Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Increased secretory capacity of mouse adrenal chromaffin cells by chronic intermittent hypoxia: involvement of protein kinase C

Previous studies have shown that catecholamine secretion from the adrenal medulla plays a critical role in chronic intermittent hypoxia (CIH)‐induced alterations in cardiovascular function. In the present study we examined the cellular mechanisms associated with the effects of CIH on adrenal chromaffin cell catecholamine secretion. Experiments were performed on adult male mice (C57/BL6) that were exposed to 1–4 days of CIH or to normoxia. Perforated patch electrical capacitance recordings were performed on freshly prepared adrenal medullary slices that permit separating the chromaffin cell secretion from sympathetic input. CIH resulted in a significant increase in the readily releasable pool (RRP) of secretory granules, and decreased stimulus‐evoked Ca2+ influx. Continuous hypoxia (CH) either for 2.5 h (equivalent to hypoxic duration accumulated over 4 days of CIH) or for 4 days were ineffective in evoking changes in the RRP and Ca2+ influx. CIH activated PKC in adrenal medullae as evidenced by increased phosphorylation of PKC at Thr514 and PKC inhibitors prevented CIH‐induced increases in the RRP and restored stimulus‐evoked attenuation of Ca2+ influx. CIH resulted in elevated thio‐barbituric acid reactive substances (TBARSs, an index of oxidized proteins) and an antioxidant prevented CIH‐induced changes in the RRP, suggesting the involvement of reactive oxygen species (ROS). These results demonstrate that CIH increases the RRP in adrenal chromaffin cells via ROS‐mediated activation of PKC and suggest that CIH can directly affect the secretory capacity of chromaffin cells and contribute, in part, to elevated catecholamine levels.
Hyperglycemic Pseudohypoxia and Diabetic Complications

Vasodilation and increased blood flow are characteristic early vascular responses to acute hyperglycemia and tissue hypoxia. In hypoxic tissues these vascular changes are linked to metabolic imbalances associated with impaired oxidation of NADH to NAD+ and the resulting increased ratio of NADH/NAD+. In hyperglycemic tissues these vascular changes also are linked to an increased ratio of NADH/NAD+, in this case because of an increased rate of reduction of NAD+ to NADH. Several lines of evidence support the likelihood that the increased cytosolic ratio of free NADH/NAD+ caused by hyperglycemia, referred to as pseudohypoxia because tissue partial pressure oxygen is normal, is a characteristic feature of poorly controlled diabetes that mimics the effects of true hypoxia on vascular and neural function and plays an important role in the pathogenesis of diabetic complications. These effects of hypoxia and hyperglycemia-induced pseudohypoxia on vascular and neural function are mediated by a branching cascade of imbalances in lipid metabolism, increased production of superoxide anion, and possibly increased nitric oxide formation.
Characterization of a virus variant produced by L cells persistently infected with lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus.

Continuous cultivation of murine L cells infected with lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus strain Armstrong leads to production of L(Arm) cells, which produce a predominantly cell-associated attenuated variant, the L(Arm) virus. The relatively few infectious particles that are released have lost the ability to form plaques on L cells and to cause illness in mice even if inoculated intracerebrally. Based on equal protein M(r)s, antigenicity and protein kinase activity, essentially identical results were obtained for the purified Armstrong and L(Arm) viruses. There was also no difference in production and release of particles with the potential to cause homologous interference. Such particles consisted of two types, one of which was highly susceptible to u.v. -irradiation, the other was highly resistant. In the case of the L(Arm) virus interfering particles, it appears that the u.v. -irradiation-susceptible forms represented infectious virus. Purified L(Arm) virus particles contained considerable quantities of subgenomic forms of (small) S- and (large) L-RNA and their complementary counterparts, which all appeared to be replicated autonomously in an unenriched manner.
Nucleic Acid Extraction Efficiency and Bacterial Recovery from Maxillary Sinus Mucosal Samples Obtained by Brushing or Biopsy

Background Chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) is a common disease with a complex pathophysiology involving a microbial component. Culture-independent molecular analysis represents a promising new approach to clarify the microbiology of CRS, but standardized, optimized sampling methods still have not been defined. This study was designed to compare nucleic acid extraction rates and recovery of bacteria for two methods of sampling the maxillary sinus, mucosal biopsy, and brushing. Methods Samples were obtained from 20 patients undergoing maxillary sinus surgery. Total extracted nucleic acid concentration and bacterial burden were compared between sample types. Results Total nucleic acid concentration varied across patients. No statistically significant difference in mean total DNA concentration from mucosal biopsy specimens or brushings was observed. However, compared with biopsy specimens, brush samples possessed a significant (p < 0.035) increase in bacterial copy number. Conclusion Endoscopically directed mucosal brushings of the maxillary sinus provide equivalent concentrations of total DNA to mucosal biopsy specimens but possess greater concentrations of bacterial DNA, likely because of the greater surface area sampled by this method. Given the additional advantage of lower risk associated with obtaining brush samples, we suggest they represent the preferred sampling method for future genomic sinus studies.
Intraday Lead/Leg Relationship between the Futures and Spot Commodity Market

