Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Genetic variants associated with autoimmunity drive NFκB signaling and responses to inflammatory stimuli

Genetic variants associated with multiple sclerosis result in increased NFκB signaling in CD4 T cells and a decreased threshold for activation. Lowering the bar for autoimmunity In patients with autoimmune diseases, such as multiple sclerosis, immune cells attack the tissues that they are supposed to protect. However, it remains unclear why these self-targeted cells become activated in some individuals and not in others. Now, Housley et al. show that at least some multiple sclerosis patients have genetic variants that result in increased NFκB signaling after TNFα stimulation. These variants, in effect, lower the activation threshold of CD4 T cells, making them more responsive to inflammation and thus more likely to contribute to autoimmunity. Patients with these variants may be good candidates for therapies that block either NFκB signaling or inflammatory cytokines. The transcription factor nuclear factor κB (NFκB) is a central regulator of inflammation, and genome-wide association studies in subjects with autoimmune disease have identified a number of variants within the NFκB signaling cascade. In addition, causal variant fine-mapping has demonstrated that autoimmune disease susceptibility variants for multiple sclerosis (MS) and ulcerative colitis are strongly enriched within binding sites for NFκB. We report that MS-associated variants proximal to NFκB1 and in an intron of TNFRSF1A (TNFR1) are associated with increased NFκB signaling after tumor necrosis factor–α (TNFα) stimulation. Both variants result in increased degradation of inhibitor of NFκB α (IκBα), a negative regulator of NFκB, and nuclear translocation of p65 NFκB. The variant proximal to NFκB1 controls signaling responses by altering the expression of NFκB itself, with the GG risk genotype expressing 20-fold more p50 NFκB and diminished expression of the negative regulators of the NFκB pathway: TNFα-induced protein 3 (TNFAIP3), B cell leukemia 3 (BCL3), and cellular inhibitor of apoptosis 1 (CIAP1). Finally, naïve CD4 T cells from patients with MS express enhanced activation of p65 NFκB. These results demonstrate that genetic variants associated with risk of developing MS alter NFκB signaling pathways, resulting in enhanced NFκB activation and greater responsiveness to inflammatory stimuli. As such, this suggests that rapid genetic screening for variants associated with NFκB signaling may identify individuals amenable to NFκB or cytokine blockade.
DISTRIBUTION, DIET, AND PREVALENCE OF AMPHIBIAN CHYTRID FUNGUS IN NON-NATIVE AMERICAN BULLFROGS (LITHOBATES CATESBEIANUS) AT THE VALENTINE NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE, NEBRASKA, USA

American Bullfrogs (Lithobates catesbeianus) have been widely introduced beyond their na- tive range in North America and can negatively affect organisms in wetland environments via a suite of mechanisms including interspecific interactions and disease transmission. Bullfrogs were introduced to the Valentine National Wildlife Refuge in the Sandhill Region of Nebraska, USA, yet little is known regarding their distribution, abundance, and potential effects on other vertebrates in the Refuge. Surveys in 1991-1992 documented bullfrogs in only one lake by the Refuge headquarters, and an- ecdotal historical observations indicated that bullfrogs were present primarily in lakes open to public fishing. In 2012, we determined the distribution of bullfrogs across the Refuge, examined their diets, and sampled them for the occurrence of the pathogenic fungus, Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis. We documented that bullfrogs were almost ubiquitous across the Refuge lakes and wetlands. From diet analyses, we observed that adult bullfrogs consumed several vertebrate species on the Refuge including: a Blanding's Turtle (Emydoidea blandingii), small bullfrogs, an unidentifiable frog species, and numerous invertebrates, including crayfish. The amphibian chytrid fungus was prevalent on the refuge with 73.7% of bullfrogs testing positive for the fungus in early June and 6.3% in late June-Ju- ly. Preliminary data indicate that bullfrogs likely have already affected interspecific interactions with native amphibians via predation, competition, and/or disease transmission. Bullfrogs likely cannot be eradicated from the Refuge, but expanding the season of harvest of bullfrogs might reduce their abundance, which may benefit native amphibians and reptiles.
A new fully-digital anthropomorphic and dynamic thorax/heart model

A numerical anthropomorphic model of the breathing thorax and the beating heart is presented. It includes the main thoracic/cardiac anatomical structures, the main vessel junctions as well as the structures' motion. Its main feature is that it is based on a Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) examination performed on the same human subject within the same session from which both structural and motion information are retrieved. This confers to the model a very good consistency. This numerical model is virtually imaged by two simulators: a MRI simulator and a Positron Emission Tomography (PET) simulator. The overall resulting model (structure geometry & dynamics, images) is useful for the evaluation of cardiac image processing algorithms such as heart structure segmentation or multi-modality cardiac image registration.
Evaluating the application of microwave-based vegetation observations in an operational soil moisture data assimilation system

