Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Expression of betaB(2)-crystallin mRNA and protein in retina, brain, and testis.

PURPOSE To evaluate the expression of betaB(2)-crystallin mRNA and protein in rat, bovine, and human nonlens and nonocular tissues. METHODS betaB(2)-crystallin mRNA levels were detected by RT-PCR. betaB(2)-crystallin protein was purified from rat and bovine tissues by FPLC chromatography. FPLC fractions were analyzed by immunoblotting. The identity of betaB(2)-crystallin protein, isolated from the retina, was confirmed by protein microsequencing. RESULTS betaB(2)-crystallin transcript was detected in rat brain, rat testis, and human retina by RT-PCR. betaB(2)-crystallin transcript was not found in rat lung, heart, ovary, spleen, thymus, kidney, and liver or in human brain and testis. betaB(2)-crystallin protein was partially purified from and its identity confirmed in rat brain, rat testis, and bovine retina. The bovine retinal protein was further confirmed to be authentic betaB(2)-crystallin by protein microsequencing. CONCLUSIONS These results establish that betaB(2)-crystallin mRNA and protein are expressed in tissues outside of the lens and outside of the eye including retina, brain, and testis. Extralenticular and extraocular expression of betaB(2)-crystallin, coupled with its participation in phosphorylation pathways, suggests that it has nonrefractive functions in these tissues.
Irritability in Pediatric Mania and Other Childhood Psychopathology

Abstract: Irritability is an important symptom in childhood psychopathology that has received relatively little research attention. Recent controversy concerning the diagnosis of mania in children has focused attention on how little is known about how to assess irritability in a systematic way, and about its diagnostic associations. For example, subtyping irritability according to course (chronic vs. episodic), precipitants, and family history may facilitate the identification of psychopathology and the study of pathophysiology. While normative and pathologic irritability can be differentiated reliably, the validity of the distinction is unclear. In addition, there is a need for scales designed to measure the severity of irritability in children with mood and anxiety disorders. In order to facilitate research, we propose a definition of irritability from the perspective of affective neuroscience. Because reactive aggression may be a helpful animal model for irritability, we review the neural circuitry mediating this behavior. Behavioral paradigms that evoke frustration, as well as those that assess the ability to inhibit a prepotent motor response, maintain attentional focus, execute response reversal, recognize angry faces, and regulate emotional responses, may be useful in the study of irritability. Examples of such paradigms are described, and the pharmacology of irritability is reviewed briefly.
Relationship between shareholders dispersion, firm size and dividend policy of firms quoted at the NSE

viii CHAPTER ONE . 1 1.0 INTRODUCTION. 1 1.1 Background to the study . 1 1.2 Statement of the problem . 4 1.3 Objectives of the study . 6 1.4 Significance of the study . 6 CHAPTER TWO . 8 2.0 LITERATURE REVIEW . 8 2.
D ISTRIBUTED SECOND-ORDER OPTIMIZATION USING K RONECKER-FACTORED APPROXIMATIONS

As more computational resources become available, machine learning researchers train ever larger neural networks on millions of data points using stochastic gradient descent (SGD). Although SGD scales well in terms of both the size of dataset and the number of parameters of the model, it has rapidly diminishing returns as parallel computing resources increase. Second-order optimization methods have an affinity for well-estimated gradients and large mini-batches, and can therefore benefit much more from parallel computation in principle. Unfortunately, they often employ severe approximations to the curvature matrix in order to scale to large models with millions of parameters, limiting their effectiveness in practice versus well-tuned SGD with momentum. The recently proposed K-FAC method (Martens and Grosse, 2015) uses a stronger and more sophisticated curvature approximation, and has been shown to make much more per-iteration progress than SGD, while only introducing a modest overhead. In this paper, we develop a version of K-FAC that distributes the computation of gradients and additional quantities required by K-FAC across multiple machines, thereby taking advantage of the method’s superior scaling to large mini-batches and mitigating its additional overheads. We provide a Tensorflow implementation of our approach which is easy to use and can be applied to many existing codebases without modification. Additionally, we develop several algorithmic enhancements to K-FAC which can improve its computational performance for very large models. Finally, we show that our distributed K-FAC method speeds up training of various state-of-the-art ImageNet classification models by a factor of two compared to an improved form of Batch Normalization (Ioffe and Szegedy, 2015).
Assessment of the bioactive compounds, antioxidant and antibacterial activities of Isodon rubescens as affected by drying methods

