Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
T cell receptor‐dependent activation of human lymphocytes through cell surface ganglioside GT1b: implications for innate immunity

Gangliosides form a component of the glycosphingolipid‐rich membrane microdomains recently shown to play an important role in receptor signal transduction. Specific gangliosides also serve as receptors for binding and internalization of bacterial toxins. In the course of characterizing the basis of the native tetanus toxin (TTx) reactivity of a human γ δ T cell clone, we observed that transfer of the TCR was required to impart TTx reactivity on a TCR‐negative recipient T cell. However, the reconstitution of toxin reactivity could be achieved regardless of the antigen specificity of the TCR chains. Further analysis showed that the T cell recognition of native TTx was dependent on the presence of its ganglioside receptor, GT1b, on the T cell surface. Incorporation of exogenous GT1b into plasma membrane conferred TTx reactivity on otherwise non‐reactive T cells provided these cells expressed the TCR. Finally, reconstitution of TCR‐negative Jurkat T cells with a CD8‐CD3ζ chain chimera demonstrated that the cytoplasmic region of the CD3ζ chain was sufficient to couple ganglioside‐mediated TTx binding to T cell activation. These data reveal a novel mode of TCR‐dependent reactivity to a bacterial toxin that could mobilize a large subset of T cells, thus representing a form of innate immunity. Given the possibility that endogenous ligands may bind to cell surface gangliosides, regulation of their levels and topology on the cell surface may constitute an immunoregulatory mechanism.
The Nature of Volatility Spillovers across the International Capital Markets

This paper studies the nature of volatility spillovers across countries from the perspective of network theory and by relying on data of US-listed ETFs. I use a Lasso-related technique to estimate the International Volatility Network (IVN) where the nodes correspond to large-cap international stock markets while the links account for significant volatility lead-lags. Also included in the analysis is the International Trade Network (ITN), whose links measure bilateral export-import flows thus, capturing fundamental interconnections between countries. I find that the IVN and the ITN resemble each other closely pointing out that volatility does not disseminate randomly but tends to spread across fundamentally related economies. I also note that the amount of lagged volatility reactions in the IVN is consistent with the notion of gradual diffusion of information across investors who are subject to limited attention and home bias. I formally test this hypothesis by using as a direct proxy of investors’ attention the aggregate search frequency in Google. The empirical results support this intuition indicating that higher volatility surprises in key foreign markets predict higher domestic attention upon those markets in subsequent days. Once domestic attention is captured by such external shocks, it is contemporaneously transformed into higher domestic volatility.
Un-diversifying during crises: Is it a good idea?

High levels of correlation among financial assets and extreme losses are typical during crises. In such situations, investing in few assets might be a better choice than holding diversified portfolios. We show that constraining the sparse $$\ell _q$$ℓq-norm of portfolio weights automatically controls diversification and selects portfolios with a small number of active weights and low risk, in presence of high correlation and volatility. We highlight the diversification relationships between the minimum variance portfolio, risk budgeting strategies and diversification-constrained portfolios. Finally, we show empirically that the $$\ell _q$$ℓq-strategy can successfully cope with bear markets by shrinking portfolio weights and total amount of shorting.
Larval Release Rhythm of the Mole Crab Emerita talpoida (Say)

Ovigerous mole crabs Emerita talpoida (Say) were monitored in the laboratory to determine if the time of larval release is synchronous and under endogenous control. To determine the time of larval release, ovigerous females were placed under a 14:10 light/dark cycle simulating the ambient photoperiod. Hatching was rhythmic, occurring as a quick burst lasting about 5–15 min shortly after the onset of darkness. An individual mole crab will release batches of larvae for up to three successive nights, suggesting that the rhythm is under endogenous control. Mole crabs monitored under constant low-level red light displayed the same release pattern with hatching occurring near the time of expected sunset, indicating the presence of a circadian rhythm in larval release. To investigate whether the female or the embryos control hatching, a portion of the egg mass (50–100 embryos) was separated from the female. The time of hatching of the detached embryos subjected to either a still or shaken treatment was compared with the hatching time of embryos still attached to the female. Detached eggs in both treatments hatched within 1.5–2 h of the time of the female-attached eggs, which suggests that embryos control the timing of hatching.
The role of parliamentary committee chairs in coalition governments: office and policy theses reconsidered

