Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Distribution of Porphyromonas gingivalis fimA genotypes in patients affected by rheumatoid arthritis and periodontitis

Abstract Objective: To determine and compare the distribution of Porphyromonas gingivalis fimA genotypes in patients affected by Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and periodontitis (PE). Materials and methods: This study involved 394 subjects divided into four groups, RA, PE, RA and PE and healthy subjects. PE was diagnosed by using clinical attachment loss (CAL) and probing depth (PD) indexes. Presence of P. gingivalis and its genotypes was identified by polymerase chain reaction in subgingival biofilm. Results: P. gingivalis was more frequent in patients with RA (82.69%), and fimA II genotype was the most frequent in all groups, especially in PE/RA (76.71%). There was statistical difference (p < .05) regarding the frequency of P. gingivalis genotypes such as fimA Ib, II and III. Conclusions: Distribution of P. gingivalis fimA II genotypes was different among groups, it could play a critical role in the presence of PE in RA patients.
The New Consensus in macroeconomics and non-mainstream approaches

Lopes, F. (1985): Infl ação inercial, hiperinfl ação e desinfl ação: Notas e conjecturas, in: Brazilian Journal of Political Economy, 5(2), 135 – 151. Resende, A.L. (1985): A moeda indexada: Uma proposta para eliminar a infl ação inercial, in:Brazilian Journal of Political Economy, 5(2), 130 – 134. Siscú, J., Paula, L.F. , Michel, R. (2007): Por que novo-desenvolvimentismo? , in: Brazilian Journal of Political Economy, 27(4), 507 – 524. Stiglitz, J. (1999): More instruments and broader goals: Moving toward the Post-Washington consensus, in: Brazilian Journal of Political Economy, 19(1), 94 – 120. Williamson, J. (1990): What Washington means by policy reform, in: Williamson, J., Latin American Adjustment: how much has happened? Washington: Institute for International Economics.
Infrastructure and framework for response and reconfiguration in Industry 4.0

In Industry 4.0 — enabled systems the abolished border between the cyber and physical dimensions increases the impact of various cyber attacks. Therefore, these systems must be strengthen with advanced capabilities to enable automated response against such threats. In this work we propose an infrastructure and framework for enabling the response and reconfiguration features in industrial systems. This includes a flexible communication layer, distributed monitoring capabilities, a framework in the form of abstract components for detection and reconfiguration, and a reliable messaging layer for interconnecting the various components. We present the architecture of the proposed infrastructure by detailing the role of each component and the workflow of interactions. Finally, we detail the considerations on prototype implementation that may act as a reference system for further development.
Optimizing agricultural wastes storage before anaerobic digestion : impact of ensiling on methane potential of lignocellulosic biomass

Storage requirements for anaerobic digestion feedstock are boosting ensiling research for biogas production purposes. However, so far, studies have been mainly focused on good management practices of easily biodegradable biomass. In this article, effect of ensiling, open-air storage and feedstock moisture on methane potential of an agricultural crop were investigated during six months. Open-air storage presented linear losses of organic matter and energy content along storage, culminating in more than 70% and 90% losses after six months, respectively. For ensiling, lack of accessible sources of carbohydrates hindered acidification, allowing undesired secondary fermentation, which led to non-negligible organic matter losses. Wilting was an ineffective technique for this type of crop, since increased organic matter losses from around 10% to 20% after six months, leading to energy losses. Despite the use of a poorly ensilable biomass, fresh raw material at lower moisture content conserved its methane potential along 6 months of ensiling. Water-soluble phase of methane potential will increase with the ensiling duration. Although this may favor methane production kinetics, higher losses of energy content may occur in case of liquid seepage along storage. Storage optimization of this agricultural waste will be achieved by ensiling raw material without need for wilting and collecting the probable liquid effluent production.
Facilitating Interorganizational Learning with Information Technology

