Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Factor H and Factor H-Related Protein 1 Bind to Human Neutrophils via Complement Receptor 3, Mediate Attachment to Candida albicans, and Enhance Neutrophil Antimicrobial Activity

The host complement system plays an important role in protection against infections. Several human-pathogenic microbes were shown to acquire host complement regulators, such as factor H (CFH), that downregulate complement activation at the microbial surface and protect the pathogens from the opsonic and lytic effects of complement. Because CFH can also bind to host cells, we addressed the role of CFH and CFH-related proteins as adhesion ligands in host-pathogen interactions. We show that the CFH family proteins CFH, CFH-like protein 1 (CFHL1), CFH-related protein (CFHR) 1, and CFHR4 long isoform bind to human neutrophil granulocytes and to the opportunistic human-pathogenic yeast Candida albicans. Two major binding sites, one within the N-terminus and one in the C-terminus of CFH, were found to mediate binding to neutrophils. Complement receptor 3 (CD11b/CD18; αMβ2 integrin) was identified as the major cellular receptor on neutrophils for CFH, CFHL1, and CFHR1, but not for CFHR4 long isoform. CFH and CFHR1 supported cell migration. Furthermore, CFH, CFHL1, and CFHR1 increased attachment of neutrophils to C. albicans. Adhesion of neutrophils to plasma-opsonized yeasts was reduced when CFH binding was inhibited by specific Abs or when using CFH-depleted plasma. Yeast-bound CFH and CFHR1 enhanced the generation of reactive oxygen species and the release of the antimicrobial protein lactoferrin by human neutrophils, and resulted in a more efficient killing of the pathogen. Thus, CFH and CFHR1, when bound on the surface of C. albicans, enhance antimicrobial activity of human neutrophils.
Using Diffusion of Innovation Theory to Model Customer Loyalty for Internet Banking : A TT Millennial Perspective

The internet has successfully transformed the way most businesses and customers interact with each other. Many companies, including banks are using the technology as an alternative distribution channel. But despite this trend, the use of internet banking among customers in Trinidad and Tobago (TT) is limited. This paper explores the reasons for this limited use. Specifically, the study asks; what are the factors that determine the continued use of internet banking by young customers (Millennials) in TT? Through the Diffusion of Innovation Theory and Structural Equation Modeling analysis, the study showed that perceived relative advantage and to a lesser extent government support were two fundamental determinants of internet banking loyalty while trust, compatibility and awareness were driven by the perceived benefits the medium offer to customers’ lifestyle. The study concluded with a discussion of strategies bankers can implement to encourage a greater use of internet banking options by TT customers.
Solution to agent coalition problem using improved ant colony optimization algorithm

As an important coordination and cooperation method in multi-agent system, agent coalition mechanism has been receiving more and more attention. An efficient algorithm is needed for this topic since the number of the possible coalitions is exponential. This work proposes an improved ant colony optimization algorithm to find the optimal, task-oriented agent coalition in multi-agent system. Ants incline to choose those agents who cooperated well before to form coalitions, which realizes the acquaintance mechanism. The novel "inner hormone" can avoid the algorithm getting in the local minimum area easily. The results of contrastive experiment show that the algorithm in This work is robust, self-adaptive and very efficient.
[Extended assessment of peritoneal transport kinetics of substances and water as an important element of integrated dialysis care].