ABSTRACT Though it is not disputed that the chairs of parliamentary committees in many European countries have substantial power and influence over the work of the legislature, they have been unduly neglected by existing research. Current scholarship on committee chair allocation between the party groups and the roles they perform in coalition cabinets is not sufficient and offers competing explanations which are backed by incomplete evidence. This article aims to provide a step towards a more comprehensive understanding of committee chair allocation and the roles they perform in coalition cabinets. Analysing the data from the Baltic states it explores the influence of two factors parliamentary party group size and its ideological position. It demonstrates that both factors play an important role in committee chair allocation process. It also shows that the size of a party group influences committee chair roles: committee chairs from bigger parties are more likely to be matched up with a minister from a same party, while committee chairs from the junior coalition partners are more likely to be used for oversight.
Effects of Tranexamic Acid on Blood Loss during Total Hip Arthroplasty

Purpose. To assess the effects of tranexamic acid (TA) in patients undergoing total hip arthroplasty (THA) for osteoarthritis. Methods. 42 patients underwent primary THA for osteoarthritis by a single surgeon. 10 men and 11 women who did not receive TA were controls, whereas 9 men and 12 women who received TA constituted the treatment group. Both groups were matched for age, gender, body mass index, and American Society of Anesthesiologists grading. The type of prosthesis used (cemented or uncemented) was based on the surgeon's preference and patient age, activity level and demands. No hybrid prosthesis was used. 10 minutes prior to incision, a single dose of intravenous TA (10 mg per kg body weight) was given to patients in the treatment group. Comparison was made between both groups with regard to intra-operative blood loss, postoperative reduction in haemoglobin and haematocrit levels, blood transfusion, incidence of deep vein thrombosis, and the length of hospital stay. Results. The mean intra-operative blood loss (489±281 vs. 339±184 ml, p=0.048) and the decrease in haemoglobin level (38±12 vs. 29±10 g/l, p=0.014) were significantly higher in the control than the treatment group. Two patients among the controls received a transfusion, compared to none in the TA group (p=0.49, Fisher's exact test). The 2 patients who needed blood transfusion had blood losses of 600 and 690 ml, compared to a mean of 489 ml in the whole group. No patient in either group developed deep vein thrombosis or pulmonary embolism up to 3 months. Conclusion. A single dose of intravenous TA (10 mg per kg body weight) given 10 minutes prior to THA is a cost-effective and safe means of minimising blood loss and reduction in haemoglobin concentrations as well as the need for allogenic blood transfusion, without increasing the risk of thromboembolic events.
Fungal meningitis.

Fungal meningitis tends to be a subacute or chronic process; however, it may be just as lethal as bacterial meningitis if untreated. There are many similarities between the pathogenic fungi. Most of the fungi are aerosolized and inhaled, and initiate a primary pulmonary infection which is usually self-limited. Hematogenous dissemination may follow the initial infection, with subsequent involvement of the CNS. Rarely, trauma or local extension provides the route to CNS infection. The host is frequently, although not always, immunosuppressed. The hyphae of molds generally cause focal disease with hemorrhagic necrosis secondary to vascular thrombosis. The yeasts tend to cause a more diffuse process with the base of the brain being primarily affected, such that hydrocephalus is seen as a frequent complication of chronic disease. Diagnosis may be difficult, as the CSF may be normal, with negative smears and sterile cultures, although more often there is at least one abnormality indicating disease. Serologies (if available, depending on the fungus) may point towards the proper diagnosis, as may a careful travel history. Currently, amphotericin B is still the drug of choice in most situations; however, the newer azole antifungal agents offer great promise, especially in the treatment of cryptococcal meningitis. The precise role of such agents will remain unclear until appropriate large-scale studies of their effectiveness have been completed. The treatment of the unusual CNS mycoses will continue to be based on clinical experience, and reports of the use of new azoles in these diseases need to be critically evaluated.
Suppression of allogeneic T-cell proliferation by human marrow stromal cells: implications in transplantation

