Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Infection of wild and laboratory animals with Machupo and Latino viruses.

Natural infection with Machupo and Latino viruses occurs only in the cricetine rodent Calomys callosus. Machupo virus induces fatal infection in suckling mice and hamsters, and in adult guinea-pigs, marmosets, and rhesus monkeys. Latino virus kills only suckling hamsters; it produces chronic but non-viraemic infection in Calomys rodents.Machupo virus, in contrast, induces a viraemic immunotolerant infection in suckling Calomys, and a split response in animals more than 9 days of age. Tolerant infection is associated with haemolytic anaemia and splenomegaly, lesions not observed in animals able to clear viraemia and produce circulating neutralizing antibodies. Experimental increase in the fraction of tolerant response was obtained by decreasing the virus dose or by phenotypic inbreeding of rodents. Long-term effects of tolerant infection included mild runting, decreased survival time, and almost total sterility among females, largely caused by fatal virus infection of embryos.
Testing the current account sustainability of BRICS countries: Evidence from a nonlinear framework

This study investigates the current account sustainability hypothesis for Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa (BRICS). For this purpose, a linear and a variety of nonlinear unit root tests have been applied to the current account to GDP ratios of the aforementioned countries. The study empirically shows that the current account sustainability for BRICS cannot be provided without taking into consideration the time dependent nonlinearity (i.e. structural break(s)). Besides, the current account sustainability of India and Russia can be provided by using state dependent nonlinearity and time and state dependent nonlinearity simultaneously, respectively. Furthermore, by using one of the newly developed time dependent nonlinear unit root tests, we find evidence of the fast adjustment to the equilibrium of China's relevant data. That could be an indicator of the strength of the Chinese economy. Thus, it can be concluded that neglecting the nonlinearities in the relevant data testing process leads to misleading results in the testing process of the current account sustainability hypothesis.
Theory of planned behaviour cognitions do not predict self-reported or objective physical activity levels or change in the ProActive trial.

OBJECTIVE The objective was to test, in a trial cohort of sedentary adults at risk of Type 2 diabetes, whether theory of planned behaviour (TPB) cognitions about becoming more physically active predicted objective and self-reported activity levels and change. DESIGN Participants of a randomized controlled trial underwent measurement at baseline, 6 and 12 months. METHODS Participants (N= 365, 30-50 years) were recruited via their parent or family history registers at 20 general practices in the UK. Energy expenditure was measured objectively at baseline and 1 year. Participants completed questionnaires assessing physical activity and beliefs about becoming more physically active over the next year at baseline, 6 and 12 months. RESULTS Between baseline and 12 months, objective energy expenditure in the cohort increased by an average of 20 minutes of brisk walking per day. Based on the 252 participants who provided complete data, affective attitude and perceived behavioural control consistently predicted intention, but intention and perceived behavioural control failed to predict physical activity levels or change (p-values > .05). CONCLUSIONS Failure of the theory to predict behaviour and behaviour change may be due to inapplicability of the theory to this at-risk population or to trial participation and intensive measurement facilitating behaviour change without affecting measured cognitions, or lack of correspondence between cognitive and behavioural measures. A wide range of potential personal and environmental mediators should be considered when designing physical activity interventions among at-risk groups. High-quality experimental tests of the theory are needed in clinical populations.
Discoidin domain receptor 1 is a novel transcriptional target of ZEB1 in breast epithelial cells undergoing H‐Ras‐induced epithelial to mesenchymal transition