UNLABELLED The concept of integrated dialysis care is based on the choice of the most optimal method of renal replacement therapy for particular patient in particular period of disease. In many cases peritoneal dialysis (PD) is the initial therapy. PD modalities and regimens are modified according to values of parameters of ultrafiltration and adequacy. The routinely used methods of analysis of peritoneal transport are very useful for general assessment of properties of peritoneum as a dialysis membrane. However, the application of these methods do not guarantee the full assessment of peritoneal transport kinetics of water and substances. Therefore, the capabilities of the most adequate modification are limited. The tests based on mathematical models taking into account the kinetics of intraperitoneal dialysate volume seem to be the right supplement of standard methods. MATERIALS AND METHODS To illustrate the problem mentioned above, the aim of this study was comparison of peritoneal transport of substances and water in two groups of patients: group I with negative ultrafiltration (UF) (n=14) and group II with positive UF (n=6). In the studied groups peritoneal equilibration test (PET) was done, then the assessment of peritoneal water transport was performed using 125I-HSA as dialysate volume marker, and finally the velocity of peritoneal transport of small molecules expressed by solute mass transport rate (SMTR) coefficient was measured. Patients from both groups belonged to the same category of high-average transporters according to PET criteria. RESULTS On the base of broaden assessment of peritoneal transport of water and substances it was proved that different, "therapeutic approach" should be applied in studied groups to reach the adequate dialysis. Although in group II the minor modification of continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD) regimen was desired, the radical change of CAPD schedule or transfer to automated peritoneal dialysis was necessary in cases of patients from group I. CONCLUSIONS The results of the study indicate that the extended assessment of peritoneal transport kinetics of water and substances increases the capabilities of individualisation of PD program. Therefore, it should be treated as an important element of integrated dialysis care.
Dickkopf‐related protein 3 is a potential Aβ‐associated protein in Alzheimer's Disease

Amyloid‐β (Aβ) is the most prominent protein in Alzheimer's disease (AD) senile plaques. In addition, Aβ interacts with a variety of Aβ‐associated proteins (AAPs), some of which can form complexes with Aβ and influence its clearance, aggregation or toxicity. Identification of novel AAPs may shed new light on the pathophysiology of AD and the metabolic fate of Aβ. In this study, we aimed to identify new AAPs by searching for proteins that may form soluble complexes with Aβ in CSF, using a proteomics approach. We identified the secreted Wnt pathway protein Dickkopf‐related protein 3 (Dkk‐3) as a potential Aβ‐associated protein. Using immunohistochemistry on human AD brain tissue, we observed that (i) Dkk‐3 co‐localizes with Aβ in the brain, both in diffuse and classic plaques. (ii) Dkk‐3 is expressed in neurons and in blood vessel walls in the brain and (iii) is secreted by leptomeningeal smooth muscle cells in vitro. Finally, measurements using ELISA revealed that (iv) Dkk‐3 protein is abundantly present in both cerebrospinal fluid and serum, but its levels are similar in non‐demented controls and patients with AD, Lewy body dementia, and frontotemporal dementia. Our study demonstrates that Dkk‐3 is a hitherto unidentified Aβ‐associated protein which, given its relatively high cerebral concentrations and co‐localization with Aβ, is potentially involved in AD pathology.
Predictors of contraction and expansion of area of occupancy for British birds

Geographical range dynamics are driven by the joint effects of abiotic factors, human ecosystem modifications, biotic interactions and the intrinsic organismal responses to these. However, the relative contribution of each component remains largely unknown. Here, we compare the contribution of life-history attributes, broad-scale gradients in climate and geographical context of species’ historical ranges, as predictors of recent changes in area of occupancy for 116 terrestrial British breeding birds (74 contractors, 42 expanders) between the early 1970s and late 1990s. Regional threat classifications demonstrated that the species of highest conservation concern showed both the largest contractions and the smallest expansions. Species responded differently to climate depending on geographical distribution—northern species changed their area of occupancy (expansion or contraction) more in warmer and drier regions, whereas southern species changed more in colder and wetter environments. Species with slow life history (larger body size) tended to have a lower probability of changing their area of occupancy than species with faster life history, whereas species with greater natal dispersal capacity resisted contraction and, counterintuitively, expansion. Higher geographical fragmentation of species' range also increased expansion probability, possibly indicating a release from a previously limiting condition, for example through agricultural abandonment since the 1970s. After accounting statistically for the complexity and nonlinearity of the data, our results demonstrate two key aspects of changing area of occupancy for British birds: (i) climate is the dominant driver of change, but direction of effect depends on geographical context, and (ii) all of our predictors generally had a similar effect regardless of the direction of the change (contraction versus expansion). Although we caution applying results from Britain's highly modified and well-studied bird community to other biogeographic regions, our results do indicate that a species' propensity to change area of occupancy over decadal scales can be explained partially by a combination of simple allometric predictors of life-history pace, average climate conditions and geographical context.
Dual-Band Circularly Polarized Cavity-Backed Crossed-Dipole Antennas

