Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Assessing the degree of localness of food value chains

ABSTRACT Consumers’ interest in local food has recently increased, even if the distinction between local and global food still remains unclear. Aside from the concept of food-miles, no metrics exist to quantify the level of “localness” of a product. In this study, five criteria for making this distinction are derived from the literature: geographical distance, supply chain size, supply chain length, identity, and governance. Two case studies from the Swiss cheese sector are analyzed using these criteria in order to illustrate the application of the framework and to show the differences in their localness. On average, the local cheese obtains a degree of localness of 56% and the global one achieves 31%. There are small differences in “geographical distance” and “supply chain length”; but the distinction lies more in “supply chain size,” “identity,” and “governance. ” This study shows that these cheeses hide a local–global hybridity, by promoting local attributes and values while being embedded in international markets.
Risk classification of Medicare HMO enrollee cost levels using a decision-tree approach.

OBJECTIVE To determine whether classification tree techniques used on survey data collected at enrollment from older adults in a Medicare HMO could predict the likelihood of an individual being in a low, medium, high, or very high cost group in the subsequent year. METHODS Data from comprehensive health risk assessment (HRA) screening of 11 744 new enrollees (age > or = 65 years) continuously enrolled in a Medicare HMO for at least 24 months between 1997 and 2002 were combined with complete healthcare service utilization data for each enrollee in the postenrollment period to create cost groups. An original clinically devised algorithm and a Classification and Regression Tree (CART) that used the HRA data were compared with respect to their ability to correctly place an individual within the cost groups over 12 months of enrollment. RESULTS The variables that best classified enrollees into 12-month cost groups included quality of life, age, and preenrollment health services. Classification was best for CART: a sensitivity of 39.8% and a specificity of 83% was achieved for very high cost enrollees. Compared with the clinical algorithm, CART also utilized only one third as many predictor variables to define risk categories. CONCLUSION Brief self-report survey data collected at enrollment can be modeled to provide moderate sensitivity in predicting very high costs in the postenrollment year. The ease of applicability of software to create empirically derived profiles of high-cost enrollees precludes the need to rely on clinically devised algorithms to identify enrollees at risk for very high costs.
Fungal Metabolism of Toluene: Monitoring of Fluorinated Analogs by 19F Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy

ABSTRACT We used isomeric fluorotoluenes as model substrates to study the catabolism of toluene by five deuteromycete fungi and one ascomycete fungus capable of growth on toluene as the sole carbon and energy source, as well as by two fungi (Cunninghamella echinulata and Aspergillus niger) that cometabolize toluene. Whole cells were incubated with 2-, 3-, and 4-fluorotoluene, and metabolites were characterized by 19F nuclear magnetic resonance. Oxidation of fluorotoluene by C. echinulata was initiated either at the aromatic ring, resulting in fluorinated o-cresol, or at the methyl group to form fluorobenzoate. The initial conversion of the fluorotoluenes by toluene-grown fungi occurred only at the side chain and resulted in fluorinated benzoates. The latter compounds were the substrate for the ring hydroxylation and, depending on the fluorine position, were further metabolized up to catecholic intermediates. From the19F nuclear magnetic resonance metabolic profiles, we propose that diverse fungi that grow on toluene assimilate toluene by an initial oxidation of the methyl group.
Connective tissue growth factor (CTGF) transactivates nuclear factor of activated T‐cells (NFAT) in cells of the osteoblastic lineage