The epithelial‐to‐mesenchymal transition (EMT) process allows carcinoma cells to dissociate from the primary tumor thereby facilitating tumor cell invasion and metastasis. Ras‐dependent hyperactive signaling is commonly associated with tumorigenesis, invasion, EMT, and metastasis. However, the downstream effectors by which Ras regulates EMT remain ill defined. In this study, we show that the H‐Ras pathway leads to mesenchymal‐like phenotypic changes in human breast epithelial cells by controlling the ZEB1/microRNA−200c axis. Moreover, H‐Ras suppresses the expression of the discoidin domain receptor 1 (DDR1), a collagen receptor tyrosine kinase, via ZEB1, thus identifying ZEB1 as a novel transcriptional repressor of DDR1. Mutation studies on the putative promoter of the DDR1 gene revealed that bipartite Z‐ and E‐box elements play a key role in transcriptional repression of DDR1 in Hs578T and MDA‐MB‐231 breast carcinoma cell lines by ZEB1. Furthermore, we found an inverse correlation between ZEB1 and DDR1 expression in various cancer cell lines and in human breast carcinoma tissues. Consistently, overexpression of DDR1 reduced the invasive phenotype of mesenchymal‐like triple‐negative breast cancer cells in 3D cultures and in vivo. Thus, ZEB1's role in maintenance of EMT in breast carcinoma cells is mediated in part by its ability to suppress DDR1 expression and consequently contribute to the activation of the invasive phenotype. Taken together, our results unveil a novel H‐Ras/ZEB1/DDR1 network that contributes to breast cancer progression in triple‐negative breast cancers.
Failure of Perivascular Drainage of β‐amyloid in Cerebral Amyloid Angiopathy

In Alzheimer's disease, amyloid‐β (Aβ) accumulates as insoluble plaques in the brain and deposits in blood vessel walls as cerebral amyloid angiopathy (CAA). The severity of CAA correlates with the degree of cognitive decline in dementia. The distribution of Aβ in the walls of capillaries and arteries in CAA suggests that Aβ is deposited in the perivascular pathways by which interstitial fluid drains from the brain. Soluble Aβ from the extracellular spaces of gray matter enters the basement membranes of capillaries and drains along the arterial basement membranes that surround smooth muscle cells toward the leptomeningeal arteries. The motive force for perivascular drainage is derived from arterial pulsations combined with the valve effect of proteins present in the arterial basement membranes. Physical and biochemical changes associated with arteriosclerosis, aging and possession of apolipoprotein E4 genotype lead to a failure of perivascular drainage of soluble proteins, including Aβ. Perivascular cells associated with arteries and the lymphocytes recruited in the perivenous spaces contribute to the clearance of Aβ. The failure of perivascular clearance of Aβ may be a major factor in the accumulation of Aβ in CAA and may have significant implications for the design of therapeutics for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease.
Growth, body composition, and endocrine responses to chronic administration of insulin-like growth factor I and(or) porcine growth hormone in pigs.

The actions of IGF-I, alone and in combination with porcine growth hormone (pGH), on growth and circulating endocrines and metabolites important in growth were investigated in peripubertal-age Meishan barrows. Pigs were assigned to four treatments: control, buffer; IGF-I, 33 microg rhIGF-I/kg BW injected twice daily; pGH, 33 microg rpGH/kg BW injected once daily; and IGF-I+pGH, 33 microg rhIGF-I/kg BW injected twice daily plus 33 microg rpGH/kg BW injected once daily. Treatments were administered for 28 d. Feed intake, BW, and backfat were recorded and blood samples were collected weekly. At slaughter, organ and primal cut weights were recorded. Offal and half the carcass were ground for chemical analysis. Serum concentrations of IGF-I on d 7, 14, 21, and 28 in the IGF-I, pGH, and IGF-I+pGH groups were increased 60, 107, and 131%, respectively, compared with those of the control group. Administration of pGH increased gain 43%, feed efficiency 60%, carcass protein accretion 88%, and trimmed lean cuts 16%, whereas IGF-I administration increased gain 22%, carcass protein accretion 33%, and trimmed lean cuts 5%. There was little difference in responses to administration of IGF-I+pGH and pGH alone except that coadministration of IGF-I with pGH reduced the ability of pGH to suppress backfat gain (P < .02). Even though administration of IGF-I resulted in a 60% increase in chronic nadir serum concentrations of IGF-I, only a few growth and carcass measures were changed when compared with control pigs. These included increased (P < .05) weight of body, leaf fat, kidneys, and belly. The actions of pGH on growth of pigs were not mimicked, and some were countermanded by administration of IGF-I at a dose that produces significantly increased serum concentrations of IGF-I.
Indirect Modulation of the Intracellular c-Di-GMP Level in Shewanella oneidensis MR-1 by MxdA

ABSTRACT The GGDEF domain protein MxdA, which is important for biofilm formation in Shewanella oneidensis MR-1, was hypothesized to possess diguanylate cyclase activity. Here, we demonstrate that while MxdA controls the cellular level of c-di-GMP in S. oneidensis, it modulates the c-di-GMP pool indirectly.
Implications of Incomplete Markets for International Economies