In this letter, a novel dual-band circularly polarized cavity-backed crossed-dipole antenna is proposed. Complementary split-ring resonators (CSRRs) are loaded along both the arms of double-sided printed crossed dipoles along with vacant quarter-printed rings to achieve dual-band circularly polarized operation. Cavity-backed reflector is employed in the antenna to achieve unidirectional pattern with high front-to-back-lobe ratio ( > 25 dB), wide circularly polarized radiation beamwidth, and high gain in both frequency bands. The impedance and axial-ratio bandwidths in both bands are also considerably improved by the cavity backing. The proposed dual-band crossed-dipole antenna has two operating bands centered at 1.81 GHz (impedance bandwidth 22.4%, axial-ratio bandwidth 6.6%) and 2.67 GHz (impedance bandwidth 33%, axial-ratio bandwidth 10.1%), respectively .
Multifocal Detection of Multidrug-Resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa Producing the PER-1 Extended-Spectrum β-Lactamase in Northern Italy

ABSTRACT Forty-four nonreplicate clinical isolates of Pseudomonas aeruginosa that were resistant to extended-spectrum cephalosporins (ceftazidime and cefepime) and aztreonam, that putatively produced an acquired extended- spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL), according to the results of a double-disk synergy test, and that had been involved in nosocomial outbreaks were obtained from six different hospitals in northern Italy and screened for the presence of blaPER ESBL determinants. Twenty isolates, associated with nine independent outbreaks that occurred in five hospitals in the Milan area and its surroundings during 1995-2000, were found to carry an acquired blaPER-1 gene. PER-1 producers representative of the nine outbreaks exhibited a multidrug resistance (MDR) phenotype, including resistance to extended-spectrum cephalosporins, aztreonam, meropenem, aminoglycosides, and in most cases, imipenem and ciprofloxacin. An analysis of macrorestriction profiles of their genomic DNAs by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis revealed an overall clonal diversity of the PER-1 producers, although interhospital clonal spread was also observed. The blaPER-1 gene was not transferable and appeared to be chromosomally located. An analysis of the EcoRI and EcoRV restriction fragment length polymorphisms of the blaPER-1 locus revealed identical patterns for all isolates, and the characterization of a 1.9-kb region containing blaPER-1 revealed a conserved structure in representatives of the various clonal lineages. The present findings indicate that MDR P. aeruginosa clones producing the PER-1 ESBL are endemic to this area of northern Italy, where they have been circulating since the mid-1990s and have been associated with several nosocomial outbreaks.
Detecting new industry emergence using government data: a new analytic approach to regional innovation policy

This paper presents the rationale and method for a new model of innovation policy by regional government that is based on the early detection of the emergence of new industry clusters. The approach takes advantage of regional governments’ superior access to distributed information about the categories of activities and investments that individual firms are making. By coding and analyzing this information we show how the nascent seeds of new industries can be detected in clusters of overlapping activities. Surprisingly, these patterns may be opaque to the firms themselves because other firms exploring similar opportunities may not be co-located or even in the same industry. We propose that this method of early detection can be leveraged into opportunities for ‘industrial incubation’ in the form of institutional support.
Improving edge finite element assembly for geophysical electromagnetic modelling on shared-memory architectures

This work presents a set of node-level optimizations to perform the assembly of edge finite element matrices that arise in 3D geophysical electromagnetic modelling on shared-memory architectures. Firstly, we describe the traditional and sequential assembly approach. Secondly, we depict our vectorized and shared-memory strategy which does not require any low level instructions because it is based on an interpreted programming language, namely, Python. As a result, we obtained a simple parallel-vectorized algorithm whose runtime performance is considerably better than sequential version. The set of optimizations have been included to the work-flow of the Parallel Edge-based Tool for Geophysical Electromagnetic Modelling (PETGEM) which is developed as open-source at the Barcelona Supercomputing Center. Finally, we present numerical results for a set of tests in order to illustrate the performance of our strategy.
Cell Phone Use and Visual Attention

