Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Influence of CpG Motifs on a Protein or DNA-Based Th2-Type Immune Response against Major Pollen Allergens Bet v 1a, Phl p 2 and Escherichia coli-Derived β-Galactosidase

Background: DNA immunization and protein immunization with CpG motifs as adjuvants represent promising approaches in allergen-specific immunotherapy. Objective: We investigated the effect of coinjection or prepriming with CpG-ODN on Th2-type responses induced by gene gun and protein immunization. Methods: BALB/c mice were immunized with the gene gun using plasmid DNA containing the cDNAs coding for the genes of Bet v 1a, Phl p 2 and β-galactosidase or with the purified Al(OH)3-adsorbed proteins. In addition, CpG-ODN were applied by coinjection or by prepriming treatment. Antibody and cytokine responses were measured by ELISA, proliferative and cytotoxic responses were determined by standard labeling procedures. Furthermore, the allergenic activity of sera was measured by passive cutaneous anaphylaxis. Results: Gene gun immunization and protein immunization induced a clear Th2-type response for all antigens. The Th1-promoting effect of CpG-ODN coinjection together with gene gun immunization was restricted to β-galactosidase as indicated by the increase of IgG2a and a marked expression of IFN-γ. CpG motifs also increased the specific cytotoxic response against β-galactosidase. Prepriming with CpG-ODN and gene gun or protein immunization with Bet v 1a exhibited no significant difference to the non-CpG control group. However, sera from mice preprimed with CpG-ODN induced no anaphylaxis with gene gun immunization, but with protein immunization. Conclusions: The effect of CpG motifs in vivo depends on a variety of parameters like the nature of the antigen and the immunization modality. Furthermore, our studies indicate that a combination of CpG + DNA immunization may be more effective in antagonizing Th2 responses than the combination of CpG + protein immunization.
Ca2+/Calmodulin-dependent Protein Kinase II-dependent Remodeling of Ca2+ Current in Pressure Overload Heart Failure*

Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaMKII) activity is increased in heart failure (HF), a syndrome characterized by markedly increased risk of arrhythmia. Activation of CaMKII increases peak L-type Ca2+ current (ICa) and slows ICa inactivation. Whether these events are linked mechanistically is unknown. ICa was recorded in acutely dissociated subepicardial and subendocardial murine left ventricular (LV) myocytes using the whole cell patch clamp method. Pressure overload heart failure was induced by surgical constriction of the thoracic aorta. ICa density was significantly larger in subepicardial myocytes than in subendocardial/myocytes. Similar patterns were observed in the cell surface expression of α1c, the channel pore-forming subunit. In failing LV, ICa density was increased proportionately in both cell types, and the time course of ICa inactivation was slowed. This typical pattern of changes suggested a role of CaMKII. Consistent with this, measurements of CaMKII activity revealed a 2–3-fold increase (p < 0.05) in failing LV. To test for a causal link, we measured frequency-dependent ICa facilitation. In HF myocytes, this CaMKII-dependent process could not be induced, suggesting already maximal activation. Internal application of active CaMKII in failing myocytes did not elicit changes in ICa. Finally, CaMKII inhibition by internal diffusion of a specific peptide inhibitor reduced ICa density and inactivation time course to similar levels in control and HF myocytes. ICa density manifests a significant transmural gradient, and this gradient is preserved in heart failure. Activation of CaMKII, a known pro-arrhythmic molecule, is a major contributor to ICa remodeling in load-induced heart failure.
The hidden duplication past of Arabidopsis thaliana

Analysis of the genome sequence of Arabidopsis thaliana shows that this genome, like that of many other eukaryotic organisms, has undergone large-scale gene duplications or even duplications of the entire genome. However, the high frequency of gene loss after duplication events reduces colinearity and therefore the chance of finding duplicated regions that, at the extreme, no longer share homologous genes. In this study we show that heavily degenerated block duplications that can no longer be recognized by directly comparing two segments because of differential gene loss, can still be detected through indirect comparison with other segments. When these so-called hidden duplications in Arabidopsis are taken into account, many homologous genomic regions can be found in five to eight copies. This finding strongly implies that Arabidopsis has undergone three, but probably no more, rounds of genome duplications. Therefore, adding such hidden blocks to the duplication landscape of Arabidopsis sheds light on the number of polyploidy events that this model plant genome has undergone in its evolutionary past.
Análisis del dativo en construcciones impersonales: los conceptos de sujeto y de semisujeto en griego antiguo

