Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Effect of exogenous sialylation of the lipooligosaccharide of Neisseria gonorrhoeae on opsonophagocytosis

Serum-sensitive Neisseria gonorrhoeae strains become serum resistant when grown in the presence of a sialic acid precursor, cytidine monophospho-N-acetylneuraminic acid. We examined the abilities of human neutrophils to phagocytose sialylated and nonsialylated gonococci and observed a decrease in the complement-dependent phagocytosis of sialylated gonococci compared with that of nonsialylated gonococci (50.7 versus 25.9% survival at 30 min). This decrease in opsonophagocytosis after sialylation may contribute to the pathogenicity of gonococcal infections.
E-government as an anti-corruption tool: panel data analysis across countries

Over the past two decades, many governments around the world have adopted e-government as an anti-corruption tool. However, there is a lack of empirical evidence on the impacts of e-government on corruption. Thus, this article aims to empirically examine whether e-government reduces corruption across countries. For this purpose, longitudinal data from 2003 to 2016 were collected from 214 countries and then panel data analysis based on a fixed-effect model was conducted. Analysis results reveal that e-government as a whole significantly reduces corruption, while the effects of open government as one type of e-government are unclear. However, the rule of law moderates the relationship between open government and corruption. That is, in countries with more effective legal systems, open government is more likely to reduce corruption than in countries with less effective legal systems. Points for practitioners E-government as a whole can effectively reduce corruption. Open government, such as open data portals and online discussion forums, does not have a direct impact on the reduction of corruption. Open government can have a conditional impact on corruption, relying on the effectiveness of legal systems.
Estimation of covariate effects in generalized linear mixed models with a misspecified distribution of random intercepts and slopes

Generalized linear mixed models with random intercepts and slopes provide useful analyses of clustered and longitudinal data and typically require the specification of the distribution of the random effects. Previous work for models with only random intercepts has shown that misspecifying the shape of this distribution may bias estimates of the intercept, but typically leads to little bias in estimates of covariate effects. Very few papers have examined the effects of misspecifying the joint distribution of random intercepts and slopes. However, simulation results in a recent paper suggest that misspecifying the shape of the random slope distribution can yield severely biased estimates of all model parameters. Using analytic results, simulation studies and fits to example data, this paper examines the bias in parameter estimates due to misspecification of the shape of the joint distribution of random intercepts and slopes. Consistent with results for models with only random intercepts, and contrary to the claims of severe bias in a recent paper, we show that misspecification of the joint distribution typically yields little bias in estimates of covariate effects and is restricted to covariates associated with the misspecified random effects distributions. We also show that misspecification of the distribution of random effects has little effect on confidence interval performance. Coverage rates based on the model‐based standard errors from fitted likelihoods were generally quite close to nominal. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
M9, A Novel Region of Amino‐Nogo‐A, Attenuates Cerebral Ischemic Injury by Inhibiting NADPH Oxidase‐Derived Superoxide Production in Mice

In acute stroke, neurological damage is due to oxidative stress and neuronal apoptotic death. This study investigated whether Nogo‐A 290‐562 residues region (M9), fused to the transduction domain of the HIV trans‐activator (TAT) protein, is neuroprotective against cerebral ischemia and the mechanisms.
Age‐related bias in function of natural killer T cells and granulocytes after stress: reciprocal association of steroid hormones and sympathetic nerves

