Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Immunization of HLA Class I Transgenic Mice Identifies Autoantigenic Epitopes Eliciting Dominant Responses in Type 1 Diabetes Patients1

Type 1 diabetes (T1D) results from the autoimmune destruction of pancreatic β cells. CD8+ T cells have recently been assigned a major role in β cell injury. Consequently, the identification of autoreactive CD8+ T cells in humans remains essential for development of therapeutic strategies and of assays to identify aggressive cells. However, this identification is laborious and limited by quantities of human blood samples available. We propose a rapid and reliable method to identify autoantigen-derived epitopes recognized by human CD8+ T lymphocytes in T1D patients. Human histocompatibility leukocyte Ags-A*0201 (HLA-A*0201) transgenic mice were immunized with plasmids encoding the T1D-associated autoantigens: 65 kDa glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD) or insulinoma-associated protein 2 (IA-2). Candidate epitopes for T1D were selected from peptide libraries by testing the CD8+ reactivity of vaccinated mice. All of the nine-candidate epitopes (five for GAD and four for IA-2) identified by our experimental approach were specifically recognized by CD8+ T cells from newly diagnosed T1D patients (n = 19) but not from CD8+ T cells of healthy controls (n = 20). Among these, GAD114–123, GAD536–545 and IA-2805–813 were recognized by 53%, 25%, and 42% of T1D patients, respectively.
The burden of inflammatory bowel disease on health care utilization and quality of life

Abstract Objective. The aim of this study was to explore the utilization of health services by Finnish adults with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and to assess the associated demographic and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) factors. Material and methods. 556 Finnish IBD patients eligible for reimbursement for IBD medication according to the Social Insurance Institution in Finland answered our postal cross-sectional survey. The study questionnaire included questions about demographic characteristics of the patients, health care resource use, and HRQoL. The number of doctor visits was compared with those of irritable bowel syndrome patients. Results. During the previous year, more than three quarters of the respondents reported disturbing IBD symptoms. The majority (64%) had seen a doctor due to their IBD, women more often than men (p < 0.001). The use of health services did not differ between diagnostic (Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis) or age groups, marital status, education, or time elapsed since diagnosis. Women were absent from work more frequently than men (p = 0.01). The amount of physician visits, work absenteeism, and a higher amount of undergone procedures were related to impaired HRQoL (p < 0.001 on all accounts). Conclusions. Despite comprehensive public health services and specialized care for IBD patients in Finland, a majority expressed disturbing IBD symptoms. Since the amount of physician visits, work absenteeism and a higher amount of procedures were related to a diminished HRQoL, the patients who are most often met by professional caregivers are often those whose HRQoL needs to be more adequately addressed.
INFLUENCE OF COMPETITIVE AGGRESSIVENESS ON PERFORMANCE OF STATE CORPORATIONS IN KENYA

Aktan, B. , & Bulut, C. (2008). Financial Performance Impacts of Corporate Entrepreneurship inEmerging Markets: A Case of Turkey. European Journal of Economics , Finance and Administrative Sciences, 12. Birkinshaw, J., Hood N & Young S. (2005). Subsidiary Entrepreneurship, Internal and External Competitive Forces and Subsidiary Performance. International Business Review , 14(2), 47-248. Black, P. J., & Wiliam, D. (2004). Towards coherence between classroom assessment and accountability : 103rd yearbook of the National Society for the Study of Education (part 2) (20–50). Chicago: University of Chicago Press. Covin, J. . , & Slevin, D. (1991). A conceptual model of entrepreneurship as firm behaviour. Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice , 16(1), 7–25. Dess, G. G. , Lumpkin, G. T. & Eisner A.B. (2007). Strategic Management : Text and Cases, 3rd Ed. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill/Irwin. Lumpkin, G. T. Cogliser, C. C. and Schneider, D. R (2009). Understanding and Measuring Autonomy: An Entrepreneurial Orientation Perspective, Entrepreneurship and Theory in Practice , 33(1), 47-69 Lumpkin, G. T. , & Dess, G. G. (1996). Clarifying the entrepreneurial orientation construct and linking it to performance. Academy of Management review , 135-172. Lumpkin, G. T. , & Dess, G. G. (2001). Linking two dimensions of entrepreneurial orientation to firm performance. The moderating role of environment and industry life cycle. Journal of Business Venturing , 16(5), 429-451. Lwamba, N.M, Bwisa, H & Sakwa, M. (2014). Exploring the Effect of Corporate Entrepreneurship on Financial Performance of Firms: Evidence from Kenya’s Manufacturing Firms. International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences. Vol. 4, No. 1 Mayaka, C. (2006). Safaricom Limited (A) Crafting Business and Marketing Strategy for a New Market. Nairobi: School of Business Unites States International University. Mokaya, S. (2012). Corporate entrepreneurship and organizational performance,Theoretical perspectives approaches and outcomes. International Journal of Arts and Commerce , 1(4), 133–143. Mugenda, O.M. & Mugenda, A.G. (2003). Research Methods : Quantitative and QualitativeApproaches. Nairobi: African Centre for Technology Studies Rauch, A. , Wiklund, J., Lumpkin, G. , & Frese, M. (2009). Entrepreneurial Orientation and Business Performance: An Assessment of Past Research and Suggestions for the Future. Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice , 33(3), 761–787. Saunders, M. , Lewis, P. & Thornhill, A. (2009). Research methods for business students . (5th Edition). London: Prentice Hall.
Alterations of the Medullary Epithelial Compartment in the Aire-Deficient Thymus: Implications for Programs of Thymic Epithelial Differentiation12

