Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Variants of CARD15, TNFA and PTPN22 and susceptibility to Crohn's disease in the Czech population: high frequency of the CARD15 1007fs.

Crohn's disease (CD) has been shown to be associated with the variants in the CARD15 gene as well as in other genes involved in the immune response. The frequencies of the variants profoundly differ among populations and so does the associated risk. We examined the associations of variants in the CARD15, TNFA and PTPN22 genes with pediatric-onset and adult-onset CD in the Czech population. Genotype, phenotype and allelic frequencies were compared between 345 patients with CD (136 pediatric-onset and 209 adult-onset patients) and 501 unrelated healthy controls. At least one minor allele of the CARD15 gene was carried by 46% patients and only 21% control subjects (OR = 3.2, 95% CI 2.4-4.4). In a multiple logistic regression model, the strongest association with CD was found for the 1007fs variant (OR = 4.6, 95% CI 3.0-7.0), followed by p.G908R (OR = 2.9, 95% CI 1.5-5.7) and p.R702W (OR = 1.7, 95% CI 1.0-2.9), while no independent association was found for the remaining variants in the CARD15 gene (p.268S, p.955I and p.289S), for the p.R620W variant in the PTPN22 gene or for the g. -308G>A variant in the TNFA gene. The age at CD onset was strongly modified by positivity for the 1007fs allele: it was present in 42% pediatric-onset and only 25% adult-onset patients. In conclusion, we report a high frequency of the minor allele of the CARD15 1007fs polymorphism in the Czech population and a strong effect of this allele on the age at disease onset.
Histone deacetylase inhibitor trichostatin a potentiates doxorubicin‐induced apoptosis by up‐regulating PTEN expression

The tumor suppressor gene PTEN is a major negative regulator of the PI3K/Akt cellular survival pathway. Overexpression of PTEN by adenoviral transfection increases doxorubicin‐induced apoptosis. Whereas doxorubicin‐induced apoptosis can be potentiated by the histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitor Trichostatin A (TSA), the mechanisms underlying this process remain unclear. The aim of this work was to investigate whether changes in PTEN expression are involved in TSA/doxorubicin‐induced apoptosis.
Fine structural organization of the hemiellipsoid body of the land hermit crab, Coenobita clypeatus

Electron microscopical observations of the hemiellipsoid bodies of the land hermit crab Coenobita clypeatus resolve microglomerular synaptic complexes that are comparable to those observed in the calyces of insect mushroom bodies and which characterize olfactory inputs onto intrinsic neurons. In an adult hermit crab, intrinsic neurons and one class of efferent neurons originate from neuronal somata of globuli cells covering the hemiellipsoid bodies. Counts of their nucleoli show that about 120,000 globuli cells supply each hemiellipsoid body in an adult hermit crab. This number is comparable to the number of globuli cells supplying mushroom bodies of certain insects, such as honey bees and cockroaches. Counts of axons in tracts leading from the olfactory lobes to the hemiellipsoid bodies resolve 20,000 afferent axons, however, an order of magnitude greater than known for any insect. These afferent axons provide numerous swollen varicosities, each presynaptic to many small profiles, and thus comparable to the microglomeruli that characterize insect mushroom body calyces. Also, common to mushroom bodies and hemiellipsoid bodies are arrangements of intrinsic neurons, afferent neurons containing dense core vesicles, and systems of serial synaptic complexes that relate to postsynaptic profiles of efferent neurons. Together, the ultrastructural organization of the hemiellipsoid bodies of C. clypeatus supports the proposition that this center may share a common origin with the insect mushroom body despite obvious divergent evolution of overall shape. J. Comp. Neurol. 520:2847–2863, 2012. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Photocatalytic Inactivation Efficiency of Anatase Nano‐TiO2 Sol on the H9N2 Avian Influenza Virus

