells in 23 IgAN patients and 14 healthy controls (HC) were determined by flow cytometry. Their serum IL-6 levels were measured by Cytometric Bead Array (CBA). Clinical parameters in five patients were measured before and after treatment for 8–12 weeks. The potential relationship between variants was analyzed. Results: In comparison with the HC, the frequency of CD3-CD19+ CD27+ IgD+IgM+ non-switched memory B cells (P = .0038) and CD3-CD19+ CD27hiCD38hi plasmablasts (P = .0467) and serum IL-6 (P = .0392) levels significantly increased in IgAN patients. The percentages of non-switched memory B cells were positively correlated with plasmablasts (R = 0.5781, P = .0039) and serum IL-6 levels (R = 0.6663, P = .0005) in the patients. The percentages of non-switched memory B cells (R = 0.8399, P < .0001), plasmablasts (R = 0.4486, P = .0318) and the levels of serum IL-6 (R = 0.5461, P = .0070) were positively correlated with the values of 24-h urine proteins in IgAN patients. The serum levels of IL-6 were negatively correlated with the eGFR values. Following standard treatment, the frequency of non-switched memory B cells and plasmablasts and the levels of 24-h urine proteins (P = .0317, P = .0079, P < .05) significantly decreased in IgAN patients. Conclusions: Abnormally higher frequency of non-switched memory B cells and plasmablasts may contribute to the pathogenesis of IgAN and be potential biomarkers for IgAN.
Cardiovascular guidelines based on high-quality evidence: Are we getting there?

of evidence supporting recommendations in cardiovascular guidelines are known to be low, fewer than 15% of all recommendations in cardiovascular guidelines are supported by high-quality evidence from mul-tiple randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and meta-analyses (level A evidence). One recent study that the evidence levels underlying the European and American guidelines did not change over the last decade. 2 Considering that similar evidence levels have been found in most medical and surgical subspecialties, a grim outlook on the medical evidence base as a whole arises. However, light comes after the darkest hour.
Affordability and Subsidies in Public Urban Transport: What Do We Mean, What Can Be Done?

Abstract Subsidy policies on public urban transport have been adopted ubiquitously. Both in developed and developing countries, subsidies are implemented under two major premises: (1) to increase public transport use and to reduce externalities, such as greenhouse gas emissions and congestion, and (2) to make transport more affordable, particularly for the poorest. This paper focuses on the latter. Despite the widespread implementation of subsidies, there are virtually no quantitative assessments of their distributional incidence, making it impossible to determine if these policy instruments are pro‐poor. Using different tools to quantitatively evaluate the incidence and distributive impacts of subsidy policy options, this paper analyses the findings of a series of research papers that have studied urban public transport subsidy policies in developed and developing countries. Available evidence indicates that current public urban transport subsidy policies do not make the poorest better off. Supply side subsidies—provided to the operator—are, for the most part, neutral or regressive; while demand side subsidies—provided to the user—perform better, although many of them do not improve income distribution. Considering that the vast majority of developing countries justify public urban transport subsidies on social grounds, as a means to improve the mobility, and thus welfare, of the poorest, it is imperative to move away from supply side subsidies towards demand side subsidies and integrate transport social concerns into wider poverty alleviation efforts, which include the possibility of channelling subsidies through monetary transfer systems or through other welfare instruments (food subsidies, health services and education for the poor).
3D FE and 2DOF simulations of ground shock experiments – Reflection pressure time history dependency due to the structure’s stiffness and mass

