Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Apical and basolateral endocytosis in Madin‐Darby canine kidney (MDCK) cells grown on nitrocellulose filters.

Madin‐Darby canine kidney (MDCK) cells (strain I) grown on 0.45 micron pore size nitrocellulose filters formed monolayers which were highly polarized and had high transepithelial electrical resistance (greater than 3000 ohm X cm2). Morphometric analysis showed that the area of the basolateral surface domain was 7.6 times larger than that of the apical. The uptake of fluid‐phase markers [3H]inulin and horseradish peroxidase (HRP) was studied from the apical and the basal side of the monolayer. Uptake of [3H]inulin was biphasic and the rate during the first 40 min corresponded to a fluid phase uptake of 20.5 X 10(‐8) nl/min per cell from the basolateral side, and 1.0 X 10(‐8) nl/min per cell from the apical side. Electron micrographs of the monolayers after HRP uptake showed that the marker was rapidly delivered into endosome‐like vesicles and into multivesicular bodies. No labelling of the Golgi complex could be observed during 2 h of uptake. Evidence was obtained for the transport of fluid phase markers across the cell. HRP and fluorescein isothiocyanate‐dextran crossed the monolayers in either direction at a rate corresponding to approximately 3 X 10(‐8) nl of fluid/min/cell. Adding the transcytosis rate to the rate of fluid accumulation into the cell yielded a total basolateral endocytic rate which was 6‐fold greater than the apical rate. When the uptake rates were normalized for membrane area the apical and basolateral endocytic rates were about equal per unit cell surface area.
The effect of the ground plane incorporated into layers on multilayer CBCPW lines, lumped elements and circuit for a compact MCM

This paper investigates the effect of embedding the ground plane of conductor-backed CPW lines and lumped elements in the lower layers of a multilayer substrate. This is of interest for realizing more compact multilayer MCMs. Dropping the ground plane to lower layers increases the circuit density and at the same time improves the performance of CPW lines and lumped elements. The practical effect of dropping the ground plane down into the lower layers is investigated for a 3GHz low pass filter.
Addressing Morbid Obesity as a Barrier to Renal Transplantation With Laparoscopic Sleeve Gastrectomy

Morbid obesity is a barrier to renal transplantation and is inadequately addressed by medical therapy. We present results of a prospective evaluation of laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (LSG) for patients failing to achieve significant weight loss with medical therapy. Over a 25‐month period, 52 obese renal transplant candidates meeting NIH guidelines for metabolic surgery underwent LSG. Mean age was 50.0 ± 10.0 years with an average preoperative BMI of 43.0 ± 5.4 kg/m2 (range 35.8–67.7 kg/m2). Follow‐up after LSG was 220 ± 152 days (range 26–733 days) with last BMI of 36.3 ± 5.3 kg/m2 (range 29.2–49.8 kg/m2) with 29 (55.8%) patients achieving goal BMI of <35 kg/m2 at 92 ± 92 days (range 13–420 days). The mean percentage of excess weight loss (%EWL) was 32.1 ± 17.6% (range 6.7–93.8%). A segmented regression model was used to compare medical therapy versus LSG. This revealed a statistically significant increase in the BMI reduction rate (0.3 kg/m2/month versus 1.1 kg/m2/month, p < 0.0001). Patients also experienced a 40.9% decrease in anti‐hypertensive medications (p < 0.001) and a 49.7% decrease in total daily insulin dose (p < 0.001). LSG is a safe and effective means for addressing obesity in kidney transplant candidates in the context of a multidisciplinary approach.
Identify key grasping-related properties based on cutaneous electrotactile stimulation

It is important to close the control loop by providing tactile feedback to prosthesis users. An increasing number of researchers attempt to improve grasping performance by providing various types of tactile feedbacks. In our study, we improve the performance by a virtual environment in which subjects acquire two key grasping-related properties, including object's stiffness, economically holding power (Feco) that could stop the objects slipping by a minimum force, using pressure feedback and slipping feedback generated by electrotactile stimulation during they are grasping objects. Results indicate that this method is feasible. The accurate discrimination of two levels' stiffness is 95.4%, and the accurate discrimination of four levels' economically holding power (Feco) is 78.3%. Furthermore, in order to compare the discriminating performance, we investigate the confused types in discriminating the stiffness and the economically holding power (feco).
Cultural variation in health locus of control.