Stress‐associated immune responses were compared between young (8 weeks of age) and old (56 weeks) mice. Since stress suppresses the conventional immune system (i.e. T and B cells) but inversely activates the primordial immune system (i.e. extrathymic T cells, NKT cells, and granulocytes), these parameters were analysed after restraint stress for 24 h. The thymus became atrophic as a function of age, and an age‐related increase in the number of lymphocytes was seen in the liver. Although the number of lymphocytes in both the thymus and liver decreased as the result of stress, the magnitude was much more prominent in the thymus. To determine stress‐resistant lymphocyte subsets, two‐colour immunofluorescence tests were conducted in the liver and spleen. NKT cells were found to be such cells in the liver of young mice. On the other hand, an infiltration of granulocytes due to stress was more prominent in the liver of old mice than in young mice. Liver injury as a result of stress was prominent in young mice. This age‐related bias in the function of NKT cells and granulocytes seemed to be associated with a difference in the responses of catecholamines (high in old mice) and corticosterone (high in young mice) after stress. Indeed, an injection of adrenaline mainly induced the infiltration of granulocytes while that of cortisol activated NKT cells. The present results suggest the existence of age‐related bias in the function of NKT cells and granulocytes after stress and that such bias might be produced by different responses of sympathetic nerves and steroid hormones between young and old mice.
Comprehensive analysis of titin protein isoform and alternative splicing in normal and mutant rats

Titin is a giant protein with multiple functions in cardiac and skeletal muscles. Rat cardiac titin undergoes developmental isoform transition from the neonatal 3.7 MDa N2BA isoform to primarily the adult 2.97 MDa N2B isoform. An autosomal dominant mutation dramatically altered this transformation. Titins from eight skeletal muscles: Tibialis Anterior (TA), Longissimus Dorsi (LD) and Gastrocnemius (GA), Extensor Digitorum Longus (ED), Soleus (SO), Psoas (PS), Extensor Oblique (EO), and Diaphram (DI) were characterized in wild type and in homozygous mutant (Hm) rats with a titin splicing defect. Results showed that the developmental reduction in titin size is eliminated in the mutant rat so that the titins in all investigated skeletal muscles remain large in the adult. The alternative splicing of titin mRNA was found repressed by this mutation, a result consistent with the large titin isoform in the mutant. The developmental pattern of titin mRNA alternative splicing differs between heart and skeletal muscles. The retention of intron 49 reveals a possible mechanism for the absence of the N2B unique region in the expressed titin protein of skeletal muscle. J. Cell. Biochem. 113: 1265–1273, 2012. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Identification of Apolipoprotein A-I as a “STOP” Signal for Myopia*

Good visual acuity requires that the axial length of the ocular globe is matched to the refractive power of the cornea and lens to focus the images of distant objects onto the retina. During the growth of the juvenile eye, this is achieved through the emmetropization process that adjusts the ocular axial length to compensate for the refractive changes that occur in the anterior segment. A failure of the emmetropization process can result in either excessive or insufficient axial growth, leading to myopia or hyperopia, respectively. Emmetropization is mainly regulated by the retina, which generates two opposite signals: “GO/GROW” signals to increase axial growth and “STOP” signals to block it. The presence of GO/GROW and STOP signals was investigated by a proteomics analysis of the retinas from chicken with experimental myopia and hyperopia. Of 18 differentially expressed proteins that were identified, five displayed an expression profile corresponding to GO/GROW signals, and two corresponded to STOP signals. Western blotting confirmed that apolipoprotein A-I (apoA-I) has the characteristics of a STOP signal both in the retina as well as in the fibrous sclera. In accordance with this, intraocular application of the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor α agonist GW7647 resulted in up-regulation of apoA-I levels and in a significant reduction of experimental myopia. In conclusion, using a comprehensive functional proteomics analysis of chicken ocular growth models we identified targets for ocular growth control. The correlation of elevated apoA-I levels with reduced ocular axial growth points toward a functional relationship with the observed morphological changes of the eye.
Confidence intervals for the amount of heterogeneity in meta‐analysis

Effect size estimates to be combined in a systematic review are often found to be more variable than one would expect based on sampling differences alone. This is usually interpreted as evidence that the effect sizes are heterogeneous. A random‐effects model is then often used to account for the heterogeneity in the effect sizes. A novel method for constructing confidence intervals for the amount of heterogeneity in the effect sizes is proposed that guarantees nominal coverage probabilities even in small samples when model assumptions are satisfied. A variety of existing approaches for constructing such confidence intervals are summarized and the various methods are applied to an example to illustrate their use. A simulation study reveals that the newly proposed method yields the most accurate coverage probabilities under conditions more analogous to practice, where assumptions about normally distributed effect size estimates and known sampling variances only hold asymptotically. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Fibre Bragg grating sensors for the analysis of pressure distribution at a disc brake/pad interface

