Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Dri 42 Gene, Whose Expression Is Up-regulated during Epithelial Differentiation, Encodes a Novel Endoplasmic Reticulum Resident Transmembrane Protein*

A search for novel genes that are up-regulated during development and differentiation of the epithelial cells of the intestinal mucosa led us to the isolation of the Dri 42 cDNA clone (Dri, differentially expressed in rat intestine). The nucleotide sequence of the full-length cDNA has shown that it encodes a 35.5-kDa protein with one consensus sequence for N-linked glycosylation and alternating hydrophilic and hydrophobic domains. To determine the intracellular localization of Dri 42 we have raised polyclonal antibodies in hens against a bacterially produced Dri 42-glutathione S-transferase fusion protein. Immunofluorescence detection with these antibodies has shown specific staining of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) in the relatively undifferentiated fetal rat intestinal cell line FRIC B and in sections of rat small intestine. ER membrane localization of Dri 42 was confirmed by laser confocal microscopy of polarized Madin-Darby canine kidney cells overexpressing a Dri 42-chloramphenicol acetyltransferase (CAT) fusion protein by transfection. Pulse labeling experiments on transiently transfected cells demonstrated that the protein does not acquire Golgi modifications up to 4 h after synthesis, thus indicating that Dri 42 is an ER resident protein. The transmembrane disposition of Dri 42 was studied using in vitro insertion of Dri 42-CAT fusion proteins into microsomal membranes. The fusion proteins consisted of several different lengths of truncated Dri 42 and a reporter protein, CAT, that was linked in-frame after each hydrophobic segment. We found that hydrophobic segments H1, H3, and H5 had a signal/anchor function, and that membrane insertion of Dri 42 was achieved co-translationally by the action of a series of alternating insertion signals and halt transfer signals, resulting in the exposure of both termini of the protein to the cytosolic side. The functional implications of the structure and localization of Dri 42, whose primary sequence does not share significant homology to any previously described protein, are discussed.
Beamforming for Combating Inter-cluster and Intra-cluster Interference in Hybrid NOMA Systems

In this paper, downlink beamforming (BF) for hybrid non-orthogonal multiple access (NOMA) systems is considered, in order to combat inter and intra cluster interference. First, to minimize the inter- and intra-cluster interference, the projection hybrid NOMA (PH-NOMA) BF algorithm is introduced, by combining conventional zero-forcing BF (ZFBF) and hybrid NOMA (H-NOMA) precoding. Second, to further reduce the overall interference, two user pairing algorithms, termed projection-based pairing algorithm (PBPA) and inversion-based pairing algorithm (IBPA), are also proposed, by adopting the properties of quasi-degradation developed previously. Consequently, the proposed BF algorithm is obtained by combining PH-NOMA and PBPA/IBPA. Moreover, the system performance in terms of outage probability and diversity is analyzed for both the proposed BF algorithms and conventional ZFBF. Finally, computer simulations are conducted to demonstrate the efficiency of the proposed BF algorithms and to validate the correctness of the performance analysis.
Tumor volume increases the predictive accuracy of prognosis for gastric cancer: A retrospective cohort study of 3409 patients

Tumor diameter or T stage does not reflect the actual tumor burden and is not able to estimate accurate prognosis of gastric cancer. The current study aimed to evaluate the prognostic value of tumor volume (V) for gastric cancer. A total of 3409 enrolled gastric cancer patients were randomly divided into training set (n = 1705) and validation set (n = 1704). Tumor volume was calculated by the formula V = Tumor diameter × (T stage)2/2. The survival predictive accuracy and prognostic discriminatory ability between different variables and staging systems were analyzed. Four optimal cutoff points for V were obtained in training set (3.5, 8.6, 25.0, 45.0, all P < 0.001). V stage was significantly associated with tumor location, macroscopic type, differentiation degree, tumor diameter, T stage, N stage, vessel invasion, neural invasion and TNM stage (all P < 0.001). V stage was an independent prognostic factor both in training and validation set. V stage showed better predictive accuracy and prognostic discriminatory ability than tumor diameter and T stage. VNM staging system also have advantages in predictive accuracy and prognostic discriminatory ability than TNM staging system. The VNM multivariable model represent good agreement between the predicted survival and actual survival. In conclusion, tumor volume was significantly associated with clinicopathological features and prognosis of gastric cancer. In comparison with TNM staging system, VNM staging system could improve the predictive accuracy and prognostic discriminatory ability for gastric cancer.
Aims and Results of the NIMH Systematic Treatment Enhancement Program for Bipolar Disorder (STEP‐BD)

