Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Altered Immune Function during Long-Term Host-Tumor Interactions Can Be Modulated to Retard Autochthonous Neoplastic Growth1

Ag-specific and generalized forms of immunosuppression have been documented in animal tumor models. However, much of our knowledge on tumor-induced immunosuppression was acquired using tumor implant models, which do not reiterate the protracted nature of host-tumor interactions. Therefore, a transgenic mouse model of autochthonous mammary tumor development and progression was chosen to investigate the long-term consequences of neoplastic growth on the immune system. In vitro proliferation of unfractionated splenocytes from tumor-bearing mice, as assessed by [3H]thymidine uptake, was inhibited by the presence of suppressor cells within these splenocyte preparations, because purifying the T cells restored their biological activity. However, the level of inhibition did not correlate with either tumor load or the percentage of myeloid-derived CD11b+Gr1+ cells. To evaluate tumor-specific immune dysfunction, transgenic mice were challenged with autologous tumor cells. Mice with extensive, but not minimal autochthonous tumor burdens demonstrated a significantly enhanced rate of autologous tumor growth compared with age-matched controls. In contrast, an allogeneic tumor challenge was efficiently rejected from both groups of transgenic mice. It was also noted that allogeneic tumor challenge of mice with minimal disease significantly inhibited autochthonous primary tumor growth. We therefore demonstrated that 1) a generalized form of immunosuppression occurred, but not as a result of permanent alterations to T cell function, because purified T cell subsets retained normal biological activity following polyclonal or allostimulation; and 2) tumor-specific immunosuppression emerged as a consequence of tumor progression, but could be modulated to enhance antitumor responses against autochthonous primary neoplastic growth.
Predicting US CPI-Inflation in the presence of asymmetries, persistence, endogeneity, and conditional heteroscedasticity

In this paper, we construct a multi-predictor framework for US inflation by augmenting the traditional Phillips curve-based inflation model with symmetric and asymmetric oil price changes. We show that the underlying predictors of US inflation exhibit persistence, endogeneity and conditional heteroscedasticity effects which have implications on forecast performance. Thus, we employ the Westerlund and Narayan (WN hereafter) (2014) estimator which allows for these effects in the predictive model. Also, we follow the linear multi-predictor set-up by Makin et al. (2014) which is an extension of the bivariate predictive model of WN (2014). Thereafter, we extend the former in order to construct a nonlinear multi-predictor model that allows for asymmetries based on Shin et al. (2014) approach. Using historical quarterly data for relevant variables ranging from 1957 to 2017, we demonstrate that US inflation is better modelled with the proposed multi-predictor model suggesting the significance of oil price in the predictive model for US inflation. In addition, we find that the US inflation forecast is episodic and asymmetric. Among the competing multi-predictor variants, the positive oil price-based variant outperforms all other variants both for in-sample and out-of-sample forecasts. The proposed model also outperforms the autoregressive process for a longer out-of-sample period. Our results are robust to different measures of inflation, multiple in-sample periods and forecast horizon.
Screening for depression in a diabetic outpatient population

Depression occurs twice as often in patients with diabetes and is associated with reduced compliance with exercise, diet, and medications. It is also associated with hyperglycemia and increased diabetic complications. Despite evidence that successful treatment is associated with improved glycemic control, many cases of depression are left untreated. Objectives. (1) Evaluate a combination screening strategy in an outpatient population; and (2) explore the association between glycemic control and depressive symptomatology. Methods. Ninety-two patients completed the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-2). Patients with a PHQ-2 score ≥ 1 completed the 16-item Quick Inventory of Depressive Symptomatology (QIDS-SR16). Using the QIDS-SR16, a score of ≤5 corresponded to normal mood, with scores above 5 corresponding to increasing severity of depressive symptoms. Glycemic control was assessed by glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c). Results. Using a PHQ-2 cut-off score of ≥3, 37% of the sample screened positive for major depressive disorder (MDD), with an additional 27% reporting sub-threshold symptoms. The depressed group reported significantly more difficulty with reduced interests, insomnia, concentration, self-criticism, energy/fatigue and depressed mood. In terms of glycemic control, there was a marginally significant effect for race and HbA1c. Conclusion. The combined PHQ-2 and QIDS-SR16 can facilitate prompt detection of MDD and provide a means of monitoring specific symptoms and progress once treatment commences.
Online topic detection and tracking of financial news based on hierarchical clustering