Abstract: The influence of natural drying (ND), hot-air drying (HD), vacuum drying (VD), infrared drying (ID) and freeze drying (FD) on bioactive compounds and bioactivities of Isodon rubescens (Hemsl.) was investigated in this study. The results showed that different drying methods resulted in the differences in bioactive compositions’ content, antioxidant and antibacterial activities of extracts from I. rubescens. FD sample possessed the highest content of total phenolics, total flavonoids and several main phenolic compounds, as well as the stronger antioxidant and antibacterial activities, followed by ND, HD and VD, the lowest for ID samples. For this reason, freeze drying would seem to be more advisable for the drying I. rubescens, and future studies could focus on the quality evaluation and optimising various drying parameters.
Lactobacillus rhamnosus protects human colonic muscle from pathogen lipopolysaccharide‐induced damage

Lactobacillus species might positively affect gastrointestinal motility. These Gram‐positive bacteria bind Toll‐like receptor 2 (TLR2) that elicits anti‐inflammatory activity and exerts protective effects on damage induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Whether such effect occurs in gastrointestinal smooth muscle has not been established yet. Aim of this study was to characterize the effects of Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG (LGG) and of supernatants harvested from LGG cultures on human colonic smooth muscle and to explore their protective activity against LPS‐induced myogenic morpho‐functional alterations.
Insulin-Like Growth Factor-I Decreases Mean Blood Pressure and Selectively Increases Regional Blood Flow in Normal Rats

Abstract The insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) and its receptors are widely distributed in peripheral vascular tissue, yet their role in the regulation of blood pressure and blood flow remains unknown. This study investigated the effect of IGF-I on blood pressure and selected regional blood flow in normal Wistar rats anesthetized with chloralose/urethane. The femoral artery was cannulated and used to monitor arterial blood pressure. Electromagnetic flow probes were placed around the left common iliac artery, left renal artery, and the superior mesenteric artery, and used to measure blood flow. IGF-I (2.6 μg, 5.1 or 10.3 nmol/animal iv) was injected as a bolus into the femoral vein. Following the injection of IGF-I (10.3 nmol), we observed a significant decrease of plasma glucose (57%) and a significant decrease of mean arterial pressure (MAP) that continued to decline throughout the 60-min experimental period. IGF-I (5.1 nmol) significantly decreased blood glucose by 44% and decreased the MAP by 14% with a nadir at 15 min and recovery after 60 min. A smaller dose of IGF-I (2.6 nmol) did not significantly decrease the blood glucose but resulted in a slight but significant decrease in MAP. The heart rate was increased by 10.3 and 5.1 but not 2.5 nmol of IGF-I. IGF-I (10.3 nmol) was associated with regional vascular responses with a preferential increase in flow of the iliac and superior mesenteric vessels, measured as vascular conductance. IGF-I (5.1 and 2.6 nmol) increased preferentially renal vascular conductance. Preinfusion with L-NAME, a nitric oxide inhibitor, inhibited the effects of IGF-I on flow. We conclude that IGF-I can selectively dilate vascular beds leading to a decrease in blood pressure and that the response to IGF-I is mediated by nitric oxide.
High-density lipoprotein from patients with coronary heart disease loses anti-thrombotic effects on endothelial cells: impact on arterial thrombus formation