The Systematic Treatment Enhancement Program for Bipolar Disorder (STEP‐BD) was funded as part of a National Institute of Mental Health initiative to develop effectiveness information about treatments, illness course, and assessment strategies for severe mental disorders. STEP‐BD studies were planned to be generalizable both to the research knowledge base for bipolar disorder and to clinical care of bipolar patients. Several novel methodologies were developed to aid in illness characterization, and were combined with existing scales on function, quality of life, illness burden, adherence, adverse effects, and temperament to yield a comprehensive data set. The methods integrated naturalistic treatment and randomized clinical trials, which a portion of STEP‐BD participants participated. All investigators and other researchers in this multisite program were trained in a collaborative care model with the objective of retaining a high percentage of enrollees for several years. Articles from STEP‐BD have yielded evidence on risk factors impacting outcomes, suicidality, functional status, recovery, relapse, and caretaker burden. The findings from these studies brought into question the widely practiced use of antidepressants in bipolar depression as well as substantiated the poorly responsive course of bipolar depression despite use of combination strategies. In particular, large studies on the characteristics and course of bipolar depression (the more pervasive pole of the illness), and the outcomes of treatments concluded that adjunctive psychosocial treatments but not adjunctive antidepressants yielded outcomes superior to those achieved with mood stabilizers alone. The majority of patients with bipolar depression concurrently had clinically significant manic symptoms. Anxiety, smoking, and early age of bipolar onset were each associated with increased illness burden. STEP‐BD has established procedures that are relevant to future collaborative research programs aimed at the systematic study of the complex, intrinsically important elements of bipolar disorders.
E-FOIA and the "Mother of All Complaints:" Information Delivery and Delay Reduction

Delay, in varying degrees, is endemic to our legal system. It can undermine some of the system's loftiest goals; yet, it is tolerated in almost all its forms. At times, eliminating delay becomes the target of reformers. On occasion, they succeed in reducing its scope or impact. But because there is rarely doubt about the source of delay, its persistence is almost always the result of a lack of will to attack the issue at its core. The three-decade long history of agency delay in processing requests for records under the federal Freedom of Information Act (FOIA or Act)2 is a particularly stark example of this recurring dilemma.3 Nevertheless, as the Act moves into its fourth decade, with the refurbishment provided by the recent "Electronic" FOIA Amendments (Electronic Amendments or Amendments),4
Did you ever read about Frogs drinking Coffee? Investigating the Compositionality of Multi-Emoji Expressions

In this work, we present a first attempt to investigate multi-emoji expressions and whether they behave similarly to multiword expressions in terms of non-compositionality. We focus on the combination of the frog and the hot beverage emoji, but also show some preliminary results for other non-compositional emoji combinations. We use off-the-shelf sentiment analysers as well as manual classifications to approach the compositionality of these emoji combinations.
A Simulation Approach for Evaluating Hedonic Wage Models' Ability to Recover Marginal Value for Risk Reduction

PUCKETT, XINGYI SU. A Simulation Approach for Evaluating Hedonic Wage Models’ Ability of Recover Marginal Value of Risk Reduction. (Under the direction of Dr. Laura Taylor). This research proposes a simulation-based approach to evaluate the impact of hedonic wage model specifications and researchers’ econometric strategies on the accuracy of the VSL estimates. The analysis proceeds in three stages. In the first stage, a work-job sorting algorithm is developed to simulate a hedonic wage equilibrium which is in consistent with compensating wage differential theory. The simulated wage equilibrium is used to compute worker’s “true” marginal-willingness-to-pay. In the second stage, the simulated data is used to estimate large set of reduced form hedonic wage models that vary by the modeling choices, including: i) which functional form is utilized in the model, ii) the inclusion of occupation and/or industry fixed effects, and iii) the cross-section or panel data estimators applied to the model. The hedonic wage models are also estimated in various omitted variable scenarios. The marginal value of risk estimated from the reduced form hedonic wage model are compared to the “true” marginal-willingness-to-pay to recognize that: i) how the different modeling choices influence the accuracy of the empirical estimates of marginalwillingness-to-pay for workplace fatal risk and ii) which combination of model specification and econometric strategies is most preferable. Finally, a set of model specifications suggested in the evaluation are used to estimate the VSLs to compare to the literature. © Copyright 2013 by Xingyi Su Puckett All Rights Reserved A Simulation Approach for Evaluating Hedonic Wage Models’ Ability to Recover Marginal Value for Risk Reduction by Xingyi Su Puckett A dissertation submitted to the Graduate Faculty of North Carolina State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy
AC breakdown strength and dielectric response of water-treed low density polyethylene

