Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Bovine Herpesvirus Type 4 Glycoprotein L Is Nonessential for Infectivity but Triggers Virion Endocytosis during Entry

ABSTRACT The core entry machinery of mammalian herpesviruses comprises glycoprotein B (gB), gH, and gL. gH and gL form a heterodimer with a central role in viral membrane fusion. When archetypal alpha- or betaherpesviruses lack gL, gH misfolds and progeny virions are noninfectious. However, the gL of the rhadinovirus murid herpesvirus 4 (MuHV-4) is nonessential for infection. In order to define more generally what role gL plays in rhadinovirus infections, we disrupted its coding sequence in bovine herpesvirus 4 (BoHV-4). BoHV-4 lacking gL showed altered gH glycosylation and incorporated somewhat less gH into virions but remained infectious. However, gL− virions showed poor growth associated with an entry deficit. Moreover, a major part of their entry defect appeared to reflect impaired endocytosis, which occurs upstream of membrane fusion itself. Thus, the rhadinovirus gL may be more important for driving virion endocytosis than for incorporating gH into virions, and it is nonessential for membrane fusion.
COSTS OF FLEXIBLE SIGMOIDOSCOPY SCREENING FOR COLORECTAL CANCER IN THE UNITED KINGDOM

Objectives: Colorectal cancer is one of the most commonly occurring cancers in industrialized countries, yet appears to be amenable to screening. Amongst the many possible protocols is once-only screening by means of flexible sigmoidoscopy. This protocol is currently being investigated in a UK multicenter trial and the study provides estimates of the expected resource costs. Methods: The direct health care costs of sigmoidoscopy and of all subsequent procedures were estimated from an audit of resource use of approximately 40,000 patients at thirteen centers. Patient-borne costs were estimated from the results of surveys conducted at twelve of these centers. Results: The health service costs of a flexible sigmoidoscopy was estimated at £56. The total costs of screening (including private costs) averaged £82 per person screened, although costs varied by center. The total health service costs of screening and subsequent management averaged approximately £91 per person screened, again with variations between centers. Conclusions: Even within a strict trial protocol, intercenter variation in costs can be detected, ascribable to variability in local management practices, local yield, and local patient-borne costs. Other recent estimates of flexible sigmoidoscopy costs vary widely. As these costs form the basis of technology assessment simulation models which, in turn, inform policy, obtaining realistic cost estimates within the appropriate health care setting is of paramount importance.
Power Moderates the Effects of Social Dominance Orientation on Punishment: An Experimental Analysis

In this study, it was hypothesized that experimentally manipulated levels of power would moderate the association of dispositional social dominance orientation (SDO) with preferences for harsh punishment. In particular, we expected to detect a stronger effect for dispositional SDO in the low-power condition, relying on the notion that low power enhances sensitivity to threats to the status quo, and that high SDO individuals are particularly motivated to enforce hierarchy-enhancing measures as punishment. SDO scores were measured two months prior to the experiment, and then immediately after the experimental session. As expected, preexperimental SDO interacted with the power manipulation. We found stronger preexperimental SDO effects on punishment among low-power participants. We also anticipated and found that individuals high in SDO increased further their postexperimental SDO scores if assigned to a high-power condition. The discussion focuses on the importance of SDO effects among low-status groups and on how situational roles shape dispositional self-descriptions.
Lithium treatment effects on the neuropsychological functioning of patients with bipolar I disorder.

OBJECTIVE To determine if medication plays a major role in cognitive impairment in bipolar disorder and if regular treatment with lithium influences the cognitive performance of a group of euthymic patients with bipolar I disorder. METHOD Cognitive performance was assessed using neuropsychological tests of attention, memory, and executive function on 60 subjects: 20 euthymic bipolar I patients with no medication intake, 20 euthymic bipolar I patients who were following regular treatment with lithium carbonate monotherapy, and a third group of 20 control healthy subjects. The subjects were evaluated from January 2005 to October 2006. Patients were diagnosed using DSM-IV criteria for bipolar disorder. RESULTS Compared to the healthy group, bipolar I patients had significantly lower performance on episodic verbal and visual-verbal memory regardless of their medication status. No significant cognitive performance differences were found between the two groups of patients with bipolar disorder, suggesting that lithium therapy had no deleterious effects on cognition. CONCLUSION Patients with bipolar I disorder have verbal memory deficits that are not explained by medication or by lithium monotherapy, but by the condition itself.
Carbon monoxide impairs mitochondria‐dependent endosomal maturation and antigen presentation in dendritic cells