The aim of this paper is to investigate the lead-leg relationships between non-precious metals – nickel and zinc on Multi-Commodity Exchange (MCX) and agricultural commodities - pepper and soybean on National Commodities & Derivatives Exchange (NCDEX) using Johansen’s co-integration test, VECM and Granger causality test. The analysis used daily data on spot prices and near month futures prices of all the four commodities over the period from April 2011 to April 2013 which is obtained from MCX and NCDEX website. The study concludes that all the series of spot and futures prices are co-integrated of order one, and exhibit a stable long-run equilibrium relationship. The results of VECM show that there is a bi-directional causality in spot and futures market but the futures market is found to be more sound in terms of discounting new information than the spot market. The results of Granger causality suggest that bi-directional causality exits between spot returns and future returns of nickel in short run. Whenever zinc and pepper future returns, Granger causes spot returns but not the other way round. Moreover, whenever Soybean spot returns, Granger causes future returns in the short run.
How Long Can One Bluff in the Domination Game?

Abstract The domination game is played on an arbitrary graph G by two players, Dominator and Staller. The game is called Game 1 when Dominator starts it, and Game 2 otherwise. In this paper bluff graphs are introduced as the graphs in which every vertex is an optimal start vertex in Game 1 as well as in Game 2. It is proved that every minus graph (a graph in which Game 2 finishes faster than Game 1) is a bluff graph. A non-trivial infinite family of minus (and hence bluff) graphs is established. minus graphs with game domination number equal to 3 are characterized. Double bluff graphs are also introduced and it is proved that Kneser graphs K(n, 2), n ≥ 6, are double bluff. The domination game is also studied on generalized Petersen graphs and on Hamming graphs. Several generalized Petersen graphs that are bluff graphs but not vertex-transitive are found. It is proved that Hamming graphs are not double bluff.
Propensity to continue working: An emerging model for older individuals

Like other OECD countries, Australia has an ageing workforce and one key challenge is the looming predicted labour shortage. Extending the working lives of older people has been suggested as a partial solution, yet while extensive research has been conducted into retirement decisions, little is known about the intentions of older people to continue working. This paper describes some findings from an Australian study, and combined with previous research, proposes a model identifying the positive and negative factors affecting the propensity of older individuals to continue working.
When do firms undertake open, collaborative activities? Introduction to the special section on open innovation and open business models

The explicit goal of the inaugural World Open Innovation Conference (WOIC) was to attract both leading academic researchers in open innovation and leading industry practitioners of open innovation, seeking to get these two groups to engage with one another. This introductory article sets the intellectual context of the WOIC, summarizes the "top" four articles resulting from the conference, and provides a research agenda based on a high-level view of all the submissions and sessions.
Trading forests: land-use change and carbon emissions embodied in production and exports of forest-risk commodities

Production of commercial agricultural commodities for domestic and foreign markets is increasingly driving land clearing in tropical regions, creating links and feedback effects between geographically separated consumption and production locations. Such teleconnections are commonly studied through calculating consumption footprints and quantifying environmental impacts embodied in trade flows, e.g., virtual water and land, biomass, or greenhouse gas emissions. The extent to which land-use change (LUC) and associated carbon emissions are embodied in the production and export of agricultural commodities has been less studied. Here we quantify tropical deforestation area and carbon emissions from LUC induced by the production and the export of four commodities (beef, soybeans, palm oil, and wood products) in seven countries with high deforestation rates (Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Paraguay, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Papua New Guinea). We show that in the period 2000–2011, the production of the four analyzed commodities in our seven case countries was responsible for 40% of total tropical deforestation and resulting carbon losses. Over a third of these impacts was embodied in exports in 2011, up from a fifth in 2000. This trend highlights the growing influence of global markets in deforestation dynamics. Main flows of embodied LUC are Latin American beef and soybean exports to markets in Europe, China, the former Soviet bloc, the Middle East and Northern Africa, whereas embodied emission flows are dominated by Southeast Asian exports of palm oil and wood products to consumers in China, India and the rest of Asia, as well as to the European Union. Our findings illustrate the growing role that global consumers play in tropical LUC trajectories and highlight the need for demand-side policies covering whole supply chains. We also discuss the limitations of such demand-side measures and call for a combination of supply- and demand-side policies to effectively limit tropical deforestation, along with research into the interactions of different types of policy interventions.
Private Schools and the Provision of ‘Public Benefit’

