Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Nanotechnology Tools for Efficient Antibacterial Delivery to Salmonella

In recent years, an increasing number of salmonellosis outbreaks have been recorded around the world, and probably there should be more cases that were not detected or reported (1). Many different types of Salmonella exist, some of which cause illness in both animals and people, and some types cause illness in animals but not in people. The various forms of Salmonella that can infect people are referred to as serotypes, which are very closely related microorganisms that share certain structural features. Some serotypes are only present in certain parts of the world (1). Salmonella spp are gram negative anaerobic and intracellular bacteria. Salmonellosis, mainly due to Salmonella typhimurium, occurs more frequently in HIV-infected patients than in healthy individuals and the frequency of bacteraemia is much higher in such patients (2).
Do WTO Rulings Really Matter? Evidence from the Rare Earth Elements Market

Rare earth elements (REEs) have gained increasing attention recently for several key reasons: 1) they are vital to many strategic industries, 2) they are relatively scarce, 3) they frequently exhibit high price fluctuations, 4) China holds a quasi-monopoly on their mining, and 5) China’s REE policy, which was overly restrictive and led to a formal complaint from the U.S., Japan, and the EU at the World Trade Organization (WTO) in 2012. This paper investigates whether the announcement of a WTO dispute resolution case can influence governmental changes in existing policies. We find empirical support for this notion, because REE prices exhibit a structural break around the announcement of a WTO dispute, and show lower variance ratios for all tested REEs afterward. This indicates a tendency toward efficiency, although REE prices still do not follow a random walk. Similarly, we find that the stock price informativeness of companies in the REE industry increases after such an announcement, reflecting more firm-specific than marketwide information and less governmental influence. Finally, we show that the model uncertainty for option pricing models decreases, which we measure by the lower pricing differences among them.
Fox proteins are modular competency factors for facial cartilage and tooth specification

ABSTRACT Facial form depends on the precise positioning of cartilage, bone, and tooth fields in the embryonic pharyngeal arches. How complex signaling information is integrated to specify these cell types remains a mystery. We find that modular expression of Forkhead domain transcription factors (Fox proteins) in the zebrafish face arises through integration of Hh, Fgf, Bmp, Edn1 and Jagged-Notch pathways. Whereas loss of C-class Fox proteins results in reduced upper facial cartilages, loss of F-class Fox proteins results in distal jaw truncations and absent midline cartilages and teeth. We show that Fox proteins are required for Sox9a to promote chondrogenic gene expression. Fox proteins are sufficient in neural crest-derived cells for cartilage development, and neural crest-specific misexpression of Fox proteins expands the cartilage domain but inhibits bone. These results support a modular role for Fox proteins in establishing the competency of progenitors to form cartilage and teeth in the face. Highlighted Article: Combinatorial mutagenesis studies reveal that a large family of Forkhead transcription factors integrate diverse signaling outputs to specify distinct cartilages and teeth in the developing zebrafish face.
Polygonal Complexity Counting Classes

In this work we introduce new counting classes defined by special sets of natural number like Triangular, Perfect Square, Pentagonal and generally K-gonal numbers. We shall see that NP is a subclass of all complements of K-gonal classes and all K-gonal classes are subclasses of a class defined by only perfect square numbers. صفوف التعقيد العدية المضلعة في هذا العمل تم تعريف صفوف تعقيد عدية جديدة اعتمادا على مجموعات جزئية من مجموعة الأعداد الطبيعية كالأعداد المثلثية 3-gonal والمربعة 4-gonal والمخمسة 5-gonal وعموما الأعداد المضلعة K-gonal numbers وسنبين أن الصف NP هو صف جزئي من مجموعة متممات الصف المولد بالمجموعة K-gonal وأن الصفوف التي تعرفها المجموعات K-gonal هي صفوف جزئية من الصف الذي تعرفه مجموعة الأعداد المربعة فقط
Conceptualizing Psychopathy in Triarchic Terms: Implications for Treatment