In this paper, we apply TDT technology to the vertical search engine in the financial field. The returned results are grouped into several topics with the stock as the unit. Then we show the topics to the users in time series order. As a result, users can easily learn about the important events which belong to a stock. Moreover, the causes and the effects of these events can also be found out easily. We improve the common agglomerative hierarchical clustering algorithm based on average-link method, which is then used to implement the retrospective topic detection and the online topic detection of news stories of the stocks. Additionally, the improved single pass clustering algorithm is employed to accomplish topic tracking. We consider that the feature terms which occur in the title of a news story contribute more during the similarity calculation and increase their corresponding weights. Experiments are performed on two datasets which are annotated by human judgment. The results show that the proposed method can effectively detect and track the online financial topics.
Evidence of plastic probing behavior in a ‘superclone’ of the grain aphid Sitobion avenae

Abstract Asexual reproduction is very common in invasive insect pest. In the recent years, increasing evidences have shown that some invasive asexual lineages display an outstanding capacity to predominate in space and persist on time (superclones). However, little is known about the host-use behavior of these superclones. The English grain aphid Sitobion avenae (Fabricius) (Hemiptera: Aphididae) is one of the major pests of cereals worldwide. Chilean populations of the grain aphid are characterized by a high degree of heterozygosity and low genotypic variability across regions and years, with only four predominant superclone genotypes representing nearly 90% of populations. In this study, (1) the reproductive performance and (2) the probing behavior followed a host shift of one superclone and one non-superclone of S. avenae, were compared. The host plant in the superclone did not affect the reproductive performance, while in the non-superclone was lower on highly defended wheat seedling. The experimental switching of the host plants from barley (without chemical defenses) to two wheat species with low and high levels of chemical defenses, revealed that superclone exhibited a flexible probing activities related to access of sieve elements, while the non-superclone exhibited rigid responses. These findings are consistent with the pattern of occurrence of these genotypes in the field on cereals with different plant defenses (e.g. benzoxazinoids). These responses are discussed on the view of developing new strategies for the management in invasive populations of aphid pest species.
A simulation model to analyze the residual load during the extension of highly fluctuating renewables in Bavaria, Germany

Globally, electric energy systems are faced with great challenges due to the massive growth of electricity generated by renewable energy sources. The situation in Germany is even more pronounced because of the planned phase-out of nuclear energy. The high penetration of volatile decentralized renewables such as wind and solar energy contributes to a shift of the electric energy system. The present legally guaranteed priority over conventional power plants leads to a change of the characteristics of the residual load - defined as the difference between electricity demand and the amount supplied by renewables. In order to predict various system aspects with adequate accuracy, we developed a flexible, validated, and efficient simulation model. In this paper, we describe our model and apply it to investigate the properties of the residual load based on the electric energy system of the German federal state Bavaria. The simulation results show that the mean of the residual load will decline whereas the hours of negative residual load will increase over the next ten years.
Variations in immunohistochemical detection of p53 protein overexpression in cervical carcinomas with different antibodies and methods of detection

Immunocytochemical detection of p53 protein products in paraffin sections is possible with a number of antisera, monoclonal and polyclonal. Few corroborative results amongst different laboratories have been published due to variations in the antibodies, the fixation protocols, and the immunocytochemical methods applied. Antigen unmasking methods employing microwaves or proteolytic enzymes add to the disparity in the percentage of positive cases reported. In this study, paraffin sections of 55 cases of cervical carcinoma were immunostained with monoclonal antibodies p53‐DO7 and p53‐1801 (a) without section pretreatment, (b) with pronase digestion, and (c) with microwave antigen retrieval in citric acid buffer. Specimens fixed in buffered formalin required antigen unmasking to show positive staining. Pronase digestion caused false‐negative immunostaining. Microwave pretreatment with p53‐DO7 yielded 100 per cent positivity for p53 proteins but only 7/55 cases with more than 50 per cent positive cells. Monoclonal antibody p53‐DO7 detected more positive cases than p53‐1801. Immunostaining with antibodies to p53 proteins must be interpreted cautiously as variations in fixation, antibodies, and section pretreatment will significantly affect results.
Reactivity of T Cells with Grass Pollen Allergen Extract and Allergoid