The use of optical fibre Bragg gratings (FBGs) to monitor the Interface Pressure Distribution (IPD) on an automotive disc brake pad under a variety of loading conditions is studied. The results demonstrate successful strain transfer from the brake pads to the attached FBG sensors under static loading, with a linear response to increasing pressure, and with the measured IPD showing good agreement with that recorded using pressure sensitive paper. Results are also presented demonstrating that changes in the IPD as a result of torque acting on the brake pads can be monitored by the FBG sensors.
Assessing the Impact of State Human Trafficking Legislation on Criminal Justice System Outcomes

Since 2003, state legislatures in the United States have been active in passing legislation aimed at combating human trafficking. To date, all states have passed laws that criminalize acts of human trafficking, though with significant variation in the penalty structure and associated legal provisions. This article examines what aspects of state human trafficking laws are most impactful at increasing the arrest and prosecution of human trafficking suspects. Using panel data on state laws and associated enforcement actions from 2003 to 2012, this study confirms that more comprehensive state laws that invest in antitrafficking resources are most strongly associated with human trafficking arrests and prosecutions. States that make legislative provisions for victim assistance, law enforcement training, statutory task forces, and mandatory reporting have higher antitrafficking criminal enforcement. The political environment in which state human trafficking laws are enacted also influences their enforcement.
The effects of negative affectivity on self-reported activity limitations in stroke patients: Testing the Symptom Perception, Disability and Psychosomatic Hypotheses

This study investigated whether Negative Affectivity (NA) causes bias in self-report measures of activity limitations or whether NA has a real, non-artifactual association with activity limitations. The Symptom Perception Hypothesis (NA negatively biases self-reporting), Disability Hypothesis (activity limitations cause NA) and Psychosomatic Hypothesis (NA causes activity limitations) were examined longitudinally using both self-report and objective activity limitations measures. Participants were 101 stroke patients and their caregivers interviewed within two weeks of discharge, six weeks later and six months post-discharge. NA and self-report, proxy-report and observed performance activity (walking) limitations were assessed at each interview. NA was associated with activity limitations across measures. Both the Disability and Psychosomatic Hypotheses were supported: initial NA predicted objective activity limitations at six weeks but, additionally, activity limitations at six weeks predicted NA at six months. These results suggest that NA both affects and is affected by activity limitations and does not simply influence reporting.
A Safety Engineering Framework for Open Adaptive Systems

In recent years it has become more and more evident that openness and adaptivity are key characteristics of next generation distributed systems. The reason for that is not least the advent of computing trends like Ubiquitous Computing, Ambient Intelligence, and Cyber Physical Systems, where systems are usually open for dynamic integration and able to react adaptively to changing situations. Despite being open and adaptive it is a common requirement for such systems to be safe. However, traditional safety assurance techniques, both state-of-the-practice and state-of-the-art, are not sufficient in this context. We recently developed some initial solution concepts based on conditional safety certificates and corresponding runtime analyses. In this paper we show how to operationalize these concepts. To this end we present in detail how to specify conditional safety certificates, how to transform them into suitable runtime models, and how these models finally support dynamic safety evaluations.
Mineralocorticoid receptor–mediated enhancement of neuronal excitability and synaptic plasticity in the dentate gyrus in vivo is dependent on the β‐adrenergic activity

