Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Physical and Functional Interactions of Human Endogenous Retrovirus Proteins Np9 and Rec with the Promyelocytic Leukemia Zinc Finger Protein

ABSTRACT Only few of the human endogenous retrovirus (HERV) sequences in the human genome can produce proteins. We have previously reported that (i) patients with germ cell tumors often make antibodies against proteins encoded by HERV-K elements, (ii) expression of the HERV-K rec gene in transgenic mice can interfere with germ cell development and induce carcinoma in situ, and (iii) HERV-K np9 transcript is overproduced in many tumors including breast cancers. Here we document that both Np9 and Rec physically and functionally interact with the promyelocytic leukemia zinc finger (PLZF) tumor suppressor, a transcriptional repressor and chromatin remodeler implicated in cancer and the self-renewal of spermatogonial stem cells. Interaction is mediated via two different central and C-terminal domains of Np9 and Rec and the C-terminal zinc fingers of PLZF. One major target of PLZF is the c-myc proto-oncogene. Coexpression of Np9 and Rec with PLZF abrogates the transcriptional repression of the c-myc gene promoter by PLZF and results in c-Myc overproduction, altered expression of c-Myc-regulated genes, and corresponding effects on cell proliferation and survival. Thus, the human endogenous retrovirus proteins Np9 and Rec may act oncogenically by derepressing c-myc through the inhibition of PLZF.
Risk of hepatitis C virus infection in a population exposed to biological materials.

BACKGROUND Hepatitis C virus is an important cause of acute and chronic hepatitis and it is an agent parenterally transmitted. Workers handling biological materials may be exposed to high concentration of virus-infected fluids. METHODS The seroprevalence of hepatitis C virus antibodies was investigated in a population of 809 subjects exposed to varying levels of biological risk owing to the handling of human fluids or tissues and in 408 controls. The exposed group was subdivided in three subgroups according to low and occasional (262), intermediate but continuous (311), and high (236) exposure to biological materials. RESULTS The seroprevalence of hepatitis C antibodies was low (1.40%) in all subjects. The risk groups showed no significant differences with respect to the control group; the most exposed group showed a seroprevalence of 1.27%. Age but not sex appeared significantly correlated with seroprevalence of positive antibodies (chi 2 = 5.949, P < 0.025). Aspartate aminotransferase and alanine aminotransferase showed a highly significant increase (P < 0.01 and P < 0.001, respectively) in subjects with positive hepatitis C antibodies, other than a high significant prevalence of values above the normal limit (chi 2 = 26.613, P < 0.001 and chi 2 = 39.164, P < 0.001, respectively). Among 17 positive hepatitis C virus subjects, 8 (47.1%) were positive for hepatitis B virus, but not for its antigen. CONCLUSIONS Hepatitis C virus infection appears to be a low risk for people employed in the biomedical field, yet infection is associated with a significant liver involvement.
Dilated Cardiomyopathy during the Course of Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome

A 47-year-old woman presented with severe hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) followed by heart failure. An echocardiogram showed an ejection fraction of 20%, and a cardiac catheterization followed by a myocardial histologic evaluation demonstrated dilated cardiomyopathy. Plasma exchange and hemodialysis were performed regularly. The later outcomes of renal function and cardiomyopathy were favorable. A review of the literature confirmed the rare and severe nature of cardiac lesions occurring in the course of HUS. This case indicates the importance of cardiac monitoring in HUS and the need for prolonged support.
Endovascular or Open Surgery for Aortoiliac Occlusive Disease?

Endovascular and open surgical techniques form a spectrum of options for the optimal, current treatment of aortoiliac occlusive disease. The results of endovascular intervention are determined primarily by lesion characteristics and the associated pattern of occlusive disease while the results of open vascular surgery are more significantly influenced by the patients' comorbid conditions and surgical risk. Categorizing lesions according to severity enhances appropriate patient selection. The long-term success is higher with open surgery while the initial morbidity is lower with endovascular techniques. Open surgery is a better choice for patients with extensive occlusive disease and/or less severe comorbid conditions. Endovascular surgery is not as durable but offers a reasonable option for patients with focal disease and/or contraindications to surgery.
More emojis, less : ) The competition for paralinguistic function in microblog writing

