Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Th17 Cells Contribute to Viral Replication in Coxsackievirus B3-Induced Acute Viral Myocarditis

Acute viral myocarditis (AVMC) is characterized by virus-triggered myocardial inflammation, and Coxsackievirus B3 (CVB3) is the primary pathogen. We previously proved that Th17 cells, besides having proinflammatory effects, were involved in AVMC by enhancing humoral response. However, the relationship between Th17 cells and CVB3 replication remains unknown. In this experiment, we infected BALB/c mice with CVB3 for establishing AVMC models and then found that, with the increase of viral replication, the expressions of splenic Th17 cells, serum IL-17, and cardiac IL-17 mRNA were elevated significantly, accompanied by the progressive cardiac injuries of AVMC. Furthermore, on day 5, the peak time for viral replication, correlation was positive between cardiac IL-17 mRNA and CVB3 RNA (correlation index = 0.835; p < 0.01). Although the expressions of Th1 and CD8+ T cells, which could secrete the antiviral cytokine IFN-γ and damage the heart, were also elevated, along with Th17 cells, in AVMC, the neutralization of IL-17 further upregulated the percentages of splenic Th1 and CD8+ T cells and the levels of cardiac IFN-γ mRNA. The cardiac pathological changes were obviously improved after neutralization, with reduced viral replication followed by decreases in the cardiac inflammatory cytokines IL-17, TNF-α, and IL-1β. These data suggest that Th17 cells contribute to CVB3 replication in AVMC, and that IL-17 might be an important target for regulating the balance of antiviral immunities.
Learning - by - Hiring: When Is Mobility More Likely to Facilitate Interfirm Knowledge Transfer?

To investigate the conditions under which learning-by-hiring (or the acquisition of knowledge through the hiring of experts from other firms) is more likely, we study the patenting activities of engineers who moved from United States (U.S.) firms to non-U.S. firms. Statistical findings from negative binomial regressions show that mobility is more likely to result in interfirm knowledge transfer when (1) the hiring firm is less path dependent, (2) the hired engineers possess technological expertise distant from that of the hiring firm, and (3) the hired engineers work in noncore technological areas in their new firm. In addition, the results support the idea that domestic mobility and international mobility are similarly conducive to learning-by-hiring. Thus, our paper suggests that learning-by-hiring can be useful when hired engineers are used for exploring technologically distant knowledge (rather than for reinforcing existing firm expertise) and also for extending the hiring firm's geographic reach.
Obsessionality in Anorexia Nervosa: The Moderating Influence of Exercise

Objective Research has confirmed substantial links between OCD and AN. Not only are there psychopathological similarities between the two syndromes, but a marked neurochemical correspondence. Extensive exercising is a common feature of AN and also has relevance in its links with OCD. There is evidence from the exercise-induced weight-loss syndrome in animals that exercise and caloric restriction, in combination, tend to increase serotonergic activity in a synergistic manner. This syndrome has been proposed as a valid model of OCD as well as for AN. To date, little research has directly tested this theory in the human condition. Method Fifty-three AN patients were categorized as high-level exercisers (N = 22) or moderate/nonexercisers (N = 31) based on the frequency of their physical activity over the year before assessment. Results Exercisers scored significantly higher on a measure of OC personality characteristics, OC symptomatology, and perfectionism-a personality factor associated with the development of Obsesssive-Compulsive Personality Disorder. On the other hand, there were no group differences on other salient eating disorder characteristics such as body esteem, self-esteem, or weight preoccupation. There were also no differences in degree of emaciation as indicated by Body Mass Index. Conclusions Findings suggest that among AN patients obsessional personality characteristics are linked to high-level exercising, and that exercising is associated with a greater degree of OC symptomatology. Results are discussed in the context of current theories of AN, OCD, and some biological mechanisms.
Structure Function Analysis of Leishmania Sirtuin: An Ensemble of In Silico and Biochemical Studies