This paper simulates, by using 3D Finite Element (FE) Autodyn and simple two degree of freedom (2DOF) model, experiments from 1980s conducted by S. Hultgren, FORTF, where Hultgren studied the structural response of a well-defined structure; a suspended piston-spring system buried in sand subjected for ground shock from an explosive charge. The experiments showed that if the suspended mass of the piston is increased the initial reflected pressure also increases. Similarly, the experiments showed that if the stiffness of the suspended piston is increased the reflected pressure time history increases for the latter part of the reflected pressure curve. The first aim of the FE simulations was to better understand the physics of the observed experimental results. Based on this, the second aim was to find a methodology that can use simplified relationships for ground shock prediction, from e.g. ConWep, in combination with simplified models such as 2DOF, to predict the structural response of e.g. a buried concrete wall.
Degradation of Coral Reefs at Moorea Island (French Polynesia) by Acanthaster planci

Present and past Acanthaster planci grazing are considered the main causative agent of coral destruction at Moorea. Acanthaster planci showed a feeding preference for all growth-forms of Acropora , The genus Montipora (chiefly encrusting species) and Pocillopora were both commonly grazed. Foliate Pavona were grazed to a lesser extent, and Montastrea, Favia, Synarea and Porites were rarely grazed. The knowledge of the selective grazing and the coral composition can provide a reasonable picture of past and future Acanthaster predation.
Asymptotic Null Distributions of Stationarity and Nonstationarity Tests Under Local-to-finite Variance Errors

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the asymptotic null distribution of stationarity and nonstationarity tests when the distribution of the error term belongs to the normal domain of attraction of a stable law in any finite sample but the error term is an i.i. d. process with finite variance as $$T \uparrow \infty$$. This local-to-finite variance setup is helpful to highlight the behavior of test statistics under the null hypothesis in the borderline or near borderline cases between finite and infinite variance and to assess the robustness of these test statistics to small departures from the standard finite variance context. From an empirical point of view, our analysis can be useful in settings where the (non)-existence of the (second) moments is not clear-cut, such as, for example, in the analysis of financial time series. A Monte Carlo simulation study is performed to improve our understanding of the practical implications of the limi theory we develop. The main purpose of the simulation experiment is to assess the size distortion of the unit root and stationarity tests under investigation.
Self-Reported Cognitive Function and Mental Health Diagnoses among Former Professional American-Style Football Players

Clinical practice strongly relies on patients' self-report. Former professional American-style football players are hesitant to seek help for mental health problems, but may be more willing to report cognitive symptoms. We sought to assess the association between cognitive symptoms and diagnosed mental health problems and quality of life among a cohort of former professional players. In a cross-sectional design, we assessed self-reported cognitive function using items from the Quality of Life in Neurological Disorders (Neuro-QOL) Item Bank. We then compared mental health diagnoses and quality of life, assessed by items from the Patient-Reported Outcome Measurement Information System (PROMIS®), between former professional players reporting daily problems in cognitive function and former players not reporting daily cognitive problems. Of the 3758 former professional players included in the analysis, 40.0% reported daily problems due to cognitive dysfunction. Former players who reported daily cognitive problems were more likely to also report depression (18.0% vs. 3.3%, odds ratio [OR] = 6.42, 95% confidence interval [CI] [4.90–8.40]) and anxiety (19.1% vs. 4.3%, OR = 5.29, 95% CI [4.14–6.75]) than those without daily cognitive problems. Further, former players reporting daily cognitive problems were more likely to report memory loss and attention deficit(/hyperactivity) disorder and poorer general mental health, lower quality of life, less satisfaction with social activities and relationships, and more emotional problems. These findings highlight the potential of an assessment of cognitive symptoms for identifying former players with mental health, social, and emotional problems.
SERS Studies of Adsorption on Gold Surfaces of Mononucleotides with Attached Hexanethiol Moiety: Comparison with Selected Single-Stranded Thiolated DNA Fragments