We develop a restriction that precludes implausibly high reward-for-risk in incomplete international economies to consider a theoretical problem that characterizes a lower bound on the covariance between stochastic discount factors (SDFs) subject to correct pricing. The problem is analytically solvable and synthesizes domestic and foreign SDFs into spanned and unspanned components. Our novelty is that exchange rate growth need not equal the ratio of SDFs and that the SDF correlations are plausibly lowered. Exploiting the realities of cross-country correlations of macroeconomic quantities, namely, consumption, wealth, dividend growths, and asset returns, our empirical investigation refutes the specification of complete markets. Received September 19, 2016; editorial decision August 31, 2017 by Editor Andrew Karolyi. Authors have furnished an Internet Appendix, which is available on the Oxford University Press Web site next to the link to the final published paper online.
Ibuprofen Treatment for Closure of Patent Ductus Arteriosus Is Not Associated With Increased Risk of Neuropathology

Ibuprofen is an effective pharmacological intervention for closure of a patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) in preterm infants and is an alternative to surgical ligation; however, it is not certain whether ibuprofen treatment is associated with adverse effects on the brain. Therefore, this study examined neuropathological outcomes of ibuprofen therapy for a PDA. Fetal baboons were delivered at 125 d of gestation (dg; term ∼185 dg) by caesarean section, given surfactant, and ventilated for 14 d with positive pressure ventilation (PPV). Baboons were randomly allocated to receive either ibuprofen (PPV+ ibuprofen, n = 8) or no therapy (PPV, n = 5). Animals were killed on day 14 and brains assessed for cerebral growth, development, and neuropathology. Body and brain weights, the total volume of the brain, and the surface folding index (measure of brain growth) were not different (p > 0.05) between PPV+ ibuprofen-treated and PPV animals. There was no difference (p > 0.05) in the number of myelin basic protein-immunoreactive (IR) oligodendrocytes, glial fibrillary acid protein-IR astrocytes, or Iba1-IR macrophages/microglia in the forebrain. No overt cerebellar alterations were observed in either group. Ibuprofen treatment for PDA closure in the preterm baboon neonate is not associated with any increased risk of neuropathology or alterations to brain growth and development.
The conference on stability, economic coordination and governance: filling the gaps of parliamentary oversight in the EU

Abstract In the EU institutional architecture, parliamentary oversight of economic and fiscal policies is weakened by the existence of spheres of activity that tend to escape from the two ordinary channels of parliamentary representation. The consideration of existing gaps in the oversight circuit leads to investigate on the actual as well as the potential role of the Interparliamentary Conference on Stability, Economic Coordination and Governance (SECG). A representation of the actual pros and cons of this Conference is drawn by means of the SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats) analysis. On this basis, strategies suited to turn this Conference into a body instrumental to strengthened and effective parliamentary oversight are highlighted, considering interparliamentary cooperation not as an autonomous channel for representation, but as an instrumental dimension that could help the European Parliament and national parliaments to tighten their oversight capacity, in their respective domains.
S100A1 is released from ischemic cardiomyocytes and signals myocardial damage via Toll-like receptor 4

Members of the S100 protein family have been reported to function as endogenous danger signals (alarmins) playing an active role in tissue inflammation and repair when released from necrotic cells. Here, we investigated the role of S100A1, the S100 isoform with highest abundance in cardiomyocytes, when released from damaged cardiomyocytes during myocardial infarction (MI). Patients with acute MI showed significantly increased S100A1 serum levels. Experimental MI in mice induced comparable S100A1 release. S100A1 internalization was observed in cardiac fibroblasts (CFs) adjacent to damaged cardiomyocytes. In vitro analyses revealed exclusive S100A1 endocytosis by CFs, followed by Toll‐like receptor 4 (TLR4)‐dependent activation of MAP kinases and NF‐κB. CFs exposed to S100A1 assumed an immunomodulatory and anti‐fibrotic phenotype characterized i.e. by enhanced intercellular adhesion molecule‐1 (ICAM1) and decreased collagen levels. In mice, intracardiac S100A1 injection recapitulated these transcriptional changes. Moreover, antibody‐mediated neutralization of S100A1 enlarged infarct size and worsened left ventricular functional performance post‐MI. Our study demonstrates alarmin properties for S100A1 from necrotic cardiomyocytes. However, the potentially beneficial role of extracellular S100A1 in MI‐related inflammation and repair warrants further investigation.
A High-Fat Diet Causes Impairment in Hippocampal Memory and Sex-Dependent Alterations in Peripheral Metabolism