Clarifying the nature and origins of psychopathy is crucial to establishing effective methods for treating this severe form of pathology. The Triarchic Model of Psychopathy (Patrick, Fowles, & Krueger, 2009) is presented as a framework for resolving historic debates regarding the nature of psychopathy, and for guiding research on neurobiological influences contributing to its characteristic symptom picture. Evidence is reviewed for two distinct processes underlying “boldness” and “disinhibition” components of psychopathy in particular: underreactivity of the brain's defensive motivational system, and impairment in fronto-cortical regulatory circuitry. A third symptomatic facet, “meanness” (or callous-unemotionality) is theorized to reflect dysfunction in brain systems important for emotional empathy, and in endogenous neuromodulators such as oxytocin and vasopressin. We discuss how this variegated perspective on the nature and etiology of psychopathy can inform approaches to treatment. Specifically, focusing on feedback-based response modification and attentional retraining approaches as examples, we describe how specific neurobiologically-informed interventions might be developed to address distinct symptomatic components of psychopathy.
Which Combinations of Techniques and Modes of Delivery in Internet-Based Interventions Effectively Change Health Behavior? A Meta-Analysis

Background Many online interventions designed to promote health behaviors combine multiple behavior change techniques (BCTs), adopt different modes of delivery (MoD) (eg, text messages), and range in how usable they are. Research is therefore needed to examine the impact of these features on the effectiveness of online interventions. Objective This study applies Classification and Regression Trees (CART) analysis to meta-analytic data, in order to identify synergistic effects of BCTs, MoDs, and usability factors. Methods We analyzed data from Webb et al. This review included effect sizes from 52 online interventions targeting a variety of health behaviors and coded the use of 40 BCTs and 11 MoDs. Our research also developed a taxonomy for coding the usability of interventions. Meta-CART analyses were performed using the BCTs and MoDs as predictors and using treatment success (ie, effect size) as the outcome. Results Factors related to usability of the interventions influenced their efficacy. Specifically, subgroup analyses indicated that more efficient interventions (interventions that take little time to understand and use) are more likely to be effective than less efficient interventions. Meta-CART identified one synergistic effect: Interventions that included barrier identification/ problem solving and provided rewards for behavior change reported an average effect size that was smaller (ḡ=0.23, 95% CI 0.08-0.44) than interventions that used other combinations of techniques (ḡ=0.43, 95% CI 0.27-0.59). No synergistic effects were found for MoDs or for MoDs combined with BCTs. Conclusions Interventions that take little time to understand and use were more effective than those that require more time. Few specific combinations of BCTs that contribute to the effectiveness of online interventions were found. Furthermore, no synergistic effects between BCTs and MoDs were found, even though MoDs had strong effects when analyzed univariately in the original study.
Union wage premium

OW MUCH MORE do unionized workers earn than non-unionized workers? Since the 1970s, the wage gap has varied between 10 and 25% in Canada (Renaud 1997) and between 21 and 32% in the U.S. (Freeman and Medoff 1984). However, since that time, wage differentials may have shifted in light of external pressures such as globalization, technological advancement, and demographic changes. Many changes have occurred in workplace practices, such as flexibility, employee involvement, and the adoption of technology. Since unionized and non-unionized
Toll-Like Receptor 7 Agonists: Chemical Feature Based Pharmacophore Identification and Molecular Docking Studies

Chemical feature based pharmacophore models were generated for Toll-like receptors 7 (TLR7) agonists using HypoGen algorithm, which is implemented in the Discovery Studio software. Several methods tools used in validation of pharmacophore model were presented. The first hypothesis Hypo1 was considered to be the best pharmacophore model, which consists of four features: one hydrogen bond acceptor, one hydrogen bond donor, and two hydrophobic features. In addition, homology modeling and molecular docking studies were employed to probe the intermolecular interactions between TLR7 and its agonists. The results further confirmed the reliability of the pharmacophore model. The obtained pharmacophore model (Hypo1) was then employed as a query to screen the Traditional Chinese Medicine Database (TCMD) for other potential lead compounds. One hit was identified as a potent TLR7 agonist, which has antiviral activity against hepatitis virus in vitro. Therefore, our current work provides confidence for the utility of the selected chemical feature based pharmacophore model to design novel TLR7 agonists with desired biological activity.
On the subcellular localization of the polyamines.