Increasingly, organizations collaborate to complement their core competencies. New product development, for example, is often a collaborative process, with customers and suppliers contributing complementary knowledge and skills. This study uses grounded theory to determine how and why information technology facilitates interorganizational learning. Semi-structured interviews in the disk drive industry were coded to develop a conceptual model. An important finding is that organizations collaborate closely through virtual integration. They need interorganizational learning to help them cope with the complexity of new products and the capital intensity in the disk drive industry. However, effective interorganizational collaboration needs trust. The main contribution of the model is in explaining the role of information technology in lower and higher levels of interorganizational learning, cognitive and affective trust, and virtual and humanistic interorganizational collaboration.
Setting the framework for a Business Strategy Assessment Model

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to present the Business Strategy Assessment Model (BSAM) approach, in an attempt to explore the principle dynamics of an energy‐economic system with emphasis on the private actors' point of view and the impact different policy instruments may have on the decisions of private actors with different characteristics.Design/methodology/approach – In the BSAM model, investment decisions under consideration depend on their perceived financial value. Basis for the financial valuation of an investment option is formed by simulating market dynamics with alternative price scenarios. The outputs include: investment strategies, derived as a function of the (uncertain) state vector of future market conditions and risk premium, calculated by contrasting the expected net present value for the optimal timing of the investment and the expected net present value of an immediate investment generation module of the BSAM, while both of these outputs are estimated for each available techno.
Truncation of the Membrane-Spanning Domain of Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1 Envelope Glycoprotein Defines Elements Required for Fusion, Incorporation, and Infectivity

ABSTRACT The membrane-spanning domain (MSD) of the envelope (Env) glycoprotein from human (HIV) and simian immunodeficiency viruses plays a key role in anchoring the Env complex into the viral membrane but also contributes to its biological function in fusion and virus entry. In HIV type 1 (HIV-1), it has been predicted to span 27 amino acids, from lysine residue 681 to arginine 707, and encompasses an internal arginine at residue 694. By examining a series of C-terminal-truncation mutants of the HIV-1 gp41 glycoprotein that substituted termination codons for amino acids 682 to 708, we show that this entire region is required for efficient viral infection of target cells. Truncation to the arginine at residue 694 resulted in an Env complex that was secreted from the cells. In contrast, a region from residues 681 to 698, which contains highly conserved hydrophobic residues and glycine motifs and extends 4 amino acids beyond 694R, can effectively anchor the protein in the membrane, allow efficient transport to the plasma membrane, and mediate wild-type levels of cell-cell fusion. However, these fusogenic truncated Env mutants are inefficiently incorporated into budding virions. Based on the analysis of these mutants, a “snorkeling” model, in which the flanking charged amino acid residues at 681 and 694 are buried in the lipid while their side chains interact with polar head groups, is proposed for the HIV-1 MSD.
Expression of GARP selectively identifies activated human FOXP3+ regulatory T cells

The molecules that define human regulatory T cells (Tregs) phenotypically and functionally remain to be fully characterized. We recently showed that activated human Tregs express mRNA for a transmembrane protein called glycoprotein A repetitions predominant (GARP, or LRRC32). Here, using a GARP-specific mAb, we demonstrate that expression of GARP on activated Tregs correlates with their suppressive capacity. However, GARP was not induced on T cells activated in the presence of TGFβ, which expressed high levels of FOXP3 and lacked suppressive function. Ectopic expression of FOXP3 in conventional T cells was also insufficient for induction of GARP expression in most donors. Functionally, silencing GARP in Tregs only moderately attenuated their suppressive activity. CD25+ T cells sorted for high GARP expression displayed more potent suppressive activity compared with CD25+GARP− cells. Remarkably, CD25+GARP− T cells expanded in culture contained 3–5 fold higher IL-17-secreting cells compared with either CD25+GARP+ or CD25−GARP− cells, suggesting that high GARP expression can potentially discriminate Tregs from those that have switched to Th17 lineage. We also determined whether GARP expression correlates with FOXP3-expressing T cells in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) −infected subjects. A subset of HIV+ individuals with high percentages of FOXP3+ T cells did not show proportionate increase in GARP+ T cells. This finding suggests that higher FOXP3 levels observed in these HIV+ individuals is possibly due to immune activation rather than to an increase in Tregs. Our findings highlight the significance of GARP both in dissecting duality of Treg/Th17 cell differentiation and as a marker to identify bona fide Tregs during diseases with chronic immune activation.
Explainable Cross-Domain Recommendations Through Relational Learning