While high-fat diets are associated with rising incidence of obesity/type-2 diabetes and can induce metabolic and cognitive deficits, sex-dependent comparisons are rarely systematically made. Effects of exclusive consumption of a high-fat diet (HFD) on systemic metabolism and on behavioral measures of hippocampal-dependent memory were compared in young male and female LE rats. Littermates were fed from weaning either a HFD or a control diet (CD) for 12 wk prior to testing. Sex-different effects of the HFD were observed in classic metabolic signs associated with type-2 diabetes. Males fed the HFD became obese, and had elevated fasted blood glucose levels, elevated corticosterone, and impaired glucose-tolerance, while females on the HFD exhibited only elevated corticosterone. Regardless of peripheral metabolism alteration, rats of both sexes fed the HFD were equally impaired in a spatial object recognition memory task associated with impaired hippocampal function. While the metabolic changes reported here have been characterized previously in males, the set of diet-induced effects observed here in females are novel. Impaired memory can have significant cognitive consequences, over the short-term and over the lifespan. A significant need exists for comparative research into sex-dependent differences underlying obesity and metabolic syndromes relating systemic, cognitive, and neural plasticity mechanisms.
The Formation of Phosphatidylcholine Oxidation Products by Stimulated Phagocytes

Phagocytic cells produce a variety of oxidants as part of the immune defence, which react readily both with proteins and lipids, and could contribute to the oxidation of low density lipoprotein in atherosclerosis. We have investigated the oxidation of phospholipid vesicles by neutrophils and mononuclear cells, to provide a model of lipid oxidation in the absence of competing protein. Phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate-stimulated neutrophils were incubated with phospholipid vesicles containing dipalmitoyl phosphatidylcholine, palmitoyl-arachidonoyl phosphatidylcholine (PAPC) and stearoyl-oleoyl phosphatidylcholine, before extraction of the lipids for analysis by HPLC coupled to electrospray mass spectrometry. The formation of monohydroperoxides (814 m/z) and bishydroperoxides (846 m/z) of PAPC was observed. However, the major oxidized product occurred at 828 m/z, and was identified as 1-palmitoyl-2-(5,6-epoxyisoprostane E2)-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine. These products were also formed in incubations where the neutrophils were replaced by mononuclear cells, and the amounts produced per million cells were similar. These results show that following oxidative attack by phagocytes stimulated by PMA, intact phospholipid oxidation products can be detected. The identification of an epoxyisoprostane phospholipid as the major product of phagocyte-induced phospholipid oxidation is novel, and in view of its inflammatory properties has implications for phagocyte involvement in atherogenesis.
ANALYSIS OF BANKRUPTCY PREDICTION USING ALTMAN Z-SCORE,SPRINGATE SCORE, AND OHLSON O-SCORE ON LISTEDMANUFACTURING COMPANY AT IDX (2013-2015)

This research is aimed to examines the most accurate in predicts bankruptcy with matching process between result of bankruptcy prediction with audit opinion. Bankruptcy prediction models are Altman model, Springate model, and Ohlson model with 372 observations of manufacture companies listed in IDX from 2013- 2015. Based on data analysis, conclusion of this research is Springate bankruptcy prediction model is the most accurate model predicts bankruptcy between three models, which are Altman model, Springate model, and Ohlson model. Level of bankruptcy prediction accuracy of Springate model have significant difference compares to level of bankruptcy prediction accuracy of other two models. In addition, Springate model have the biggest number of accurate bankruptcy prediction and have the smallest number of inaccurate bankruptcy prediction between those three bankruptcy prediction models.
A Novel Method of Integrating Visible Light Communications within LED Drivers