This study was conducted to investigate efficiency of TiO2nanomaterial as a novel environment‐friendly disinfectant to control avian influenza (AI) by its photochemical sterilization ability. Anatase nano‐TiO2sol, a neutral, viscous aqueous colloid of 1.6% TiO2, was synthesized from peroxotitanic acid solution according to the Ichinose method. Transmission electron microscope images showed that the TiO2particles were spindle‐shaped with an average size of 50 nm. X‐ray diffraction patterns revealed that the crystal phase of TiO2particles was anatase type with photocatalytic effect. A photocatalytic film of nano‐TiO2sol was tested as a means of inactivating H9N2avian influenza virus (AIV). Inactivation capabilities were examined with 365 nm ultraviolet (UV) radiation under black light by adjusting the UV intensity, the UV irradiation time and the quantity of AIV. The titer change of AIV was determined by hemagglutination tests. Cytopathic effect of Madin Darby canine kidney (MDCK) cells was monitored by inverted fluorescence microscope. The results showed that anatase nano‐TiO2sol significantly inactivated AIV under UV irradiation of 365 nm. The inactivation of AIV viruses reached up to 100%. Therefore, anatase nano‐TiO2sol is a potentially environment‐friendly antivirus agent to prevent AI.
Effects of Enterally Administering Granulocyte Colony-Stimulating Factor to Suckling Mice

Gastrointestinal (GI) tract development is influenced by multiple growth factors, some of which are delivered directly to the GI lumen, as they are swallowed constituents of amniotic fluid, colostrum, and milk. Granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF), traditionally known as a granulocytopoietic growth factor, is an example of one such factor. However, it is not clear whether the large amounts of G-CSF that are normally swallowed by the fetus and neonate have systemic effects on circulating neutrophils or local effects in the developing intestine. To assess this, we administered either active or heat-denatured (control) recombinant human G-CSF to 5- to 7-d-old C57BL/6 × 129SvJ mice. Pups received either a low dose (3 ng) that was calculated to approximate the amount of G-CSF swallowed in utero from amniotic fluid or an isovolemic high dose 100 times larger (300 ng). Oral dosing was performed daily for either 3 or 7 d, after which pups were killed and measurements were made on the blood and the GI tract. Absolute blood neutrophil counts and immature to total neutrophil ratios did not differ from controls in any of the test groups. However, intestinal villus area, perimeter, length, crypt depth, and proliferating cell nuclear antigen index increased significantly among those that were treated with active G-CSF. Thus, in suckling mice, enterally administered G-CSF had no effect on the concentration of circulating neutrophils but had trophic effects on the intestine. We speculate that the G-CSF present in amniotic fluid, colostrum, and milk acts as a topical intestinal growth factor and has little or no granulocytopoietic action.
Dual band bandpass filters based on strong coupling directional couplers

This paper presents a new type of dual band bandpass filter. It is based on strong coupling directional couplers inside a loop configuration. The proposed topology allows the control of the passbands bandwidths and the separation between passbands. The presented dual band bandpass filter exhibits wide stopbands with high rejection levels. To validate the suggested filter scheme, theoretical, simulated and measured results are presented for a dual band bandpass filter in CPW technology.
Do Bilateral Investment Treaties Erode Institutional Quality?

Capital importing countries use bilateral investment treaties (BITs) as a means to attract foreign investors who see in these investment agreements an effective tool to employ in case of potential investment disputes. Several countries, often at the expense of their sovereign rights, have engaged in an unbridled foreign capital competition that has resulted in a massive proliferation of BITs since the 1990s. This paper contributes to the debate that BITs might harm the institutional quality (IQ) of signatory countries due to the possibility established by BITs to resort to international jurisdictions to settle potential investment disputes. Using a panel of 132 countries over the period 1984 – 2012, the results suggest that BITs have no significant effects on IQ. However, the results reveal a significant and positive effect of BITs on the IQ of Southern countries. While BITs do not significantly affect some IQ components such as corruption, law and order, quality of bureaucracy, government stability, and investment profile, I find that BITs have a positive and significant effect on the socioeconomic conditions of Southern countries. More specifically, I find that North-North BITs and South-North BITs have a significant and positive effect on socioeconomic conditions. In contrast, I find no significant effects of South-South BITs, North-South BITs on IQ. I conclude that South-North BITs rather than South-South BITs are beneficial to Southern countries by improving their socioeconomic conditions.
Oral Administration of Grape Seed Proanthocyanidin Extracts Downregulate RAGE Dependant Nuclear Factor- Kappa BP65 Expression in the Hippocampus of Streptozotocin Induced Diabetic Rats