OBJECTIVE To compare health locus of control scores in women from different ethnic backgrounds. METHOD One-hundred and twenty-eight caucasian, South Asian and Afro-Caribbean women completed written or orally presented versions of the multidimensional health locus of control scale, as well as ratings of religiousness, health status and occupational status. RESULTS South Asian women scored higher on 'chance' and 'powerful others' locus of control as predicted. They also had higher scores on internality. The ethnic differences persisted after controlling for occupation and health status. High religiousness among the South Asians appeared to explain some, but not all, of their higher scores. CONCLUSION South Asians may differ from British caucasians in relation to their beliefs about internal and external influences on health.
Z-Source B4 Inverters

Inverters designed using reduced active semiconductor devices can be of interest to the industry because of their lower cost and enhanced reliability linked to their less complex gating and control circuitries. Despite their simplicity, most of the reduced component count inverters reported to date can only either perform voltage-buck or boost operation with buck-boost operation usually attained by adding additional actively controlled dc-dc converters. Although effective, the adding of dc-dc converters introduces additional active switches, which somehow dilute advantages associated with a reduced component count topology. Proposing alternative configurations with a reduced active semiconductor count, this paper discusses the systematic design of a number of Z-source B4 inverters, whose buck-boost capability is attained passively by inserting LC elements and clamping diodes. Visually, the proposed inverters are configured to actively supply two phases of a three-phase load with the third phase passively clamped using clamping diodes. The inverters can operate without dead-time protection, which together with the lower active element count, further simplify the inverter control and gating circuitries, hence enhancing reliability. To validate the inverter performance and practicality, experimental testing is performed with a set of representative results presented in the paper for viewing. Advantages and disadvantages of the proposed inverters, as compared to existing circuitries, are also discussed in the paper.
Physiologically-based Simulation Modelling for the Reduction of Animal Use in the Discovery of Novel Pharmaceuticals

The global pharmaceutical industry is estimated to use close to 20 million animals annually, in in vivo studies which apply the results of fundamental biomedical research to the discovery and development of novel pharmaceuticals, or to the application of existing pharmaceuticals to novel therapeutic indications. These applications of in vivo experimentation include: a) the use of animals as disease models against which the efficacy of therapeutics can be tested; b) the study of the toxicity of those therapeutics, before they are administered to humans for the first time; and c) the study of their pharmacokinetics —i.e. their distribution throughout, and elimination from, the body. In vivo pharmacokinetic (PK) studies are estimated to use several hundred thousand animals annually. The success of pharmaceutical research currently relies heavily on the ability to extrapolate from data obtained in such in vivo studies to predict therapeutic behaviour in humans. Physiologically-based modelling has the potential to reduce the number of in vivo animal studies that are performed by the pharmaceutical industry. In particular, the technique of physiologically-based pharmacokinetic (PBPK) modelling is sufficiently developed to serve as a replacement for many in vivo PK studies in animals during drug discovery. Extension of the technique to incorporate the prediction of in vivo therapeutic effects and/or toxicity is less well-developed, but has potential in the longer-term to effect a significant reduction in animal use, and also to lead to improvements in drug discovery via the increased rationalisation of lead optimisation.
The Determinants of Corporate Social Responsibility: Evidence from Indian Firms