Novel anti‐leishmanial target LmSir2 has few subtle but prudent structural differences in ligand binding and catalytic domain as compared to its human counterpart. In silico screening and validation followed by in vitro deacetylation and cell killing assays described herein give a proof of concept for development of strategies exploiting such minor differences for screening libraries of small molecules to identify selective inhibitors.
Economic Development and Co2 Emissions: A Nonparametric Panel Approach

We examine the empirical relation between CO2 emissions per capita and GDP per capita during the period 1960-1996, using a panel of 100 countries. Relying on the nonparametric poolability test of Baltagi et al. (1996), we find evidence of structural stability of the relationship. We then specify a nonparametric panel data model with country-specific effects. Estimation results show that this relationship is upward sloping. Nonparametric specification tests do not reject monotonicity but do reject the polynomial functional form which leads to the environmental Kuznets curve in several studies.
MRI findings in patients with affective disorder: a meta‐analysis

A review of the literature on primarily magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans of patients with affective disorders is presented. Several studies have indicated an increased ventricle/brain ratio and other signs of cerebral atrophy, as well as an increased frequency of lesions (so‐called signal hyperintensities) in the brains of unipolar and bipolar patients. This notion is strongly supported by two meta‐analyses performed in the present study. The lesions are often localized in the frontal lobes and the basal ganglia, indicating a defective basal ganglia/frontal circuit, and are correlated with the degree of cognitive impairment seen in these conditions. No studies have indicated that psychoactive drugs or electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) might cause the lesions, but on the other hand they can probably increase the risk of delirium complicating the treatment.
The effect of cyclosporine initiation time on the outcome of matched allogeneic stem‐cell transplantation following fludarabine‐based conditioning

Cyclosporine (CSA) is the most commonly used medication for GVHD prophylaxis. The initiation time varies from day −4 to day 0. Initially, we gave CSA starting on day −1. However, since 2003 we have changed CSA initiation timing policy in most of our protocols to day −4, to achieve stable and controlled pretransplant CSA levels. Here, we assessed if initiation time impact the outcome of allogeneic stem‐cell transplantation (allo‐SCT). Data of 261 patients who underwent allo‐SCT for hematological malignancies from a fully matched donor, treated with CSA as a single agent for GVHD prophylaxis were prospectively collected. Patients were divided according to CSA initiation time and analyzed for outcome. The acute GVHD severity, cGVHD extent, GVHD‐associated mortality were significantly lower in the CSA −4 group. There was no difference in the rate and timing of acute or chronic GVHD. Overall survival did not differ between the groups. We conclude that the initiation of CSA at day −4 reduced the severity of aGVHD, extent of cGVHD, and GVHD‐associated mortality without impact on overall survival.
No association between a previously reported OLR1 3′ UTR polymorphism and Alzheimer’s disease in a large family sample

Recently, two studies1,2 reported independent evidence of genetic association between a 3′ UTR single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP; rs1050283 , also known as “+1073”) in the oxidised LDL receptor 1 gene ( OLR1 ) on chromosome 12p13.2 and risk for Alzheimer’s disease (AD). The implied chromosomal area is a highly promising AD candidate region because both genetic linkage and association studies have reported significant signals to two different locations separated by about 40 Mb (about 44 cM): the more proximal region is located near 10 Mb, on 12p13, and contains OLR1 as well as the gene encoding α2-macroglobulin ( A2M ), while the more distal region near 50 Mb, on 12q13, maps close to the genes encoding LRP1 (low density lipoprotein-related protein 1) and TFCP2 (transcription factor CP2). All four of these genes have shown independent associations with AD risk, although the results for A2M and LRP1 have been controversial (for recent reviews see Bertram and Tanzi3 and Saunders et al 4). For OLR1 , Luedecking-Zimmer and colleagues first reported evidence of association with the 3′ UTR SNP ( rs1050283 ) in a white North American case-control sample of more than 1500 subjects.1 This association showed a strong interaction with APOE (apolipoprotein E) e4-genotype, and led to opposite effects in subgroups stratified by APOE e4. Specifically, APOE e4-positive carriers of the TT-genotype had a 1.7-fold increased AD risk, whereas APOE e4-negative carriers of the same genotype showed a significantly reduced (OR = 0.7) risk for AD. Performing electrophoretic mobility shift assays (EMSAs) indicated reduced binding of nuclear proteins related to the T-allele of this variant. The more recently published results by Lambert et al were obtained on a large French case-control sample and a considerably smaller North American family-based sample, and also showed significant effects with this polymorphism.2 However, no APOE e4-dependence was …
Effects of season, temperature, and photoperiod on plasma melatonin rhythms in the goldfish, Carassius auratus