Chronic degenerative brain disease in diabetes, known as 'diabetic encephalopathy', is a recognized complication that can occur due to long-standing diabetes in patients. It is defined by chronic cognitive disturbance and it is thought to relate to regional tissue pathological changes in the brain. Furthermore, hyperglycemia induced activation of the AGE (S)/RAGE/NF-kappaB pathway may play an important role in the pathogenesis of the degenerative changes seen in the diabetic hippocampus. To help prevent the development of and to potentially treat this brain disease, effective interventions directed toward key molecular target(s) are required. Grape seed proanthocyanidin extracts (GSPE), which are the anti-oxidants derived from grape seeds, have been reported to possess a variety of potent properties. As a consequence, they may have therapeutic effects in the prevention and treatment of complications in patients with diabetes. In this study, we firstly examined whether GSPE could attenuate the structural degenerative changes in the diabetic hippocampus in a rodent model of diabetes. Secondly, we addressed if such effects of GSPE may be occurring through modulation of the receptor for advanced glycation end products (RAGE) and/or nuclear factor-kappa BP65 (NF-kappaBP65). Hippocampi from GSPE treated STZ induced diabetic rats were immunohistochemically stained for glial fibrillary acidic protein, RAGE and NF-kappaBP65 and for morphological observations. Western blot was used to detect the proteins of RAGE and NF-kappaBP65. Real time, reverse transcriptase coupled to polymerase chain reaction was used for quantitative determination of mRNA for RAGE and NF-kappaBP65. Analysis of data showed that long term chronic hyperglycemia caused the overexpression of AGE (S)/RAGE and NF-kappaBp65 in the CA region of hippocampus in STZ induced diabetic rats. GSPE decreased the expression of RAGE and NF-kappaBP65 at a daily oral dosage of 250 mg/kg. This study provides indication that GSPE can prevent structural changes of diabetes in the rat brain and it suggests that GSPE might be a useful remedy in the treatment of diabetic encephalopathy. In addition, it implicates the potential pathological role of RAGE and NF-kappaBP65 in diabetic encephalopathy.
Acute leukemia classification by using SVM and K-Means clustering

The proposed system takes as input, Color images of stained peripheral blood smears and identifies the class of each of the White Blood Cells (WBC). The process involves segmentation, feature extraction and classification. Our work focuses on classification of Foil of Bretagne (Lymphoid) and Almeida Lloyd (Myeloid). So that, physicians can analyze, detect anomalies and ensure the diagnosis. The experiment results showed that the performance of identification leukemia using our image processing techniques could classify 100 sample images to Lymphoid stem cells and Myeloid stem cells The method has been evaluated using K-Means clustering. Features extracted from the segmented cytoplasm and nucleus, are motivated by the visual cues of shape and texture. Various classifiers have been explored on different combinations of feature sets. The results presented here are based on trials conducted with normal cells. The highest performance using SVM was of 92%.
Extensive phenotypic analysis of CD34 subsets in successive collections of mobilized peripheral blood progenitors

The transplantation of mobilized progenitor cells after high‐dose chemotherapy shortens haemopoietic engraftment. CD34 cell subsets were examined in 20 consecutive mobilized progenitor cell collections obtained from patients with solid tumours that had not been previously treated. The analysis of CD34 cells was based on the expression of intracellular antigens, surface antigens including CD38, and cell size using multi‐dimensional flow cytometry. We also correlated the numbers of stem cell subsets reinfused to haemopoietic recovery.
Continuous Inhibition of MAPK Signaling Promotes the Early Osteoblastic Differentiation and Mineralization of the Extracellular Matrix

