Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Phenotypic and functional aspects of the neonatal immune system as related to the maternal dietary fatty acid supply of sows

The maternal-fetal transfer and subsequent uptake of sow milk enriched with n-6- or n-3-polyunsaturated fatty acids may not only influence neonatal body fat but may also have an impact on the immune function of newborn piglets. Sows were fed a diet containing sunflower oil as n-6-source or oil from seal blubber with long chain polyunsaturated n-3-fatty acids during pregnancy and lactation. Sow serum was investigated during pregnancy and serum and milk during lactation; piglet serum and liver were investigated in the suckling period until day 19. Piglet leukocyte subpopulations were characterised by flow cytometry and leukocyte proliferation was tested after stimulation with mitogens. No differences were noted in performance. The serum and milk fatty acid status of the sows was markedly influenced by the diet. Eicosapentaenoic acid (20:5n-3), 22:5n-3 and 22:6n-3 were higher (p < 0.001) in serum and liver of piglets delivered from sows fed the seal blubber oil. Piglets at birth had lower lymphocyte counts (p < 0.01) than piglets 19 days after birth. However, no influence of feeding the different oil sources was noted on lymphocyte phenotyping and leukocyte proliferation test. The results of the present study show that the maternal diet affected the fatty acid status of neonates, but much more in the sucking period. Immunological traits were not affected, probably as the mononuclear cell lineage is too immature around birth. Effects of PUFA n-3 might only be seen at a later time point or in the polymorphonuclear cell lineage as they were dominating right after birth.
Microstrip frequency selective surface for use in horn Filtenna

This work presents design of Microstrip Frequency Selective Surface (MFSS)s to be fixed into the apertures of horn antennas for pre-filtering unwanted signals at 4GHz, 9 GHz. Thus integration of the antenna and band-pass filter is achieved into a single module so that a pre-filtering process can be carried out when signal is received by the antenna that makes the entire system be more compact and improves its performance. Furthermore since MFSS s consist of simply identical microstrip patch arrays, this constitutes a feasible solution especially when the unwanted signals are exceptionally strong compared to the desired in-band signals, which make required front-end RF filter performance be more rigorous. All the designs and analysis have been completed by the full-wave EM simulator CST using low-cost FR4 with the relative permittivity 4.4, thickness 1.58mm, loss tangent 0.0035 starting from the unit element. The paper briefly reviews the design and simulation stages compared to the measurements made by our research group and published in [8], [9] and [10]. From the measured results within 4GHz-9GHz bandwidth, it can be found that the proposed modules keep return loss characteristics of the horn antennas, meanwhile enhancing gain and beam width to effectively attenuate interference and noise signals at the out-band. Besides, this methodology implemented to design horn Filtennas to filter GSM signals at 1800 MHz for radar application. All the horn Filtennas will be presented in details in the workshop.
[Effects of deltamethrin on intracellular free Ca2+ concentration and apoptosis in rat neural cells].

OBJECTIVE To study the effects of deltamethrin on intracellular free Ca2+ concentration and apoptosis in rat neural cells. METHODS Wister rats were randomly divided into 4 groups(3 treated groups and 1 control). Intracellular free Ca2+ concentration in rat neural cells was measured by using the fluorescent Ca2+ indicator Fura-2/AM. Apopotic rate of neural cells was measured by using FACS420 Flow Cytometer. RESULTS Intracellular free Ca2+ concentration at 5 h after deltamethrin exposure [hippocampus: (389.94 +/- 43.64) nmol/L, cerebral cortex: (449.33 +/- 23.23) nmol/L], at 24 h[hippocampus: (340.47 +/- 32.36) nmol/L, cerebral cortex: (311.62 +/- 25.48) nmol/L] and at 48 h[hippocampus: (287.13 +/- 24.29) nmol/L, cerebral cortex: (346.55 +/- 36.87) nmol/L] were all higher than those of the control group[hippocampus: (203.24 +/- 18.53) nmol/L, cerebral cortex: (226.85 +/- 14.81) nmol/L, P < 0.01]; Apoptotic rate in neural cells 24 h and 48 h later [hippocampus: (8.45 +/- 1.02)%, (9.44 +/- 1.14)%, cerebral cortex: (7.90 +/- 0.49)%, (8.01 +/- 0.87)%] were also higher than those of the control group[hippocampus: (2.97 +/- 0.36)%, cerebral cortex: (3.50 +/- 0.48)%, P < 0.01)] and increased with time prolonged. CONCLUSION Exposure to high dose of deltamethrin would interfere with intracellular free Ca2+ concentration and apoptotic rate in rat neural cells, suggesting that there may be certain relation between them.
Internationalization Strategies Underlying the Performance of Foreign Banks in Latin American Markets