Connective tissue growth factor (CTGF), a member of the Cyr 61, CTGF, Nov (CCN) family of proteins, regulates multiple cellular functions. Overexpression of CTGF in vivo causes osteopenia, but in vitro CTGF can induce osteoblastogenesis. To investigate mechanisms involved in the effects of CTGF on osteoblastic cell differentiation, we examined whether CTGF modifies the activity of nuclear factor of activated T‐cells (NFATc) 1, a transcription factor that cooperates with osterix in the formation of new bone. CTGF increased the transactivation of a transiently transfected reporter construct, where 9 NFAT binding sites direct the expression of luciferase (9xNFAT‐Luc) and the activity of the Regulators of calcineurin 1 exon 4 (Rcan1.4) promoter, an NFAT target gene. We postulated that CTGF could modify the phosphorylation of NFAT by regulating glycogen synthase kinase 3β (GSK3β). CTGF increased the mRNA levels of Protein kinase cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP) dependent type II (Prkg2), the gene encoding for cGMP dependent protein kinase II (cGKII) which phosphorylates GSK3β. Accordingly, CTGF induced GSK3β phosphorylation and decreased the active pool of GSK3β, a kinase that phosphorylates NFAT and leads to its nuclear export. As a consequence, CTGF favored the nuclear localization of NFATc1. Downregulation of PRKG2 by RNA interference reversed the effect of CTGF on the transactivation of the 9xNFAT reporter construct and the Rcan 1.4 promoter, confirming the role of cGKII in the activation of NFAT by CTGF. In conclusion, CTGF enhances NFAT signaling through the induction of cGKII and the phosphorylation of GSK3β. J. Cell. Biochem. 110: 477–483, 2010. © 2010 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Safety and pharmacokinetics of 566C80, a hydroxynaphthoquinone with anti-Pneumocystis carinii activity: a phase I study in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected men.

A hydroxynaphthoquinone compound (566C80) has been shown to be effective in the prevention and treatment of murine Pneumocystis carinii pneumonitis. In a phase I study, five cohorts of four human immunodeficiency virus-infected men received 100, 250, 750, 1500, and 3000 mg of the compound orally once daily for 12 days. A sixth cohort received 750 mg three times daily for 5 days, then twice daily for 16 days. Evaluation included clinical, hematologic, and biochemical studies and the pharmacokinetics of 566C80. The only drug-related adverse effect was a maculopapular rash in one patient that resolved without discontinuation of the drug. With the largest dosage tested (3000 mg) the following pharmacokinetic measures were achieved: maximum plasma concentration, 39 micrograms/ml; time to maximum plasma concentration, 8.0 h; area under plasma concentration-time curve at steady state, 1088 h.micrograms/ml; plasma half-life, 51 h; and total plasma clearance, 4.09 l/h. Compound 566C80 offers promise as a new drug class for P. carinii pneumonia.
Production of Virus-Free Seronegative Pups from Murine Embryos Arising from In Vitro Fertilization with Mouse Minute Virus-Exposed Spermatozoa

Abstract In the present study, the risk of transmission of mouse minute virus (MMV) to recipients of murine embryos arising from in vitro fertilization (IVF) of oocytes with MMV-exposed spermatozoa and to resulting pups was evaluated. Also, the time of seroconversion of recipients and pups was investigated. To achieve this goal, IVF of oocytes with cryopreserved spermatozoa from the inbred C3HeB/FeJ mouse strain was performed, and the resulting embryos were transferred to suitable Swiss recipients. Three groups were investigated: 1) oocytes or the developing embryos were continuously exposed to 104 TCID50 MMVp per milliliter in the fertilization (human tubal fluid [HTF]), culture (KSOM), and embryo transfer (M2) media (positive control); 2) oocytes and spermatozoa were exposed to MMVp in the HTF medium only and transferred after a standard washing procedure with 10 washing steps in virus-free KSOM and M2; and 3) oocytes and spermatozoa were exposed to virus-free HTF, KSOM, and M2 (negative control). To detect antibodies to MMV in recipients and progeny, serological analyses were performed by ELISA on Days 14, 21, 28, and 42, and on Days 42 and 63, respectively, after embryo transfer. The presence of MMV in the washing drops was analyzed by PCR and an in vitro infectivity assay, while organs of some recipients and pups were analyzed by PCR. Using 104 of the tissue culture infective dose of MMVp per millilitre in the fertilization medium only, the present results demonstrate that 10 washing steps in the IVF-ET procedure are sufficient to remove the virus to a noninfectious dose, producing MMV-free seronegative recipients and pups. As such, there is minimal risk of transmission of MMV to recipients and pups if spermatozoa become contaminated with such viral loads.
Relationship between tongue coating and secretory-immunoglobulin A level in saliva obtained from patients complaining of oral malodor.