Background. Marrow stromal cells (MSC) can differentiate into multiple mesenchymal tissues. To assess the feasibility of human MSC transplantation, we evaluated the in vitro immunogenicity of MSC and their ability to function as alloantigen presenting cells (APC). Methods. Human MSC were derived and used in mixed cell cultures with allogeneic peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC). Expression of immunoregulatory molecules on MSC was analyzed by flow cytometry. An MSC-associated suppressive activity was analyzed using cell-proliferation assays and enzyme-linked immunoassays. Results. MSC failed to elicit a proliferative response when cocultured with allogeneic PBMC, despite provision of a costimulatory signal delivered by an anti-CD28 antibody and pretreatment of MSC with &ggr;-interferon. MSC express major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I and lymphocyte function-associated antigen (LFA)-3 antigens constitutively and MHC class II and intercellular adhesion molecule (ICAM)-1 antigens upon &ggr;-interferon treatment but do not express CD80, CD86, or CD40 costimulatory molecules. MSC actively suppressed proliferation of responder PBMC stimulated by third-party allogeneic PBMC as well as T cells stimulated by anti-CD3 and anti-CD28 antibodies. Separation of MSC and PBMC by a semipermeable membrane did not abrogate the suppression. The suppressive activity could not be accounted for by MSC production of interleukin-10, transforming growth factor-&bgr;1, or prostaglandin E2, nor by tryptophan depletion of the culture medium. Conclusions. Human MSC fail to stimulate allogeneic PBMC or T-cell proliferation in mixed cell cultures. Unlike other nonprofessional APC, this failure of function is not reversed by provision of CD28-mediated costimulation nor &ggr;-interferon pretreatment. Rather, MSC actively inhibit T-cell proliferation, suggesting that allogeneic MSC transplantation might be accomplished without the need for significant host immunosuppression.
Body and Blubber Relationships in Antarctic Pack Ice Seals: Implications for Blubber Depth Patterns

Morphometrics and blubber depths from all four high Antarctic seals (Weddell, Ross, crabeater, and leopard) were obtained during a midsummer research cruise in the Ross Sea as the physiological ecology component of the U.S. Antarctic Pack Ice Seals project. These data are the only in vivo measurements of all four species from the same location and time of year and focused on variances in morphometrics and blubber depth related to species, sex, and age. By controlling for location and season, this cross‐species design provided the means to differentiate how blubber mass might be influenced in these groups. We measured both absolute blubber depth and ratio of blubber depth to body core diameter. We found that adult and younger animals showed differences in blubber depth, but male versus female seals did not show differences within any given species. However, when compared across species, the ratio of blubber ring depth to body core diameter suggests that adult Weddell seals differ in their use of blubber compared with the other three species. We propose that this difference in blubber pattern is most likely related to Weddell nutritional requirements during the breeding season having a greater influence on blubber depth than thermal requirements when compared with the other three species.
In vivo regulation of the beta-myosin heavy chain gene in hypertensive rodent heart.

The main goal of this study was to examine the transcriptional activity of different-length beta-myosin heavy chain (beta-MHC) promoters in the hypertensive rodent heart using the direct gene transfer approach. A hypertensive state was induced by abdominal aortic constriction (AbCon) sufficient to elevate mean arterial pressure by approximately 45% relative to control. Results show that beta-MHC promoter activity of all tested wild-type constructs, i.e., -3500, -408, -299, -215, -171, and -71 bp, was significantly increased in AbCon hearts. In the normal control hearts, expression of the -71-bp construct was comparable to that of the promoterless vector, but its induction by AbCon was comparable to that of the other constructs. Additional results, based on mutation analysis and DNA gel mobility shift assays targeting betae1, betae2, GATA, and betae3 elements, show that these previously defined cis-elements in the proximal promoter are indeed involved in maintaining basal promoter activity; however, none of these elements, either individually or collectively, appear to be major players in mediating the hypertension response of the beta-MHC gene. Collectively, these results indicate that three separate regions on the beta-MHC promoter are involved in the induction of the gene in response to hypertension: 1) a distal region between -408 and -3500 bp, 2) a proximal region between -299 and -215 bp, and 3) a basal region within -71 bp of the transcription start site. Future research needs to further characterize these responsive regions to more fully delineate beta-MHC transcriptional regulation in response to pressure overload.
Alterations of gray and white matter morphology in obsessive compulsive disorder.