Corporate social responsibility (CSR) has emerged as an area of the topical research because of perceived concerns of the associated stakeholders. Departing from the previous studies which are mostly focused on the Western countries, we intend to study the determinants of CSR by drawing a sample of Indian firms. Our cross-sectional model results show that the size of the corporate firm, asset tangibility and profitability ratio positively influences firm’s involvement in CSR activities. On the other hand, systematic risk and leverage negatively affect CSR practices carried out by the firms in India. This study provides inputs to the existing policies on CSR which aims to affect the capital structure and firms strategy of the Indian companies.
IFN‐γ synergistically enhances LPS signalling in alveolar macrophages from COPD patients and controls by corticosteroid‐resistant STAT1 activation

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE IFN‐γ levels are increased in chronic obstructive airway disease (COPD) patients compared with healthy subjects and are further elevated during viral exacerbations. IFN‐γ can ‘prime’ macrophages to enhance the response to toll‐like receptor (TLR) ligands, such as LPS. The aim of this study was to examine the effect IFN‐γ on corticosteroid sensitivity in alveolar macrophages (AM).
Comparative molecular analysis of strains of the Aleutian Disease Virus isolated from farmed and wild mink.

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVE Aleutian Disease is a significant biological factor causing substantial losses in mink farming. The virus inducing the disease also infects wild populations which may constitute an asymptomatic reservoir. To compare genetic variants of the AMD virus occurring in wild and farmed mink populations, an analysis was performed on a fragment of the VP2 protein sequence of the virus infecting both populations, taken from different living environments. MATERIAL AND METHODS Genetic material was isolated from 11 farmed animals in which anti-AMDV antibodies had been detected and from 20 wild animals. The DNA obtained was amplified using primers specific for the fragment encoding the VP2 protein. The product obtained was sequenced and bioinformatic analysis was performed. RESULTS Viral material was detected in 11 farmed and 7 free-living animals. Similarity of sequences averaged 99% within groups and 94% between groups. The sequencing results made it possible to identify characteristic changes for each group. In the isolates from the wild animals, the following changes were observed in the epitope region with respect to the reference sequence: C3704T, G3710A, T3722C, T3746C and A3749G. In the isolates from the farmed animals a G3779A transition was noted. Phylogenetic analysis showed that the variants infecting the two groups occupy separate branches of the phylogenetic tree. CONCLUSIONS The variants of the virus infecting the two groups may have a common origin, but at present they constitute two separate groups, with characteristic differences making it possible to recognize their genotype.
Earnings Management or Measurement Error? The Effect of External Financing on Unexpected Accruals

We demonstrate that managers’ “normal” operating decisions associated with large (positive or negative) net external financing activities are likely to lead to significant measurement errors in unexpected accruals. The problem occurs pervasively in samples drawn from different time periods, samples that reflect a wide variety of alleged earnings management stimuli, as well as random samples. Simulation tests show that even at modest levels of net external financing changes, rejection frequencies for the null hypothesis of no earnings management rise dramatically. These results are robust to controls for performance and firm growth. Further analysis suggests that net debt financing is more likely to induce measurement error than equity financing. We find that the use of a matched-firm approach using industry and external financing matches is generally appropriate. These findings highlight the importance of controlling for the effect of external financing on unexpected accruals measures, and also have implications for research testing earnings management and financial reporting quality.
Evaluating and handling parameter variation influence on status estimation of LCL filter for grid connected inverters

Distributed renewable energy generations bring to attention the grid-connected inverter with LCL filter, whose control performance can be largely influenced by filter parameter variations. This paper has proposed a “comprehensive-loop-search, pattern-recognition, key-parameter-scan” method to evaluate the parameter variation influence, especially grid-side inductance and filter capacitance variation, on model-based full status estimation of the inverter using LCL filter. By certain patterns in the result of searching comprehensive parameters mismatch influences, it is found out that each state variable is mainly affected by a single corresponding filter parameter. Such single parameter influence is then studied in detail, it is demonstrated that choosing smaller value of the parameter in observer can result in lower observation error in larger parameter variation range. Based on the findings, grid-connected filter with LCL filter can be controlled using a single sensor while providing adaption for parameter variation, which could reduce the overall cost of the inverter. The proposed parameter selection strategy is validated by experimental results in both transients and steady states.
p53 Tumour Suppressor Gene Mutations in Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia and Prostate Cancer