Background: Successful allergen–specific immunotherapy is achieved with progressively increasing doses of allergen or allergoid. In order to gain further insight into the mechanism of action of allergoids several in vitro investigations were conducted. Methods: Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) from grass pollen allergic and nonallergic subjects were stimulated with either grass pollen extract or allergoid and the proliferation and cytokine production (IL–5, IFN–γ) were measured. Similar investigations were performed with Phl p 5–specific T cell lines (TCL) and clones (TCC). Dendritic cells and PBMC were compared in terms of their relative efficacies as antigen–presenting cells. Results: Both allergen and allergoid induced proliferation and Th2 and Th1 cytokine synthesis by PBMC of allergic subjects, whereas PBMC of nonallergic subjects did not produce IL–5. The maximum level of IL–5 was obtained with a lower concentration than was necessary for maximal IFN–γ production. Higher stimulation doses of allergen and allergoid shifted the cytokine profiles towards a Th1 phenotype. TCL and TCC clearly showed reactivity with both allergen and allergoid when using autologous PBMC for antigen presentation, but compared with the native allergen the reactivity of the allergoid was reduced with most of the TCC. Using dendritic cells for antigen presentation a pronounced increase of stimulation of the TCC especially for the allergoids becomes obvious. Conclusion: In common with grass pollen allergen the corresponding allergoids possess a strong allergen–specific T cell–stimulating capacity. However, the degree of T cell stimulation by the allergoid seems to be dependent on the type of the antigen–presenting cell. Both, allergen and allergoid, can modulate T cell responses in a dose–dependent manner.
Ranitidine treatment in newborn infants: effects on gastric acidity and serum prolactin levels.

Data about the use of ranitidine in the early postnatal period are lacking. In this study, 30 term newborn infants < 2 days old with bleeding erosions in their upper gastrointestinal tracts were treated with ranitidine by continuous i.v. infusion (0.2 mg/kg/h) for 48 h and thereafter by mouth (5 mg/kg b.i.d.) for 1 month. Mean gastric pH (SD) rose from 4.27 (1.62) to 5.70 (0.95) during i.v. infusion; after oral therapy it was still 5.55 (1.25). Serum ranitidine concentrations were 642.4 (376.5) and 321.5 (368.2) ng/ml after i.v. and oral therapy, respectively, with wide interindividual variations; the correlation between serum ranitidine and gastric pH was found to be weak. No untoward effect was observed either on the cardiorespiratory rate or on creatinine and aminotransferase values. Mean serum prolactin concentration after i.v. therapy was found to be lower, although within the reference range, than in control infants; no significant correlation was observed between serum ranitidine and prolactin concentrations. From these data, a < 0.2 mg/kg/h rate seems to be advisable for continuous ranitidine infusion in neonates, whereas the 5 mg/kg b.i. d. regimen could be considered adequate for oral therapy.
Importance of maintaining the basic stress pathway above the acetabular dome during acetabular reconstruction