A widely held model of thymic epithelial differentiation is based on patterns of keratin expression, where a K8+K5+ progenitor gives rise to K8+K5/K14− cortical thymic epithelium (CTEC), and medullary thymic epithelium (MTEC) are K8−K5+K14+. The thymic phenotype of p63-deficient mice indicates that p63 is an important regulator of proximal stages of thymic epithelial differentiation. In this study, we have examined several features of the thymic medullary compartment in wild-type and Aire-deficient thymi in an effort to integrate the proapoptotic activity of Aire with these different perspectives of TE differentiation. Patterns of keratin and p63 expression by MTEC described here are difficult to reconcile with postmitotic MTEC that express a K8−K14+ phenotype and suggest that the patterns of p63 and keratin expression reflecting differentiation programs of other epithelial tissues provide a useful framework for revising models of TE differentiation. Alterations of the Aire−/− MTEC compartment included reduced expression of p63, increased frequency of MTEC expressing truncated Aire protein, and shifts in the pattern of keratin expression and epithelial morphology. These data suggest a scenario where cellular targets of Aire-mediated apoptosis are postmitotic MTEC that have not yet completed their terminal differentiation program. According to this view, the minor population of globular K8+K14−/low MTEC observed in the Aire+/+ thymus and significantly expanded in the Aire−/− thymic medulla represent end-stage, terminally differentiated MTEC. These Aire-dependent alterations of the MTEC compartment suggest that the activity of Aire is not neutral with respect to the program of MTEC differentiation.
Calcium regulation of chloroplast protein translocation is mediated by calmodulin binding to Tic32

The import of nuclear-encoded proteins into chloroplasts is tightly controlled on both sides of the envelope membranes. Regulatory circuits include redox-control as well as calcium-regulation, with calmodulin being the likely mediator of the latter. Using affinity-chromatography on calmodulin-agarose, we could identify the inner envelope translocon component Tic32 as the predominant calmodulin-binding protein of this membrane. Calmodulin-binding assays corroborate the interaction for heterologously expressed as well as native Tic32. The interaction is calcium-dependent and is mediated by a calmodulin-binding domain between Leu-296 and Leu-314 close to the C-proximal end of the pea Tic32. We furthermore could establish Tic32 as a bona fide NADPH-dependent dehydrogenase. NADPH but not NADH or NADP+ affects the interaction of Tic110 with Tic32 as well as Tic62. At the same time, dehydrogenase activity of Tic32 is affected by calmodulin. In particular, binding of NADPH and calmodulin to Tic32 appear to be mutually exclusive. These results suggest that redox modulation and calcium regulation of chloroplast protein import convene at the Tic translocon and that both could be mediated by Tic32.
Why Farmers Involve Themselves in Co‐Operative District Councils