Putrescine, spermidine and spermine were determined in the nuclear fraction of rat liver which was obtained by density gradient centrifugation in non-aqueous media, i.e. under conditions which avoid migration of water-soluble compounds. Calculations of the distribution of the polyamines between nuclear and extranuclear compartments were based on the assumption that the DNA is concentrated in the nuclei. No significant losses of the polyamines occurred during fractionation. From the polyamine determination in tissue and nuclear fraction it appeared that 16-17% of the liver spermidine and spermine, and about 8% of the putrescine content was localized in the nuclei. The spermidine/spermine-ratios in nuclei and whole tissue were not significantly different. Pretreatment of the animals with inhibitors of ornithine decarboxylase caused a decrease of putrescine exclusively in the extranuclear compartments, in agreement with a higher proportion of the inhibitors in the cytoplasm. Since the nuclear volume of rat liver corresponds to about 5% of total liver volume, the concentration of spermidine and spermine is higher in the nucleus than in extranuclear compartments. Published histochemical localizations of the polyamines suggested very low polyamine concentrations in the nuclei of non-dividing liver and HeLa cells, but dramatic polyamine accumulations in metaphase and anaphase nuclei. These results are in disagreement with previously reported autoradiographic data, subcellular localizations based on density gradient centrifugations, and with our present results. Since subcellular localization is a key issue in all attempts to clarify cellular functions of the polyamines the careful revision of the techniques involved in subcellular polyamine localizations seems imperative.
Japan and the Asian Development Bank

THIS PAPER studies Japan's policies in the Asian Development Bank 1(ADB) . Japan has enjoyed a dominant position in the ADB, different from other international organizations of which it is a member. Japan has been a major donor and assumed top managerial positions since the bank was founded in August 1966. The ADB was the first international institution created and led by Japanese. This case thus provides a glimpse of Japan's behavior as a dominant power in international institutions. My central question is whether Japan's power position in the ADB explains its policies, that is, whetherJapan is motivated by concerns for its relative influence, gains and ranking. In order to answer this question, this paper analyzes Japan's policies in three periods: (1) 1962-1972, (2) 1972-1986, and (3) since 1986, following a brief introduction to the ADB. Power analysis explains Japan's strategies towards the ADB in the period from 1962-72. But it does not provide adequate explanations forJapan's actions from 1972-86. Japan adopted a more passive stance and received fewer tangible gains despite its greater financial power and its significant institutional advantages. Power analysis gives some answers for Japan's increasing assertiveness since 1986, but does not account for Japan's decreasing interest in tangible economic gains. My main argument is that Japan's puzzling behavior can be explained by institutionalist arguments. A close connection between the ADB and the Japanese Ministry of Finance has not only offered the Japanese officials dealing with the ADB options for influencing bank policies from behind the scenes but also made them identify with the ADB. This paper offers a view ofJapan that is contrary to conventional wisdom ofJapanese foreign policy, which portraysJapan as shirking international responsibilities and interested only in economic gains. It shows that
Differential susceptibility of human thymic dendritic cell subsets to X4 and R5 HIV-1 infection

Objectives:Human thymus can be infected by HIV-1 with potential consequences on immune regeneration and homeostasis. We previously showed that CD4 thymocytes preferentially replicate CXCR4 tropic (X4) HIV-1 dependently on interleukin (IL)-7. Here we addressed the susceptibility of thymic dendritic cells (DC) to HIV-1 infection. Methods:We investigated the replication ability of CXCR4 or CCR5 (R5) tropic HIV-1 in thymic micro-explants as well as in isolated thymic CD11clowCD14− DC, CD11chighCD14+ DC and plasmacytoid DC subsets. Results:Thymic tissue was productively infected by both X4 and R5 viruses. However, X4 but not R5 HIV-1 replication was enhanced by IL-7 in thymic micro-explants, suggesting that R5 virus replication occurred in cells other than thymocytes. Indeed, we found that R5 HIV-1 replicated efficiently in DC isolated from thymic tissue. The replicative capacity of X4 and R5 viruses differed according to the different DC subsets. R5 but not X4 HIV-1 efficiently replicated in CD11chighCD14+ DC. In contrast, no HIV-1 replication was detected in CD11clowCD14− DC. Both X4 and R5 viruses efficiently replicated in plasmacytoid DC, which secreted interferon-α upon HIV-1 exposure. Productive HIV-1 infection also caused DC loss, consistent with different permissivity of each DC subset. Conclusions:Thymic DC sustain high levels of HIV-1 replication. DC might thus be the first target for R5 HIV-1 infection of thymus, acting as a Trojan horse for HIV-1 spread to thymocytes. Furthermore, DC death induced by HIV-1 infection may affect thymopoiesis.
Risk Attitude and Risk Management Strategies: An Analysis of Dairy Farmers in Tarai Area of Uttaranchal State

