Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Energy efficient 850-nm VCSEL based optical transmitter and receiver link capable of 56 Gbit/s NRZ operation

Optical VCSEL-based links operating in on-off keying (OOK) modulation represent a robust energy-efficient solution for short-reach optical interconnects in datacenters. We report on the optical and electronic elements of such link and their integration into the transmitter (TR) and receiver (RX) assemblies. A single channel transceiver link capable of 40-56 Gbit/s OOK transmission over multimode fiber at record energy-efficiency of ~4.5 pJ/bit is demonstrated. VCSEL driver and receiver transimpedance amplifier (TIA) circuits capable of generating 80-100 Gbit/s error-free signals are characterized on a special test-board assembly. Real-time 56 Gbit/s transmission experiments of the complete link are done, resulting in bit-error ratios (BER) below standard Forward Error Correction (FEC) levels without equalization or signal processing.
An intertidal snail shows a dramatic size increase over the past century

Changes in the shell architecture of marine snails enhance defenses and greatly improve survival against predators. In the northwest Atlantic Ocean, shorter and thicker shells have been reported for several species following the introduction of predatory Carcinus maenas crabs early in the 20th century. But we report that the shell lengths of Nucella lapillus actually increased by an average of 22.6% over the past century, with no evidence of shell thickening after correcting for shell length. The increases in shell length were greatest on sheltered shores, highlighting the interaction between wave exposure and the sampling period. Comparisons were based on archived shells collected in 1915–1922 from sites that were resampled in 2007. N. lapillus is an important member of North Atlantic marine ecosystems, and our results suggest that the impacts of historical changes in species' key morphological traits on marine ecosystems remain underappreciated.
Analytical Cost Model for Urban Water Supply

The local water utility is ordinarily a pure monopoly except that industrial customers of water may establish their own supplies. Water supply systems can be separated into components: (1)Acquisition-treatment; and (2)delivery. Each of these components has its own cost function. Economies of scale gained in treatment may be lost in transportation. The tradeoffs between economies of scale in production and the costs of transportation have significance for the development of regional water supply systems. Cost functions are developed that allow a decision maker to evaluate these tradeoffs. Under specific circumstances the minimum average cost point for delivered water is approximately 8 miles.
Real world experience with operating electric vehicles in the Netherlands

Between July 2011 and March 2012 a group of eight electric vehicles have been monitored while operating either as part of a local taxi fleet or as a service vehicle for local authorities. With these vehicles a total distance of 38078 km was covered in that period. Analysis of the monitoring data gives results that are in line with these applications. These vehicles are operating mostly in urban and extra-urban traffic conditions, with average trip lengths well below their maximum driving range. Charging took place frequently, usually well before running into charge depletion conditions. Furthermore real world electric energy consumption is well above the nominal values mentioned by the manufacturers. Correspondingly, for seven out of the eight vehicles actual driving range is around half of the value mentioned by the manufacturers. This is believed to be due in part to the lower ambient temperatures in the monitoring period. A cost analysis (considering a five year operating period) shows that - in the Netherlands - these electric vehicles are clearly economically viable, but this is a result of the current subsidy levels. Without subsidies the opposite situation would exist. Finally, estimated well-to-wheel CO2 emission levels of these vehicles are not substantially different from those of the corresponding reference conventional vehicles. This is because electric energy in the Netherlands still mainly originates from non-renewable sources.
Distinct transcriptional and functional properties of the R transactivator gene orf50 of the transforming herpesvirus saimiri strain C488.

The transformation-associated region of herpesvirus saimiri strains is variable, whereas other parts of the virus genome are highly conserved. However, we observed considerable interstrain sequence divergence of the early viral regulatory orf50 gene, which encodes the R transactivator, a homolog of Epstein-Barr virus BRLF1. The orf50 gene of strain C488 was transcribed at low abundance during lytic infection, whereas antisense transcripts were simultaneously expressed at high levels. A spliced variant, orf50a, was detectable by RT-PCR and RNase protection assays in stimulated C488-transformed, nonpermissive human T cells. In contrast to strain A11, the short, unspliced orf50b form of C488 displayed complete transactivation capability on the orf6 and orf57 promoters. In summary, there are unexpected structural and functional differences between the orf50 genes of herpesvirus saimiri strains, which differ in their capability to transform human T lymphocytes.
Securing well-being with the advent of climate hazards: Case of forest-dependent communities in a landscape in the Congo Basin

Purpose – This paper aims to examine the contribution of forests resource systems to the different aspects of community well-being, the implications of climate variability on the different sources of well-being and further identifies direct and indirect social and policy opportunities relevant for communities to enhance their capabilities in the face of climate variability and change in the Tri-National de la Sangha landscape of Cameroon. Design/methodology/approach – It illustrates on data collected from focus group discussions and from 151 households randomly selected in three villages to operationalize the conceptual links between community well-being and vulnerability. Findings – The study shows that vulnerability to climate change interferes with community strategies to achieve well-being, in addition to non-climatic processes which are both internal and external to communities. The study further indicates that healthy forest ecosystems provide opportunities for the local folks to build assets, impro.
Adrenal gland hypofunction in active polymyalgia rheumatica. effect of glucocorticoid treatment on adrenal hormones and interleukin 6.