Impersonal constructions holding a complement both in dative and genitive are attested in Greek with a few verbs, which share the property of expressing the interests or the needs of human beings. These constructions, which occur in several ancient Indo- European languages, are documented in the post- Homeric period in the case of Greek. In the opposite, personal constructions, which appear more recently in other languages, are already documented in Greek since Homer’s times. The dative in the impersonal construction refers to human entities, codes the Experiencer and it is also the topic. These properties, which are close to those of the prototypical subject, seem to allow the dative to show some subject-like syntactic behaviour. In fact, we will argue that the dative in the impersonal construction behaves as a semi-subject, i. e. a verbal complement which, regardless of its coding, does have a set of properties that are typically associated with the subject in Greek. As well as the complement in dative, the complement in genitive in the impersonal construction exhibits a syntactic behaviour similar to the subject. However, the genitive does not follow the same patterns the dative does in the impersonal construction.
Comparative study of corn stover pretreated by dilute acid and cellulose solvent‐based lignocellulose fractionation: Enzymatic hydrolysis, supramolecular structure, and substrate accessibility

Liberation of fermentable sugars from recalcitrant biomass is among the most costly steps for emerging cellulosic ethanol production. Here we compared two pretreatment methods (dilute acid, DA, and cellulose solvent and organic solvent lignocellulose fractionation, COSLIF) for corn stover. At a high cellulase loading [15 filter paper units (FPUs) or 12.3 mg cellulase per gram of glucan], glucan digestibilities of the corn stover pretreated by DA and COSLIF were 84% at hour 72 and 97% at hour 24, respectively. At a low cellulase loading (5 FPUs per gram of glucan), digestibility remained as high as 93% at hour 24 for the COSLIF‐pretreated corn stover but reached only ∼60% for the DA‐pretreated biomass. Quantitative determinations of total substrate accessibility to cellulase (TSAC), cellulose accessibility to cellulase (CAC), and non‐cellulose accessibility to cellulase (NCAC) based on adsorption of a non‐hydrolytic recombinant protein TGC were measured for the first time. The COSLIF‐pretreated corn stover had a CAC of 11.57 m2/g, nearly twice that of the DA‐pretreated biomass (5.89 m2/g). These results, along with scanning electron microscopy images showing dramatic structural differences between the DA‐ and COSLIF‐pretreated samples, suggest that COSLIF treatment disrupts microfibrillar structures within biomass while DA treatment mainly removes hemicellulose. Under the tested conditions COSLIF treatment breaks down lignocellulose structure more extensively than DA treatment, producing a more enzymatically reactive material with a higher CAC accompanied by faster hydrolysis rates and higher enzymatic digestibility. Biotechnol. Bioeng. 2009;103: 715–724. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Lymphatic Transport and Catabolism of Therapeutic Proteins Following Subcutaneous Administration to Rats and Dogs