A primary operational goal of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is to improve foreign market access for U.S. agricultural products. A large fraction of this crop condition assessment is based on satellite imagery and ground data analysis. The baseline soil moisture estimates that are currently used for this analysis are based on output from the modified Palmer two-layer soil moisture model, updated to assimilate near-real time observations derived from the Soil Moisture Ocean Salinity (SMOS) satellite. The current data assimilation system is based on a 1-D Ensemble Kalman Filter approach, where the observation error is modeled as a function of vegetation density. This allows for offsetting errors in the soil moisture retrievals. The observation error is currently adjusted using Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) climatology. In this paper we explore the possibility of utilizing microwave-based vegetation optical depth instead.
Thermal Modeling and Characterization of a Thin-Film Heater on Glass Substrate for Lab-on-Chip Applications

This paper presents an accurate thermal characterization of thin-film heaters manufactured on glass substrates. The characterization has been performed on Cr/Al/Cr meandered heaters. Techniques commonly adopted for measuring the temperature coefficient of resistance, the thermal resistance and thermal capacitance in the case of Si-based microheaters have been conveniently modified to consider the fundamentally different thermal parameters of a heater manufactured on glass. To reduce power consumption and thermal capacitance, a grating of 250-μm wide trenches, stopped at 80μm from the opposite metalized front surface, was manufactured on the back side of the heaters, obtaining an increase of the thermal resistance of about 110% and a decrease of the thermal capacitance of about 65% when the glass is in good thermal contact with a heat sink. The measured values of thermal resistance and time constants on a heat sink and in air have been justified starting from realistic physical considerations. Finally, a novel thermal model suitable for microheaters on glass immersed in air was presented and validated by comparing its predictions with the experimental cooling behavior of the microheater and with the predictions of an exponential model.
An audiological investigation of osteogenesis imperfecta

THE bones of an Egyptian Mummy dating from 1000 B.C. show evidence of osteogenesis imperfecta (Gray, 1970), but it is in the ninth century that the first recorded case of this disease may have occurred—described in the Saga of Ragnar Lodbrock. The Viking King Ragnar Lodbrock (which in translation means Ragnar 'hairy breeches', after the snake-proof trouser he habitually wore) and Aslaug, daughter of Sigurd Snake Eyes, consummated their marriage before the appointed day, traditionally three days after the marriage. The result of this untimely union was Ivar, who came to be known as Ivar the Boneless. However, his multiple fractures did not prevent him from conquering much of England, although he had to be carried into battle on a shield. Further studies on his bones were allegedly prevented by William the Conqueror who, after his conquest, dug up Ivar's bones and burnt them. Ivar had no children as 'he had no love lust in him'. The first written description of the disease was by Malebranche (1674) —he described a young man whose broken bones resembled those of a condemned criminal. These deformities were attributed to the fact that the mother had witnessed such an execution while the child was in utew. The first scientific description of the disease was published by Ekmann (1778). Its association with blue sclerae was noted by Axmann (1831), who suffered from the disease himself. Credit for the first description of the triad of osteogenesis imperfecta, blue sclerae and deafness is generally given to Adair-Deighton (1912), but Dent (1897) described the triad fifteen years earlier. Van der Hoeve and de Kleyn (1918), after whom the syndrome is usually named, presented a paper to a clinical meeting in Utrecht in 1916 in which they claimed that the deafness in this triad was conductive in type and clinically indistinguishable from otosclerosis. However, their paper did not appear until 1918 and by this time Bronson (1917) had independently described the same findings. Osteogenesis imperfecta occurs in two main forms: congenita and tarda. In the former, multiple fractures occur in utero and early death is the rule. In the tarda form multiple fractures occur with minor trauma in
Multicentre evaluation of music perception in adult users of Advanced Bionics cochlear implants

Abstract Objectives To document musical listening and enjoyment in recipients of Advanced Bionics cochlear implants (CIs) and to compare musical perception in those using early coding strategies with subjects using the newer HiRes and HiRes 120 strategies. Methods A questionnaire was completed by 136 adult subjects, including questions on the ability to identify specific musical features. The subjects were in three groups: those using early coding strategies (n = 29), HiRes (n = 59), and HiRes 120 (n = 48), and results were compared with a group of 84 normally hearing (NH) subjects. Results Of the CI users, 79% reported listening to music. The NH group rated listening frequency and enjoyment higher than the CI users. Thirty-five users reported that they sang and this group had significantly higher overall performance. There were no significant differences in overall perception of specific musical features among the strategy groups, though some individual questions showed significantly higher performance in the HiRes 120 users. Discussion Users of current CI technology show a high level of musical appreciation, though still significantly less than NH subjects. Frequency of listening and enjoyment were significantly correlated and active participation in musical activities, specifically singing, resulted in significantly higher overall performance scores.
Family Shelter Entry and Re-entry During the Recession in Hennepin County: The Role of Race, Residential Location, and Family Earnings