This study finds that selective incentives induce district council members and chairpersons to work for the collective best of a co‐operative membership. Being the lowest echelon of a co‐operative's internal governance hierarchy, district councils constitute a link between the membership and the board of directors. Previous research indicates that district council members are often driven by a co‐operative conviction and social concerns. The present study challenges this view. On the basis of a survey of all 191 district council members and council chairpersons of a large Swedish agricultural co‐operative, it is found that the elected representatives rank low in terms of co‐operative conviction and social concerns. They involve themselves mainly in order to get personal benefits; they want to gain access to information, mature personally and obtain inputs to develop their farm enterprises. The financial compensation is of limited importance.
Assessment of Chemical Impact of Invasive Bryozoan Pectinatella magnifica on the Environment: Cytotoxicity and Antimicrobial Activity of P. magnifica Extracts

Pectinatella magnifica, an invasive bryozoan, might significantly affect ecosystem balance due to its massive occurrence in many areas in Europe and other parts of the world. Biological and chemical analyses are needed to get complete information about the impact of the animal on the environment. In this paper, we aimed to evaluate in vitro cytotoxic effects of five extracts prepared from P. magnifica using LDH assay on THP-1 cell line. Antimicrobial activities of extracts against 22 different bacterial strains were tested by microdilution method. Our study showed that all extracts tested, except aqueous portion, demonstrated LD50 values below 100 μg/mL, which indicates potential toxicity. The water extract of P. magnifica with LD50 value of 250 μg/mL also shows potentially harmful effects. Also, an environmental risk resulting from the presence and increasing biomass of potentially toxic benthic cyanobacteria in old colonies should not be underestimated. Toxicity of Pectinatella extracts could be partially caused by presence of Aeromonas species in material, since we found members of these genera as most abundant bacteria associated with P. magnifica. Furthermore, P. magnifica seems to be a promising source of certain antimicrobial agents. Its methanolic extract, hexane, and chloroform fractions possessed selective inhibitory effect on some potential pathogens and food spoiling bacteria in the range of MIC 0.5–10 mg/mL. Future effort should be made to isolate and characterize the content compounds derived from P. magnifica, which could help to identify the substance(s) responsible for the toxic effects of P. magnifica extracts.
Changes in alcohol intake and risk of upper digestive tract cancer

Introduction. Alcohol intake measured at one point in time is a strong predictor for later development of cancer of the oral cavity, pharynx, larynx and esophagus. In this prospective cohort study, we examined whether changes in individual alcohol intake resulted in subsequent altered risk of these cancers. Material and methods. In the Copenhagen City Heart Study we assessed alcohol intake among 4 896 men and 6 239 women who participated at both the first (1976–1978) and second (1981–1983) examination of the study. Alcohol intake changes on risk of upper digestive tract cancer 1981–2002 were examined by a Cox model adjusted for potential confounders. Results. Despite a small number of cases (n = 105), alcohol intake increase >14 drinks/week was associated with significantly elevated risk (hazard ratio = 2.5; 95% confidence interval, 1.1–5.3), while suggestively decreased risk was observed for persons lowering alcohol intake >7 drinks/week (0.5; 0.1–2.5). The trend test was highly significant (p < 0.0001). Conclusions. These findings support public health messages of not increasing alcohol intake and lowering consumption among people with high alcohol intake.
The integrity of the conserved ‘WS motif’ common to IL‐2 and other cytokine receptors is essential for ligand binding and signal transduction.

Recent studies have identified a new family of cytokine receptors, which is primarily characterized by the conservation of periodically interspersed four cysteine residues and the W‐S‐X‐W‐S sequence (‘WS motif’) within the extracellular domain. However, the role of such conserved structures still remains elusive, in particular that of the WS motif. Interleukin‐2 (IL‐2) is known to play a critical role in the clonal expansion of antigen‐stimulated T lymphocytes, and the IL‐2 signal is delivered by one of the receptor components, the IL‐2 receptor beta (IL‐2R beta) chain. The IL‐2R beta chain, unlike the IL‐2R alpha chain, belongs to this receptor family. In the present study, we analyzed the function of the WS motif of IL‐2R beta (Trp194‐Ser195‐Pro196‐Trp197‐Ser198) with the use of site‐directed mutagenesis. Our results indicate the critical role of the two Trp residues in the proper folding of the IL‐2R beta extracellular domain and point to the general functional importance of the WS motif in the new cytokine receptor family.
Neural networks based adaptive control for a class of uncertain nonlinear processes