Abstract The basic stress pathway above the acetabular dome is important for the maintenance of implant stability in press-fit acetabular reconstruction of total hip arthroplasty. However, information on the basic stress pathway and its impact factors remains unclear. The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of the orientations and positions of the acetabular component on the basic stress pathway. The basic stress pathway above the acetabular dome was defined as two parts: 3D basic trabecular bone stress distribution and quantified basic cortical bone stress level, using two subject-specific finite element normal hip models. The effects were then analysed by generating 32 reconstructed acetabular cases with different cup abduction and anteversion angles within a range of 35–50° and 10–25°, respectively, and 12 cases with different hip centre heights within a range of 0–15 mm above the acetabular dome. The 3D trabecular stress distribution decreased remarkably in all cases, while the 80% of the basic cortical bone stress level was maintained in cases when the acetabular component was positioned at 10° or 15° anteversion and 40° or 45° abduction angles. The basic stress pathway above the acetabular dome was disturbed when the superior displacement of the hip centre exceeded 5 mm above the anatomical hip centre. Positioning the acetabular component correctly contributes to maintain the stress balance between the acetabular cup and the bone during acetabular reconstruction, thus helping restore the normal hip biomechanics and preserve the stability of the implants.
Comparative study of the arterial and lacunary systems of the ventricular myocardium of elasmobranch and teleost fishes.

The typical fish heart has a spongy trabeculated ventricular myocardium (spongiosa) supplied by the venous blood of the intertrabecular spaces (lacunae); hence it is called a "venous heart. " However, in some fishes a more complex ventricular muscle is found (mixed type), in which the spongiosa is covered by an outer layer of densely arranged myocardial bundles (compacta). The compacta receives oxygenated blood from the coronary vessels. The objective of this study was to investigate relations between myoarchitecture and blood supply with an emphasis on the hitherto unexplored, putative vascular connections between the arterial and the lacunary circuits. Using histological methods combined with vascular cast techniques and India ink injections, it was possible to define four different types of ventricular myocardium and its microvasculature. In some of them an intramural network arises from the subepicardial arterial system supplying the compacta and also is distributed to the spongiosa. Extensive arterio-luminal vessels connect this coronary bed with the lacunary circuit of the spongiosa, so realizing the first evolutionary step of the Thebesian system. The highest development of these connections is found in some very active pelagic fishes. The functional morphology of these vascular patterns is discussed in relation to the phylogenetic and functional context of the fish heart. It appears that the concept of the piscine heart as a typical "venous" type is an oversimplified generalization, at least on morphological grounds.
Longterm calcineurin inhibitor therapy and brain function in patients after liver transplantation

Calcineurin inhibitors (CNIs) frequently induce neurological complications early after orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT). We hypothesize that longterm CNI therapy after OLT causes dose‐dependent cognitive dysfunction and alteration of brain structure. In this study, 85 OLT patients (20 with CNI‐free, 35 with CNI low‐dose, and 30 with standard‐dose CNI immunosuppression) underwent psychometric testing and cerebral magnetic resonance imaging approximately 10 years after OLT to assess brain function and structural brain alterations. A total of 33 healthy patients adjusted for age, sex, and education served as controls. Patients receiving CNI showed a significantly worse visuospatial/constructional ability compared with controls (P ≤ 0.04). Furthermore, patients on low‐dose CNI therapy had an overall impaired cognitive function compared with controls (P = 0.01). The tacrolimus total dose and mean trough level were negatively correlated to cognitive function. CNI doses had been adjusted in 91% of the patients in the low‐dose and CNI‐free groups in the past due to CNI‐induced kidney damage. Patients treated with CNI showed significantly more white matter hyperintensities (WMH) than patients on CNI‐free immunosuppression and controls (P < 0.05). Both the mean cyclosporine A and tacrolimus trough levels correlated significantly with WMH. In conclusion, longterm CNI therapy carries a risk of cognitive dysfunction especially in patients who already showed nephrotoxic side effects indicating an increased susceptibility of these patients against toxic CNI effects. This subgroup of patients might benefit from a change to CNI‐free immunosuppression. Liver Transplantation 24 56–66 2018 AASLD.
Trichothecene 3-O-Acetyltransferase Protects Both the Producing Organism and Transformed Yeast from Related Mycotoxins