Abstract Legislative changes and a recent court ruling allow private schools in England and Wales to determine how to provide the public benefits required to justify their charitable status. We investigate how private school headteachers and other informed stakeholders perceive their public benefit objectives and obligations. We find that schools interpret public beneficiaries widely to include one or more of state school pupils, local communities, other charities, and general society through raising socially responsible adults. Private schools pursue their own goals through public benefit provision, and balance the advantages of public benefit activities against the costs. The schools are not constrained by the ‘more than tokenistic’ minimum set by the regulator. The findings highlight the difficulties faced by governments who seek to pursue redistributive educational policies through charitable law.
Should I Stay or Should I Go? A Qualitative Analysis of Legitimacy in a Shared Participant-Governed Network

ABSTRACT This article investigates how legitimacy can be improved in a shared-participant type of network governance. These networks are governed by their members and are very common in the field of service organizations. Legitimacy refers to the extent to which a network can convince organizations that the network is valuable. Respondents affiliated with both participating and nonparticipating organizations are interviewed. The article concludes that strategies such as informational exchange, the improvement of network-level competencies, and conflict resolution are crucial for increasing the legitimacy of shared-participant governance.
Soft-Input Soft-Output Bidirectional DFE for underwater acoustic communication

Underwater acoustic channel is one of the most challenging channel for data transmission due to its long multipath delay and Doppler expansion. In this paper, Soft-Input Soft-Output Bidirectional DFE is extended to multilevel modulations and applied in underwater acoustic communication. The performances of both exact and Low-complexity implemented Soft Bidirectional DFE are evaluated at low SNR by simulation and pool experiment. Experimental results show that data rate of 12 kbit/s could be readily achieved without error.
Ensuring Returns Management Software Effectiveness through Joint Development Orientation

Returns management has gained managerial and academic attention in recent years, but it still remains a significant challenge for many companies due to its unpredictable and irregular nature. The current study contributes to existing literature by focusing on the effectiveness of externally developed customizable software. Drawing upon the service dominant (S-D) logic and using empirical survey data, this study not only confirmed the positive impacts of returns management software effectiveness on firm market performance but also identified a joint development orientation as crucial to ensuring returns management software effectiveness.
Using multiple structure alignments, fast model building, and energetic analysis in fold recognition and homology modeling

We participated in the fold recognition and homology sections of CASP5 using primarily in‐house software. The central feature of our structure prediction strategy involved the ability to generate good sequence‐to‐structure alignments and to quickly transform them into models that could be evaluated both with energy‐based methods and manually. The in‐house tools we used include: a) HMAP (Hybrid Multidimensional Alignment Profile)—a profile‐to‐profile alignment method that is derived from sequence‐enhanced multiple structure alignments in core regions, and sequence motifs in non‐structurally conserved regions. b) NEST–a fast model building program that applies an “artificial evolution” algorithm to construct a model from a given template and alignment. c) GRASP2–a new structure and alignment visualization program incorporating multiple structure superposition and domain database scanning modules. These methods were combined with model evaluation based on all atom and simplified physical‐chemical energy functions. All of these methods were under development during CASP5 and consequently a great deal of manual analysis was carried out at each stage of the prediction process. This interactive model building procedure has several advantages and suggests important ways in which our and other methods can be improved, examples of which are provided. Proteins 2003;53:430–435. © 2003 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Molecular cloning of DNA complementary to mRNA of the baculovirus Autographa californica nuclear polyhedrosis virus: location and gene products of RNA transcripts found late in infection

DNAs complementary to late Autographa californica nuclear polyhedrosis virus (AcNPV) mRNA were synthesized by reverse transcription and cloned in Escherichia coli by using pBR322 as a vector. Eleven different cDNAs were distinguished in our screening of 45 AcNPV-homologous clones. Location of the regions of cDNA homology with respect to the AcNPV physical map showed that the 11 cDNAs were dispersed throughout the genome. The most abundant cDNA insertion, representing approximately one-third of the late viral mRNAs, was homologous to the AcNPV HindIII-P,Q and EcoRI-P fragments. The direction of transcription in this region was from left to right on a linearized AcNPV physical map. Hybridization selection followed by in vitro translation showed that this region encoded a 7,200-dalton (7.2K) protein which comigrated with a minor protein found in the extracellular nonoccluded form of the virus (NOV). Similarly, the gene for polyhedrin, the major structural protein of the occluded virus form, was located, at least in part, in the HindIII-V/EcoRI-I region of the AcNPV map. The polyhedrin transcript represented approximately one-quarter of the viral polyadenylic acid-containing RNAs at 27 h postinfection. Another relatively abundant cDNA was homologous to the HindIII-A/EcoRI-C/SstI-G region, and RNA selected by this cDNA directed the synthesis of two proteins (31K and 30K). The protein products of five other cDNA-selected RNAs were identified. The HindIII-D/EcoRI-O, HindIII-C/EcoRI-D, HindIII-B1/EcoRI-E, and HindIII-B2/EcoRI-H regions of the AcNPV L-1 genome were homologous to RNAs which directed the synthesis of a 57K protein, a 25K protein, a 61K protein, and a 37K protein (plus a minor 26K protein), respectively. Late mRNA selected by a cDNA homologous to the HindIII-P/EcoRI-B region of the AcNPV map directed the synthesis of 31K and 30K proteins which comigrated with the 31K and 30K proteins translated from RNA selected by the HindIII-A/EcoRI-C/SstI-G cDNA. Three other cDNAs have not been correlated yet with specific protein products.
Immunogenicity of candidate DNA vaccine based on subtype A of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 predominant in Russia