Although visible light communication (VLC) systems hold great promise for ubiquitous connectivity, the efficient implementation of drivers which support illumination and communication functions is an open problem. In this paper, we present a novel approach to integrate VLC within light-emitting diode (LED) drivers by replacing the freewheeling diode with a light-emitting device termed a light- emitting freewheeling diode (LEFD). In this way, energy typically dissipated in the power converter can be used to provide illumination. Subtle changes to the control signal of the converter can be used to convey data from the LEFD while simultaneously supporting illumination functions. We consider a variety of modulation formats and provide simulation results quantifying performance. A prototype buck converter with LEFD is implemented and efficiency and efficacy are measured. It is demonstrated that the addition of an LEFD can improve the overall optical efficiency (i.e., efficacy) over conventional LED converter designs.
Electrotonic parameters of rat dentate granule cells measured using short current pulses and HRP staining.

The passive electrotonic parameters of nerve cells in the dentate gyrus of the rat were studied in vitro. Intracellular recordings from 30 granule cells and 3 pyramidal basket cells followed by intracellular injection of horseradish peroxidase (HRP), allowed calculations of input resistance (RN), membrane time constant (tau m), electrotonic length (L), ratio of dendritic to somatic conductance (rho), membrane specific capacitance and resistance (Rm, Cm), and specific axoplasmic resistance (Ri). The analysis of the voltage decays from long saturating (100 ms) and short (0.5 ms) current pulses showed that the short-pulse method gave better resolution for the measurement of the time constants and avoided some of the time-dependent nonlinearities but required larger currents than the long pulse. Morphological analysis of 49 branching points taken from the dendritic trees of granule cells showed that the branching power, n, is equal to 1.56 +/- 0.186 and was fairly constant throughout the tree. Given the fact that all dendrites have approximately the same length and number of branch points, the granule cell dendritic tree can be meaningfully collapsed into an equivalent cable. Moreover, electrophysiological data suggested that the cable had a "sealed" end or at least a high-impedance termination. Based on an equivalent cable model with a sealed end and a lumped soma impedance, a method was implemented to analyze the multiexponential decays from hyperpolarizing current pulses and to solve the equations of the model. This was done successfully in only 40% of the cells and yielded the following mean values for L = 1.13 and rho = 7.58. From the measurements of the soma surface area (S) and the equivalent cable diameter (D), the average specific membrane parameters were calculated: Rm = 2,726 alpha x cm2, Cm = 5.24 microF/cm2, Ri = 101 alpha x cm. The input resistance and time constant of the granule cells as measured from the short-pulse technique averaged to RN 58.57 M alpha and tau m = 16.21 ms. The failure of the model to fit 60% of the cells was interpreted to be due to the presence of a somatic shunt resulting from electrode injury, tonic synaptic activity, a lower somatic membrane specific resistance, or electronic coupling. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
Clinical features of endobronchial tuberculosis.

BACKGROUND/AIM Endobronchial tuberculosis (EBTB) is a specific type of pulmonary tuberculosis which often affect the tracheobronchial tree, and can be microbiologically and/or pathohistologically confirmed. The aim of the study was to determine the clinical features and diagnostic aspects of EBTB. METHODS This retrospective study was conducted at the Clinic for Lung Diseases, Clinical Center of Serbia, Belgrade, from January 1997 to December 2007. All patients with EBTB confirmed by bronchoscopy with biopsy during a study period were analysed. Data included the patient's medical history, a physical exam, chest X-ray, mycobacterial analysis of sputum samples, endoscopic types and patohistological confirmation. RESULTS In the study, 57.6% of the patients were males. The most frequent symptoms were cough (71.2%), malaise (54.20%), fever (49.2%), weight loss (40.7%), and hemoptysis (13.60%). Most of the patients were diagnosed within 30 days of symptoms onset. Sputum examination showed acid-fast bacilli in 31.4% of the patients, while sputum culture for tuberculosis bacilli were positive in 55.9% of the patients. The most common radiographic localization was in the upper lung lobes (63.5%). Cavities were present in 60.4% of the patients. The most common endoscopic subtype determined by bronchoscopy were nonspecific bronchitis (39.9%) and edematous-hyperemic subtype (36.4%). CONCLUSION EBTB was more frequent among men, and among people in their fifties in our country. Detailed bronchoscopic examination, correlated with clinical and laboratory findings, will improve diagnostic rate and provide timely therapy.