BACKGROUND While the ethio-pathogenesis of Obsessive-Compulsive disorder (OCD) remains unknown, there is increased evidence of widespread structural alterations in both white and gray matter in OCD patients that include, but are not restricted, to abnormalities in cortico-striatal-thalamo-cortical (CSTC) regions. The objective of this study was to test the existence of structural alterations in both white and gray matter in a sample of OCD patients when compared with a group of non-clinical matched controls (NCC), using voxel-based morphometry (VBM). METHOD Fifteen patients with OCD and 15 NCC underwent MRI structural scanning. RESULTS Frontal (increased gray matter in the middle frontal gyrus) and subcortical regions (increased white matter in the pallidum) were found to be affected in patients. Additionally, temporal-parietal regions were also found to be affected and highly correlated with OCD symptom severity (decrease of gray matter in the superior parietal lobe and white matter in the angular and superior temporal gyri). CONCLUSIONS These alterations may be associated with prominent OCD symptoms, such as difficulties with inhibitory control (pallidum, angular gyrus), executive functioning (middle frontal gyris), compulsive checking (superior temporal gyrus) and visual-spatial deficits (superior parietal lobe).
Outcomes of Cataract Surgery in Children with Down Syndrome

243 Dear Editor, Down syndrome is the most common chromosomal abnormality, occurring in up to 1/1000 live births. [1] These patients have a higher incidence of childhood cataract than general population. [2] While early studies have found unfavorable responses to cataract surgery,[3] recent literature has described successful outcomes. [4] Data regarding the long‐term outcomes in pediatric cataract surgery in Down syndrome is limited,[4,5] and our study, therefore, looks at the outcomes in these patients. Our study included 13 pat ients (19 eyes; 8 male/5 female subjects). Average age at diagnosis was 19.5 ± 49.7 months (range, 0.067 to 181 months); average age at surgery was 28.6 ± 54.7 months (range, 0.5 to 181 months). Average follow‐up duration was 60.5 ± 25.2 months (range, 19 to 108 months). Four patients were Caucasian and 9 Hispanic. Fifteen of 19 eyes were left aphakic (average age at surgery, 13.9 ± 11.2 months), with secondary intraocular lenses (IOLs) placed in four patients later. Four patients underwent cataract extraction with posterior‐chamber IOLs (three with primary posterior capsulotomy and one without) at an average age of 59.0 ± 81.1 months. No surgical complications occurred. Preoperative visual acuity was evaluated using fix‐and‐follow techniques in 12/13 (92.3%) patients. At the last follow‐up, 3/13 (23.1%) were able to undergo visual acuity assessment; the remaining 10/13 were assessed with fix‐and‐follow techniques. Complications included visually significant visual axis opacification in one eye (5.3%) at 57 months postoperatively, and glaucoma in two eyes (10.5%), Outcomes of Cataract Surgery in Children with Down Syndrome
Repeated Episodes of Endosulfan Poisoning