Summary Thrombus formation is determined by the balance between prothrombotic mediators and anti-thrombotic factors. High-density lipoprotein (HDL) from healthy subjects exerts anti-thrombotic properties. Whether this is also the case for HDL from patients with stable coronary heart disease (CHD) or acute coronary syndrome (ACS) is unknown. In human aortic endothelial cells in culture, HDL (50 μg/ml) from healthy subjects (HS) inhibited thrombin-induced tissue factor (TF) expression and activity, while HDL (50 μg/ml) from CHD and ACS patients did not. Similarly, only healthy HDL increased endothelial tissue factor pathway inhibitor (TFPI) expression and tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) release, while HDL from CHD and ACS patients had no effect. Healthy HDL inhibited thrombin-induced plasminogen activator inhibitor type 1 (PAI-1) expression, while HDL from ACS patients enhanced endothelial PAI-1 expression. Inhibition of nitric oxide (NO) formation with L-NAME (100 μmol/l) abolished the anti-thrombotic effects of healthy HDL on TF, TFPI, and tPA expression. The exogenous nitric oxide donor, DETANO, mimicked the effects of healthy HDL and counterbalanced the loss of anti-thrombotic effects of HDL from CHD and ACS patients in endothelial cells. In line with this observation, healthy HDL, in contrast to HDL from CHD and ACS patients, increased endothelial NO production. In the laser-injured carotid artery of the mouse, thrombus formation was delayed in animals treated with healthy HDL compared with mice treated with vehicle or HDL from patients with CHD or ACS. In conclusion, HDL from CHD and ACS patients loses the ability of healthy HDL to suppress TF and to increase TFPI and t-PA and instead enhances PAI-1 and arterial thrombus formation.
The Effects of Hypothyroidism on Liver Status of Cirrhotic Patients

We have shown, in animal models as well as in retrospective human study, that some degree of decreased thyroid function is beneficial for subjects with liver damage of various etiologies. Therefore, we herein present the results of a cohort population study. Between 1991 and 1994, 18 patients (12 women and 6 men; mean age, 59 ± 24 years) with both biopsy-proven active cirrhosis (5 hepatitis C virus, 4 hepatitis B virus, 1 immunocompromised host, 2 primary biliary cirrhosis, 1 alcoholic, and 5 cryptogenic; Child's-Pugh criteria: A-8, B-8, C-2) and primary or induced (by either drug or surgery) thyroxine-treated hypothyroidism were prospectively followed. Each patient was examined at least twice yearly and served as their own control. The thyroid of the profiled patients ranged between euthyroidism and subclinical hypothyroidism. Liver function tests were evaluated and compared in states of normal versus increased thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) blood levels. A significant improvement in alanine aminotransferase (p < 0.001), alkaline phosphatase (p < 0.0001), albumin (p < 0.001), and bilirubin (p < 0.01) was found in the increased TSH group. Prothrombin time was also found to be significantly better (p < 0.001). We conclude that euthyroid patients with liver cirrhosis might benefit from a controlled hypothyroidism.
Biochemical Characterisation of A Blood Group Activity on Human Platelets

Abstract. A butanol extraction procedure has been used to isolate the blood group A antigen determinants from platelet membranes and to determine their biochemical structure ‐glycolipid and/or glycoprotein. The blood group A serological activity was found to reside entirely in the butanol (organic) fraction. When this fraction was analyzed by thin‐layer chromatography, the A‐inhibitory activity was found to comigrate with extracts of erythrocyte typeAa, Ab and Ac variant structures. The results of this study indicate that the ABO blood group A determinants on human platelets are glycolipid, similar in structure to glycolipid A determinants on erythrocytes.
Intellectual capital dan intellectual capital disclosure terhadap market performance pada perusahaan publik indeks LQ-45

Penelitian ini merupakan penelitian empiris yang bertujuan untuk mengetahui pengaruh intellectual capital dan intellectual capital disclosure terhadap market performance pada perusahaan go public di Bursa Efek Indonesia (BEI) dalam indeks LQ-45 untuk periode 2012 sampai dengan 2014. Pengujian ini dilakukan dengan menggunakan regresi linear berganda terhadap data sebanyak 64 sampel. Hasil dari penelitian ini menunjukkan adanya pengaruh signifikan yang positif antara intellectual capital dan market performance. Pasar memberikan nilai yang lebih tinggi pada perusahaan yang mempunyai intellectual capital yang tinggi. Sementara itu, intellectual capital disclosure berpengaruh signifikan secara negatif terhadap market performance. Semakin tinggi intellectual capital disclosure yang dilakukan perusahaan maka semakin rendah market performance.
On the low-temperature degradation of (AlGa)As/GaAs modulation-doped field-effect transistors