Heme‐oxygenase 1 (HO‐1) prevents T cell‐mediated inflammatory disease by producing carbon monoxide (CO) and impairing DC immunogenicity. However, the cellular mechanisms causing this inhibition are unknown. Here, we show that CO impairs mitochondrial function in DCs by reducing both the mitochondrial membrane potential and ATP production, and resembling the effect of a nonlethal dose of a classical mitochondria uncoupler carbonyl cyanide m‐chlorophenyl hydrazone (CCCP). Moreover, both CO and CCCP reduced cargo transport, endosome‐to‐lysosome fusion, and antigen processing, dampening the production of peptide‐MHC complexes on the surface of DCs. As a result, the inhibition of naive CD4+ T‐cell priming was observed. Furthermore, mitochondrial dysfunction in DCs also significantly reduced CD8+ T cell‐dependent type 1 diabetes onset in vivo. These results showed for the first time that CO interferes with T‐cell priming by blocking an unknown mitochondria‐dependent antigen‐processing pathway in mature DC. Interestingly, other immune functions in DCs such as antigen capture, cytokine secretion, costimulation, and cell survival relied on glycolysis, suggesting that oxidative phosphorylation might only play a key role for the maturation of antigen‐containing endosomes. In conclusion, CO produced by HO‐1 impairs antigen‐dependent inflammation by regulating DC immunogenicity by a mitochondria‐dependent mechanism.
Experimental detection performance of cyclostationarity-based spectrum sensing

Cyclostationarity-based spectrum sensing exploits the spectral correlation property of the primary user (PU) signal; hence, exhibits relative robustness against noise and interference. Existing studies on this method focus on analytical and simulation approaches. This work focuses on the experimental measurement of the performance of cyclostationarity-based spectrum sensing using a magnitude squared coherence (MSC) function. The MSC is the magnitude square of the function that measures the intensity of coherence of the PU signal spectral components. In this work, MSC is estimated using the FFT Accumulation Method (FAM). We implemented a testbed operating on TV white space, and measured the empirical performance of MSC-based detection over the following: (1) the effect of PU duty cycle, and (2) the effect of time-frequency resolution product (TFRP) parameter of FAM. The measured results show that the experimental performance of MSC-based detector has an experimental performance gain of around 6 dB over simple energy detection scheme. The performance deteriorates with decreasing PU duty cycle, which agrees with existing simulation study. Moreover, the empirical performance also degrades with decreasing TFRP, which agrees with the theoretical reliability condition requiring a TFRP of much greater than unity.
Measurement of Investor Sentiment and Its Bi-Directional Contemporaneous and Lead–Lag Relationship with Returns: Evidence from Pakistan

The present study examines bi-directional contemporaneous and lead–lag relationships between investor sentiment and market returns in the emerging market of Pakistan over the period of 2006 to 2016. To measure investor sentiment, the study employs a direct proxy namely Google search volume index (GSVI) and nine other indirect proxies. Besides conventional regression and VAR model, the study applies Geweke’s (1982) tests to investigate the nature of relationships between sentiment and returns. Thus, the study adds to existing literature by providing latest and thorough statistical evidence on the role of investor sentiment in influencing market returns. The study finds sufficient evidence regarding irrational behavior of investors in the thin market of Pakistan. In particular, the results indicate substantive role of sentiment in dragging stock market away from its sustainable path as implied by economic fundamentals.
Determination of the Best Closing Phase Angle for AC Contactor Based on Game Theory