The purpose of the present study was to evaluate how much cell phones and just speaking (similar to speaking to someone in the car vs a hands-free cell phone task) interfere with visual attention skills as might be required in a driving situation. Influence of cell phones on attention has been noted but little research has been completed. Licensed adult drivers were divided into three groups (ns = 15) with all subjects taking the Connors Continuous Performance Test II. Group 1 performed without any distractions; those in Group 2 performed with someone in the same room talking to them; Group 3 engaged in a cell phone conversation during the task. Overall, there were substantial differences among groups on all variables, but primarily between the control group and the two experimental groups. While the cell phone group had lower mean scores than the talking group overall, the differences were not significant. Thus, while cell phones were distracting to visual attention functions on the Connors task, they were not more distracting than a similarly active conversation without a cell phone.
Institutional Shareholder Activism in Nigeria

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate institutional shareholder activism in Nigeria. It addresses the paucity of empirical research on institutional shareholder activism in sub-Saharan Africa. Design/methodology/approach This study uses agency theory to understand the institutional shareholder approach to shareholder activism in Nigeria. The data are collected through qualitative interviews with expert representatives from financial institutions. Findings The findings indicate evidence of low-level shareholder activism in Nigeria. The study provides empirical insight into the reasons why institutional shareholders might adopt an active or passive approach to shareholder activism. The findings suggest the pension structure involving two types of pension institutions affects the ability to engage in shareholder activism. Research limitations/implications The research study advances our understanding of the status quo of institutional shareholder activism in an African context such as Nigeria. Practical implications The paper makes a practical contribution by highlighting that regulators need to consider how the financial market conditions and characteristics affect effective promotion of better governance practices and performance through shareholder activism. Originality/value This study draws attention to the implication for shareholder activism of complexities associated with an institutional arrangement where two types of financial institutions are expected to operate and manage the private pension funds in a country.
Long-Run Drivers of Current Account Imbalances in the EU: The Role of Trade Openness

This paper investigates, using panel cointegration methods, the long-run drivers of current account imbalances in 15 EU member States during the period 1974-2011. We argue that the degree of trade openness greatly affects the relative strength of the different long-term drivers of current account imbalances. Our empirical results indicate that competitiveness factors strongly affect imbalances in countries with a low trade openness, while the effects weakens as trade openness increases. Similarly, we find evidence of a positive effects of government debt on current account deficits for high openness countries and a negative impact for medium and low openness countries. Our results suggest that the structural heterogeneity in the degree of openness across EU countries might be an important contributor to the diverging patterns in current account balances experienced in the last decades.
Effectiveness of Switching to Aripiprazole From Atypical Antipsychotics in Patients With Schizophrenia

Objective:To examine changes in cognitive function and clinical features after a switch from atypical antipsychotics to aripiprazole in patients with schizophrenia. Method:Sixty-one patients with schizophrenia treated with atypical antipsychotics participated in this open-label, 26-week study. Antipsychotics were switched to aripiprazole, and neurocognitive functions were measured at 12 and 26 weeks using the computerized battery. The secondary outcome measures were the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale, the Social and Occupational Functioning Assessment Scale, the Calgary Depression Scale for Schizophrenia, the Subjective Well-being Under Neuroleptics Scale, and the Drug Attitude Inventory (DAI). The safety measures included metabolic parameters, the Simpson-Angus Rating Scale, the Barnes Akathisia Scale, and the Abnormal Involuntary Movement Scale. Results:Significant improvements in cognitive function were observed in the Verbal Learning Test, the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test, and the Trail Making Test part A after a switch to aripiprazole. Scores on the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale, the Social and Occupational Functioning Assessment Scale, the DAI, the Simpson-Angus Rating Scale, and the Abnormal Involuntary Movement Scale were significantly improved. The metabolic parameters, including serum cholesterol levels, were also improved. The changes in cognitive measures were not correlated with the changes in positive symptoms or movements scales. The improvement of the scores on the DAI and the delayed recall of the Verbal Learning Test were significantly greater in the patients treated with antipsychotics for less than 1 year than in those treated for more than 1 year, in whom the improvement in metabolic parameters was significantly greater. Conclusions:Patients with schizophrenia who switched from their previous antipsychotics to aripiprazole demonstrated improvements in cognitive function, psychotic symptoms, social function, attitude toward medication, and metabolic abnormalities.
Studies of point mutants define three essential paired nucleotides in the domain 5 substructure of a group II intron