Objectives: To identify and analyse point mutations in p53 tumour suppressor gene (Tp53) in benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) by temperature gradient gel electrophoresis (TGGE) and sequence. Materials and Methods: 141 tissue specimens (approx. 100 mg) after transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP), 12 specimens after needle biopsy. Control samples for genetic analysis were (a) 7 prostate tissues without any sign of BPH and malignancy and (b) 103 prostate cancer (PCa) tissues. DNA of the critical Tp53 exons 5–8 was amplified and run on horizontal polyacrylamide gels under defined temperature conditions (TGGE) to yield specific gel shifts and sets of homo- and heteroduplexes in case of mutation. Sequencing with a laser-fluorescent electrophoresis unit was done from re-amplified mutant and wild-type bands. Results: TGGE screening of 153 BPH samples identified 29 specimens with Tp53 mutations (5 in exon 5, 11 in exon 6, 12 in exon 7, 3 in exon 8; 1 tissue sample showed mutations in 3 exons at a time). The computed mutation frequency was 19.0%. Two patients, with mutation in BPH tissue, developed PCa 2–3 years after TURP. One patient with mutation in BPH tissue developed bladder cancer. Of 118 patients with non-mutated DNA in BPH, none is known to have a urological cancer. The Tp53 mutation frequency in 103 PCa samples was 26.2%. Significant differences of mutation frequency between BPH and PCa were detected only in lower exon 5 mutation counts in BPH. Conclusion: Tp53 mutation in BPH tissue may be a tumour risk factor.
Template Activating Factor-I Remodels the Chromatin Structure and Stimulates Transcription from the Chromatin Template*

To study the mechanisms of replication and transcription on chromatin, we have been using the adenovirus DNA complexed with viral basic core proteins, called Ad core. We have identified template activating factor (TAF)-I from uninfected HeLa cells as the factor that stimulates replication and transcription from the Ad core. The nuclease sensitivity assays have revealed that TAF-I remodels the Ad core, thereby making transcription and replication apparatus accessible to the template DNA. To examine whether TAF-I remodels the chromatin consisting of histones, the chromatin structure was reconstituted on the DNA fragment with core histones by the salt dialysis method. The transcription from the reconstituted chromatin was completely repressed, while TAF-I remodeled the chromatin and stimulated the transcription. TAF-I was found to interact with histones. Furthermore, it was shown that TAF-I is capable not only of disrupting the chromatin structure but also of preventing the formation of DNA-histone aggregation and transferring histones to naked DNA. The possible function of TAF-I in conjunction with a histone chaperone activity is discussed.
Cancer incidence trends in urban Shanghai, 1972–1994: An update

Incidence rates for a number of cancers in urban Shanghai, China, have been changing markedly. Herein we update the trends using population‐based data from the Shanghai Cancer Registry for 1972–1994. During 1993–1994, cancers of the lung, stomach, and liver were the 3 leading forms among men, with age‐adjusted (world standard) incidence rates of 50.9, 39.2, and 26.5 per 100,000 person‐years, respectively, followed by cancers of the colon (12.4) and esophagus (10.0). Among women, cancers of the breast (27.5), stomach (19.1), and lung (17.7) were the most common tumors, followed by cancers of the colon (11.3) and liver (9.4). Over the 23‐year period, the rate for all cancers combined, excluding non‐melanoma skin cancer, decreased from 247.5 to 215.2 among men and from 173.6 to 154.0 among women. However, trends for individual forms of cancer varied considerably. Rates doubled for cancers of the colon and biliary tract in both sexes, and they increased substantially for cancers of the brain and nervous system, kidney, pancreas, prostate, corpus uteri, female breast, and ovary, and for non‐Hodgkin's lymphoma. Rates for cancers of the lung and rectum changed little. Rates declined by at least one‐half for cancers of the esophagus and cervix, with notable decreases also for cancers of the stomach and liver. Some of these trends may reflect variations in diagnostic or screening practices, although changes in lifestyle and other environmental exposures are likely to play important roles. Further epidemiologic research in China is needed to identify risk factors influencing the cancer incidence trends. Int. J. Cancer 83:435–440, 1999. © 1999 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Enhancers and trans-acting E2 transcriptional factors of papillomaviruses