Results on AC breakdown strength and on dielectric behavior of water-treed plane samples of low density polyethylene (LDPE) are presented in this paper. Water trees were grown at room temperature, under an electric field of 4 kV/mm, 5 kHz, and having a 0.1 M NaCl solution as electrolyte in contact with a face of the sample having needle-like defects created by pressing a sheet of abrasive paper. The breakdown tests have been carried out under an AC voltage ramp, at 50 Hz. The dielectric spectroscopy was the tool used to analyze the dielectric behavior of LDPE samples with and without water trees, over a frequency range of 10 mHz-1 MHz, at room temperature. The results show a good correlation of the breakdown strength decrease with the increase of water tree average length and relative volume. The dielectric spectra of water-treed samples emphasize an increase of the sample permittivity with the water tree growth, as well as three relaxation peaks in the loss tangent frequency variation obeying the Havriliak-Negami law. Possible electrical equivalent circuits for treed and non-treed samples are also discussed.
Diabetes increases the risk of disease and death due to Staphylococcus aureus bacteremia. A matched case-control and cohort study

Abstract Background: This study investigated the effect and influence of diabetes severity on susceptibility and 30-day mortality of Staphylococcus aureus bacteremia (SAB). Methods: Nationwide population-based study of individuals with SAB and matched population controls. Diabetes severity was categorized based on International Classification of Diseases codes and the odds ratio (OR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) of SAB associated with diabetes was estimated by conditional logistic regression analysis. Hazard ratios (HR) were analyzed by Cox proportional regression. Analyses were adjusted for age, sex, comorbidity, hospital contact and diabetes duration. Results: Of 25,855 SAB cases, 2797 (10.8%) had diabetes and 2913 (11.3%) had diabetes with complications compared to 14,189 (5.5%) and 5499 (2.1%) of 258,547 controls. This corresponded to an increased risk of SAB associated with diabetes without complications (OR 1.83 (95% CI 1.74–1.92)) and of diabetes with complications (OR 3.62 (95% CI 3.43–3.81) compared to no diabetes. The risk of SAB was highest within the first year of diabetes. Diabetes without complications was associated with an increased risk of 30-day mortality (HR 1.62 (95% CI 1.01–2.60)) compared to no diabetes. Diabetes with complications was overall not associated with increased 30-d mortality (HR 1.36 (95% CI 0.84–2.20)) except for individuals with ketoacidosis/coma (HR 2.01 (95% 1.17–3.45)). Conclusions: Diabetes, particularly, diabetes with complications significantly increased the risk of SAB. In contrast, there was an increased risk of 30-day mortality after SAB for diabetes without complications but not for diabetes with complications overall. Diabetes with ketoacidosis/coma conferred the highest relative risk of 30-day mortality.
Degradation of Filamin Induces Contraction of Vascular Smooth Muscle Cells in Type-I Collagen Matrix Honeycombs