OBJECTIVE To evaluate hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis function in patients with recent onset polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR) not previously treated with glucocorticoids; and to detect possible correlations between adrenal hormone levels, interleukin 6 (IL-6), and other acute phase reactants at baseline and during 12 months of glucocorticoid treatment. METHODS Forty-one PMR patients of both sexes with recent onset disease and healthy sex and age matched controls were enrolled into a longitudinal study. Patients were monitored for serum cortisol, dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEAS), androstenedione (ASD), and clinical and laboratory measures of disease activity such as C-reactive protein and IL-6 concentrations at baseline and after 1, 3, 6, 9 and 12 months of glucocorticoid treatment. To assess dynamic HPA axis function, serum cortisol and plasma adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) levels were evaluated in another 8 patients with recent onset PMR not treated with glucocorticoid in comparison to controls after challenge with ovine corticotropin releasing hormone (oCRH) test. In addition, serum cortisol and 17-hydroxyprogesterone (17-OHP) levels were evaluated after stimulation with low dose (1 microg) intravenous ACTH. RESULTS Serum cortisol and ASD levels of all PMR patients at baseline did not differ from controls. During followup, cortisol levels dipped at one and 3 months. Serum DHEAS levels in all patients were significantly lower than in controls at baseline. In female PMR patients a significant correlation was found at baseline between cortisol levels and duration of disease. Serum concentrations of IL-6 at baseline were significantly higher in PMR patients than in controls. During 12 months of glucocorticoid treatment IL-6 levels dropped significantly at one month; thereafter they remained stable and did not increase again despite tapering of the glucocorticoid dose. After oCRH stimulation, a similar cortisol response was found in patients and controls. After ACTH administration, a significant cortisol peak was detected in patients and controls, whereas no significant difference in cortisol area-under-the-curve (AUC) was found between the groups. In contrast, ACTH induced a significantly higher (p < 0.05) peak of 17-OHP and AUC in PMR patients than in controls. CONCLUSION This study found reduced production of adrenal hormones (cortisol, DHEAS) at baseline in patients with active and untreated PMR. The defect seems mainly related to altered adrenal responsiveness to the ACTH stimulation (i.e., increased 17-OHP), at least in untreated patients. The 12 month glucocorticoid treatment of patients reduced the production of inflammatory mediators (i.e., IL-6) in a stable manner that persisted after glucocorticoids were tapered.
INVITED REVIEW Possible Mechanisms Involved in the Immunoregulation of Chronic Inflammatory Periodontal Disease*

It is generally agreed that immunological mechanisms are involved in the pathogenesis ofperiodontal disease; however, regulation of these mechanisms has hitherto received scant attention. Regulatory networks exist at both a cellular and a molecular level. At the cellular level, the existence of helper (T4-positive) and suppressor (T8-positive) T lymphocytes, the expression of Class II major histocompatibility complex antigens, and the heterogeneity of macrophage subpopulations are central to an understanding of the regulatory mechanisms involved. It is only recently that studies of these separate components, in both humans and experimental animals, have begun to provide a basis for understanding the complex interactions occurring in periodontal disease. Studies using the human experimental gingivitis model have shown an immunoregulatory picture consistent with a controlled immunological reaction with an essentially normal T4:T8 ratio of 2.0. In contrast, studies utilizing cells extracted from adult periodontitis lesions have shown a reduced T4:T8 ratio (approximately 1.0) and an inability to respond in, or to stimulate, an autologous mixed lymphocyte reaction. Animal studies using athymic nude rats have supported the concept of a central role for T-cell control in periodontal disease and the possibility of an imbalance in this control with disease progression. These results are reviewed and areas of future research explored.
Joint 1994 Wolff Award Presentation. Peripheral and central trigeminovascular activation in cat is blocked by the serotonin (5HT)-1D receptor agonist 311C90.