The dentate gyrus neurons in the hippocampus contain a high density of both mineralocorticoid and adrenergic receptors. By in vivo extracellular recording from adrenalectomized rats we investigated the possible relationships between the two systems with regard to neuronal excitability and activity‐dependent synaptic plasticity. Pretreatment with aldosterone significantly enhanced both basal neuronal excitability and tetanically evoked synaptic plasticity in adrenalectomized, but not sham‐operated rats. The enhancement was blocked by spironolactone, indicating a mineralocorticoid receptor–dependent effect. The adrenomedullary hormone epinephrine also significantly enhanced synaptic plasticity via activation of β‐adrenergic receptors. β‐Adrenergic antagonist propranolol, infused directly into the dentate gyrus granule cell layer, significantly reduced the effect of aldosterone on neuronal excitability and partly canceled the aldosterone‐enhanced synaptic plasticity. No effect of propranolol was found after its amygdaloid infusion. The mineralocorticoid receptor antagonist spironolactone did not affect the epinephrine‐induced effects. These results indicate that the pretreated adrenal steroids interact with the catecholaminergic system in the dentate gyrus of adrenalectomized rats and that the functional β‐adrenergic pathway is involved in the mechanism of mineralocorticoid‐induced cellular effects in vivo. J. Neurosci. Res. 51:593–601, 1998. © 1998 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Characteristics of Intimate Partner Violence Incidents and the Environments in Which They Occur: Victim Reports to Responding Law Enforcement Officers

The objectives of this study were to identify intimate partner violence (IPV) incidence rates, to quantify specific risks and characteristics of these incidents and the environments in which they occur, to identify how often children are present for or injured during these incidents, and to identify differences in victim reports of IPV to law enforcement officers at the scene of the incident compared with previously published reports of IPV from retropsective, anonymous surveys and domestic violence shelter interviews. Data gathered by responding law enforcement officers at the scene of the IPV incident were used to determine the prevalence of IPV incident characteristics and outcomes. Females aged 20 to 39 years, unmarried adults, and African Americans were disproportionately represented as victims of IPV in this study. IPV incidents were significantly more likely to occur on Saturdays and Sundays and during the months of May through August. Relationship durations for suspect–victim pairs were most often less than 12 months at the time of the incident. Weapon use and/or strangulation was common, occurring in 44% of all incidents. Minors (under age 18 years) were frequently present in the home during the IPV incident or a member of the household (59%). This study provides a unique perspective of IPV by utilizing data collected directly from the scene of the incident by first responders. Previously published characteristics of IPV were confirmed, but this study also brings to light new and critical information concerning this prevalent form of violence. Study findings relating to incidence, seasonality, severity, disproportionately affected populations, and child exposure are discussed.
Rethinking Elite Research

This paper lays out a new formulation for understanding elite formation in Contemporary neo-liberal capitalism, though a critical review of the conceptual and methodological framework appropriate to 21st century business elite analysis. We argue that analysis of elites has traditionally rested on conceptions either of an 'establishment', where an 'old boy's network' is connected by personal ties, or of a control elite exercising power from the apex of large organizations so as to realize some social project. This latter approach became theoretically problematic after Poulantzas argued for the relative autonomy of elite groups and with the subsequent theoretical insistence on the depersonalization of power relations in an age of capillary power. However, we insist that it remains vital to focus on the role of key individuals as agents within contemporary capitalism. We propose to do this by drawing on recent innovations in social network analysis and in the sociology of stratification, which are set in the context of restructuring in present day neo-liberal capitalism. On this basis, we argue for a different conception of present day UK and US business elites that starts from a recognition of the fluidity of contemporary organization and the position of various intermediaries, such as investment bankers and consultants, in bridging roles.
Synthesis of N2‐Substituted Deoxyguanosine Nucleosides from 2‐Fluoro‐6‐O‐(Trimethylsilylethyl)‐2′‐Deoxyinosine