Any contactor bounce is undesirable since this causes arcing which shortens the life of the contacts when contacts close. The rebounds and the closing speeds are different with the closing phase angle of the electromagnetic coil voltage switching on when contactors close. This paper discussed the determination of the best closing phase angle of the electromagnetic coil voltage switching on. Taking closing phase angle as optimization variable, the closing velocities of three phase contacts and armature as objectives, and taking moving velocities lower than their worst values as restrictions, the optimization model was established. Game theory was introduced and adopted to solve the multi-objectives optimization problem. Taking CJ20 AC contactor as an example, the best closing phase angle was determined by combing the calculating and testing results.
Estrogen regulation of thrombospondin‐1 in human breast cancer cells

Expression of thrombospondin‐1 (TSP‐1), a large extracellular matrix protein, has been associated with modulation of angiogenesis and tumor growth. Both pro and antiangiogenic properties of TSP‐1 have been described, and the role of TSP‐1 expression in the growth and progression of human breast cancer is not clear. Because estrogens cause progression of many breast cancers, and estradiol (E2) downregulates a TSP‐1 receptor, we examined whether TSP‐1 is regulated by estrogen and involved in tumor progression. E2 induced TSP‐1 expression in T47‐D and MCF‐7 breast cancer cells in vitro within 3 to 6 hr; the induction was blocked by the anti‐estrogen ICI 182,780, indicating that estrogen receptors (ER) are necessary for this effect. Furthermore, E2 caused the production of TSP‐1 protein from tumor cells in an ER‐alpha‐dependent manner. The E2‐mediated TSP‐1 RNA induction was dose‐dependent and blocked by actinomycin D, indicating that the response to E2 was at least partly transcriptional. Transfection studies with deletion constructs of the TSP‐1 promoter identified an estrogen‐responsive region in the human TSP‐1 promoter, located between −2,200 and −1,792 bp upstream of the transcription start site. An antibody against TSP‐1 restricted the proliferation of E2‐dependent MCF‐7 cells in vitro and in vivo. A panel of breast cancer cells proliferated in the presence of low concentrations of exogenous TSP‐1, whereas higher concentrations inhibited proliferation. A real‐time PCR analysis showed that E2 also induced TSP‐1 mRNA in the normal mammary glands of immature ovariectomized mice in an ER‐dependent manner. In summary, we report the novel observation that TSP‐1 production is directly controlled by estrogens in ER‐positive breast cancer cells, and the released protein has pro‐growth regulatory functions. Consequently, we propose that TSP‐1 could be a therapeutic target for anti‐tumor therapy in early‐stage tumors. © 2009 UICC
Aggregation in the Tick Ixodes ricinus (Acari: Ixodidae): Use and Reuse of Questing Vantage Points

Abstract Ongoing work in oak woods in Killarney National Park in southwestern Ireland is focusing on the factors influencing the fine-scale aggregated distribution of Ixodes ricinus L. (Acari: Ixodidae) on the ground. The extent of reuse of stems of vegetation as questing points by adult ticks was determined by paint-marking stems on which ticks were found, counting and removing these ticks, and subsequently reexamining the same stems for ticks on two further occasions. Overall, an estimated 2,967 stems in 123 separate rush plants (Juncus effusus L.) were examined. Statistical analysis of the data demonstrated a highly significant reoccupancy by ticks of stems previously and recently used. Furthermore, it is shown that the extent of stem reuse by ticks is significantly and positively correlated with the numbers of ticks originally observed on those stems. Although other factors may be involved in generating clumping of ticks, the results are compatible with the proposition that aggregation of I. ricinus on the ground is pheromone-mediated. The findings are discussed in relation to what is known about the powers of lateral movement of I. ricinus on the ground and the possible implications for the performance of tick traps.
Prevalence of cigarette smoking and its predictors among school going adolescents of North India