The upstream regulatory regions of human papillomavirus (HPV) types 1, 6b, 7, 11, 16, and 18, bovine papillomavirus type 1, and cottontail rabbit papillomavirus were cloned into transcriptional enhancer assay plasmids which carry the simian virus 40 early promoter lacking its own enhancer and the bacterial gene encoding chloramphenicol acetyltransferase (EC 2.3.1.28) (CAT). Enhancer activity, reflected by CAT gene expression, was detected in all of the upstream regulatory regions tested only when the recombinants were cotransfected with plasmids which express an intact E2 open reading frame of HPV types 1 and 11 or bovine papillomavirus type 1. Each E2 protein stimulated the enhancer from the same virus and, to somewhat lesser degrees, also those from the heterologous viruses. Hence, the enhancer and the E2 protein are functionally conserved among papillomaviruses. There was some nonreciprocity in the extent of trans-activation in heterologous E2-enhancer interactions. Primer extension analyses demonstrated that the E2 proteins increased the abundance of CAT gene mRNA. Tandem multiplication of the HPV type 11 enhancer sequence dramatically increased its response to E2 stimulation; this is possibly relevant to the pathogenicity of papillomaviruses.
The Global City and the Holy City: Narratives on Knowledge, Planning and Diversity

Tovi Fenster’s recent book can be read from several perspectives. Although at first glance it is a book about planning, to the feminist reader it appears to be very much about gender. Not only are gendered examples and case studies found throughout the text, but the author also acknowledges the major impact of gender on one’s quality of life, as a result of the service urban planning provides in multicultural societies. In this review I focus on gender only. The book includes an investigation of the lives of women and men in London and Jerusalem (the global city and the holy city), but Fenster goes further and offers her readers a more profound look, adding the intersection of gender with nationality. The complexity increases as the book aims to deal with questions of how cities work for different people through the concepts of comfort, belonging, and commitment; together they construct the overused notion of ‘quality of life’. How then, does this book illuminate the issue of gender in the two cities? To answer this, Fenster takes advantage of six urban spatial scales: the home, the building, the street, the neighborhood, the city and the city center, urban parks and public transportation. She shows how the patriarchal regime shapes a gendered reality in each of these cities and scales: women’s commitment is often located within the home; men’s comfort is often determined by their knowledge of the city layout; parenthood expands the sense of comfort and belonging of mothers, especially young ones, beyond the home limit into the neighbourhood; certain public domains such as transportation, parks and specific areas in the city are perceived as a threat by both men and women but the effect is nevertheless gendered. In addition to these detailed comments the strongest point of Fenster’s analysis lies in her ability to convince readers that when the city management cooperates with practices of isolation, division and restriction the result is greater tolerance of woman’s limited access to public spaces. This, she points out quite rightly, is reflected not only by the mere denial of physical access. More commonly women’s (mostly) limited access is reflected by the regulation of their public behaviour, the most notable form of this patriarchal control being the demand for specific clothing in particular spaces and places. As a result these women possess an ‘alternative’, local knowledge of the city. This knowledge is often discredited and pushed aside, revealing the institutional misuse of such local and gendered resources in providing urbanites with adequate planning services. Indeed, from a feminist point of view the power of the book lies in the sincere efforts to deal with the complexity embedded into the intersection of gender Gender, Place and Culture Vol. 12, No. 1, pp. 137–144, March 2005