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)‐1 subtype A strains circulating among the majority of HIVinfected individuals in the former Soviet Union (FSU) countries demonstrate low genetic diversity. The consensus sequence of the FSU region‐specific isolate has been used for the candidate DNA vaccine development. We constructed recombinant plasmids with four viral genes: env (gp140), gag, pol (reverse transcriptase), and nef. We immunized BALB/c mice intramuscularly using equimolar mixture of four recombinant plasmids, and observed significant cytotoxic T lymphocyte response and specific CD8+ cell production against cells presenting HIV‐1 peptides. Overall, the Th1 pathway of immune response clearly dominated. Immunological properties of this candidate DNA vaccine against HIV‐1 suggest the possibility of its further study in clinical trials.
Impact of a collagen matrix on early healing, aesthetics and patient morbidity in oral mucosal wounds - a randomized study in humans.

AIM To test whether a collagen matrix (CM) can improve early wound healing and aesthetics, and decrease wound sensitivity compared with spontaneous healing. METHODS In 15 volunteers, 6-mm punch biopsies were harvested at both palatal sites. A CM was sutured in one site; the other one was left untreated (control). Measurements included the remaining defect area, the colour match to surrounding tissue and somatosensory parameters at various time-points (pre-operative, post-operative, 4, 8, 15, 29 days). RESULTS The defect area decreased over time for both treatments. Re-epithelization was completed in all subjects by day 15. The defect area was significantly smaller for CM (mean ± SD: 19.3 ± 3.4 mm(2)) compared with control (21.3 ± 3.3 mm(2)) at day 4 (p < 0.05), and at day 8 (CM: 11.7 ± 2.5 mm(2) ; control: 13.6 ± 2.9 mm(2) ; p < 0.01). The colour match was more favourable for CM at day 4, 8 and 29 (p > 0.05). Somatosensory measurements revealed slightly lower wound sensitivity at day 4 for CM compared with control. CONCLUSIONS The use of CM can enhance wound healing compared with spontaneous healing during the first week. This was mainly documented by a faster re-epithelization. Colour match and wound sensitivity measurements did not reach statistical significance between CM and control sites.
Communication with smart transformers in rural settings

Smart-grid-enabled transformers have unique challenges in rural settings. One such challenge is that of effective and reliable communication of data. Communication infrastructure in rural areas is often elementary and transformers should accommodate this. Communication and sensor devices installed on these smart transformers should also be reliable and robust to minimize their required maintenance. In this paper, the development and application of a communication device for deployment on rural distribution smart transformers is presented. The communication device is robust, enables event-based as well as periodic data reporting from the transformer and monitors transformer health. The communication device implements Distributed Network Protocol version 3 (DNP3), Simple Network Monitoring Protocol (SNMP), Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) and File Transfer Protocol (FTP) for communication purposes.
New Approach to the Reduction of Sign-Extension Overhead for Efficient Implementation of Multiple Constant Multiplications

Sign-extension of operands in the shift-add network of multiple constant multiplication (MCM) results in a significant overhead in terms of hardware complexity as well as computation time. This paper presents an efficient approach to minimize that overhead. In the proposed method, the shift-add network of an MCM block is partitioned into three types of sub-networks based on the types of fundamentals and interconnections they involve. For each type of sub-network, a scheme which takes the best advantage of the redundancy in the computation of sign-extension part is proposed to minimize the overhead. Moreover, we also propose a technique to avoid the additions pertaining to the most significant bits (MSBs) of the fundamentals. Experimental results show that the proposed method always leads to implementations of MCM blocks with the lowest critical path delay. The existing methods for the minimization of sign-extension overhead are designed particularly for single multiplication or MCM blocks of FIR filter, but the proposed method can be used to reduce the overhead of sign-extension for MCM blocks of any application. In the case of FIR filters, the proposed method outperforms other competing methods in terms of critical path delay, area-delay product (ADP), and power-delay product (PDP), as well.