Abstract: Effects of season, environmental temperature, and photoperiod on plasma melatonin concentrations were studied in the goldfish, Carassius auratus. When goldfish were reared under natural conditions, melatonin levels at mid‐dark exhibited seasonal changes, with higher levels obtained in June and September than in December and March. When fish were kept under light: dark (LD) cycle of 12: 12 at 5, 15, or 25°C during March‐April, temperature‐dependent increases in melatonin levels at mid‐dark were observed. When animals were maintained under LD 16: 8 or LD 8: 16 in combination with temperature changes (5, 15, and 25°C) during January‐February, the duration of nocturnal elevation in melatonin was controlled by the length of the scotophase while the amplitude was influenced by environmental temperature. These results indicate that plasma melatonin profiles in the goldfish exhibit seasonal changes that are regulated by both photoperiod and temperature.
Unified inflectional processing of regular and irregular verbs: a PET study

Psycholinguistic theories propose different models of inflectional processing of regular and irregular verbs: dual mechanism models assume separate modules with lexical frequency sensitivity for irregular verbs. In contradistinction, connectionist models propose a unified process in a single module. We conducted a PET study using a 2 × 2 design with verb regularity and frequency. We found significantly shorter voice onset times for regular verbs and high frequency verbs irrespective of regularity. The PET data showed activations in inferior frontal gyrus (BA 45), nucleus lentiformis, thalamus, and superior medial cerebellum for both regular and irregular verbs but no dissociation for verb regularity. Our results support common processing components for regular and irregular verb inflection.
Prefrontal and Hippocampal Brain Volume Deficits: Role of Low Physical Activity on Brain Plasticity in First-Episode Schizophrenia Patients

Abstract Our objective in the present study was to conduct the first empirical study of the effects of regular physical activity habits and their relationship with brain volume and cortical thickness in patients in the early phase of schizophrenia. Relationships between larger brain volumes and higher physical activity levels have been reported in samples of healthy and aging populations, but have never been explored in first-episode schizophrenia patients. Method: We collected MRI structural scans in 14 first-episode schizophrenia patients with either self-reported low or high physical activity levels. We found a reduction in total gray matter volume, prefrontal cortex (PFC), and hippocampal gray matter volumes in the low physical activity group compared to the high activity group. Cortical thickness in the dorsolateral and orbitofrontal PFC were also significantly reduced in the low physical activity group compared to the high activity group. In the combined sample, greater overall physical activity levels showed a non-significant tendency with better performance on tests of verbal memory and social cognition. Together these pilot study findings suggest that greater amounts of physical activity may have a positive influence on brain health and cognition in first-episode schizophrenia patients and support the implementation of physical exercise interventions in this patient population to improve brain plasticity and cognitive functioning. (JINS, 2015, 21, 868–879)
Evaluation of Self-Taken Samples for the Presence of Genital Chlamydia Trachomatis Infection in Women using the Ligase Chain Reaction Assay

The aim of this study was to evaluate the sensitivity and acceptability of self-taken vulval-introital (VI) samples, first-catch urine (FCU) samples and clinician-obtained cervical samples for the presence of genital Chlamydia trachomatis infections in women using the ligase chain reaction (LCR) assay. One hundred and four patients were enrolled, of whom 54 patients had chlamydial DNA in at least one of the samples tested. The sensitivity of the cervical sample was 96.3%, vulval-introital sample in LCR buffer 92.6%, vulval-introital swab collected dry 88.9%, FCU stored at +2–8°C 81.5%, FCU stored at room temperature 77.8% and FCU stored with 2% w/v boric acid at room temperature 87.0%. Self-taken vulval-introital LCR samples were shown to be an acceptable alternative to a clinician-obtained LCR sample. The addition of boric acid may overcome the need for a continuous cold chain for FCU samples.
Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II scoring system in acute myocardial infarction: a prospective validation study.