Domain 5 (D5) is a highly conserved, largely helical substructure of group II introns that is essential for self-splicing. Only three of the 14 base pairs present in most D5 structures (A2.U33, G3.U32, and C4.G31) are nearly invariant. We have studied effects of point mutations of those six nucleotides on self-splicing and in vivo splicing of aI5 gamma, an intron of the COXI gene of Saccharomyces cerevisiae mitochondria. Though none of the point mutations blocked self-splicing under one commonly used in vitro reaction condition, the most debilitating mutations were at G3 and G4. Following mitochondrial Biolistic transformation, it was found that mutations at A2, G3, and C4 blocked respiratory growth and splicing while mutations at the other sites had little effect on either phenotype. Intra-D5 second-site suppressors showed that pairing between nucleotides at positions 2 and 33 and 4 and 31 is especially important for D5 function. At the G3.U32 wobble pair, the mutant A.U pair blocks splicing, but a revertant of that mutant that can form an A+. C base pair regains some splicing. A dominant nuclear suppressor restores some splicing to the G3A mutant but not the G3U mutant, suggesting that a purine is required at position 3. These findings are discussed in terms of the hypothesis of Madhani and Guthrie (H. D. Madhani and C. Guthrie, Cell 71:803-817, 1992) that helix 1 formed between yeast U2 and U6 small nuclear RNAs may be the spliceosomal cognate of D5.
Increased Expression of Endothelin B Receptor mRNA following Subarachnoid Hemorrhage in Monkeys

These studies tested the hypothesis that the cerebral vasospasm that follows subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) is due to alterations in endothelin (ET) and ET receptor expression. Eight monkeys underwent cerebral angiography and induction of SAH. Angiography was repeated 7 days later to confirm the presence of cerebral vasospasm, and animals were killed. RNA was isolated from right (vasospastic) and left (control) side middle cerebral arteries and surrounding cerebral cortex. The levels of prepro (PP) ET-1 (ppET-1) and ppET-3 and ETA and ETB receptor mRNAs were determined using a quantitative reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction-based assay. ET-1 peptide was also measured in CSF at baseline and after 7 days. Specific agonist binding to ETA and ETB receptors in both middle cerebral arteries and in surrounding brain cortex was measured in three animals by autoradiographic binding assays. Levels of ETB receptor mRNA were 3.4 ± 2.2-fold higher in the right than in the left cerebral arteries (p < 0.01). There were no significant differences in the levels of ppET-1, ppET-3, or ETA receptor mRNA in cerebral arteries. ET-1 peptide was not elevated in CSF. Levels of ETA and ETB receptor mRNAs were 2.6 ± 1.1- and 2.1 ± 1.3-fold higher, respectively, in the right than in the left cerebral cortex, while the level of ppET-3 mRNA was 2.1 ± 1.0-fold lower. There were no differences in ppET-1 mRNA levels between right and left cerebral cortex. Binding to ETA and ETB receptors in cerebral arteries and cortex did not differ significantly between right and left sides. These results do not support the hypothesis that overexpression of ET-1 is the principal cause of vasospasm, but rather they suggest that SAH causes complex changes in the ET system that together are responsible for the cellular response to SAH.