AIM The aim of this study was to confirm the relationships between oral malodor and periodontal condition, oral malodor and tongue coating, and to investigate the secretory-immunoglobulin A (S-IgA) level in saliva in relation to the accumulation of tongue coating. METHODS Fifty-four patients complaining of oral malodor were included in the study. Their periodontal conditions, tongue coating status and salivary characteristics (flow rate, protein and S-IgA concentrations) were assessed in addition to the level of volatile sulfur compounds (VSC) in oral cavity. The patients were divided into three groups according to their tongue coating level. RESULTS There are significant relationships between oral malodor and specific periodontal parameters used. The degree of tongue coating was also significantly correlated with the amount of H2S, CH3SH and the total amount of VSC determined. The concentration of S-IgA in the group identified as slight tongue coating was significantly higher than in the moderate or the severe group. By Western immunoblotting analysis, a high level of S-IgA specific to Streptococcus species was recognized in all groups, whereas the reactivity of Porphyromonas gingivalis and Fusobacterium nucleatum with S-IgA was very weak in both the slight and the moderate groups. CONCLUSION Data herein indicate that tongue coating is closely related to oral malodor. Furthermore, S-IgA in saliva may influence the accumulation of tongue coating, and S-IgA antibodies directed to Streptococcus species may play a role in protective immunity against the initial colonization of tongue plaque.
Growing up in Cities

46 Growing Up in Cities is a broad-based international research initiative that revisits and extends a project, conceived in 1970, that examined the ways in which children use and perceive the environments that shape their lives. The original project, directed by urban designer Kevin Lynch and funded by UNESCO, involved research in four countries and resulted in Growing Up in Cities, a classic in child-environment literature for both its methods and findings. Lynch found remarkable agreement among children, across cultures and urban contexts, as to what constituted a superior environment. Children were most satisfied when their worlds were defined by strong and inclusive cultural frameworks, and when they were free to explore the physical environment without fear of physical harm. In 1994 environmental psychologist Louise Chawla, a professor at Kentucky State University, proposed revisiting Lynch’s work in order to address two of its unfulfilled goals: improving urban design through participatory projects with children and informing local and national policy with regard to the needs of children in cities. By May 2002, again with primary sponsorship from UNESCO, the revived Growing Up in Cities project had studied urban quality and children’s priorities for change in more than a dozen countries. In most respects, it found that Lynch’s conclusions remained remarkably valid. However, a key feature of the effort this time around has been to try to use the very activity of research to build participatory social networks and political coalitions to bring the needs of children to more popular attention. In presenting a research award to Growing up in Cities, jurors were particularly excited by its ability to move beyond the accomplishments of the earlier effort.
The Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) early protein EB2 is a posttranscriptional activator expressed under the control of EBV transcription factors EB1 and R