Syntheses of N2‐substituted nucleosides have been studied for many years, primarily with ribonucleosides. However, the primary route to these compounds requires acidic conditions that are too vigorous for the acid‐labile deoxyribonucleosides. The current strategy takes advantage of methods for low‐temperature, nonaqueous diazotization of ribosides in organic solvents using t‐butyl nitrate as the diazotizing agent and HF/pyridine as the fluoride source for the preaparation of a 2‐fluoro‐2? ‐deoxyinosine derivative that can be used to synthesize N2‐substituted deoxyguanosine.
Inhibition of p38 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase Improves Nitric Oxide–Mediated Vasodilatation and Reduces Inflammation in Hypercholesterolemia

Background— Oxidized low-density lipoprotein reduces endothelial nitric oxide production (an important mediator of vasoregulation) and activates p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK), a mediator of vascular inflammation. Animal models of vascular stress have previously predicted improvements in vascular function after p38 MAPK inhibition. We hypothesized that a selective p38&agr;/&bgr; MAPK inhibitor (losmapimod; GW856553) would improve compromised nitric oxide–mediated vasoregulation in patients with hypercholesterolemia. Methods and Results— Untreated hypercholesterolemic patients (low-density lipoprotein cholesterol >4.1 mmol/L) were randomized to receive losmapimod 7.5 mg (n=27) or placebo (n=29) twice daily for 28 days. Patients with known vascular disorders (eg, diabetes mellitus, coronary heart disease) were excluded. Forearm blood flow was measured by venous occlusion plethysmography in response to serial intra-arterial infusion of acetylcholine, sodium nitroprusside, and NG-monomethyl-l-arginine (L-NMMA). Acetylcholine and L-NMMA responses were significantly impaired (P=0.01 and P=0.03) compared with responses in control subjects (n=12). In hypercholesterolemic patients treated with losmapimod, responses to acetylcholine were improved by 25% (95% confidence interval, 5 to 48; P=0.01), to sodium nitroprusside by 20% (95% confidence interval, 3 to 40; P=0.02), and to L-NMMA by 10% (95% confidence interval, −1 to 23; P=0.07) compared with placebo. C-reactive protein was reduced by 57% (95% confidence interval, −81 to −6%; P<0.05) in patients treated with losmapimod compared with placebo. Conclusions— Losmapimod improves nitric oxide–mediated vasodilatation in hypercholesterolemic patients, which is consistent with findings in previous translational animal models. These data support the hypothesis that attenuating the inflammatory milieu by inhibiting p38 MAPK activity improves NO activity. This suggests p38 MAPK as a novel target for patients with cardiovascular disease. Clinical Trial Registration— URL: http://clinicaltrials.gov. Unique identifier: NCT00474864.
Cryptic chromosomal aberrations leading to an AML1/ETO rearrangement are frequently caused by small insertions

The translocation t(8;21)(q22;q22), which results in the fusion of the AML1 (RUNX1) and ETO (CBFA2T1) genes, is a recurrent aberration in acute myeloid leukemia (AML), preferentially correlated with FAB M2, and has the highest incidence in childhood AML. Because of the favorable prognosis, the evidence of the t(8;21) or the AML1/ETO fusion gene is mandatory in most of the therapy trials, allowing the stratification of the patients to the correct risk group in terms of treatment. Here we present six out of 59 children with AML who were positive for AML1/ETO by RT‐PCR, but showed no evidence of the classical t(8;21)(q22;q22) by conventional cytogenetics. Because of the discrepancies between molecular and cytogenetic analyses, these six patients were further investigated by fluorescence in situ hybridization analysis. Small hidden interstitial insertions resulting in an AML1/ETO rearrangement were detected in five (8.5%) of the 59 patients, whereas the sixth patient showed a cryptic three‐way translocation. The insertions could be characterized as ins(21;8) in three patients and ins(8;21) in the remaining two. Additionally, three of the patients showed secondary chromosome aberrations leading to a higher complexity of the karyotype. In conclusion, the combination of more than one standard technique in the analysis of AML1/ETO is useful to reveal the overall frequency of cryptic chromosome rearrangements and permits a better understanding of the mechanisms involved in the generation of this fusion gene. © 2003 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.