The attachment of DNA strands to gold surfaces is performed in many devices, such as various DNA sensors. One of the standard methods used to immobilize DNA on gold surfaces involves two steps: the attachment of a thiol linker group (usually in the form of alkanethiol moiety) to the DNA strand, and the chemical reaction between the thiol-terminated DNA and the gold surface. Since thiols react chemically with the surface of gold substrates, forming very stable Au–S bonds, it is often assumed that the chemisorption on the gold surface of nucleotides with an attached thiol linker group leads to the formation of an order layer with the linking moieties relatively densely packed on the gold surface. In this contribution we show that chemisorption of thiolated mononucleotides does not occur according to this model. For example, the thiolated mononucleotide containing adenine strongly interacts with the gold surface via the adenine moiety. Moreover, bonding of the mononucleotide containing adenine to the gold surface is relatively similar to the bonding of adenine, and the main difference is that the adenine interacts with the gold surface mainly through the pyrimidine ring, while for adenine mononucleotide interaction via the imidazole ring also significantly contributes to the total bonding. A similar effect was observed for the mononucleotide containing cytosine, and the main difference between the interaction with the gold surface of cytosine and cytosine mononucleotide is that mononucleotide containing cytosine interacts with the gold surface to a significantly larger extend via the carboxylic group of the base. We also show that the structure of the layer formed on the gold surface by the thiolated mononucleotides may be significantly different than the structure of the layer formed by thiolated single-stranded DNA containing even as few as two bases.
Response Surface Model for Surface Roughness during Finish Turning of Titanium Alloy under Minimum Quantity Lubrication

 Abstract---The evolving concept of minimum quantity of lubrication (MQL) in machining is considered as one of the solutions to reduce the amount of lubricant to address the environmental, economical and ecological issues. This paper investigates the influence of cutting speed, feed rate and different amount of MQL on machining performance during turning of titanium alloy (Ti-6Al-4V) using poly crystalline diamond (PCD). The experiments have been planned as per Taguchi's orthogonal array and the second order surface roughness model in terms of machining parameters was developed using response surface methodology (RSM). The parametric analysis has been carried out to analyze the interaction effects of process parameters on surface roughness.
Are self-efficacy measures confounded with motivation? An experimental test

Abstract Standard measures of self-efficacy (SE) may confound perceived capability and motivation because respondents interpret the word “can” as “will”. Objective: To test whether priming for the meaning of the word “can” changes self-efficacy ratings. Design: In an experimental test, 134 university students responded to an on-line standardized measure of exercise SE and provided definitions of the words “can” and “will”. One month later participants were randomized to complete (a) the same questionnaire (control), (b) the same questionnaire but with presentation of each participant’s definition of “can” prior to the SE measure (definition priming), or (c) the same questionnaire but with SE items (“I can exercise…”) placed side-by-side with behavioral intention items (“I will exercise…”) (side-by-side priming). Results: SE increased relative to controls for side-by-side (b = 12.08, SE = 2.70, p<.01) but not definition priming (ns), with the former even stronger among participants (n = 91) who provided strict (i.e., literal) rather than liberal definitions of “can” (b = 15.38, SE = 3.21, p<.001). Conclusion: Priming of the meaning of the word “can” led to increases in self-efficacy ratings among those who hold a literal meaning of the word “can”. This suggests that for many respondents standard assessments of SE may be confounded by motivation.
Corruption and Entrepreneurship: A Bibliometric Analysis

The impact of corruption on entrepreneurial dynamics became an attractive topic for scholars after the appearance of public scandals that led to the delegitimization of many governments in the last 40 years. The research that explored the relationship between corruption and entrepreneurship has produced controversial results. It appears that the interaction of these two constructs is influenced by contextual factors both at an individual and national level of analysis. By using a bibliometric methodology and a fractional counting method to analyse the scientific literature on corruption and entrepreneurship, this paper identifies and analyses 180 articles recorded in the Scopus database. It represents a contribution by showing the state of the art of research on corruption and entrepreneurship and proposes future lines of research. Important results have been found about the evolution of the volume of articles and citations on this topic over time. Significant academic interest in this field commenced in the 21st century, and more specifically in the last ten years. This work also provides findings about the most prolific journals, institutions and authors, as well as the most relevant countries, with the United States and United Kingdom leading in terms of the number of publications. In addition, an in-depth analysis of authors' keywords has identified different trends, such as institutions, economic growth, shadow economy, regulation, Africa, culture, economic development, business environment, and informal economy. Finally, some future research lines are proposed, such as institutional theory, tax morale, corruption perceptions, European regions, risk aversion and institutional entrepreneurship.
HIV Capsid Inhibitors Beyond PF74