OBJECTIVE To study the usefulness of the Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II (APACHE II) scoring system for prognostication of inhospital mortality in acute myocardial infarction. DESIGN A prospective validation study. SETTING A medical intensive care unit (ICU) at a university hospital. PATIENTS Over a 3-yr period, 2,007 admissions of 1,714 patients with acute myocardial infarction were studied. In readmissions to the medical ICU during the same hospital stay, only the first admission was studied. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS Mean age of the patients was 72 +/- 10 yrs. The medical ICU mortality rate was 13% and total hospital mortality rate was 16%. Mean APACHE II score was 11.6 +/- 6.5. There was a close correlation between observed and predicted mortality rates in classes of patients with various APACHE II scores. Observed mortality in patients with scores of 20 to 24 was higher than the predicted mortality (p < .03). In this subgroup, 25% of the patients had a length of stay in the medical ICU of < 8 hrs. CONCLUSIONS Inhospital mortality in patients with acute myocardial infarction could be accurately predicted with APACHE II scores. Prognostication was not as good in patients with a length of stay in the medical ICU of < 8 hrs.
A Method for Detecting Intracellular Perforin in Mouse Lymphocytes

Cytotoxic lymphocytes destroy pathogen-infected and transformed cells through the cytotoxic granule exocytosis death pathway, which is dependent on the delivery of proapoptotic granzymes into the target cell cytosol by the pore-forming protein, perforin. Despite the importance of mouse models in understanding the role of cytotoxic lymphocytes in immune-mediated disease and their role in cancer immune surveillance, no reliable intracellular detection method exists for mouse perforin. Consequently, rapid, flow-based assessment of cytotoxic potential has been problematic, and complex assays of function are generally required. In this study, we have developed a novel method for detecting perforin in primary mouse cytotoxic T lymphocytes by immunofluorescence and flow cytometry. We used this new technique to validate perforin colocalization with granzyme B in cytotoxic granules polarized to the immunological synapse, and to assess the expression of perforin in cytotoxic T lymphocytes at various stages of activation. The sensitivity of this technique also allowed us to distinguish perforin levels in Prf1+/+ and Prf1+/− mice. This new methodology will have broad applications and contribute to advances within the fields of lymphocyte biology, infectious disease, and cancer.
Production of beta-chemokines in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection: evidence that high levels of macrophage inflammatory protein-1beta are associated with a decreased risk of HIV disease progression.

Macrophage inflammatory protein (MIP)-1alpha, MIP-1beta, and RANTES production were measured by ELISA in whole blood that had been stimulated for 4.5 h with phytohemagglutinin. The blood was from 90 healthy human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-negative controls and from 245 HIV-infected subjects who were followed for < or = 4.5 years. HIV-infected persons without AIDS had increased levels of MIP-1alpha, MIP-1beta, and RANTES (P < .01) compared with levels in controls. Subjects with AIDS, compared with controls, had decreased production levels of MIP-1beta (P < .0001) and similar levels of MIP-1alpha and RANTES. A high level of MIP-1beta production was associated with a decreased risk of progressing to AIDS or death, as determined by univariate analysis (P < .01) and adjusted for CD4 cell count and age (P = .07, P = .06, respectively). The findings suggest that the production level of beta-chemokine changes during HIV infection and that a high level of beta-chemokine production in peripheral blood lymphocytes may be associated with less rapid disease progression in HIV infection.
Peripheral multidendritic sensory neurons are necessary for rhythmic locomotion behavior in Drosophila larvae