We propose a method to generate explainable recommendation rules on cross-domain problems. Our two main contributions are: i) using relational learning to generate the rules which are able to explain clearly why the items were recommended to the particular user, ii) using the user's preferences of items on different domains and item attributes to generate novel or unexpected recommendations for the user. To illustrate that our method is indeed feasible and applicable, we conducted experiments on music and movie domains.
CTC Network with Statistical Language Modeling for Action Sequence Recognition in Videos

We propose a method for recognizing an action sequence in which several actions are concatenated and their boundaries are not given. The proposed method combines Connectionist Temporal Classification (CTC) and a statistical language model. CTC can learn the nature of each element action given no boundary information in an end-to-end manner. The statistical language model can learn the relationship between actions. We evaluate our method on the Breakfast dataset. When we use the trigram as the language model, its accuracy rate is 43.4%, which is better than the state-of-the-art ECTC method by 6.7 percentage points.
Neurosurgery and the dawning age of Brain-Machine Interfaces

Brain–machine interfaces (BMIs) are on the horizon for clinical neurosurgery. Electrocorticography-based platforms are less invasive than implanted microelectrodes, however, the latter are unmatched in their ability to achieve fine motor control of a robotic prosthesis capable of natural human behaviors. These technologies will be crucial to restoring neural function to a large population of patients with severe neurologic impairment – including those with spinal cord injury, stroke, limb amputation, and disabling neuromuscular disorders such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. On the opposite end of the spectrum are neural enhancement technologies for specialized applications such as combat. An ongoing ethical dialogue is imminent as we prepare for BMI platforms to enter the neurosurgical realm of clinical management.
Improving access to HIV/AIDS treatment in Brazil : when are compulsory licenses effective in price negotiations?

Since 1996, Brazil has an anti-AIDS programme that offers universal and free access to antiretroviral through the public-sector health system. An important part of the successful implementation of this programme is the capacity of the Brazilian government to reduce the price of treatments. This capacity is based on the threat to issue compulsory license for patented medicines and on the existence of a domestic pharmaceutical industry involved in the production of antiretroviral. Based on a game theoretical model of drug price negotiations and on 30 interviews, this research proposes to enlighten further the industrial dimension of this successful programme, refine the conditions lying at its heart and re-specify the issues concerning its potential replication in other developing countries.
In Vitro Susceptibilities of Candida dubliniensisIsolates Tested against the New Triazole and Echinocandin Antifungal Agents

ABSTRACT Candida dubliniensis is a newly recognized fungal pathogen causing mucosal disease in AIDS patients. Although preliminary studies indicate that most strains of C. dubliniensis are susceptible to established antifungal agents, fluconazole-resistant strains have been detected. Furthermore, fluconazole-resistant strains are easily derived in vitro, and these strains exhibit increased expression of multidrug resistance transporters, especially MDR1. Because of the potential for the development of resistant strains of C. dubliniensis, it is prudent to explore the in vitro activities of several of the newer triazole and echinocandin antifungals against isolates of C. dubliniensis. In this study we tested 71 isolates of C. dubliniensis against the triazoles BMS-207147, Sch 56592, and voriconazole and a representative of the echinocandin class of antifungal agents, MK-0991. We compared the activities of these agents with those of the established antifungal agents fluconazole, itraconazole, amphotericin B, and 5-fluorocytosine (5FC) by using National Committee for Clinical Laboratory Standards microdilution reference methods. Our findings indicate that the vast majority of clinical isolates of C. dubliniensis are highly susceptible to both new and established antifungal agents. Strains with decreased susceptibilities to fluconazole remained susceptible to the investigational agents as well as to amphotericin B and 5FC. The increased potencies of the new triazole and echinocandin antifungal agents may provide effective therapeutic options for the treatment of infections due to C. dubliniensis.
Considering Variations in Waste Composition during Waste Input‐Output Modeling