Animal husbandry in India plays an important role in the rural economy. India is bestowed with huge and diverse livestock resources. As per recent estimates of FAO (2004), India has 222 million cattle, 95 million buffaloes, 24 million goats, 59 million sheep and 843 million poultry birds. More than two-third of the farmers in India belong to the marginal and small farm categories and are severely constrained in raising income through crop cultivation. The ubiquitous aspect of any village in India is the presence of 1-2 milch animals or a few small stocks like goat or poultry in every household, which mainly serves as a source of supplementary income. The ownership of livestock in India is more evenly distributed with landless agricultural labourers, small and marginal farmers. Therefore, the progress in this sector would result in a more balanced development of the rural economy by way of increased opportunities for employment and income generation. There is a common perception that farmers in India are averse to modifications in their production, financial and marketing practices due to their risk aversion behaviour. Therefore, there is a need for field level studies to assess the validity of such perception in the country to be able to make effective interventions through development policies, programmes and farm advisory services. Livestock are almost an integral and inseparable component of the farming system in the newly created state of Uttaranchal in India. The rural poor have sustained themselves in difficult conditions, and in their endeavour, livestock continue to be their active partner. Dairy animals (cattle and buffalo) constitute the major share of livestock population in the state (45 per cent and 10 per cent, respectively) and milk contributes the major share in total output from the sector (77 per cent). Against this background, it would be useful to examine the risk attitudes and risk management strategies of dairy farmers. The aim of the paper is to (i) identify the sources of risks perceived to be relevant by the farmers, (ii) examine the farmers’ risk
Title MicroRNA let-7 suppresses nasopharyngeal carcinoma cellsproliferation through downregulating c-Myc expression

Aims This study aimed at evaluating the potential anti-proliferative eVects of the microRNA let-7 family in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) cells. In addition, the association between let-7 suppression and DNA hypermethylation is examined. Materials and methods Levels of mature let-7 family members (-a, -b, -d, -e, -g, and -i) in normal nasopharyngeal cells (NP69 and NP460) and nasopharyngeal carcinoma cells (HK1 and HONE1) were measured by real-time quantitative PCR. Cell-proliferation assay and c-Myc immunohistochemical staining were performed on NPC cells transfected with let-7 precursor molecules. In addition, expression changes in let-7 family members in response to demethylating agents (5-azacytidine and zebularine) were also examined. Results In comparison with the normal nasopharyngeal cells, let-7 (-a, -b, -d, -e, -g, and -i) levels were reduced in nasopharyngeal carcinoma cells. Ectopic expression of the let-7 family in nasopharyngeal carcinoma cells resulted in inhibition of cell proliferation through downregulation of c-Myc expression. Demethylation treatment of nasopharyngeal carcinoma cells caused activation of let-7 expression in poorly diVerentiated nasopharyngeal carcinoma cells only. Conclusion Our results suggested that miRNA let-7 might play a role in the proliferation of NPC. DNA methylation is a potential regulatory pathway, which is aVected when let-7 is suppressed in NPC cells. However, the extent of DNA hypermethylation/hypomethylation in regulating let-7 expression requires further elucidation.
Recent Developments of Terahertz Quantum Cascade Lasers