We screened the small molecule compounds that stimulate osteogenesis by themselves or promote bone morphogenetic protein (BMP)‐induced bone formation. We found that a specific inhibitor for MAPK/extracellular signal‐regulated kinase kinase (MEK)‐1, promoted the early osteoblastic differentiation and mineralization of extracellular matrix (ECM) in C2C12 pluripotent mesenchymal cells treated with recombinant human BMP‐2 (rhBMP‐2) and MC3T3‐E1 preosteoblastic cells. ALP activity was synergistically increased by the treatment with a specific MEK‐1 inhibitor PD98059 and rhBMP‐2 in both cell lines. Twenty‐five micromolar PD98059 promoted mineralization of ECM in rhBMP‐2‐treated C2C12 cells and MC3T3‐E1 cells. In contrast, PD98059 reduced osteocalcin (OCN) secretion and its transcriptional level in rhBMP‐2‐treated C2C12 cells but increased its secretion and mRNA level in MC3T3‐E1 cells. Stable expression of a dominant‐negative MEK‐1 mutant in C2C12 cells represented high ALP activity and low osteocalcin production in the presence of rhBMP‐2, while a constitutively active mutant of MEK‐1 attenuated both of them. Together, our results indicated that BMP‐2‐induced mineralization of ECM of pluripotent mesenchymal stem cells and preosteoblastic cells could be controlled by a fine tuning of the MAPK signaling pathway. Further, MEK‐1 inhibitors would be useful for the promotion of bone formation, for instance, the treatments for delayed fracture healing or advance of localized osteoporotic change after fracture healing.
Efficient Subtree Pruning Scheme in Tree-Structured Hierarchy

For efficient image retrieval, most existing methods that adopt a tree-structured hierarchy exploit a subtree pruning scheme, based on the triangle inequality of a distance metric, during the tree traversal. In this paper, we propose a refined pruning scheme for the tree-structured hierarchy by introducing a novel notion of the node distance to subcluster (NDS) and validate it in both theoretical and experimental aspects. Experimental results demonstrate that the proposed method outperforms the existing ones by 10%-25% in terms of retrieval efficiency at the negligible increase of storage for a retrieval system
On the Consistent Inference of the Economic Relation of the Residual Income Valuation Model

The Residual Earnings (RE) model has informed the capital market research over the last twenty years. To employ it in an empirical setting researchers commonly make extra assumptions about how future RE are related to and predicted by today’s observed numbers. In this article, we show that the RE valuation relation can be estimated without a priori assumptions on exactly how observable data projects future earnings. The linkage between informative current values and expectations of future abnormal earnings is consistently inferred directly from the data. By letting the data speak we eliminate the risk of misspecifying the mechanism of expectation formation through unfitting assumptions.
Weight-of-evidence evaluation of long-term ozone exposure and cardiovascular effects

Abstract We conducted a weight-of-evidence (WoE) analysis to assess whether the current body of research supports a causal relationship between long-term ozone exposure (defined by EPA as at least 30 days in duration) at ambient levels and cardiovascular (CV) effects. We used a novel WoE framework based on the United States Environmental Protection Agency's National Ambient Air Quality Standards causal framework for this analysis. Specifically, we critically evaluated and integrated the relevant epidemiology and experimental animal data and classified a causal determination based on categories proposed by the Institute of Medicine's 2008 report, Improving the Presumptive Disability Decision-making Process for Veterans. We found that the risks of CV effects are largely null across human and experimental animal studies. The few positive associations reported in studies of CV morbidity and mortality are very small in magnitude, mainly reported in single-pollutant models, and likely attributable to bias, chance, or confounding. The few positive effects in experimental animal studies were observed mainly in ex vivo studies at high exposures, and even the in vivo findings are not likely relevant to humans. The available data also do not support a biologically plausible mechanism for the effects of ozone on the CV system. Overall, the current WoE provides no convincing case for a causal relationship between long-term exposure to ambient ozone and adverse effects on the CV system in humans, but the limitations of the available studies preclude definitive conclusions regarding a lack of causation; thus, we categorize the strength of evidence for a causal relationship between long-term exposure to ozone and CV effects as “below equipoise. ”
SILC-based reassignment of trapping and trap generation regimes of positive bias temperature instability