Concentrations of pollutants vary in wastes from different sources. However, existing waste input‐output (WIO) models do not take these differing concentrations into account. This article proposes a new category of model, which we are calling a waste input‐output model at the substance level (WIOS model). The WIOS model considers variations in waste composition. These variations potentially affect the life cycle inventory of the waste treatment stage. The proposed model is expected to produce more accurate results than existing WIO models that do not consider variations in the composition of wastes. In addition, the proposed model provides a method to trace substances undergoing waste treatment. In this article, use of the WIOS model is illustrated by simulating the overall environmental loads of total organic carbon from wastewater treatment at a facility in Germany. The results show that variations in the composition of wastes entering treatment significantly affect the modeled estimates of total environmental loads caused by wastewater treatment. In addition, the results of the proposed model are different from results given by existing hybrid input‐output WIO models that do not consider variations in the composition of wastewater as it undergoes treatment.
Autonomous Vehicles for Independent Living of Older Adults - Insights and Directions for a Cross-European Qualitative Study

Autonomous Vehicles (AV) are expected to have a revolutionary impact on future Society, forming an integral component of future Smart Cities & regions. ‘Impacts’ range from changes in mobility, environment, planning, infrastructure, employment, leisure time to disruptive business models etc. Designing user centred mobility experiences for citizens ensuring trust, adoption and enhanced experience of emerging AV systems, products and services is an important emerging research challenge today. It is projected that ‘older adults’ (65+) will encompass approximately one third of the mobility marketplace by 2060, with the broader ‘Silver Economy’ set to provide enormous potential for new forms of product/services and related business models. AV’s have the potential to prolong independent living of ‘older adults’ (OA) thus enhancing overall quality of life. For example, driving cessation and mobility barriers correlate with poorer health outcomes. Ensuring future AV adoption requires designing mobility experiences addressing the differing life contexts (i.e. health, financial, mobility needs etc.) of OA. This paper presents context, motivation and initial findings from a qualitative pilot study of Irish Older adults that informs the design of a cross-European study to support ‘Independent Living of Older adults’ in a future AV marketplace that encompasses new Mobility As A Service
Real-time facial feature tracking in poor quality thermal imagery

Recently, facial feature tracking systems have become more and more popular because of many possible use cases. Especially in medical applications location of the face and facial features are very useful. Many researches have presented methods to detect and track facial features in visible light. However, facial feature analysis in thermography may also be very advantageous. Some examples of using infrared imagery in medicine include the estimation of the respiration rate using an analysis of temperature changes in the area below nose region. Moreover, due to technological development small thermal cameras may be embedded into wearable devices, like smart glasses and used to support remote patient monitoring. Therefore, in this paper, we focused on face tracking in low quality thermal images. Especially, we compared four interest points detectors for facial feature tracking in thermal images. All methods were tested for processing time, displacement of detected areas and errors of calculated mean value of pixel intensities in the detected nose region. Finally, we presented a fully automatic system for facial features tracking, which allows to process one frame in about 27.7ms (Harris), 23.9ms (ORB), 19.7ms (SIFT), 27.6ms (SURF) with acceptable accuracy (Harris - 7.2±4.3%, ORB 9.9±2.2%, SIFT 7.0±1.9%, SURF 8.9±2.7%).
Effects on exercise response, fluid and acid-base balance of protein intake from forage-only diets in standardbred horses.