The mechanism underlying subcutaneous (SC) absorption of macromolecules and factors that can influence this process were studied in rats using PEGylated erythropoietins (EPOs) as model compounds. Using a thoracic lymph duct cannulation (LDC) model, we showed that PEGylated EPO was absorbed from the SC injection site mainly via the lymphatic system in rats, which is similar to previous reports in sheep. Following SC administration, the serum exposure was reduced by ~70% in LDC animals when compared to the control animals, and most of the systemically available dose was recovered in the lymph. In both LDC and intact rats, the total radioactivity recoveries in excreta following SC administration were high (70-80%), indicating that catabolism, not poor absorption, was the main cause for the observed low bioavailability (30-40%). Moreover, catabolism of PEGylated EPO was found with both rat SC tissue homogenate and lymph node cell suspensions, and a significant amount of dose-related breakdown fragments was found in the lymph of LDC rats. In addition, the bioavailability of PEGylated EPOs were shown to be 2- to 4- fold lower in "fat rats", indicating that physiological features pertinent to lymphatic transport can have a profound impact on SC absorption. Limited studies in dogs also suggested similar SC absorption mechanisms. Collectively, our results suggest that the lymphatic absorption mechanism for macromolecules is likely conserved among commonly used preclinical species, e.g. rats and dogs, and that mechanistic understanding of SC absorption mechanism and associated determinants should be helpful in biologics drug discovery and development. These results whether contribution in SC of macromolecules is conserved preclinical and value, if studying SC in these commonly used preclinical Here we report our efforts in elucidating the mechanism of SC absorption of macromolecules in thoracic LDC models in rats and dogs. Two PEGylated recombinant human EPOs were selected as model compounds as they are likely to be absorbed via the lymph, and their PK had been well characterized in rats and dogs. Their catabolism following SC administration and the impact of physiological features pertinent to lymphatic absorption/transport, e.g. fat content, level of physical activity, on SC absorption were also evaluated in these preclinical models.
Oral thearubigins do not protect against acetaminopheninduced hepatotoxicity in mice

Purpose: To investigate the potential protective effect of oral repeated doses of thearubigins against acetaminophen-induced hepatotoxicity in mice. Methods: Mice were randomly divided into six groups ( n =8) and administered the following: Control group (saline), acetaminophen group (saline), N-acetylcysteine group (500 mg/kg/day), and thearubigins groups (60, 70, 100 mg/kg/day). The drugs were given orally by gavage for seven days. On day 7, 1 h after the last dose of treatment, the mice (except control group) were given a single dose of acetaminophen (n-acetyl-p-aminophenol, APAP) orally by gavage (350 mg/kg) and then sacrificed 4 h post-APAP intake. Blood was collected for biochemical measurements and their liver were subjected to biochemical and histopathological assessment. Results: The acetaminophen group showed significant increases ( p < 0.001) in serum alanine aminotransferase level, hepatic cytochrome P2E1 level, and serum and hepatic malondialdehyde levels. Moreover it showed significant decrease ( p < 0.001) in serum and hepatic glutathione levels. Morphologically, the liver sections showed cellular necrosis, vacuolization, and degeneration around the centrilobular veins. Pretreatment with N-acetylcysteine reversed all acetaminophen-induced changes ( p < 0.001 for all biomarkers except for hepatic MDA ( p = 0.014) while pretreatment with thearubigins failed to reverse any of them. Conclusion: Oral repeated doses of thearubigins failed to protect against acetaminophen-induced hepatotoxicity in mice and didn't affect hepatic cytochrome P2E1 level. Keywords: Acetaminophen, Hepatotoxicity, Thearubigins, N-acetylcysteine, Cellular necrosis, Vacuolization, Hepatic cytochrome P2E1
Sensory Neuropathy Associated With Metronidazole: Report of Four Cases and Review of the Literature

Objective To better characterize sensory neuropathy associated with metronidazole. Methods We report four patients who developed dysesthesias after metronidazole treatment. One received topical metronidazole only. All four underwent electrodiagnostic studies, including nerve conduction studies (NCS), quantitative sensory testing (QST), and quantitative sudomotor axon reflex testing (QSART). One underwent nerve biopsy. Results NCS were normal in all patients. QST showed impaired vibration thresholds in three patients. Three of four patients had abnormal tests of small fiber function. Cooling thresholds were abnormal in one; QSART was abnormal in one and borderline in another. The nerve biopsy specimen showed mild loss of small myelinated axons. Conclusions This study shows that paresthesias associated with metronidazole exposure may be the result of a relatively mild sensory neuropathy with predominant involvement of small fibers and milder, mostly subclinical involvement of large fibers.
Clinical trial to compare tinnitus masking and tinnitus retraining therapy