From breathing to walking, rhythmic movements encompass physiological processes important across the entire animal kingdom. It is thought by many that the generation of rhythmic behavior is operated by a central pattern generator (CPG) and does not require peripheral sensory input. Sensory feedback is, however, required to modify or coordinate the motor activity in response to the circumstances of actual movement. In contrast to this notion, we report here that sensory input is necessary for the generation of Drosophila larval locomotion, a form of rhythmic behavior. Blockage of all peripheral sensory inputs resulted in cessation of larval crawling. By conditionally silencing various subsets of larval peripheral sensory neurons, we identified the multiple dendritic (MD) neurons as the neurons essential for the generation of rhythmic peristaltic locomotion. By recording the locomotive motor activities, we further demonstrate that removal of MD neuron input disrupted rhythmic motor firing pattern in a way that prolonged the stereotyped segmental motor firing duration and prevented the propagation of posterior to anterior segmental motor firing. These findings reveal that MD sensory neuron input is a necessary component in the neural circuitry that generates larval locomotion.
Combining Behavioral Experiments and Agent-based Social Simulation to Support Trust-aware Decision-making in Supply Chains

Trust is seen as one of the most important dimensions in developing and maintaining fruitful business relationships and has deep impact on the decision-making process in the supply chain planning. Despite its importance, very limited research has been done in the trust-aware decision-making field. This paper aims to experimentally examine how trust can be assessed over different dimensions and then be used to support decision-making in order to reduce the Bullwhip Effect, which is one of the biggest efficiency problems shown by supply chains of highly interconnected organizations. As industry is generally reluctant to provide data due to privacy concerns and trade secret protection, the authors of this paper, designed and conducted a web-based trust behavioral experiment. The data collected was used to evaluate the proposed trust mechanism through an Agent-Based Social Simulation. The results revealed that it is possible to infer trust relationships from behavioral experiments and historical based data, and use these relationships to influence the procurement, ordering and information sharing process. Although additional research is still necessary, the preliminary results revealed that the use of computational trust mechanisms can be helpful to lower the Bullwhip Effect.
artlett revisited : Direct comparison of repeated reproduction and erial reproduction techniques

Bartlett developed the procedures of repeated reproduction (the same person repeatedly recalling information) and serial reproduction (people transmitting information from one person to another). Our experiment directly compared recall accuracy across these two techniques, which has not previously been reported, using DRM word lists. Recall of the initial study list words remained constant across repeated reproductions but declined markedly across serial reproductions. In contrast, recall of associated words that were not originally studied (i.e. critical words) was steady across both conditions. Because more of the original list words were forgotten across each link of the serial reproduction chain, the proportion of critical items recalled (relative to list words) increased significantly as the list passed between people.
Subjective and psychomotor effects of subanesthetic doses of propofol in healthy volunteers.

Propofol is increasingly being used in medical and surgical procedures in which conscious sedation of the patient is desired. The mood-altering and psychomotor effects of subanesthetic concentrations of propofol have not been well characterized. Therefore, we examined the effects of intravenous infusions of different subanesthetic doses of propofol on mood and psychomotor/cognitive performance in healthy volunteers (n = 10). A prospective, randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind, crossover design was used in which subjects first were administered an intravenous loading dose of propofol or placebo (Intralipid) and then were infused over a 20-min period with a given dose of propofol or placebo. Each subject received placebo (Intralipid loading dose and infusion), low-dose propofol (0.08 mg/kg loading dose and 0.5 mg.kg-1.h-1 infusion), moderate-dose propofol (0.16 mg/kg loading dose and 1.0 mg.kg-1.h-1 infusion), and high-dose propofol (0.32 mg/kg loading dose and 2.0 mg.kg-1.h-1 infusion) in four sessions spaced approximately 1 week apart. Propofol induced changes in mood in a dose-related fashion. Some of these mood-altering effects lingered for as long as 30 min after termination of the infusion, but, in general mood had returned to baseline levels 1 h after termination of the infusion. Intralipid induced no changes in mood during the infusion period. Psychomotor functioning was impaired during, and anterograde amnesia was present after, the high-dose propofol infusion. These results suggest that propofol as a sedative has a spectrum of effects that are well-suited for ambulatory surgery (e.g., sedation, amnesia, and rapid and complete recovery).