We report a simple but effective SILC-based methodology to separate and identify trapping and trap generation dominated regimes of positive bias temperature instability (PBTI). We use theoretical model and experiments to demonstrate that the sign for stress induced leakage current (SILC) reverses as PBTI transitions from trapping to trap generation dominated regimes; this is in contrast to threshold voltage shift with no corresponding sign reversal. SILC crossover methodology further verifies that initial and fast saturated trapping is temperature independent while trap generation is voltage and temperature activated. The SILC-based reassignment not only indentifies trapping and trap generation regimes of PBTI, but also suggests a remarkable universality of trap generation in wide variety of High-k samples.
The Morphology, Ultrastructure and SSU rRNA Gene Sequence of a New Freshwater Flagellate, Neobodo borokensis n. sp. (Kinetoplastea, Excavata)

A small free‐living freshwater bacteriotrophic flagellate Neobodo borokensis n. sp. was investigated by electron microscopy and analysis of its SSU ribosomal RNA gene. This protist has paraxonemal rods of typical bodonid structure in the flagella, mastigonemes on the proximal part of the posterior flagellum, two nearly parallel basal bodies, a compact kinetoplast, and discoid mitochondrial cristae. The flagellar pocket is supported by three microtubular roots (R1, R2 and R3) originating from the kinetosome. The cytopharynx is supported by the root R2, a microtubular prism, cytopharynx associated additional microtubules (CMT) and cytostome associated microtubules (FAS) bands. Symbiotic bacteria and small glycosomes were found in the cytoplasm. Cysts have not been found. The flagellate prefers freshwater habitats, but tolerates salinity up to 3–4‰. The overall morphological and ultrastructural features confirm that N. borokensis represents a new species of the genus Neobodo. Phylogenetic analysis of SSU rRNA genes is congruent with the ultrastructure and strongly supports the close relationship of N. borokensis to Neobodo saliens, N. designis, Actuariola, and a misidentified sequence of “Bodo curvifilus” within the class Kinetoplastea.
Stress, appraisal and work routine in wartime: do men and women differ?

Past research has devoted little attention to the role of work routine (i.e., adherence to a consistent pattern of attending work in a regular, predictable manner) in civilians' lives during wartime. The current study offers competing theoretical arguments on how work routine and gender combine to moderate the association between primary appraisal and war-related stress among civilians during the second Lebanon war (July–August 2006). Data were collected using telephone interviews (based on a structured questionnaire) with 2072 civilians. The sample was obtained using a within-strata random-sampling method. Our results suggest that negative affect (a symptom of stress) is associated with more negative primary appraisal of the war situation (i.e., higher threat appraisal). The association between negative affect and appraisal was attenuated among individuals engaging in regular work routine and among men. Moreover, the positive relationship between work routine and appraisal was stronger among women than among men. This study provides insight into the role of the workplace in the lives of civilians exposed to continuing in unsafe situations. In light of the past research suggesting that women are more vulnerable to war-related stress than men, this study proposes that regular work routine may be particularly beneficial for women.
Protein O‐mannosylation is crucial for cell wall integrity, septation and viability in fission yeast

Protein O‐mannosyltransferases (PMTs) initiate the assembly of O‐mannosyl glycans, which are of fundamental importance in eukaryotes. The PMT family, which is classified into PMT1, PMT2 and PMT4 subfamilies, is evolutionarily conserved. Despite the fact that PMTs are crucial for viability of baker's yeast as well as of mouse, recent studies suggested that there are significant differences in the organization and properties of the O‐mannosylation machinery between yeasts and mammals. In this study we identified and characterized the PMT family of the archaeascomycete Schizosaccharomyces pombe. Unlike Saccharomyces cerevisiae where the PMT family is highly redundant, in S. pombe only one member of each PMT subfamily is present, namely, oma1+ (protein O‐mannosyltransferase), oma2+ and oma4+. They all act as protein O‐mannosyltransferases in vivo. oma1+ and oma2+ form heteromeric protein complexes and recognize different protein substrates compared to oma4+, suggesting that similar principles underlie mannosyltransfer reaction in S. pombe and budding yeast. Deletion of oma2+, as well as simultaneous deletion of oma1+ and oma4+ is lethal. Characterization of the viable S. pombe oma1Δ and oma4Δ single mutants showed that a lack of O‐mannosylation results in abnormal cell wall and septum formation, thereby severely affecting cell morphology and cell–cell separation.