Abstract Background: Cigarettes smoking is a common mode of consuming tobacco in India. This habit usually starts in adolescence and tracks across the life course. Interventions like building decision making skills and resisting negative influences are effective in reducing the initiation and level of tobacco use. Aims and Objectives: The purpose of this study was to assess the prevalence of adolescent current cigarette smoking behavior and to investigate the individual and social factors, which influence them both to and not to smoke. Methodology: A cross-sectional study was carried out among school going adolescents in Shimla town of North India. After obtaining their written informed consent, a questionnaire was administered. Results: The overall prevalence of current cigarette smoking was 11.8%. The binary logistic regression model revealed that parents′ and peers′ smoking behavior influence adolescent smoking behavior. Individual self-harm tendency also significantly predicted cigarette smoking behavior. Parental active participation in keeping a track of their children′s free time activities predicted to protect adolescents from taking this habit. Conclusion: Our research lends support to the need for intervention on restricting adolescents from taking up this habit and becoming another tobacco industries′ addicted customer. Parents who smoke should quit this habit, which will not only restore their own health, but also protect their children. All parents should be counseled to carefully observe their children′s free time activities.
Role of common genetic variants in ovarian cancer susceptibility and outcome: progress to date from the ovarian cancer association consortium (OCAC)

Abstract. Bolton KL, Ganda C, Berchuck A, Pharaoh PDP, Gayther SA (National Cancer Institute, Rockville, MD, USA; EGA Institute for Women’s Health, University College London, London, UK; Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA; University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK; and University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA). Role of common genetic variants in ovarian cancer susceptibility and outcome: progress to date from the ovarian cancer association consortium (OCAC) (Review). J Intern Med 2012; 271: 366–378.
Price Discovery Contribution of Proprietary and Agency Algorithmic Traders

We investigate the relative roles of limit orders from proprietary algorithmic traders (PAT) and agency algorithmic traders (AAT) in the discovery of security prices in National Stock Exchange (NSE) of India. Our results suggest that AAT contributes more to price discovery compared to PAT. This challenges the modern notion that “speed is information,” since PAT includes the high-frequency traders (HFT). As AAT are primarily hired by institutional investors to execute their orders, our result shows that stock specific information is still in the hands of those traders who were traditionally viewed as informed. We also find no evidence to support the popular notion that fast traders use limit orders to “mislead” market participants about future price movements.
Mark–release–recapture experiments with Anopheles gambiae s.l. in Banambani Village, Mali, to determine population size and structure

Mark–release–recapture experiments with Anopheles gambiae s.l. were performed during the wet seasons of 1993 and 1994 in Banambani, Mali. All recaptured mosquitoes were identified to species by PCR analysis and, when possible, by chromosomal analysis to chromosomal form. Two species of the An. gambiae complex were present: An. gambiae s.s. and An. arabiensis; their ratio differed greatly from one year to the next. Three chromosomal forms of An. gambiae s.s. were found – Bamako, Savanna and Mopti. The drier 1993 was characterized by a high frequency of An. arabiensis and of the Mopti chromosomal forms of An. gambiae s.s. These trends were consistent with large‐scale geographical patterns of abundance along a precipitation gradient. We observed no difference in dispersal between the two species, nor among the chromosomal forms of An. gambiae s.s. Therefore, in this situation at least, it is reasonable to group such data on the An. gambiae complex as a whole for analysis. Population size of An. gambiae s.l. females in the village was estimated to be 9000–11 000 in 1993 and 28 000 in 1994. The corresponding numbers were somewhat higher when independently‐derived values of daily survival were used. These were consistent with estimates of effective population size obtained from patterns of gene frequency change.
Gene changes in Duchenne muscular dystrophy: comparison of multiplex PCR and multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification techniques.