From the cloning and characterization of cDNAs, we found that the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) open reading frame (ORF) BMLF1-BSLF2 coding for the early protein EB2 is present in several mRNAs generated by alternative splicing and expressed in the leftward direction from two promoters PM and PM1. The PM promoter controls the expression of two abundant mRNA species of 1.9 and 2 kilobases (kb), whereas the PM1 promoter controls the expression of at least three mRNAs 3.6, 4.0, and 4.4 kb long. The PM promoter probably overlaps with the PS promoter which controls the transcription of a 3.6-kb mRNA expressed in the rightward direction and containing the ORF BSRF1. Although it increases the amount of chloramphenicol acetyltransferase enzyme expressed from the chimeric pMCAT gene, EB2 is not a promiscuous trans-activator of gene expression and does not positively regulate its own expression from promoter PM. The EB2 activation is not promoter dependent but could possibly act by stabilizing mRNAs and increasing their translation. The PM promoter is, however, activated by the two EBV transcription trans-acting factors, EB1 and R, encoded by the EBV ORFs BZLF1 and BRLF1, respectively. EB1 activates the PM promoter from a consensus AP-1 binding site, and R activates the PM promoter from an enhancer.
LEUKOCYTE COPING CAPACITY AS A TOOL TO ASSESS CAPTURE- AND HANDLING-INDUCED STRESS IN SCANDINAVIAN BROWN BEARS (URSUS ARCTOS)

Abstract Brown bears (Ursus arctos) are often captured and handled for research and management purposes. Although the techniques used are potentially stressful for the animals and might have detrimental and long-lasting consequences, it is difficult to assess their physiological impact. Here we report the use of the leukocyte coping capacity (LCC) technique to quantify the acute stress of capture and handling in brown bears in Scandinavia. In April and May 2012 and 2013, we collected venous blood samples and recorded a range of physiological variables to evaluate the effects of capture and the added impact of surgical implantation or removal of transmitters and sensors. We studied 24 brown bears, including 19 that had abdominal surgery. We found 1) LCC values following capture were lower in solitary bears than in bears in family groups suggesting capture caused relatively more stress in solitary bears, 2) ability to cope with handling stress was better (greater LCC values) in bears with good body condition, and 3) LCC values did not appear to be influenced by surgery. Although further evaluation of this technique is required, our preliminary results support the use of the LCC technique as a quantitative measure of stress.
Respiratory Effects of Division of the Carotid Sinus Nerve in the Lamb Soon After the Initiation of Breathing

Extract: Increased activity of the carotid chemoreceptors from hypoxia and hypercarbia, induced by occlusion of the umbilical cord, has importance in initiating effective respiration of the term lamb. The state of hypoxia and hypercarbia continuing after birth should also evoke strong stimulation from the carotid glomi. The present experiments measure the effects on ventilation resulting from interruption of carotid chemoreceptor stimulation to the respiratory center by division of each carotid sinus nerve of the lamb during the newborn period.Ewes were given spinal anesthesia and each lamb was partly removed from the uterus to permit an operative approach through the neck. The carotid sinus nerves were exposed and tagged with loose threads to facilitate division of the nerve at a later stage. The lamb was then delivered, its umbilical cord clamped, and its inspiratory volume measured by pneumotachometric techniques.Each of the seven lambs studied was permitted to establish respiration before its first carotid sinus nerve was divided. The time intervals between birth and division of the first nerves varied from 5.5 to 38.5 minutes after birth. The second nerves were divided several minutes later when respiration had recovered from the effects of division of the first nerve. A significant fall in ventilation was observed within 50 seconds after division of each carotid sinus nerve. Improved ventilation began to occur in some animals 150 seconds later, and occurred in all animals within several minutes after division of each nerve. Levels of PO2, pH and PCO2 in carotid artery blood before nerve division revealed hypoxia, hypercarbia and acidosis; this aberrant state became worse during the period of diminished ventilation. The minimal changes in heart rate and blood pressure resulting from interruption of baroreceptor fibers were insufficient to influence respiration.Speculation: When viewed in conjunction with experiments performed in lambs immediately at birth and with those performed in older newborn lambs, these experiments reveal a continuum of physiologic activity of the carotid chemoreceptors which is important in the establishment and regulation of breathing. The consistent recovery of ventilation after the initial depression produced by division of the second carotid sinus nerve indicates that under these conditions, chemical regulatory mechanisms other than those of the carotid glomi are important in the lamb. The only peripheral chemoreceptors known to be active in the newborn are those in the carotid bodies. Accordingly, some central chemosensor mechanisms must be invoked to explain the recovery of respiration.
STEM CELL TRANSPLANTATION AS CONSOLIDATION THERAPY FOR CHILDREN IN FIRST-REMISSION AML