Background: Dedifferentiated rabbit vascular smooth muscle cells (SMCs) exhibit similar features to differentiated SMCs when cultured in three-dimensional matrices of type-I collagen called “honeycombs,” but the mechanism is unknown. The role of filamin, an actin-binding protein that links actin filaments in SMCs, was investigated. Methods: Filamin and other related proteins were detected by western blot analysis and immunofluorescence staining. Honeycomb size was measured to confirm the contraction of SMCs. Results: Full-length filamin was expressed in subconfluent SMCs cultured on plates; however, degradation of filamin, which might be regulated by calpain, was observed in confluent SMCs cultured on plates and in honeycombs. While filamin was co-localized with β-actin in subconfluent SMCs grown on plates, filamin was detected in the cytoplasm in SMCs cultured in honeycombs, and degraded filamin was mainly detected in the cytoplasmic fraction of these cells. In addition, β-actin expression was low in the cytoskeletal fraction of SMCs cultured in honeycombs compared with cells cultured on plates, and the size of the honeycombs used for culturing SMCs was significantly reduced. Conclusion: These data suggest that degradation of filamin in SMCs cultured in honeycombs induces structural weakness of β-non-muscle actin filaments, thereby permitting SMCs in honeycombs to achieve contractility.
Influence of stator teeth shaping on cogging torque of radial flux Permanent Magnet Brushless DC motor

Influence of stator teeth shaping on cogging torque developed by radial flux Permanent Magnet Brushless DC motor is investigated. Stator teeth tang radius is varied to alter shape of stator teeth. Stator teeth tang radius is varied form 0 mm to 6 mm for two standard rating motors. It is analysed that peak to peak cogging torque is considerably reduced by selecting proper tooth tang radius. Peak to peak cogging torque is reduced form 27 Nm to 18.4 Nm in case of 10 kW, 1000 rpm motor and 38.2 Nm to 24.6 Nm in case of 20 kW, 1500 rpm motor with this technique.
Occurrence of Putative Virulence Genes in Arcobacter Species Isolated from Humans and Animals

ABSTRACT Interest in arcobacters in veterinary and human public health has increased since the first report of the isolation of arcobacters from food of animal origin. Since then, studies worldwide have reported the occurrence of arcobacters on food and in food production animals and have highlighted possible transmission, especially of Arcobacter butzleri, to the human population. In humans, arcobacters are associated with enteritis and septicemia. To assess their clinical relevance for humans and animals, evaluation of potential virulence factors is required. However, up to now, little has been known about the mechanisms of pathogenicity. Because of their close phylogenetic affiliation to the food-borne pathogen Campylobacter and their similar clinical manifestations, the presence of nine putative Campylobacter virulence genes (cadF, ciaB, cj1349, hecA, hecB, irgA, mviN, pldA, and tlyA) previously identified in the recent Arcobacter butzleri ATCC 49616 genome sequence was determined in a large set of human and animal Arcobacter butzleri, Arcobacter cryaerophilus, and Arcobacter skirrowii strains after the development of rapid and accurate PCR assays and confirmed by sequencing and dot blot hybridization.
The Right for Regional Integration Organisations to Protect Democracy: Legitimacy at the Regional Level?

Abstract Recently there have been several examples of different regional integration systems intervening to prevent unconstitutional events. The interventions can be based on explicit powers or be developed in response to events. This happens despite most regional integration systems having economic cooperation rather than explicit democratisation aims. Organs that issue laws or take constraining decisions must have a clear right to do this and a basis for exercising power-in other words, be legitimate. Where legitimacy comes from is debated, but as most countries today are democracies or purport to be, it somehow emanates from the people. National governments have a higher degree of legitimacy than regional integration organisations, possibly except the European Union. Regional integration organisations have to prove their legitimacy. The article examines if, to what extent, and on what basis regional integration systems have the right to exercise an independent role on the global stage. Legitimacy is a precondition for effective application of decisions of the organisation. Given the frequent lack of strong enforcement mechanisms, the question of legitimacy becomes even more important. With strong legitimacy, decisions taken by the regional integration organisation will be followed to a large extent even despite absence of effective enforcement mechanisms.
Consistent Conjectures in a Value-Maximizing Duopoly