Many non-standard elements of ‘netspeak’ writing can be viewed as efforts to replicate the linguistic role played by nonverbal modalities in speech, conveying contextual information such as affect and interpersonal stance. Recently, a new non-standard communicative tool has emerged in online writing: emojis. These unicode characters contain a standardized set of pictographs, some of which are visually similar to well-known emoticons. Do emojis play the same linguistic role as emoticons and other ASCII-based writing innovations? If so, might the introduction of emojis eventually displace the earlier, user-created forms of contextual expression? Using a matching approach to causal statistical inference, we show that as social media users adopt emojis, they dramatically reduce their use of emoticons, suggesting that these linguistic resources compete for the same communicative function. Furthermore, we demonstrate that the adoption of emojis leads to a corresponding increase in the use of standard spellings, suggesting that all forms of non-standard writing are losing out in a competition with emojis. Finally, we identify specific textual features that make some emoticons especially likely to be replaced by emojis.
The delicate balance for jointly pursuing economic growth in Latin America and China

This paper examines the sources of economic growth for a group of Latin American countries in relation to their export performance in China. The analytical framework is based on an extended normalized quadratic profit function. The ensuing econometric results confirm that a favorable export record with China represents a positive source of growth for Latin America. However, it also creates long-run dependability conditions in terms of reduced prices and thinner profits that weaken its growth capacity. Latin American countries must seek product diversification away from their current commodity base and aggressively climb up the value chain to remain competitive worldwide. Managerial Relevance: identify the sources of economic growth for a group of Latin American countries in relation to their export performance in China; the weakness of this economic growth model; how to seek product diversification away from their current commodity base with emphasis on value chain.
Effect of integrated nutrient management on productivity of wheat (Triticum aestivum) under limited and adequate irrigation supplies

A field experiment was conducted during the winter seasons of 2000–01 and 2001–02 at Hisar, Haryana, to find out a suitable combination of chemical and organic nutritional sources for wheat (Triticum aestivum L. emend. Fiori & Paol.) grown at 2 irrigation levels, viz. adequate irrigation and limited irrigation, and 10 levels of nutrients. Wheat crop under adequate irrigation one each at crown-root initiation, late tillering, late jointing, flowering and milk stages recorded better growth, yield attributes, grain and straw yields and higher consumptive use of water and nutrient uptake. Application of 187.5 kg N/ha + FYM (10 t/ha) and 150 kg N/ha + FYM (10 t/ha) + Azotobacter recorded significantly higher growth, nutrient uptake, available N and grain and straw yields of wheat. The net income and benefit: cost ratio and water-use efficiency were also highest with 187.5 kg N/ha + FYM (10 t/ha) + Azotobacter + followed by 187.5 kg N/ha + FYM (10 t/ha) and 150 kg N/ha + FYM (10 t/ha) + Azotobacter. Available N content also increased compared with its initial soil status under these treatments. The content of organic carbon and available phosphorus in soil increased and the bulk density and pH decreased in all the integrated nutrientmanagement practices involving FYM (10 t/ha). Thus on integrating FYM (10 t/ha) + Azotobacter with 187.5 and 150 kg N/ha or FYM (10 t/ha) with 187.5 kg N/ha, productivity and monetary return can be increased by maintaining or improving the residual soil-fertility status after the harvest of wheat crop.
Using Allele Sharing Distance for Detecting Human Population Stratification

There is a long history of using allele sharing distance (ASD) and closely related metrics for population stratification analysis. However, the theory for this practical usage has not been reported. In this paper, we describe the theoretical background for using ASD on single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) genetic data for human population stratification analysis. In showing the proof, we lay the ground work for a general distance-based method for classifying subpopulations using SNPs and ASD. We also show its relation to other closely related distance metrics using HapMap Phase I SNP data.
Dispelling dog dogma: an investigation of heterochrony in dogs using 3D geometric morphometric analysis of skull shape

SUMMARY Heterochrony is an evolutionary mechanism that generates diversity via perturbations of the rate or timing of development that requires very little genetic innovation. As such, heterochrony is thought to be a common evolutionary mechanism in the generation of diversity. Previous research has suggested that dogs evolved via heterochrony and are paedomorphic wolves. This study uses three‐dimensional landmark‐based coordinate data to investigate heterochronic patterns within the skull morphology of the domestic dog. A total of 677 adult dogs representing 106 different breeds were measured and compared with an ontogenetic series of 401 wolves. Geometric morphometric analysis reveals that the cranial shape of none of the modern breeds of dogs resembles the cranial shapes of adult or juvenile wolves. In addition, investigations of regional heterochrony in the face and neurocranium also reject the hypothesis of heterochrony. Throughout wolf cranial development the position of the face and the neurocranium remain in the same plane. Dogs, however, have a de novo cranial flexion in which the palate is tilted dorsally in brachycephalic and mesaticephalic breeds or tilted ventrally in dolichocephalic and down‐face breeds. Dogs have evolved very rapidly into an incredibly morphologically diverse species with very little genetic variation. However, the genetic alterations to dog cranial development that have produced this vast range of phylogenetically novel skull shapes do not coincide with the expectations of the heterochronic model. Dogs are not paedomorphic wolves.
Smoking-associated bulky DNA adducts in bronchial tissue related to CYP1A1 MspI and GSTM1 genotypes in lung patients.