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) capsid plays important roles at multiple stages of viral replication. At the initial stages, controlled uncoating (disassembly) of the capsid ensures efficient reverse transcription of the single-stranded RNA genome, into the double-stranded DNA. Whereas at later stages, a proper assembly of capsid ensures the formation of a mature infectious virus particle. Hence, the inhibition of capsid assembly and/or disassembly has been recognized as a potential therapeutic strategy, and several capsid inhibitors have been reported. Of these, PF-3450074 (PF74) has been extensively studied. Recently reported GS-CA inhibitors (GS-CA1 and GS-6207), have shown a strong potential and appear to contain a PF74 scaffold. The location of resistance mutations and the results of structural studies further suggest that GS-CA compounds and PF74 share the same binding pocket, which is located between capsid monomers. Additionally, phenylalanine derivatives containing the PF74 scaffold show slightly enhanced capsid inhibiting activity. A comparison of capsid structures in complex with host factors and PF74, reveals the presence of common chemical entities at topologically equivalent positions. Here we present the status of capsid inhibitors that contain PF74 scaffolds and propose that the PF74 scaffold may be used to develop strong and safe capsid inhibitors.
Horizontal Mergers With One Capacity Constrained Firm Increase Prices

It is often claimed that horizontal mergers cannot cause price increases if one of the merging firms is capacity constrained. The argument is that the constraint prohibits the post-merger recapture of lost sales, and thereby disables the mechanism by which merger-induced price increases occur. In this paper we show that this claim is incorrect. We show that mergers between substitutes in which one of the merging firms faces a binding pre-merger capacity constraint unambiguously increase prices. The intuition is simple. Even if there is no recapture of lost sales, a merger causes the acquiring entity to take into account the effect of a change in the price of its good on the price of the acquired good. In a price setting context where the constraint continues to bind post-merger, this reduces to the simple fact that an increase in the price of the unconstrained good also increases the price at which the constrained good sells out its capacity, which is internalized post-merger. This result points to the danger of focusing only on lost sales, and ignoring the internalization of higher prices. JEL Classification Codes: L13, L40.
Association of a CARD9 Gene Haplotype with Behcet’s Disease in a Chinese Han Population

ABSTRACT Purpose: To investigate the association of CARD9 gene polymorphisms with Behcet’s disease (BD) and acute anterior uveitis (AAU) in a Chinese Han population. Methods: We performed a case-control association study in 480 patients with BD, 1151 patients with AAU and 1440 healthy controls. Six single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of CARD9 were genotyped, including rs4077515, rs11145769, rs59902911, rs9411205, rs4073153 and rs1135314. Results: None of the individual SNPs in the CARD9 gene showed an association with either BD or AAU. Haplotype analysis revealed a significant decrease of the frequency of a CARD9 gene haplotype CGCCA (rs4077515, rs11145769, rs59902911, rs9411205, rs4073153) in BD when compared to healthy controls (Pc = 0.012, OR = 0.585, 95%CI = 0.409 ~ 0.837). Haplotype analysis did not show an association between CARD9 and AAU. Conclusions: This study shows that a five-SNP haplotype of the CARD9 gene (CGCCA) may be a protective factor for BD with ocular involvement, but not for AAU.
Serviceability of Reinforced Concrete Gable Roof Beams with Openings under Static Loads