REASON FOR PERFORMING STUDY High-energy forage might be an alternative to concentrates for performance horses and such forage can be produced by an early cut. However, early cut forage is high in crude protein (CP), which may result in an excessive CP intake. OBJECTIVES To investigate how CP intake affects nitrogen (N), fluid and acid-base balance, and exercise response in horses fed high-energy forage diets. The hypothesis was that high CP intake causes acidosis, and alters fluid balance and response to intensive exercise. METHODS Two forage-only diets based on high-energy grass forage were fed for 23 days in a crossover design to 6 Standardbred horses in racing condition. One forage diet provided a high (HP) CP (16.6%) intake and the other diet provided recommended intake (RP) of CP (12.5%) for racehorses. The horses had intensive exercise twice and slow exercise 1-3 times every week. At the beginning and end of each period, faeces and urine were collected for 48 and 72 h, respectively and analysed for dry matter, pH and N content. At Days 19 and 23 in each period 2 race-like exercise tests were performed, a standardised treadmill test and a field test on a race track. Blood samples were taken before, during and after the tests and analysed for sodium (Na), potassium (K), chloride (CI), total plasma proteins (TPP), TCO2, urea, pH and lactate. The strong ion difference (SID) was calculated and heart rate and respiratory rate was also recorded. RESULTS There was a decrease in urinary pH and an increase in N excretion, blood urea, water intake, urine volume and faecal water content on the HP diet. Total water intake was higher than the increase in urinary and faecal water loss indicating increased evaporative losses on the HP diet. During the exercise tests there were no significant differences between diets in TPP, plasma lactate, blood Na, K, Cl, TCO2, pH, SID and respiratory or heart rates. CONCLUSION Feeding a forage-only diet with a CP intake corresponding to 160% of the requirement caused an increase in N excretion within 36-48 h after the diet was introduced and alterations in fluid and acid base balance at rest. POTENTIAL RELEVANCE The increased urine and probably also evaporative fluid losses suggest that feeding a HP diet will cause an unnecessary challenge for horses during prolonged exercise.
Merlin / NF 2 Suppresses Tumorigenesis by Inhibiting the E 3 Ubiquitin Ligase CRL 4 DCAF 1 in the Nucleus

Wei Li,1,8 Liru You,1,8 Jonathan Cooper,1,4 Gaia Schiavon,1 Angela Pepe-Caprio,1 Lu Zhou,5 Ryohei Ishii,6 Marco Giovannini,7 C. Oliver Hanemann,5 Stephen B. Long,2 Hediye Erdjument-Bromage,3 Pengbo Zhou,6 Paul Tempst,3 and Filippo G. Giancotti1,* 1Cell Biology Program 2Structural Biology Program 3Molecular Biology Program Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY 10065, USA 4Sloan-Kettering Division, Weill Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Cornell University, New York, NY 10065, USA 5Peninsula College of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Plymouth, Plymouth PL6 8BU, UK 6Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Weil Cornell Medical College, New York, NY 10065, USA 7House Ear Institute, Center for Neural Tumor Research, Los Angeles, CA 90057, USA 8These authors contributed equally to this work *Correspondence: f-giancotti@ski.mskcc. org DOI 10.1016/j.cell. 2010.01. 029
Relationship between Online Retailers’ Reputation and Product Returns

Customer product returns are key cost drivers that eat into online retailers’ profits. However, management research has neglected to examine ways of reducing return rates without causing a concomitant decrease in sales. Drawing from signalling and dissonance theories, we investigate the relationship between online retailers’ reputation and product return rates. Two experiments designed to produce causal conclusions show that reputation reduces return rates (Studies 1 and 2) and that return motivation is a boundary condition for that relationship (Study 2). A field study based on an online consumer panel demonstrates the robustness of the negative impact of online retailer reputation on product returns in a setting that emphasizes external validity (Study 3), in comparison with Studies 1 and 2, which maximize internal validity. Study 3 also examines managerially important contingencies of the causal relationship by considering three variables: purchase frequency; retailer type; and customer gender. Overall findings indicate that an online retailer's reputation is a powerful means of reducing product return rates. The findings also show that the strength of the relationship between reputation and product returns is influenced by return motivation and the three variables investigated in the field study.