Relationships between smoking status and levels of bulky DNA adducts were investigated in bronchial tissue of lung patients in relation to their GSTM1 and CYP1A1 MspI genotypes. A total of 150 Hungarian patients undergoing pulmonary surgery were included in the study, 124 with lung malignancies and 26 with non-malignant lung conditions. There were significant relationships between smoking status and bulky DNA adduct levels, as determined by 32P-post-labelling analysis, in macroscopically normal bronchial tissues. There was a highly significant difference in the adduct levels of a combined group consisting of current smokers and short-term ex-smokers (< or = 1 year abstinence) compared with life-time non-smokers and long-term ex-smokers (> 1 year abstinence) (P = 0.0001). The apparent half-life was estimated to be 1.7 years for bulky DNA adducts in the bronchial tissue from ex-smokers. There were no statistically significant correlations between (i) daily cigarette dose and DNA adduct levels in current smokers, (ii) DNA adduct level and histological type of lung cancer, or (iii) GSTM1 and CYP1A1 MspI genotypes and DNA adduct levels after adjustment for either smoking status or malignancy. By multiple logistic regression analysis, smoking and GSTM1 null genotype were found to be risk factors for squamous cell carcinoma. However, bulky DNA adduct levels in bronchial tissue did not appear to be a statistically-significant risk factor for the major histological types of lung cancer.
7 Phenotype in Psychiatric Genetic Research

Mental illnesses differ from medical conditions in their lack of objectively assessable biological markers for the establishment of a diagnosis. In the absence of clear external validators such as laboratory tests or radiological examinations, accurate assessment of the clinical picture and phenomenology becomes crucial. Common diseases with successful genetic mapping studies are generally characterized by diagnostic assessments that are objective, have a clear biological basis, and measure phenotypic features shared relatively uniformly among affected individuals. For example, type 2 diabetes is diagnosed based on elevation in blood glucose above a generally accepted threshold, as assessed by a simple assay. This phenotypic feature is at the core of the diagnosis, even though other disease components may vary between affected individuals. For mental illness, however, no biological assays are currently available for diagnostic purposes; the phenotypic features are generally assessed by subjective ratings, and individuals are assigned a diagnosis based on report of symptoms, no one of which is present in all individuals assigned that diagnosis. There is now considerable interest in identifying quantitative assessments, which may provide a more objective means of rating psychopathology. Many researchers on psychiatric genetics have given attention to populations that are more genetically homogeneous due to historical reasons. These isolated populations have been useful for the identification of genes for disorders in other medical fields. In addition to the genetic homogeneity, these unique groups may also help in the definition of the phenotype. Particularly, psychiatric disorders with psychosis such as schizophrenia (SZ), schizoaffective disorder (SCA) and bipolar disorder type I with psychosis (BPI) are major public health burdens and their biology is still largely unknown. It is unlikely that these disorders represent a single illness, however they overlap on many dimensions, including symptoms, neurocognition, and treatment. Families of individuals with SZ very often have other members with BPI and SCA (Kendler et al., 2010). Many authors argue that modifying genes may determine why one person develops SZ and another develops BPI or SCA (Van Erp et al., 2002). Nevertheless, the question whether or not phenotype uncertainty is responsible of the presumed genetic overlap remains unanswered. The use of multiple sources of information in the diagnostic process is essential in genetic studies of mental illness. A best-estimation diagnostic approach ensures diagnostic precision and reduces misclassifications getting better phenotype characterization of the study subjects. Along with the clinical complexity and the assumed genetic heterogeneity, environmental factors play an important role in the final outcome of most psychiatric disorders. In this instance, stressful environmental factors have been clearly associated with
Daily Patterns in Stock Returns: Evidence From the New Zealand Stock Market

In this paper, we study day-of-the-week effects in stock returns across different industry sectors in the New Zealand market. Unlike other studies on this market, we examine weekday seasonality using daily stock return data of four market indexes and 16 industry sectors for the period from October 1, 1997 to April 16, 2009. We do not find significant Monday anomalies of the market index, large capitalization stock index and all industry sectors except for the property sector. Our finding is inconsistent with the literature on the New Zealand stock market. However, we find that the mid and small capitalization stocks have significant negative returns on Mondays than on other weekdays, which is consistent with the previous studies in some other markets.
Small Increments in Vitamin D Intake by Irish Adults over a Decade Show That Strategic Initiatives to Fortify the Food Supply Are Needed.