Abstract This article examines the extent to which shelter entry and re-entry increased during the Great Recession (December 2007–December 2009) in Hennepin County, Minnesota. Among successive cohorts of families entering the Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program (SNAP), Black families were 23% more likely to enter shelter if they were in the 2008–2009 cohort and 28% more likely to enter shelter if they were in the 2010 cohort than if they entered SNAP in 2004–2005. In addition, families who left shelter in 2009 were 39% more likely and families leaving shelter in 2010 were 63% more likely to re-enter shelter than those leaving shelter in 2004–2006. Only a small part of the increases in shelter entry and shelter re-entry was explained by reductions in family earnings. This suggests that the increases in shelter entry and re-entry may have been caused by other factors, such as the decline in the availability of affordable housing.
Asymmetry and Long Memory in Volatility Modeling

In this paper, we propose a long memory asymmetric volatility model, which captures more flexible asymmetric patterns as compared with several existing models. We extend the new specification to realized volatility (RV) by taking account of measurement errors and use the Efficient Importance Sampling technique to estimate the model. We apply the model to the RV of S&P500. Overall, the results of the out-of-sample forecasts show the adequacy of the new asymmetric and long memory volatility model for the period including the global financial crisis. Copyright The Author 2011. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com. , Oxford University Press.
Hydrophobic surface fabricated by laser interference lithography

The hydrophobic and self-cleaning effects of micro-nano structures have attracted much attention. In this paper, micro-nano structures have been successfully fabricated on glass substrates by laser interference lithography. The hydrophobic properties of the micro-nano structures have been studied by the determination of the water contact angle(CA). The resultant substrate with micro-nano structures exhibit excellent hydrophobic properties, which can be used as a master for roll-to-roll imprinting technology and easily realize its large-scale manufacture.
The Growth of Government in the United States: An Empirical Assessment of Competing Explanations*

Many studies have pointed to a common post-World War II trend in the scope of government activity among Western industrialized nations: government spending as a percentage of total national output has increased substantially during this period. Numerous explanations of this phenomenon have been suggested; however, they have not been tested or have been tested inappropriately. To resolve this problem, we extract nine explanations from the literature and test them by econometric analysis of U.S. government expenditures from 1948 to 1979. Through these tests, we hope to provide a fair way to evaluate simple explanations of government growth using the same level of analysis, the same period of analysis, and the same estimation procedures. Surprisingly, little support is found for any of the extant explanations of government growth. The empirical findings are incorporated into a discussion on how to theoretically specify a more complex and conceptually satisfying model of government growth.
When is Whistle-Blowing Likely to Expose Financial Misconduct?

This study examines factors associated with the likelihood that financial misconduct is uncovered by external whistle-blowing. Using a sample of alleged financial misconduct reported in the press, we examine the factors associated with the alleged financial misconduct being exposed by external whistle-blowing as distinct from being detected by some other method. The results indicate that external whistle-blowing is more likely to uncover financial misconduct when an immunity policy is provided, when misconduct is perpetrated by an individual of greater power relative to the whistle-blower, and when fraud is complex such as when misconduct was perpetrated overseas and when collusion was involved. On the other hand, the results find a lower likelihood that financial misconduct is uncovered by whistle-blowing when there are greater costs to report externally such as when there is greater variable compensation, when internal reporting is prescribed, and when the reporter has a vested interest in the company’s performance. The findings provide insights as to the usefulness of whistle-blowing in detecting financial misconduct.
Total neoadjuvant therapy in locally advanced rectal cancer: Role of systemic chemotherapy

For the past several decades, disease‐related outcomes, particularly local recurrence rate, in patients with locally advanced rectal cancer have significantly improved as a result of advancement of surgical technique and implementation of neoadjuvant chemoradiation. However, distant metastasis remains unresolved, being a significant cause of cancer death. To focus on micrometastases early in the course of multimodal treatment, delivering systemic chemotherapy in the neoadjuvant setting is emerging. Also, driven by patient demand and interest in preserving quality of life, upfront chemotherapy prior to surgery serves as a strategy for organ preservation in the management of rectal cancer. Herein, currently available literature on different methods and strategies of the multimodal approach is critically appraised.
The interactive effects of tax and expenditure limitations stringency with revenue diversity and the council-manager form of government on municipal expenditures