In this paper, an adaptive neural controller design procedure for a class of nonlinear systems with incompletely known and time varying nonlinearities is presented. The unknown process dynamics is on-line identified using feedforward neural networks based estimators. Both the form of the controller and the adaptation laws of neural networks weights are derived from a Lyapunov stability property of the closed-loop system. The derived control method guarantees semiglobal uniform boundedness for adaptive system. In order to test the proposed method, the neural networks based adaptive control is applied in the case of a prototype fermentation bioprocess, for which kinetic dynamics is strongly nonlinear, time varying and not exactly known.
Preliminary outcomes of primary phacoemulsification plus intraocular lens implantation for primary angle-closure glaucoma.

PURPOSE To evaluate effects and safety of primary phacoemulsification plus intraocular lens implantation for controlled chronic angle-closure glaucoma (CACG) or primary angle-closure (PAC). DESIGN Prospective, non-randomized comparative trial. METHODS Two treatment groups were used. The IOL group included the use of phacoemulsification plus intraocular lens (IOL) implantation in 27 eyes. The LI group included treatment by laser iridotomy (LI) in 23 eyes. Intraocular pressure (IOP), numbers of anti-glaucoma medications, complications, and corneal endothelial cell counts were examined in each group. RESULTS In the IOL group, IOP was significantly reduced from a preoperative mean of 14.8 +/- 4.2 mmHg to a 6-month-postoperative mean of 10.8 +/- 1.6 mmHg (P < .05). However, in the LI group, mean preoperative IOP was 15.5 +/- 4.1 mmHg, and the 6-month-postoperative IOP was 14.7 +/- 4.7 mmHg (P = .76). In the IOL group, no patient used anti-glaucoma medications 6-month postoperatively, whereas in the LI group, mean number of anti-glaucoma medications was 0.2 +/- 0.4 (P < .05). There were no significant differences in preoperative and postoperative corneal endothelial cell counts between IOL and LI groups (P = .39). CONCLUSIONS Primary phacoemulsification plus intraocular lens implantation for controlled CACG or PAC seems to be a safe and effective method in reducing IOP. This procedure might become the first treatment of choice for controlled CACG or PAC with cataract.
Short Code: An Efficient RAID-6 MDS Code for Optimizing Degraded Reads and Partial Stripe Writes

As reliability requirements are increasingly important in both clusters and data centers, RAID-6, which can tolerate any two concurrent disk failures, has been widely used in modern storage systems. However, most existing RAID-6 codes cannot provide satisfied performance on both degraded reads and partial stripe writes, which are important performance metrics in storage systems. To address these problems, in this paper we propose a new RAID-6 MDS erasure code called Short Code, in order to optimize the degraded reads and partial stripe writes. In Short Code, we propose a novel short horizontal parity chain, which assures that all disks contribute to degraded reads while the continuous data elements are more likely to share the same horizontal chain for optimizing degraded reads. On the other hand, Short Code distributes all diagonal parities among disks for optimizing partial stripe writes. The proposed Short Code not only owns the optimal storage efficiency, but also keeps the optimal complexity for both encoding/decoding computations and update operations. The experiments show that Short Code achieves much higher speed on degraded reads and partial stripe writes than other popular RAID-6 codes, and provide acceptable performance on single disk failure recoveries and normal reads. Specifically, compared to RDP code, Short Code provides 6.1 to 26.3 percent higher speed on degraded reads and 36.2 to 80.3 percent higher speed on partial stripe writes with the same number of disks.
Host‐Pathogen Interactions, Insect Outbreaks, and Natural Selection for Disease Resistance

The theory of insect population dynamics has shown that heterogeneity in natural‐enemy attack rates is strongly stabilizing. We tested the usefulness of this theory for outbreaking insects, many of which are attacked by infectious pathogens. We measured heterogeneity among gypsy moth larvae in their risk of infection with a nucleopolyhedrovirus, which is effectively heterogeneity in the pathogen’s attack rate. Our data show that heterogeneity in infection risk in this insect is so high that it leads to a stable equilibrium in the models, which is inconsistent with the outbreaks seen in North American gypsy moth populations. Our data further suggest that infection risk declines after epidemics, in turn suggesting that the model assumption of constant infection risk is incorrect. We therefore constructed an alternative model in which natural selection drives fluctuations in infection risk, leading to reductions after epidemics because of selection for resistance and increases after epidemics because of a cost of resistance. This model shows cycles even for high heterogeneity, and experiments confirm that infection risk is indeed heritable. The model is very general, and so we argue that natural selection for disease resistance may play a role in many insect outbreaks.
Colorectal cancer: CT colonography and colonoscopy for detection--systematic review and meta-analysis.