ABSTRACT In this article, we evaluate the internationalization strategies underlying the performance of foreign banks in Latin American countries. Based on a multiple case study, we investigated the organizational paths in the study countries, the market segments served and performance. Our results show that it is possible to consider both economic and behavioral perspectives in this kind of analysis in order to map the entry modes and features of large banks in the study countries. We observed that some banks may have similar strategies in local markets, with particular emphasis on local adaptation, while others seem to promote the development of previous corporate characteristics.
Expression of five cathepsins in murine melanomas of varying metastatic potential and normal tissues.

The relative levels of mRNAs for cathepsins B, D, H, L, and S in eight normal murine tissues and three murine melanoma variants, B16-F1, B16-F10, and B16a, have been analyzed by RNA dot blot and densitometry. A direct correlation was observed between the levels of cathepsin B mRNA and the metastatic potentials of these three melanoma variants. The relative amount of cathepsin B mRNA in B16a, which is the melanoma variant with the highest metastatic potential, was at least 3 times greater than that found in any of the normal murine tissues surveyed. Similar results were obtained in analyses of either solid tumors or of cultures of tumor cells, confirming that the tumor cells themselves were the source for the elevated expression of cathepsin B mRNA. Northern blot analysis revealed the presence of three cathepsin B transcripts of 5.0, 4.0, and 2.2 kilobases in the melanoma variants, while only the 2.2-kilobase transcript was seen in the normal murine tissues. Concurrently with the mRNA analysis, enzyme assays for cathepsin B activity were also performed using synthetic peptide substrates. The assays revealed increased cathepsin B activities in the melanoma variants, corresponding well with the increased cathepsin B mRNA levels, and in addition demonstrated that all three of the melanoma variants secreted a latent form of cathepsin B into conditioned medium, which could be activated by limited proteolysis with pepsin. The levels of the latent enzyme released by the murine melanoma variants correlated well with the levels of cathepsin B mRNA and with the metastatic potentials as determined by spontaneous metastasis form a s.c. site.
Vitreous: a barrier to nonviral ocular gene therapy.

PURPOSE Intravitreal injection of therapeutic DNA, complexed to nonviral carriers such as cationic liposomes, may be promising in the treatment of many severe retinal eye diseases. However, after intravitreal injection, such DNA/cationic liposome complexes-called lipoplexes (LPXs)-which are typically hundreds of nanometers in size, must first diffuse through the vitreous before they can reach the retina. The aim of this study was to elucidate whether vitreous is a barrier for the LPXs and to find strategies to overcome this barrier. METHODS Fluorescent polystyrene nanospheres and LPXs were mixed with vitreous, and their mobility was monitored by fluorescence recovery after photobleaching (FRAP), a microscopy-based technique. The stability of LPXs and naked plasmid DNA in vitreous was studied by gel electrophoresis. RESULTS We showed that polystyrene nanospheres, in our first experiments used as a model for the LPXs, do not diffuse freely into the vitreous but adhere to fibrillar structures in the vitreous, most likely to collagen fibers. Making the surfaces of the polystyrene nanospheres hydrophilic by attaching hydrophilic polyethylene glycol (PEG) chains at their surfaces circumvented the binding to fibrillar structures in the vitreous. FRAP revealed that "pegylated" polystyrene nanospheres, as long as they are smaller than 500 nm, are indeed mobile in the vitreous. It was further demonstrated that LPXs severely aggregate in vitreous and strongly bind to biopolymers in the vitreous, which immobilizes them completely. However, as observed for the polystyrene nanospheres, coating of the LPXs with PEG averted their aggregation in the vitreous and their binding to fibrillar structures. CONCLUSIONS Modifying the surfaces of LPXs with hydrophilic PEG chains prevents them from aggregating in vitreous. In this way, LPXs are obtained that can freely move in vitreous, an absolute criterion for reaching the retina after intravitreal injection.
Are Negative Supply Shocks Expansionary at the Zero Lower Bound?