BACKGROUND Food fortification could be an effective method of increasing vitamin D intakes and preventing deficiency with minimal risk of excessive dosing. OBJECTIVE Secular trends in vitamin D intakes were examined over a 10-y period. METHODS We compared vitamin D intakes among 18- to 64-y-old adults from the base diet, fortified foods, and supplements in 2 nationally representative dietary surveys in 1999 and 2009 implemented using the same methodology. RESULTS There was a slight increase in the median (IQR) intake of vitamin D from 2.9 (3.2) to 3.5 (3.7) μg/d (mean ± SD, 4.3 ± 4.0 to 5.0 ± 6.4 μg). The median (IQR) intake from the base diet was 2.3 (1.6) μg/d in 1999 and 2.1 (1.8) μg/d in 2009. In vitamin D supplement users, median (IQR) intakes were 7.6 (6.7) and 8.7 (7.2) μg/d and the prevalence of inadequacy decreased from 67% to 57% in 2009. Although the consumption of vitamin D-containing supplements was similar in the 2 surveys (17% and 16%), the use of calcium-vitamin D supplements increased from 3% to 10% among women aged 50-64 y. The prevalence of fortified food consumption was also similar at 60%, and median (IQR) vitamin D intakes in consumers were 2.9 (2.2) and 3.7 (2.9) μg/d in 1999 and 2009, respectively. Mathematical modeling of food fortification using modified vitamin D composition data showed that there is potential to increase vitamin D intakes at the lower end of the distribution, without increasing the risk of exceeding the Tolerable Upper Intake Level. CONCLUSIONS We report small increases in vitamin D intakes among Irish adults over a decade of focus on vitamin D and in the context of a voluntary fortification policy. Strategic management of vitamin D in the food supply is required to yield measurable benefits.
Estimating Workforce Disposal in the Italian Labour Market

Italy's labour market suffers from a serious pathology, in addition to the increasing precariousness of the young workforce common to all EU member countries: flows from regular employment to non-employment are very often dead-ends. A vast number of young individuals who lose their job only a few months or years after their first hire enter the ranks of the long-term unemployed or leave the workforce altogether, never to regain regular employment even after as long as twenty years. Many join the ranks of the irregular economy, many drop out of the labour force. "Workforce disposal" refers to the process generating this pathology. Prolonged stagnation of the Italian economy is an important long run macroeconomic determinant of workforce disposal. But there are several factors that have an important impact in the short and medium run. In this study we set out to investigate such determinants. Workforce disposal is present also in Spain, though to a lesser extent than Italy. Informed media report that similar developments are taking place also in countries of Eastern Europe, although no scientific evidence is yet available. And it would be surprising if the economies of Portugal and Greece were immune from the disease. Our exploration of the Italian case makes use of the WHIP longitudinal database originating from Social Security records.
Toward an aspiration-level theory of open innovation

Although open innovation has become increasingly established in the management literature, comprehensive theoretical explanations of what drives firms to be open are sparse. Taking the perspective of the behavioral theory of the firm, we conceive of open innovation as a form of nonlocal search, arguing that firms will turn to open innovation when substantially under- or over-performing relative to their aspirations. We further enquire how this relationship is moderated by firm-specific innovation-related resources: human capital, research and development investment, and patents. Employing a representative survey of UK firms, we find some evidence of moderation, allowing us to present explanations of search through open innovation and contribute to the behavioral theory of the firm itself.
MgrA Governs Adherence, Host Cell Interaction, and Virulence in a Murine Model of Bacteremia Due to Staphylococcus aureus.

BACKGROUND MgrA is an important global virulence gene regulator in Staphylococcus aureus. In the present study, the role of mgrA in host-pathogen interactions related to virulence was explored in both methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) and methicillin-susceptible S. aureus (MSSA) strains. METHODS In vitro susceptibilities to human defense peptides (HDPs), adherence to fibronectin (Fn) and endothelial cells (ECs), EC damage, α-toxin production, expression of global regulator (eg, agr RNAIII) and its downstream effectors (eg, α-toxin [hla] and Fn binding protein A [fnbA]), MgrA binding to fnbA promoter, and the effect on HDP-induced mprF and dltA expression were analyzed. The impact of mgrA on virulence was evaluated using a mouse bacteremia model. RESULTS mgrA mutants displayed significantly higher susceptibility to HDPs, which might be related to the decreased HDP-induced mprF and dltA expression but decreased Fn and EC adherence, EC damage, α-toxin production, agr RNAIII, hla and fnbA expression, and attenuated virulence in the bacteremia model as compared to their respective parental and mgrA-complemented strains. Importantly, direct binding of MgrA to the fnbA promoter was observed. CONCLUSIONS These results suggest that mgrA mediates host-pathogen interactions and virulence and may provide a novel therapeutic target for invasive S. aureus infections.