Terahertz (THz) quantum cascade lasers (QCLs) are semiconductor-based electrically pumped laser sources that are based on electron transitions between the subbands in the conduction band of a multiple-quantum-well heterostructure. Being such, the wavelength of THz QCL can be tuned by varying the thickness of the quantum wells, covering the frequency range of ~1-5 THz. THz QCLs are also high-power light sources in the THz region, with highest output power in the 100 mW and watt levels for the continuous mode and pulsed mode operation, respectively. However, there are also limitations that hinder their widespread applications, which include low operating temperature, large beam divergence, the intrinsic carrier dynamics, etc. Nevertheless, continuous efforts have been devoted to this area and pushing the frontier further and further. In this paper, we will review both the aforementioned limitations and some of the key recent developments in THz QCLs in the past few years.
Human limbal biopsy–derived stromal stem cells prevent corneal scarring

Human stromal stem cells isolated from limbal biopsies prevented corneal scarring in a murine model of corneal wounding. All Eyes on Limbal Stem Cells Our corneas—transparent, collagen-based structures that allow us to see—are easily damaged by trauma and infection, resulting in scarring and, in many cases, blindness. Although corneal transplant is the clinical norm, adverse immune responses and a shortage of cornea donors are serious limitations. Basu and colleagues devised a personalized cell-based, nonsurgical approach to prevent corneal scarring. They obtained mesenchymal stem cells from the human limbus (the region between the cornea and the sclera) and confirmed that they could be differentiated into keratocytes (corneal cells) in vitro. The human limbal biopsy–derived stromal cells, or LBSCs, were then placed in a fibrin gel and applied to the surface of debridement wounds in mice. The LBSCs were able to regenerate damaged stromal tissue in the animals, resembling native corneal tissue. Because these cells can be obtained directly from the patient and because fibrin-based products are already used in people, this approach could translate soon to treat stromal scarring, a major cause of corneal blindness. Conventional allograft therapy for corneal scarring is widespread and successful, but donor tissue is not universally available, and some grafts fail owing to rejection and complications such as endothelial failure. We investigated direct treatment of corneal scarring using autologous stem cells, a therapy that, if successful, could reduce the need for corneal grafts. Mesenchymal cells were expanded from small superficial, clinically replicable limbal biopsies of human cadaveric corneo-scleral rims. Limbal biopsy–derived stromal cells (LBSCs) expanded rapidly in media containing human serum, were highly clonogenic, and could generate spheres expressing stem cell genes (ABCG2, Nestin, NGFR, Oct4, PAX6, and Sox2). Human LBSCs differentiated into keratocytes expressing characteristic marker genes (ALDH3A1, AQP1, KERA, and PTGDS) and organized a thick lamellar stroma-like tissue containing aligned collagen and keratan sulfate proteoglycans when cultured on aligned nanofiber substrata. When engrafted into mouse corneal wounds, LBSCs prevented formation of light-scattering scar tissue containing fibrotic matrix components. The presence of LBSCs induced regeneration of ablated stroma with tissue exhibiting lamellar structure and collagen organization indistinguishable from that of native tissue. Because the limbus can be easily biopsied from either eye of an affected individual and LBSCs capable of corneal stromal remodeling can be expanded under xeno-free autologous conditions, these cells present a potential for autologous stem cell–based treatment of corneal stromal blindness.
Cultural adaptation and internal consistency analysis of the MISSCARE Survey for use in Brazil.

OBJECTIVE The aims of this methodological research were to culturally adapt the MISSCARE Survey instrument to Brazil and analyze the internal consistency of the adapted version. METHOD The instrument consists of 41 items, presented in two parts. Part A contains 24 items listing elements of missed nursing care. Part B is comprised of 17 items, related to the reasons for not delivering care. The research received ethics committee approval and was undertaken in two phases. The first was the cultural adaptation process, in which a committee of five experts verified the face and content validity, in compliance with the steps recommended in the literature. The second was aimed at analyzing the internal consistency of the instrument, involving 60 nursing team professionals at a public teaching hospital. RESULTS According to the experts, the instrument demonstrated face and content validity. Cronbach's alpha coefficients for parts A and B surpassed 0.70 and were considered appropriate. CONCLUSION The adapted version of the MISSCARE Survey demonstrated satisfactory face validity and internal consistency for the study sample.