PURPOSE To perform a systematic review and meta-analysis of published studies assessing the sensitivity of both computed tomographic (CT) colonography and optical colonoscopy (OC) for colorectal cancer detection. MATERIALS AND METHODS Analysis followed Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses recommendations. The primary data source was the results of a detailed PubMed search from 1994 to 2009. Diagnostic studies evaluating CT colonography detection of colorectal cancer were assessed by using predefined inclusion and exclusion criteria, in particular requiring both OC and histologic confirmation of disease. Studies that also included a mechanism to assess true-positive versus false-negative diagnoses at OC (eg, segmental unblinding) were used to calculate OC sensitivity. Assessment and data extraction were performed independently by two authors. Potential bias was ascertained by using Quality Assessment of Diagnostic Accuracy Studies guidelines. Specific CT colonography techniques were cataloged. Forest plots of per-patient sensitivity were produced on the basis of random-effect models. Potential bias across primary studies was assessed by using the I(2) statistic. Original study authors were contacted for data clarification when necessary. RESULTS Forty-nine studies provided data on 11,151 patients with a cumulative colorectal cancer prevalence of 3.6% (414 cancers). The sensitivity of CT colonography for colorectal cancer was 96.1% (398 of 414; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 93.8%, 97.7%). No heterogeneity (I(2) = 0%) was detected. No cancers were missed at CT colonography when both cathartic and tagging agents were combined in the bowel preparation. The sensitivity of OC for colorectal cancer, derived from a subset of 25 studies including 9223 patients, was 94.7% (178 of 188; 95% CI: 90.4%, 97.2%). A moderate degree of heterogeneity (I(2) = 50%) was present. CONCLUSION CT colonography is highly sensitive for colorectal cancer, especially when both cathartic and tagging agents are combined in the bowel preparation. Given the relatively low prevalence of colorectal cancer, primary CT colonography may be more suitable than OC for initial investigation of suspected colorectal cancer, assuming reasonable specificity. SUPPLEMENTAL MATERIAL http://radiology.rsna. org/lookup/suppl/doi:10.1148/radiol.11101887/-/DC1.
Classical altitude training

For more than 40 years, the effects of classical altitude training on sea‐level performance have been the subject of many scientific investigations in individual endurance sports. To our knowledge, no studies have been performed in team sports like football. Two well‐controlled studies showed that living and training at an altitude of ≥1800–2700 m for 3–4 weeks is superior to equivalent training at sea level in well‐trained athletes. Most of the controlled studies with elite athletes did not reveal such an effect. However, the results of some uncontrolled studies indicate that sea‐level performance might be enhanced after altitude training also in elite athletes. Whether hypoxia provides an additional stimulus for muscular adaptation, when training is performed with equal intensity compared with sea‐level training is not known. There is some evidence for an augmentation of total hemoglobin mass after classical altitude training with duration ≥3 weeks at an altitude ≥2000 m due to altitude acclimatization. Considerable individual variation is observed in the erythropoietic response to hypoxia and in the hypoxia‐induced reduction of aerobic performance capacity during training at altitude, both of which are thought to contribute to inter‐individual variation in the improvement of sea‐level performance after altitude training.
Investigating the Factors That Make a Fashion App Successful: The Moderating Role of Personalization

ABSTRACT Online fashion retailers promote use of fashion apps among their consumers. However, dissatisfaction in using these apps is one of the reasons consumers uninstall them. This research studies the influence of information quality, service quality, and system quality on app satisfaction. Further, the influence of app satisfaction on purchase intentions is also studied. In addition, the moderating role of personalization among the three quality dimensions and app satisfaction is observed. Primary data were collected from 268 respondents. The results established system quality as the most significant factor influencing app satisfaction. Further, personalizing the app increased the influence of the three quality dimensions on app satisfaction.