The standard new Keynesian model predicts that economies behave differently at the zero lower bound: completely wasteful government spending or forward guidance is very stimulative, and capital destruction or oil supply shocks are expansionary. I provide empirical evidence on this prediction and find it wanting: The Great East Japan Earthquake and oil supply shocks are contractionary at the zero lower bound. Modifications of the model that are consistent with this evidence also overturn other unusual policy predictions, such as large fiscal multipliers. My results suggest that many of the usual rules of economics continue to hold at zero nominal interest rates.
Participatory assessment: tools for empowering, learning and legitimating?

Since the 1960s, a large number of participatory assessment tools and methods have been developed for use in a wide variety of policy venues and fields. There are many opinions on what participatory tools are about. As will be explained, these relate in large part to ongoing debates about the goals of participation. Hence, there is no shared authoritative definition of participatory tools and this chapter has no intention of developing one. Rather pragmatically, it distinguishes between participatory methods, which refer to procedures, and participatory tools, which relate to steps in a procedure. Just as an authoritative definition of participatory assessment tools and methods is lacking, so too is consensus over the outcome they aim at. What they have in common and what makes them distinct from other (social) science methods and tools is that they assist in bringing people together at a specific location (which could include the Internet) and facilitate some sort of joint assessment (Hisschemöller 2005). Hence, the distinctive features of participatory methods and tools are that they facilitate dialogue as a way to come to grips with complex (unstructured) decision problems that cannot be addressed by scientific expertise alone. Given this definition, participatory tools overlap with some of the other policy formulation tools that also employ stakeholder involvement (for example, participatory modelling or participatory multi-criteria analysis (MCA)). Participatory assessment needs to be distinguished from legal procedures for political participation that are mandatory in many countries and sometimes also prescribed by international law. Its use is broadly recommended and facilitated by international organizations, for example the World Bank (1996), UNHCR (2006) and the World Food Programme (2001). Participatory assessment tools and methods are used to assist mandatory
Contribution of DNA Repair Xeroderma Pigmentosum Group D Genotype to Gastric Cancer Risk in Taiwan.

AIM It has been proposed that genetic variations of DNA repair genes confer susceptibility to cancer, and the DNA repair gene xeroderma pigmentosum group D (XPD), the caretaker of genome stability, is thought to play a major role in the nucleotide excision repair system. We investigated three genotypes of XPD, at promoter -114 (rs3810366), and codon 312 (rs1799793), 751 (rs13181), and their associated with gastric cancer susceptibility in a Taiwanese population. MATERIALS AND METHODS In the present study, 121 patients with gastric cancer and 363 gender- and age-matched healthy controls were recruited and genotyped for XPD by polymerase chain reaction-based restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) methodology, and the association of XPD genotype with gastric cancer risk was investigated. RESULTS We found a significant difference in the distribution of A allele-bearing XPD codon 312 genotypes [odds ratio (OR)=1.64, 95% confidence interval (CI)=1.20-2.25, p=0.0019], but not in XPD codon 751 or promoter -114 sites, between the gastric cancer and control groups. Those who had G/A or A/A at XPD codon 312 had a 1.83-fold (95% CI=1.14-2.95, p=0.0159) and 1.87-fold (95% CI=1.04-3.34, p=0.0378) increased risk of gastric cancer compared to those with G/G. The risk for G/A and A/A genotypes had synergistic effects with alcohol drinking (OR=11.27, 95% CI=3.72-34.17, p=0.0001), cigarette smoking (OR=23.20, 95% CI=6.24-86.23, p=0.0001) and Helicobacter pylori infection (OR=5.38, 95% CI=2.76-10.52, p=0.0001) on gastric cancer susceptibility. CONCLUSION Our findings suggest that the A allele of XPD codon 312 may contribute to gastric carcinogenesis and may be useful for early detection and prevention of gastric cancer.
Towards a multi-scalar reading of informality in Delft, South Africa: Weaving the ‘everyday’ with wider structural tracings