Migraine headache involves the activation of trigeminal afferents that are predominantly found in the first or ophthalmic division of the nerve. The headache is often pounding and the connections of the trigeminal nerve, the trigeminovascular system, have therefore been implicated in the pathophysiology of migraine and studied extensively. Considerable attention has been given to the peripheral ramifications of the system as a possible locus of action for anti-migraine drugs while little attention has been focused upon possible central sites of action. It has been shown that certain peptides can act as markers for the trigeminal system, in particular calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP), and that CGRP is elevated in migraine. We have employed an animal model for activation of the trigeminovascular system to evaluate a new antimigraine compound, 311C90, that may have central and as well as peripheral trigeminal actions. Cats were anesthetized by halothane induction and alpha-chloralose maintenance (60 mg/kg, intraperitoneal), intubated, paralyzed and ventilated. Biparietal craniotomies were carried out to measure cerebral blood flow using laser Doppler flowmetry (CBFLDF). The external jugular vein was cannulated and blood drawn, centrifuged and frozen until processing. Stimulation of the trigeminal ganglion resulted in a mean maximum increase in CBFLDF of 39 +/- 5% at 20/s. The 5HT1 agonist 311C90 was administered intravenously in two doses (30 and 100 micrograms/kg) to cover the range of doses likely to be effective clinically. At each dose the CBFLDF effect of trigeminal ganglion stimulation was inhibited. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Dependence of ORC Silencing Function on NatA-Mediated Nα Acetylation in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

ABSTRACT Nα acetylation is one of the most abundant protein modifications in eukaryotes and is catalyzed by N-terminal acetyltransferases (NATs). NatA, the major NAT in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, consists of the subunits Nat1p, Ard1p, and Nat5p and is necessary for the assembly of repressive chromatin structures. Here, we found that Orc1p, the large subunit of the origin recognition complex (ORC), required NatA acetylation for its role in telomeric silencing. NatA functioned genetically through the ORC binding site of the HMR-E silencer. Furthermore, tethering Orc1p directly to the silencer circumvented the requirement for NatA in silencing. Orc1p was Nα acetylated in vivo by NatA. Mutations that abrogated its ability to be acetylated caused strong telomeric derepression. Thus, Nα acetylation of Orc1p represents a protein modification that modulates chromatin function in S. cerevisiae. Genetic evidence further supported a functional link between NatA and ORC: (i) nat1Δ was synthetically lethal with orc2-1 and (ii) the synthetic lethality between nat1Δ and SUM1-1 required the Orc1 N terminus. We also found Sir3p to be acetylated by NatA. In summary, we propose a model by which Nα acetylation is required for the binding of silencing factors to the N terminus of Orc1p and Sir3p to recruit heterochromatic factors and establish repression.
Determinants of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and Intrinsic Job Motivation

This study aimed to examine the relationship between dimensions of corporate social responsibility (CSR) practices and intrinsic job motivation of employees in one of the banking companies in Malaysia. The study utilised CSR framework by Bursa Malaysia with localised CSR best practices dimensions developed by Mohd Hasan (2013). Multistage sampling was employed in this study, whereby simple random sampling and cluster sampling were employed. A survey method was used in this study, whereby questionnaires were distributed to 110 bank staff (managerial and non-managerial), but with 37 valid responses received. A set of self-administered questionnaires was used as the instrument for the data collection. The data was then analysed using Spearman’s rho correlation test through the SPSS version 22.0. Based on the findings, all the dimensions namely; workplace, environment, community, and marketplace have a positive and moderate relationship with internal job motivation. Limitations of the study, implications of the findings, and suggestions for future study are also discussed.
Erythropoiesis in the Chick Embryo: The Role of Endoderm

The endoderm can be separated from the ectomesoderm of the area vasculosa of the early chick embryo. The development of the separated germ layers in organ cultures shows that the endoderm is necessary for the normal formation of blood islands by mesodermal cells. In the absence of endoderm the mesodermal cells undergo erythropoiesis in dispersed groups of cells but do not form endothelium.
Wnt-1 is Dominant over Neu in Specifying Mammary Tumor Expression Profiles

Wnt-1 and Neu collaborate to induce mammary tumors in bitransgenic mice carrying both MMTV-Wnt-1 and MMTV-Neu. In this report, gene expression profiles were determined for tumors from these bitransgenic mice, and compared with expression profiles of tumors from mice singly transgenic for MMTV-Wnt-1 or MMTV-Neu. While very different from tumors arising in MMTV-Neu transgenic mice, tumors from these bitransgenic mice were found not to have identifiable differences from tumors from MMTV-Wnt-1 transgenic mice, using clustering and multidimensional scaling analyses (unsupervised and supervised), One-way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA), and two sample t test (the later two of which were combined with false discovery rate computation). These observations suggest that Wnt-1 is dominant over Neu in specifying mammary tumor expression profiles.
Treatment With BX471, a Nonpeptide CCR1 Antagonist, Protects Mice Against Acute Pancreatitis-Associated Lung Injury by Modulating Neutrophil Recruitment