Conclusion: Both tinnitus masking (TM) and tinnitus retraining therapy (TRT) can be effective therapies for amelioration of tinnitus. TM may be more effective for patients in the short term, but with continued treatment TRT may produce the greatest effects. Objectives: Although TM and TRT have been used for many years, research has not documented definitively the efficacy of these methods. The present study was a controlled clinical trial to prospectively evaluate the clinical efficacy of these two methods for US military veterans with severe tinnitus. Subjects and methods: Over 800 veterans were screened to ensure that enrolled patients had tinnitus of sufficient severity to justify 18 months of individualized treatment. Qualifying patients (n=123) were placed quasi-randomly (alternating placement) into treatment with either TM or TRT. Treatment was administered at 0, 3, 6, 12, and 18 months. Outcomes of treatment were evaluated primarily using three self-administered tinnitus questionnaires (Tinnitus Handicap Inventory, Tinnitus Handicap Questionnaire, Tinnitus Severity Index). Results: Findings are presented from the three written questionnaires with respect to three categories of patients: describing tinnitus as a ‘moderate,’ ‘big,’ and ‘very big’ problem at baseline. Based on effect sizes, both groups showed considerable improvement overall. In general, TM effects remained fairly constant over time while TRT effects improved incrementally. For the patients with a ‘moderate’ and ‘big’ problem, TM provided the greatest benefit at 3 and 6 months; benefit to these TRT patients was slightly greater at 12 months, and much greater at 18 months. For patients with a ‘very big’ problem, TM provided the greatest benefit at 3 months. For these latter patients, results were about the same between groups at 6 months, and improvement for TRT was much greater at 12 months, with further gains at 18 months.
Why Do Larks Perform Better At School Than Owls? The Mediating Effect Of Conscientiousness

Article History: Received 26.06. 2016 Received in revised form 25.10. 2016 Accepted 26.10. 2016 Available online 25.11. 2016 Circadian preference refers to individuals’ preference for morning or evening activities. Its two dimensions (i.e., morningness and eveningness) are related to a number of academic outcomes. While morningness shows positive relations with academic achievement, eveningness shows negative relations. Further, morningness and eveningness show the same correlational pattern with conscientiousness (i.e., positive relations for morningness, negative relations for eveningness), which – in turn – predicts academic achievement. Therefore, the main aim of the present study was to investigate if the relation between circadian preference and academic achievement was mediated by conscientiousness. The sample comprised 422 students attending the 11th grade at a grammar school in Germany. Circadian preference (morningness and eveningness) and conscientiousness were assessed by self-report questionnaires; academic achievement was operationalized by school grades. Using confirmatory analyses and structural equation modelling, the results supported the assumption that conscientiousness mediates the relation between circadian preference and academic achievement. Implications for research into circadian preference and for education are discussed. © 2016 IOJES. All rights reserved
Improving the monitoring of crop productivity using spaceborne solar‐induced fluorescence

Large‐scale monitoring of crop growth and yield has important value for forecasting food production and prices and ensuring regional food security. A newly emerging satellite retrieval, solar‐induced fluorescence (SIF) of chlorophyll, provides for the first time a direct measurement related to plant photosynthetic activity (i.e. electron transport rate). Here, we provide a framework to link SIF retrievals and crop yield, accounting for stoichiometry, photosynthetic pathways, and respiration losses. We apply this framework to estimate United States crop productivity for 2007–2012, where we use the spaceborne SIF retrievals from the Global Ozone Monitoring Experiment‐2 satellite, benchmarked with county‐level crop yield statistics, and compare it with various traditional crop monitoring approaches. We find that a SIF‐based approach accounting for photosynthetic pathways (i.e. C3 and C4 crops) provides the best measure of crop productivity among these approaches, despite the fact that SIF sensors are not yet optimized for terrestrial applications. We further show that SIF provides the ability to infer the impacts of environmental stresses on autotrophic respiration and carbon‐use‐efficiency, with a substantial sensitivity of both to high temperatures. These results indicate new opportunities for improved mechanistic understanding of crop yield responses to climate variability and change.
7.1: TWT and X-Ray devices based on carbon nano-tubes