Informality is a critical theme in urban studies. In recent years, ‘the everyday’ has become a focus of studies on informality in African cities. These studies focus on particularity and place. They offer a useful corrective to top-down and universalising readings which exclude the daily experiences and practices of people from analysis. As we show in this article, everyday studies surface valuable insights, highlighting the agency and precarity which operates at the street level. However, a fuller understanding of informality’s (re)production requires drawing together particularist accounts with wider and more structural tracings. These tracings offer insights into the ways in which state and financial processes influence and interface with the everyday. In this article, we use the case of housing in Delft, a township in Cape Town, to demonstrate this approach and argue for a multi-scalar and relational reading of the production of informality.
Independent Genetic Control of Maize Starch-Branching Enzymes IIa and IIb (Isolation and Characterization of a Sbe2a cDNA)

In maize (Zea mays L.) three isoforms of starch-branching enzyme (SBEI, SBEIIa, and SBEIIb) are involved in the synthesis of amylopectin, the branched component of starch. To isolate a cDNA encoding SBEIIa, degenerate oligonucleotides based on domains highly conserved in Sbe2 family members were used to amplify Sbe2-family cDNA from tissues lacking SBIIb activity. The predicted amino acid sequence of a Sbe2a cDNA matches the N-terminal sequence of SBIIa protein purified from maize endosperm. The size of the mature protein deduced from the cDNA also matches that of SBEIIa Features of the predicted protein are most similar to members of the SBEII family; however, it differs from maize SBEIIb in having a 49-amino acid N-terminal extension and a region of substantial sequence divergence. Sbe2a mRNA levels are 10-fold higher in embryonic than in endosperm tissue, and are much lower than Sbe2b in both tissues. Unlike Sbe2b, Sbe2a-hybridizing mRNA accumulates in leaf and other vegetative tissues, consistent with the known distribution of SBEIIa and SBEIIb activities.
Promoting Education 4.0 in English for Survival Class: What are the Challenges?

Abstract Education 4.0 is a new paradigm in educational context in which it focuses on the innovation and maximizes the use of information, internet, and technology. This new paradigm is currently promoted in many subjects, including English subjects in English Education Study Program of Universitas Tidar. One of the subjects that promote Education 4.0 is English for Survival. Therefore, this study reports to explore the challenges in promoting Education 4.0 in English for Survival classes. This study uses qualitative research in the form of case study. The participants of this study are the lecturers and the students of English for Survival classes. The instruments of data collection are questionnaire and interview. The finding shows that three challenges revealed in promoting Education 4.0 in which they cover lecturer’s teaching technique, students’ speaking skill, and facilities. Besides, the lecturers and the students need to highlight those challenges and solve those problems. All in all, against all the odds of promoting Education 4.0, the lecturers and students need to apply Education 4.0 in order to help the students to compete in the era of 4.0. Keywords: Education 4.0, speaking, autonomous learning, perceptions
Enhancement of Infectivity of a Non‐Syncytium Inducing HIV‐1 by sCD4 and by Human Antibodies that Neutralize Syncytium Inducing HIV‐1

Enhancement of virus infectivity after sCD4 treatment has been documented for SIVagm and HIV‐2. It has been suggested that a similar phenomenon may play a role in HIV‐1 infection. In the present study we have analysed biological activities of virus neutralizing polyclonal and monoclonal human antibodies and of sCD4, towards HIV‐1 chimeras with envelope proteins derived from one donor, which display different biological phenotypes. The antibodies, which recognize the V3 and/or the CD4 binding domains of the glycoproteins of these viruses and also sCD4 showed different levels of virus neutralizing activity toward the syncytium inducing HIV‐1 strains. In contrast, they all dramatically enhanced the infectivity of an HIV‐1 chimera with an envelope glycoprotein displaying the non‐syncytium‐inducing phenotype. Given the relatively conserved nature of non‐syncytium‐inducing HIV‐1 surface glycoproteins early after infection, these data suggest a major role for antibody mediated enhancement of virus infectivity in the early pathogenesis of HIV‐1 infection.
Spontaneous fusion of cells between species yields transdifferentiation and retroviral transfer in vivo