A comprehensive study of the anomalous low-temperature behavior of modulation,doped (Al, Ga)As/GaAs field-effect transistors is reported, Experiments on the effect of bias stress on the current-voltage characteristics in lateral resistors, 1-µm gate FET's, and a novel dual-gate tester are presented along with the results of freeze-out, optical spectroscopy, and trapping kinetics experiments. Both modulation-doped (Al, Ga)As/GaAs heterostructures and isolated (Al, Ga)As layers are examined. The results delineate the conditions under which threshold shift andI-Vcollapse occur. Based on these results a detailed physical model which explains these effects is proposed. One important conclusion of this work is that the collapse is not related to hot electron injection from the high mobility channel, as suggested earlier, but is a property of a highly doped AlGaAs layer under bias.
APPLICABILITY OF FORENSIC ACCOUNTING SERVICES FOR FINANCIAL FRAUD DETECTION AND PREVENTION IN THE PUBLIC SECTOR OF NIGERIA

The study examines the applicability of forensic accounting services to prevent and detect fraudulent financial practices in the Nigeria Public Sector. In conducting the study, a hypothesis was stated and questionnaire was drawn in line with the hypothesis for testing. The study utilized primary source of data collection. A total of 441 questionnaires were retrieved from public sector accountants and auditors, two anti-graft agencies, four professional accounting associations, the forensic section of the Nigeria Police Force and the Nigeria Bar Association using systematic sampling. Analysis was carried out using descriptive statistics, chi-square. The null hypotheses was rejected indicating an acceptance of government’s intention that forensic accounting can be applied for preventing and detecting fraudulent financial practices in the Nigerian public sector. It recommended that forensic accounting be made statutory in the public sector to assist in preventing and detecting fraudulent financial practices. The implication of the findings is that rules and regulations are not in place, and professional ethics of forensic not inexistence in the public sector. There is need to be adopt forensic accounting services in the public sector.
Nuclear Trafficking and Functions of Endocytic Proteins Implicated in Oncogenesis

A subset of proteins predominantly associated with early endosomes or implicated in clathrin‐mediated endocytosis can shuttle between the cytoplasm and the nucleus. Although the endocytic functions of these proteins have been extensively studied, much less effort has been expended in exploring their nuclear roles. Membrane trafficking proteins can affect signalling and proliferation and this can be achieved either at a nuclear or endocytic level. Furthermore, some proteins, such as Huntingtin interacting protein 1, are known as cancer biomarkers. This review will highlight the limits of our understanding of their nuclear functions and the relevance of this to signalling and oncogenesis.
Confirmatory adaptive designs with Bayesian decision tools for a targeted therapy in oncology

The ability to select a sensitive patient population may be crucial for the development of a targeted therapy. Identifying such a population with an acceptable level of confidence may lead to an inflation in development time and cost. We present an approach that allows to decrease these costs and to increase the reliability of the population selection. It is based on an actual adaptive phase II/III design and uses Bayesian decision tools to select the population of interest at an interim analysis. The primary endpoint is assumed to be the time to some event like e.g. progression. It is shown that the use of appropriately stratified logrank tests in the adaptive test procedure guarantees overall type I error control also when using information on patients that are censored at the adaptive interim analysis. The use of Bayesian decision tools for the population selection decision making is discussed. Simulations are presented to illustrate the operating characteristics of the study design relative to a more traditional development approach. Estimation of treatment effects is considered as well. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Constitutive Expression of Outer Surface Protein C Diminishes the Ability of Borrelia burgdorferi To Evade Specific Humoral Immunity