BACKGROUND Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is a common X-linked recessive neuromuscular disorder, affecting 1 in 3,500 live male births. About 65% of cases are caused by deletions; ~5% to 8%, by duplication; and the remaining, by point mutations of the dystrophin gene. The frequency of complex rearrangements (double-deletion and non-contiguous duplications) is reported to be 4%. AIM In this study, we examined the usefulness of multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification (MLPA) for screening of deletion and duplication mutations in a group of DMD/ BMD (Becker muscular dystrophy) patients from India. PATIENTS AND METHODS We analyzed 180 patients referred from all over India, by both multiplex PCR technique (22 exons) and MLPA (all 79 exons). RESULTS AND CONCLUSION By multiplex PCR, deletions were detected in 90 (50%) patients. MLPA studies in these cases detected 3 additional deletions, 16 (8.9%) duplications and 2 point mutations. MLPA is useful to verify absence of deletions/ duplications in all 79 exons. This sets the stage to look for point mutations using RNA- or DNA-based tests because of the availability of the drug PTC124. Also, the extent of the deletions and duplications could be more accurately defined by MLPA. The delineation of the precise extent of deletion helps in deciding whether exon-skipping technique would be useful as therapy.
Why one size fits all approach to transition in Disability Employment Services hinders employability of young people with physical and neurological disabilities in Australia

The education-to-work pathways for young people with disabilities are becoming more diverse and lengthier in our post-industrial economy. Furthermore, it is recognized that a multitude of barriers still remain in securing employment at the end of these pathways. In this paper, we focus on Australia’s Disability Employment Services (DES) to understand how views of transition in DES policy may be influencing program rules in supporting secondary and tertiary students with physical and/or neurological disabilities in their employability and employment. We do this through critical policy analysis of DES and in-depth Interpretive accounts from service providers and advocacy organizations.
A comprehensive and critical review of dental implant prognosis in periodontally compromised partially edentulous patients.

OBJECTIVES The outcome of implant treatment in periodontally compromised partially edentulous patients has not been completely clarified. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to perform, applying a systematic methodology, a comprehensive and critical review of the prospective studies published in English up to and including August 2006, regarding the short-term (<5 years) and long-term (>or=5 years) prognosis of osseointegrated implants placed in periodontally compromised partially edentulous patients. MATERIAL AND METHODS Using The National Library Of Medicine and Cochrane Oral Health Group databases, a literature search for articles published up to and including August 2006 was performed. At the first phase of selection the titles and abstracts and at the second phase full papers were screened independently and in duplicate by the three reviewers (I. K. K., S. K., I. F.). RESULTS The search provided 2987 potentially relevant titles and abstracts. At the first phase of evaluation, 2956 publications were rejected based on title and abstract. At the second phase, the full text of the remaining 31 publications was retrieved for more detailed evaluation. Finally, 15 prospective studies were selected, including seven short-term and eight long-term studies. Because of considerable discrepancies among these studies, meta-analysis was not performed. CONCLUSIONS No statistically significant differences in both short-term and long-term implant survival exist between patients with a history of chronic periodontitis and periodontally healthy individuals. Patients with a history of chronic periodontitis may exhibit significantly greater long-term probing pocket depth, peri-implant marginal bone loss and incidence of peri-implantitis compared with periodontally healthy subjects. Even though the short-term implant prognosis for patients treated for aggressive periodontitis is acceptable, on a long-term basis the matter is open to question. Alterations in clinical parameters around implants and teeth in aggressive periodontitis patients may not follow the same pattern, in contrast to what has been reported for chronic periodontitis patients. However, as only three studies comprising patients treated for aggressive periodontitis were selected, more studies, specially designed, are required to evaluate implant prognosis in this subtype of periodontitis. As the selected publications exhibited considerable discrepancies, more studies, uniformly designed, preferably longitudinal, prospective and controlled, would be important.
Parametric Short-Circuit Force Analysis of Three-Phase Busbars: A Fully Automated Finite Element Approach

A three-phase busbar arrangement with straight rigid conductors carrying short-circuit currents is investigated. Calculations are made assuming steady-state ac current with a peak value equal to the peak value of the short-circuit current. The electromagnetic forces are calculated by solving the electromagnetic field diffusion equation numerically, using finite elements. The results are compared with results calculated according to IEC Standard 865/93. A large number of arrangements have been examined, covering a wide variety of cases, as used in ac indoor installations of medium and low voltage. For this purpose, the finite element procedure has been fully automated to a degree of minimal human intervention. A Let-It-Grow artificial neural network has been utilized for the automatic mesh generation. The forces calculated were in all cases in excellent agreement with IEC Standard 865/93.