Introduction: a number of families in a rural area of Jabalpur District (Madhya Pradesh), India, were affected by repeated episodes of convulsive illness over a period of three weeks. The aim of this investigation was to determine the cause of the illness. Methods: the investigation included a house‐to‐house survey, interviews of affected families, discussions with treating physicians, and examination of hospital records. Endosulfan poisoning was suspected as many villagers were using empty pesticide containers for food storage. To confirm this, our team collected blood and food samples, which were transported to the laboratory and analyzed with GC‐ECD. Results: thirty‐six persons of all age groups had illness of varying severity over a period of three weeks. In the first week, due to superstitions and lack of treatment, three children died. In the second week, symptomatic treatment of affected persons in a district hospital led to recovery but recurrence of convulsive episodes occurred after the return home. In the third week, 10 people were again hospitalized in a teaching hospital. Investigations carried out in this hospital ruled out infective etiology but no facilities were available for chemical analysis. All persons responded to symptomatic treatment. The blood and food samples analyzed by our team showed presence of endosulfan, which was confirmed by GCMS. One of the food items (Laddu) prepared from wheat flour was found to contain 676 ppm of α‐endosulfan. Conclusions: Contamination of wheat grains or flour with endosulfan and its consumption over a period of time was the most likely cause of repeated episodes of convulsions, but the exact reason for this contamination could not be determined. This report highlights the unsafe disposal of pesticide containers by illiterate farm workers, superstitions leading to delay in treatment, and susceptibility of children to endosulfan.
From Isolation to Communication: A Case Study Evaluation of Robot Assisted Play for Children with Autism with a Minimally Expressive Humanoid Robot

The general context of the work presented in this paper is assistive robotics with our long-term aim to support children with autism. This paper is part of the Aurora project that studies ways in which robotic systems can encourage basic communication and social interaction skills in children with autism. This paper investigates how a small minimally expressive humanoid robot KASPAR can assume the role of a social mediator - encouraging children with low functioning autism to interact with the robot, to break their isolation and importantly, to facilitate interaction with other people. The article provides a case study evaluation of segments of trials where three children with autism, who usually do not interact with other people in their day to day activity, interacted with the robot and with co-present adults. A preliminary observational analysis was undertaken which applied, in abbreviated form, certain principles from conversation analysis - notably attention to the context in which the target behaviour occurred. The analysis was conducted by a social psychologist with expertise in using conversation analysis to understand interactions involving persons with an ASD. The analysis emphasises aspects of embodiment and interaction kinesics and revealed unexpected competencies on the part of the children. It showed how the robot served as a salient object mediating and encouraging interaction between the children and co-present adults.
A Recombinant Newcastle Disease Virus with Low-Level V Protein Expression Is Immunogenic and Lacks Pathogenicity for Chicken Embryos

ABSTRACT Newcastle disease virus (NDV) edits its P-gene mRNA by inserting a nontemplated G residue(s) at a conserved editing site (3′-UUUUUCCC-template strand). In the wild-type virus, three amino-coterminal P-gene-derived proteins, P, V, and W, are produced at frequencies of approximately 68, 29, and 2%, respectively. By applying the reverse genetics technique, editing-defective mutants were generated in cell culture. Compared to the wild-type virus, mutants lacking either six nucleotides of the conserved editing site or the unique C-terminal part of the V protein produced as much as 5,000-fold fewer infectious progeny in vitro or 200,000-fold fewer in 6-day-old embryonated chicken eggs. In addition, both mutants were unable to propagate in 9- to 11-day-old embryonated specific-pathogen-free (SPF) chicken eggs. In contrast, a mutant (NDV-P1) with one nucleotide substitution (UUCUUCCC) grew in eggs, albeit with a 100-fold-lower infectious titer than the parent virus. The modification in the first two mutants described above led to complete abolition of V expression, whereas in NDV-P1 the editing frequency was reduced to less than 2%, and as a result, V was expressed at a 20-fold-lower level. NDV-P1 showed markedly attenuated pathogenicity for SPF chicken embryos, unlike currently available ND vaccine strains. These findings indicate that the V protein of NDV has a dual function, playing a direct role in virus replication as well as serving as a virulence factor. Administration of NDV-P1 to 18-day-old embryonated chicken eggs hardly affected hatchability. Hatched chickens developed high levels of NDV-specific antibodies and were fully protected against lethal challenge, demonstrating the potential use of editing-defective recombinant NDV as a safe embryo vaccine.