This paper presents an analytical study on the serviceability of reinforced concrete gable roof beams with openings of different sizes, based on an experimental study which includes 13 concrete gable roof beams with openings under static loading. For deflection and crack widths under static loading at service stage, a developed unified calculation procedure has been submitted, which includes prismatic beams with one opening subjected to flexure concentrated force. The deflection has been calculated with two methods: the first method calculated deflections via relevant equations and the second was Direct Stiffness Method in which the beam is treated as a structural member with several segments constituting the portions with solid sections and those with sections crossed by the opening. The crack width was calculated with the ACI code’s equation with a proposed magnification factor equal to 1.125. The analytical results were compared with the experimental ones and a good agreement was obtained.
Antiplatelet Activity of Natural Bioactive Extracts from Mango (Mangifera Indica L.) and its By-Products

The potential antiplatelet aggregation effects of mango pulp and its by-products (peel, husk seed, and seed) due to the presence of bioactive compounds were explored. Among them, mango seed exhibited a 72% percentage inhibition of platelet aggregation induced by adenosine 5’-diphosphate (ADP) agonist with a demonstrated dose-dependent effect. This biological feature could be caused by the chemical differences in phenolic composition. Mango seed was especially rich in monogalloyl compounds, tetra- and penta-galloylglucose, ellagic acid, mangiferin, and benzophenones such as maclurin derivatives and iriflophenone glucoside. Mangiferin showed an inhibitory effect of 31%, suggesting its key role as one of the main contributors to the antiplatelet activity of mango seed. Therefore, mango seed could be postulated as a natural source of bioactive compounds with antiplatelet properties to design functional foods or complementary therapeutic treatments.
Impact of Capital Structure on Firm’s Financial Performance: Textile, Automobiles, Sugar, Petroleum & Engineering Industry of Pakistan

The purpose of this study to measure the impact of capital structure (leverage) on the financial performance of listed companies in the sector of Textile, Automobiles, Sugar, Petroleum and engineering industry of Pakistan. The data was collected for the period of four years from 2012-2015. The data was extracted from the 21 firms for study. The Ordinary least squares models and Correlation are used for analysis the proxies. The results display that leverage measured by Debt to Assets has a statistically significant negative effect on firms’ financial performance measured by Return on Assets at 99.9% confidence interval. Keywords: Financial leverage, Capital Structure, Firms’ performance.
Exosomal miRNAs as potential biomarkers for acute myocardial infarction

microRNAs (miRNAs) can be used as biomarkers for acute myocardial infarction (AMI). However, few reports have focused on the value of exosomal miRNAs in the mechanism of the pathophysiological process from stable coronary artery disease (SCAD) to AMI. Exosomes were isolated via ultracentrifugation after serum samples were collected. The exosomes were then identified by transmission electron microscopy, western blotting, and nanoparticle tracking analysis. The differential expression of miRNAs in exosomes from six AMI and six matching SCAD patients was screened using the Agilent Human miRNA Microarray Kit. Target genes of the candidate miRNAs were predicted via an online miRNA database, Gene Ontology, and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes analyses. Further validation was conducted through quantitative real‐time polymerase chain reaction with 60 exosome samples. The expression of 13 miRNAs was significantly downregulated in the AMI samples compared with the SCAD samples. In addition, we identified various target genes that are mainly involved in the pathways of cardiac rehabilitation and remodelling. Validation of the expression of candidate miRNAs indicated that exosomal miR‐1915‐3p, miR‐4,507, and miR‐3,656 were significantly less expressed in AMI samples than in SCAD samples, and area under the receiver‐operating‐characteristic curve (AUC) analysis showed that the expression of these miRNAs resulted in good predictive accuracy [miR‐1915‐3p (AUC: 0.772); miR‐4,507 (AUC: 0.684); and miR‐3,656 (AUC: 0.771)], suggesting that these serum exosomal miRNAs might be predictive for AMI at an early stage. Hence, exosomal miRNAs might play an important role in the pathophysiology of AMI and could serve as diagnostic biomarkers.