Trichothecene mycotoxins such as deoxynivalenol, 4,15-diacetoxyscirpenol, and T-2 toxin, are potent protein synthesis inhibitors for eukaryotic organisms. The 3-O-acetyl derivatives of these toxins were shown to reduce their in vitro activity significantly as assessed by assays using a rabbit reticulocyte translation system. The results suggested that the introduction of an O-acetyl group at the C-3 position in the biosynthetic pathway works as a resistance mechanism forFusarium species that produce t-type trichothecenes (trichothecenes synthesized via the precursor trichotriol). A gene responsible for the 3-O-acetylation reaction,Tri101, has been successfully cloned from a Fusarium graminearum cDNA library that was designed to be expressed inSchizosaccharomyces pombe. Fission yeast transformants were selected for their ability to grow in the presence of T-2 toxin, and this strategy allowed isolation of 25 resistant clones, all of which contained a cDNA for Tri101. This is the first drug-inactivating O-acetyltransferase gene derived from antibiotic-producing organisms. The open reading frame ofTri101 codes for a polypeptide of 451 amino acid residues, which shows no similarity to any other proteins reported so far. TRI101 from recombinant Escherichia coli catalyzesO-acetylation of the trichothecene ring specifically at the C-3 position in an acetyl-CoA-dependent manner. By using the Tri101 cDNA as a probe, two least overlapping cosmid clones that cover a region of 70 kilobase pairs have been isolated from the genome of F. graminearum. Other trichothecene biosynthetic genes, Tri4, Tri5, and Tri6, were not clustered in the region covered by these cosmid clones. These new cosmid clones are considered to be located in other parts of the large biosynthetic gene cluster and might be useful for the study of trichothecene biosynthesis.
Open Data for Open Innovation: Managing Absorptive Capacity in Smes

Open Data (OD) utilisation has been encouraged by governments because of its potential to fuel digital innovation. Despite this, there is a paucity of study into the role of OD for SMEs, in contrast to the growing literature that has focused on the collection and sharing of OD by the public sector. As such, our study contributes to open innovation research by analysing the main capabilities needed to overcome existing barriers to successfully manage OD in SMEs. Building upon the recent SME&#8208;oriented OI literature and adopting an interpretative absorptive capacity framework, we analyse the data collected from 30 semi&#8208;structured interviews with experts working in UK organisations adopting OD&#8208;based OI strategies. We find a number of core factors that shape OD acquisition, assimilation, transformation and exploitation by SMEs. Results show that without the specific OD capabilities identified in our study, it will be difficult for SMEs to successfully use OD, which may explain why the uptake of OD by SMEs more broadly has so far been limited. These unique OD capabilities need to be better developed by OD using SMEs, if this &#8216;raw material&#8217; for the digital economy is to be fully exploited.
Associations between mammographic density and body composition in Hispanic and non-Hispanic white women by menopause status

Objective: To evaluate the associations of body composition, including percentage of lean and fat mass, with the percentage of mammographic density and mammographic dense area among pre- and postmenopausal Hispanic and non-Hispanic white women. Design: In this cross-sectional study, a total of 238 women aged 41 to 50 or 56 to 70 years were recruited from local mammography clinics and community health centers. Postmenopausal status was defined as an absence of any menstrual cycle within the past 12 calendar months or having a follicle-stimulating hormone level between 22 and 138 mIU/mL. The participants' most recent mammograms were used for the mammographic density analysis. Body composition was measured by dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry. The associations between the percentage of mammographic density or mammographic dense area and body composition components were analyzed using logistic regression. Results: Mammographic dense areas were similar in Hispanic and non-Hispanic white women. The percentage of mammographic density varied by ethnicity in premenopausal (P = 0.023), but not in postmenopausal women. Body composition, both higher lean mass and lower fat mass, was associated with a higher percentage of mammographic density (P < 0.05). Interestingly, a higher percentage of total body fat mass and a lower percentage of total body lean mass were correlated with larger breast dense areas in premenopausal women but with lower breast dense areas in postmenopausal women. These relationships between body composition and mammographic density measurements were not significantly affected by factors such as age, ethnicity, and body weight. Conclusions: Body composition is highly correlated with mammographic density and should be examined as a possible confounding factor in studies involving mammographic density measurements and breast cancer risk.