Objectives: Chemokines and their receptors play a key role in the pathogenesis of acute pancreatitis. BX471 is a potent nonpeptide CC chemokine receptor 1 antagonist in both human and mouse. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effect of prophylactic and therapeutic treatment with BX471 on experimental acute pancreatitis in the mouse and to investigate the underlying mechanisms. Methods: Acute pancreatitis was induced in mice by hourly intraperitoneal injection of cerulein. BX471 was administered either prophylactically or therapeutically, and pancreatic inflammation and lung injury were assessed. The expression of intercellular adhesion molecule 1, P-selectin, and E-selectin was studied by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction and immunohistochemistry. Results: In cerulein-induced acute pancreatitis, treatment with BX471 significantly protected mice against lung injury associated with cerulein-induced pancreatitis by attenuating myeloperoxidase activity, an indicator of neutrophil recruitment, and lung morphological changes in histological sections. Treatment with BX471 had little effect on pancreatic damage. Blocking CC chemokine receptor 1 by BX471 also down-regulated intercellular adhesion molecule 1, P-selectin, and E-selectin expression at mRNA and protein levels in both lungs and pancreas compared with vehicle-treated groups. Conclusions: These findings suggest that interfering with neutrophil migration and activation by targeting CC chemokine receptor 1 may represent a promising strategy to prevent disease progression in acute pancreatitis.
Differential effects of the absence of interferon-gamma and IL-4 in acute graft-versus-host disease after allogeneic bone marrow transplantation in mice.

Graft-versus-host disease (GVHD), in which immunocompetent donor cells attack the host, remains a major cause of morbidity after allogeneic bone marrow transplantation (BMT). To understand the role of cytokines in the pathobiology of GVHD, we used cytokine knockout (KO) mice as a source of donor T cells. Two different MHC-disparate strain combinations were examined: BALB/c (H2(d)) donors into lethally irradiated C57BL/6 (H2(b)) recipients or C57BL/6 (H2(b)) donors into B10.BR (H2(k)) recipients. Donor cells were from mice in which either the interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) or the IL-4 gene was selectively disrupted to understand the role of these cytokines in acute GVHD. In both strain combinations the same pattern was noted with regard to GVHD onset and morbidity. All mice exhibited the classic signs of acute GVHD: weight loss with skin, gut, and liver pathology resulting in morbidity and mortality. Surprisingly, donor cells obtained from mice lacking IFN-gamma gave rise to accelerated morbidity from GVHD when compared with cells from wild-type control donors. Similar results were obtained using normal donors when neutralizing antibodies to IFN-gamma were administered immediately after the BMT. These results suggest that IFN-gamma plays a role in protection from acute GVHD. In marked contrast, cells obtained from IL-4 KO mice resulted in protection from GVHD compared with control donors. Splenocytes from IFN KO mice stimulated with a mitogen proliferated to a significantly greater extent and produced more IL-2 compared with splenocytes obtained from IL-4 KO or control mice. Additionally, there was increased IL-2 production in the spleens of mice undergoing GVHD using IFN-gamma KO donors. These results therefore indicate, with regard to the TH1/ TH2 cytokine paradigm, the absence of a TH1-type cytokine can be deleterious in acute GVHD, whereas absence of a TH2 cytokine can be protective.
Financial Development and Property Valuation

This paper investigates the impact of financial development on property valuation in a rational expectations framework by modeling the agency theoretic perspective of risk averse investors (property owners) and financiers (banks/ capital markets). In contrast to previous research, we consider a setting in which financiers possess no inherent information processing or monitoring advantages. We demonstrate that property financing is undertaken in a pecking order of increasing pareto-efficiency (with reduction in its overall costs and a subsequent increase in the value of the underlying collateral) in a three staged process as financial architecture advances from a partially liberalized bank to the developed stage of capital markets. The primary solution is obtained in the rudimentary stage of commercial banks (in a specialized banking system), where the default-free mortgages are pareto-optimal to defaulting mortgages in accordance with the prognosis of Scott (1976) and Stulz and Johnson (1985). A pareto-improvement of the first solution is obtained by removing the restriction on ownership of property for financiers such as universal banks and pension funds, insurance companies, etc. This solution resolves the real estate version of the asset location puzzle (see Geltner and Miller, 2001). A further pareto-enhancement of this equilibrium is obtained under financial innovation by embedding the above default-free mortgage with options (in the form of a participating mortgage) in accordance with the prognosis of Green (1984), Haugen and Senbet (1981, 1987) and Schnabel (1993). Our results yield implications for financial system development. Our analysis predicts that an optimal financial system will configure itself skewed towards capital markets irrespective of the source of its origination (from specialized banking system or universal banking system). We also rationalize the co-existence of banks and financial markets in a well-developed financial system