ABSTRACT The Lyme disease spirochete Borrelia burgdorferi reduces the expression of outer surface protein C (OspC) in response to the development of an anti-OspC humoral response, leading to the hypothesis that the ability to repress OspC expression is critical for the pathogen to proceed to chronic infection. B. burgdorferi was genetically modified to constitutively express OspC by introducing an extra ospC copy fused with the borrelial flagellar gene (flaB) promoter. Such a genetic modification did not reduce infectivity or pathogenicity in severe combined immunodeficiency mice but resulted in clearance of infection by passively transferred OspC antibody. Spirochetes with constitutive ospC expression were unable to establish chronic infections in immunocompetent mice unless they had undergone very destructive mutations in the introduced ospC copy. Two escape mutants were identified; one had all 7 bp deleted between the putative ribosome-binding site and the start codon, ATG, causing a failure in translational initiation, and the other mutant had an insertion of 2 bp between nucleotides 315 and 316, resulting in a nonsense mutation at codon 108. Thus, the ability of B. burgdorferi to repress ospC expression during mammalian infection allows the pathogen to avoid clearance and to preserve the integrity of the important gene for subsequent utilization during its enzootic life cycle.
State-level marriage equality and the health of same-sex couples.

OBJECTIVES We assessed the association between the health of people in same-sex relationships and the degree and nature of the legal recognition of same-sex relationships offered in the states in which they resided. METHODS We conducted secondary data analyses on the 2010 to 2013 Current Population Survey and publicly available data from Freedom to Marry, Inc. We estimated ordered logistic regression models in a 4-level framework to assess the impact of states' legal stances toward same-sex marriage on self-assessed health. RESULTS Our findings indicated, relative to states with antigay constitutional amendments, that same-sex couples living in states with legally sanctioned marriage reported higher levels of self-assessed health. CONCLUSIONS Our findings suggested that full legal recognition of same-sex relationships through marriage might be an important legal and policy strategy for improving the health of same-sex couples.
Structural insights from a P450 Carrier Protein complex reveal how specificity is achieved in the P450BioI ACP complex

Cytochrome P450BioI (CYP107H1) from the biotin operon of Bacillus subtilis forms a seven-carbon diacid through a multistep oxidative cleavage of a fatty acid linked to acyl carrier protein (ACP). Crystal structures of P450BioI in complex with three different length fatty acyl-ACP (Escherichia coli) ligands show that P450BioI binds the fatty acid such as to force the carbon chain into a U-shape above the active site heme. This positions the C7 and C8 carbons for oxidation, with a large additional cavity extending beyond the heme to accommodate the methyl termini of fatty acids beyond the site of cleavage. The structures explain the experimentally observed lack of stereo- and regiospecificity in the hydroxylation and cleavage of free fatty acids. The P450BioI-ACP complexes represent the only structurally characterized P450-carrier protein complexes to date, which has allowed the generation of a model of the interaction of the vancomycin biosynthetic P450 OxyB with its proposed carrier protein bound substrate.
Amylase activity is associated with AMY2B copy numbers in dog: implications for dog domestication, diet and diabetes

High amylase activity in dogs is associated with a drastic increase in copy numbers of the gene coding for pancreatic amylase, AMY2B, that likely allowed dogs to thrive on a relatively starch-rich diet during early dog domestication. Although most dogs thus probably digest starch more efficiently than do wolves, AMY2B copy numbers vary widely within the dog population, and it is not clear how this variation affects the individual ability to handle starch nor how it affects dog health. In humans, copy numbers of the gene coding for salivary amylase, AMY1, correlate with both salivary amylase levels and enzyme activity, and high amylase activity is related to improved glycemic homeostasis and lower frequencies of metabolic syndrome. Here, we investigate the relationship between AMY2B copy numbers and serum amylase activity in dogs and show that amylase activity correlates with AMY2B copy numbers. We then describe how AMY2B copy numbers vary in individuals from 20 dog breeds and find strong breed-dependent patterns, indicating that the ability to digest starch varies both at the breed and individual level. Finally, to test whether AMY2B copy number is strongly associated with the risk of developing diabetes mellitus, we compare copy numbers in cases and controls as well as in breeds with varying diabetes susceptibility. Although we see no such association here, future studies using larger cohorts are needed before excluding a possible link between AMY2B and diabetes mellitus.