This dissertation examines the effects of tax and expenditure limitations (TELs) stringency and its interaction with revenue diversity and the council-manager form of government on municipal general fund expenditure. TELs are explicit rules that states impose to reduce local government spending. TELs stringency varies from state to state, leading to difficulties in assessing their impact across the nation. This dissertation proposes a new means for measuring the stringency of TELs imposed on local governments. Factor analysis is utilized, and then factor scores are calculated to identify degrees of TELs stringency. This study contends that higher levels of TELs stringency are associated with lower local government spending. However, the effectiveness of TELs is dependent on revenue diversity and the form of government. This study suggests that both revenue diversity and the council-manager form of government mitigate the impacts of TELs stringency on local government spending. Panel data from 2007 to 2011 from 1,508 municipalities are utilized. This study finds that higher levels of TELs stringency are associated with lower levels of municipal general fund expenditures per capita. However, TELs stringency is effective only when revenue diversity is low and when cities have a form of government other than council-manager. These results are generally consistent with the theory presented in this dissertation.
Effects of Market Fundamental Variables on Property Prices in Kenya - A Case of Nairobi Residential Property Market

Property prices in Kenya are high leading to concerns over fundamentally unstable market, a situation with severe financial crisis consequences. The study seek to dispel this fear, using VAR model. Property pricesis the dependent variable while stock prices, interest rate, building cost and inflationare the independent variables. The results showproperty price that is reliant on its lagged values. Inflation and interest rate have insignificant lagged positive and negative effectsproperty prices while neither stock prices nor building cost can explain the prevailing property prices. The findings are consistent with the theories that property investment isa hedge against inflation, property prices are inversely related to interest ratesand inefficiency of the property market as evident in the time lapse required for adjustments.The study implies a fundamentally weak property market, an empirical facts that emulates a price bubble requiring necessary policy
A standstill parameter identification technique for the synchronous generator

This work presents an offline standstill identification technique, where the synchronous machine is locked at an arbitrary (but known) angle, and a test is conducted over a short period of time. In contrast to the well-known standard Standstill Frequency Response (SSFR) technique, which could take more than 6 hours to conduct, the method proposed here collects all the required data in few seconds. This technique is based on nonlinear least squares estimation and algebraic elimination theory. The resulting algorithm is non-iterative where the data is used to construct polynomials that are solved for a finite number of roots which determine the electrical parameter values. Experimental results are presented showing the efficacy of the technique in furnishing the parameters of a salient pole synchronous machine.
Study on Return and Volatility Spillover Effects Among Stock, CDS, and Foreign Exchange Markets in Korea

The key objective of this study is to investigate the return and volatility spillover effects among stock market, credit default swap (CDS) market and foreign exchange market for three countries: Korea, the US and Japan. Using the trivariate VAR BEKK GARCH (1,1) model, the study finds that there are significant return and volatility spillover effects between the Korean CDS market and the Korean stock market. In addition, the return spillover effects from foreign exchange markets and the US stock market to the Korean stock market, and the volatility spillover effect from the Japanese stock market to the Korean stock market are both significant.
Adenovirus-mediated transfer and overexpression of heme oxygenase 1 cDNA in lung prevents bleomycin-induced pulmonary fibrosis via a Fas-Fas ligand-independent pathway.

Heme oxygenase 1 (HO-1) is an inducible enzyme that catalyzes heme to generate bilirubin, ferritin, and carbon monoxide. Because enhanced expression of HO-1 confers protection against many types of cell and tissue damage by modulating apoptotic cell death or cytokine expression profiles, we hypothesized that adenovirus-mediated transfer of HO-1 cDNA and subsequent overexpression of the protein in lung would provide therapeutic benefit in a murine model of bleomycin-induced pulmonary fibrosis. In C57BL/6 mice, HO-1 overexpression clearly suppressed the development of fibrotic changes and was associated with enhanced interferon gamma production in lung and reduced numbers of respiratory epithelial cells with damaged DNA. However, HO-1 overexpression did not prevent pulmonary fibrosis induced by agonistic anti-Fas antibody inhalation in C57BL/6 or ICR mice, a strain known to develop pulmonary fibrosis via the Fas-Fas ligand (FasL) pathway. Consistent with the concept that HO-1 overexpression prevents fibrosis via a pathway independent of Fas-FasL interaction, Ad.HO-1 administration prevented bleomycin-induced pulmonary fibrosis in gld/gld mice, which express nonfunctional FasL. These observations suggest that using HO-1 overexpression strategies to treat idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, or fibrotic disorders of other target organs, by attenuating apoptotic cell death likely would be effective in clinical situations.