A large number of patients affected by acute myeloid leukemia (AML) achieve complete remission following induction chemotherapy based on high-dose aracytin and anthracyclines. However, a postremission consolidation treatment appears to be essential to maintain the remission status. Sixteen patients with newly diagnosed AML received induction chemotherapy according to the AIEOP LAM 92P/Mod protocol. All patients were HLA-typed, and if no donor was identified within the family, patients underwent autologous stem cell transplantation (autoSCT) with mafosfamide-purged bone marrow. Patients with very high-risk AML (cytogenetics with t(9;22), hyperleukocytosis (540 × 109/L), and AML-M7 with trilineage myelodysplasia) underwent unrelated donor transplantation. One patient relapsed before autoSCT. Eleven patients underwent autoSCT with purged bone marrow, 3 patients underwent unrelated donor transplantation (UD), and 1 patient underwent HLA-identical, matched familiar donor transplantation (MFD). All patients achieved complete remission following one course. No treatment-related deaths occurred during first-line treatment. The median interval between diagnosis and transplant was 175 days (129–277). Three patients relapsed following autoSCT; none relapsed after alloSCT. Taking stem cell transplantation as the starting point, overall survival was 93%, disease-free survival (according to the chosen treatment) was 80%, the relapse rate was 20%, and transplant-related mortality was 0%.
Why Some Times are Different: Macroeconomic Policy and the Aftermath of Financial Crises

Analysis based on a new measure of financial distress for 24 advanced economies in the postwar period shows substantial variation in the aftermath of financial crises. This paper examines the role that macroeconomic policy plays in explaining this variation. We find that the degree of monetary and fiscal policy space prior to financial distress—that is, whether the policy interest rate is above the zero lower bound and whether the debt-to-GDP ratio is relatively low—greatly affects the aftermath of crises. The decline in output following a crisis is less than 1 percent when a country possesses both types of policy space, but almost 10 percent when it has neither. The difference is highly statistically significant and robust to the measures of policy space and the sample. We also consider the mechanisms by which policy space matters. We find that monetary and fiscal policy are used more aggressively when policy space is ample. Financial distress itself is also less persistent when there is policy space. The findings may have implications for policy during both normal times and periods of acute financial distress.
The Moderator-Mediator Role of Social Support in Early Adolescents

The purpose of this study was to examine social support as both a mediator and a moderator of the relationship between perceived stress and symptom patterns in early adolescents. Data were collected from 148 early adolescent boys and girls, ages 12 to 14, who responded to the Perceived Stress Scale, the Personal Resource Questionnaire 85-Part II, and the Symptom Pattern Scale. Using multiple regression analysis procedures specified for the testing of moderation and mediation, results indicated that social support did not play a moderating role in the relationship between perceived stress and symptom patterns, but social support did play a mediating role in this relationship. The findings are interpreted within the two major theoretical orientations that guided the study.
Surface-tethered polymers in polymeric matrices

Recently Budkowski et al. used nuclear reaction analysis to study polymer brushes consisting of end-tethered deuterated polystyrene tails within a polystyrene homopolymer matrix. They measured the concentration-depth profile as a function of the surface coverage a of tails and the degree of polymerisation of the matrix. For the matrix with the largest degree of polymerisation, the variation of the effective brush thickness L with σ can be fitted by the apparent power law L ∞ σ q with q=0.54±0.06. This scaling law is not expected theoretically for surface-tethered polymers exposed to a polymeric matrix consisting of chemically identical chains (χ=0, where χ is the interaction parameter). In the present note we would like to propose an explanation based on the fact that mixtures of deutterated and protonated polystyrene chains are characterized by a small (but non-zero) value of χ