Field emission cathodes using carbon nano-tubes (CNT) are considered for various vacuum devices in the future. We present a TWT for satellite systems and an X-ray device using CNTs cathodes. Both devices have been designed and tested at breadboard level as a first step to demonstrate the benefits resulting from this new cathode.
Factors Affecting Investment Decision Making: Evidence from Equity Fund Managers and Individual Investors in Pakistan

Traditional theories of finance assume that investors behave rationally in the stock market, but according to behavioral finance investors behave irrationally while making their investment decisions. Behavioral finance explains the effect of investor psychology on their investment decision making. Purpose - The purpose of the study is to investigate the impact of behavioral factors such as heuristics, risk aversion, use of financial tools and firm-level corporate governance on investment decision making. Design/Methodology/Approach – This study use questionnaire technique for primary data collection from equity fund managers and individuals who invested in commercial banks, insurance companies and stock exchanges of Pakistan. The study collected 100 responses from individuals and equity fund managers. To accomplish the objective we use correlation analysis and regression analysis technique. Findings –The study concludes that Heuristics, Use of financial tools and Firm level corporate governance have positive and significant Impact on investment decision making, whereas Risk aversion has negative and significant impact on investment decision making. Moreover, all behavioral factors, firm level corporate and investment decision making have positive and significant relationship with each other. Stock exchanges and regulatory authorities may use these results to educate investors about behavioral factors. Findings of this research study may help to increase the investor’s confidence.
Perceptions of politics and fairness in merit pay

Purpose – This paper aims to look into employee perceptions of politics and fairness in a work setting where a new merit pay system had recently been implemented.Design/methodology/approach – The results are based on employee survey responses from three governmental organizations (n=367) that had implemented analogous merit pay systems.Findings – Hierarchical moderated regression results indicated that perceptions of politics and fairness distinctively and interactively predicted whether the pay system was perceived effective in achieving its objectives. The results suggest that some forms of politics in performance appraisals (e.g. compression) might be perceived less detrimental than others (e.g. favoritism). In a high politics environment, the pay system effectiveness varied as a function of the level of distributive justice. Voice in the pay system development only mattered in a situation where there was a low level of organizational politics.Research limitations/implications – One of the main limitat.
Influence of beer, wine and spirits consumption on craving

The importance of craving in alcoholism and the efficacy of treatment has been the subject of various studies. This study focuses on the consumption of different alcoholic beverages and their effect on craving, which has not yet been investigated. Therefore we assessed 197 inpatients using the Obsessive Compulsive Drinking Scale (OCDS) on the day of admission and after 1 week, distinguishing between the total score, the obsessive and the compulsive subscale. Socio‐demographic data and the type of alcoholic beverage were recorded. Analysing data, the amount of beer consumption showed a significant influence on craving in male but not in female patients. These results were significant for the total score and both subscales of the OCDS (OCDS total score; day 0: Spearman's rho = 0.31; p = 0.001; logistic regression, dependent variable dichotomized OCDS total score day 0: OR = 1.18; 95% CI = 1.04 – 1.34; p = 0.011). On the other hand we, did not find any significant results for the amount of other beverages such as wine and spirits. Receiver operating curves analysis showed that beer consumption significantly predicts craving [area under the curve (AUC) = 0.66; p = 0.002]. We conclude that higher beer consumption is associated with higher withdrawal craving, at least in male patients. In addition, it is an important predictor for both obsessive and compulsive craving. Further studies are needed to clarify the pathophysiological basis of this finding.
Lung Cancer in HIV-Seropositive Patients

Mathews Journal of HIV/AIDS Lung Cancer in HIV-Seropositive Patients. Marcelo Corti1 1Division of HIV/AIDS Disease, FJ. Muñiz Infectious Diseases Hospital and School of Medicine, Buenos Aires University, Argentina Corresponding Author: Marcelo Corti, Department of HIV/AIDS, Infectious Diseases, FJ. Muñiz Hospital, Puán 381 2° floor, Postal code C1406, Buenos Aires, Argentina. Tel: +54 114 432 3762; Email: marcelocorti@fibertel.com. ar