Human cells can fuse with damaged or diseased somatic cells in vivo. Whether human cells fuse in vivo in the absence of disease and with cells of disparate species is unknown. Such a question is of current interest because blood exchanges between species through direct physical contact, via insect vectors or parasitism, are thought to underlie the transmission of zoonotic agents. In a model of human‐pig chimerism, we show that some human hematopoietic stem cells engrafted in pigs contain both human and porcine chromosomal DNA. These hybrid cells divide, express human and porcine proteins, and contribute to porcine nonhematopoietic tissues. In addition, the hybrid cells contain porcine endogenous retroviral DNA sequences and are able to transmit this virus to uninfected human cells in vitro. Thus, spontaneous fusion can occur in vivo between the cells of disparate species and in the absence of disease. The ability of these cell hybrids to acquire and transmit retroviral elements together with their ability to integrate into tissues could explain genetic recombination and generation of novel pathogens.
A meta-analysis of adjuvant therapy after potentially curative treatment for hepatocellular carcinoma.

BACKGROUND The high recurrence rate of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) after potentially curative treatment determines the long-term prognosis. OBJECTIVE To evaluate the efficacy and safety of adjuvant therapies in patients with HCC who have undergone hepatic resection, transplantation or locoregional ablation therapy. METHODS Several databases were searched to identify randomized controlled trials (RCTs) fulfilling the predefined selection criteria. Meta-analyses were performed to estimate the effects of adjuvant therapies of any modality on recurrence-free survival (RFS) and overall survival (OS). RESULTS Eight adjuvant modalities were identified from 27 eligible RCTs conducted predominantly in Asian populations comparing adjuvant with no adjuvant therapy. Adjuvant chemotherapy, internal radiation and heparanase inhibitor PI-88 therapy failed to improve RFS or OS, while interferon (IFN) therapy yielded significant survival results. The findings of adjuvant vitamin analogue therapy required further examination. Adjuvant adoptive immunotherapy conferred significant benefit for RFS but not for OS. Although cancer vaccine therapy and radioimmunotherapy may improve survival after radical surgery, the results were from single, small-scale trials. Severe side effects were observed in the studies of adjuvant chemotherapy and of IFN therapy. CONCLUSIONS Adjuvant IFN therapy can improve both RFS and OS; however, the benefits of using this agent should be weighed against its side effects. Combination of systemic and transhepatic arterial chemotherapy is not recommended for HCC after potentially curative treatment. Other adjuvant therapies produce limited success for survival. Additional RCTs with proper design are required to establish the role of adjuvant therapies for HCC.
The European Center of Science Productivity: Research Universities and Institutes in France, Germany, and the United Kingdom

Abstract Purpose Growth in scientific production and productivity over the 20th century resulted significantly from three major countries in European science – France, Germany, and the United Kingdom. Charting the development of universities and research institutes that bolster Europe’s key position in global science, we uncover both stable and dynamic patterns of productivity in the fields of STEM, including health, over the 20th century. Ongoing internationalization of higher education and science has been accompanied by increasing competition and collaboration. Despite policy goals to foster innovation and expand research capacity, policies cannot fully account for the differential growth of scientific productivity we chart from 1975 to 2010. Approach and Research Design Our sociological neo-institutional framework facilitates explanation of differences in institutional settings, organizational forms, and organizations that produce the most European research. We measure growth of published peer-reviewed articles indexed in Thomson Reuters’ Science Citation Index Expanded (SCIE). Findings Organizational forms vary in their contributions, with universities accounting for nearly half but rising in France; ultrastable in Germany at four-fifths, and growing at around two-thirds in the United Kingdom. Differing institutionalization pathways created the conditions necessary for continuous, but varying growth in scientific production and productivity in the European center of global science. The research university is key in all three countries, and we identify organizations leading in research output. Originality/value Few studies explicitly compare across time, space, and different levels of analysis. We show how important European science has been to overall global science production and productivity. In-depth comparisons, especially the organizational fields and forms in which science is produced, are crucial if policy is to support research and development.