Recent literature on consistent conjectures has established that, under a variety of conditions, only competitive behavior is rational. Rationality or consistency is defined in this literature as the condition that the slope of a firm's profit-maximizing reaction function must equal the conjecture made about the firm's reactions by its rivals. This concept of consistency is due to Bresnahan [5], who uses it to select among the many possible conjectural equilibria in duopoly as defined by Bowley [3]. ' Perry [24] extends the duopoly analysis to the case of an arbitrary fixed number of identical firms, as well as to the case of free entry and exit. Both papers show that only the Bertrand conjecture, in which firms accommodate rivals' output changes by making equal and opposite changes, is consistent when marginal costs are constant. In addition, Perry shows that this result also holds when entry and exit are free. The Bertrand conjecture is identified with competitive behavior since it implies price taking and marginal cost pricing. The equivalence that both papers establish between consistent conjecture equilibrium (CCE) and competitive equilibrium under constant marginal cost may have important practical implications. Johnston summarizes his thorough survey of cost functions with the comment: "Two major impressions, however, stand out clearly. The first is that the various short-run studies more often than not indicate constant marginal cost and declining average cost as the pattern that best seems to describe the data that have been analyzed" [15, 168]. Therefore, the results of Bresnahan and Perry would seem to apply to a wide range of observed behavior, making a strong theoretical case that much economic activity is truly competitive regardless of the number of firms.2 Even when marginal costs are not constant and the number of firms is fixed, the implication of the consistent conjectures hypothesis for profit-maximizing firms is that behavior is more competitive than Coumot. This result in itself is important, since recent work has indicated that Cournot equilibrium approaches the competitive limit in the case of large economies; see for
Efavirenz Induces CYP2B6-Mediated Hydroxylation of Bupropion in Healthy Subjects

Objective:To characterize the effect of efavirenz on bupropion hydroxylation as a marker of cytochrome P450 (CYP) 2B6 activity in healthy subjects. Methods:Thirteen subjects received a single oral dose of bupropion SR 150 mg before and after 2 weeks of efavirenz administration for comparison of bupropion and hydroxybupropion pharmacokinetics. Efavirenz plasma concentrations were also assessed. Subjects were genotyped for CYP2B6 (G516T, C1459T, and A785G), CYP3A4 (A-392G), CYP3A5 (A6986G), and multidrug resistance protein 1 (C3435T). Results:The area under the concentration vs. time curve ratio of hydroxybupropion:bupropion increased 2.3-fold after efavirenz administration (P = 0.0001). Bupropion area under the concentration vs. time curve and Cmax decreased by 55% and 34%, respectively (P < 0.002). None of the CYP2B6 or CYP3A genotypes evaluated were associated with a difference in bupropion or efavirenz clearance. The 2 individuals homozygous for multidrug resistance protein 1 3435-T/T had 2.5- and 1.8-fold greater bupropion and efavirenz clearance, respectively, relative to C/C and C/T individuals (P < 0.05). Conclusions:Our results confirm that efavirenz induces CYP2B6 enzyme activity in vivo, as demonstrated by an increase in bupropion hydroxylation after 2 weeks of efavirenz administration.
Ceramide Increases Oxidative Damage Due to Inhibition of Catalase by Caspase-3-dependent Proteolysis in HL-60 Cell Apoptosis*

We investigated through which mechanisms ceramide increased oxidative damage to induce leukemia HL-60 cell apoptosis. When 5 μm N-acetylsphingosine (C2-ceramide) or 20 μm H2O2 alone induced little increase of reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation as judged by the 2′-7′-dichlorofluorescin diacetate method, 20 μmH2O2 enhanced oxidative damage as judged by ROS accumulation, and thiobarbituric acid-reactive substance production after pretreatment with 5 μm C2-ceramide at least for 12 h. The treatment with a catalase inhibitor, 3-amino-1h-1,2,4-triazole, increased oxidative damage and apoptosis induced by H2O2, and in contrast, purified catalase inhibited the enhancement of oxidative damage by H2O2 in ceramide-pretreated cells, suggesting that the oxidative effect of ceramide is involved in catalase regulation. Indeed, C2-ceramide inhibited the activity of immunoprecipitated catalase and decreased the levels of catalase protein in a time-dependent manner. Moreover, acetyl-Asp-Met-Gln-Asp-aldehyde, which dominantly inhibited caspase-3 and blocked the increase of oxidative damage and apoptosis due to C2-ceramide-induced catalase depletion at protein and activity levels. In vitro, active and purified caspase-3, but not caspase-6, -8, and -9, inhibited catalase activity and induced the proteolysis of catalase protein whereas these in vitro effects of caspase-3 were blocked by acetyl-Asp-Met-Gln-Asp-aldehyde. Taken together, it is suggested that H2O2 enhances apoptosis in ceramide-pretreated cells, because ceramide increases oxidative damage by inhibition of ROS scavenging ability through caspase-3-dependent proteolysis of catalase.