Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Expression Cloning of a Human Sulfotransferase That Directs the Synthesis of the HNK-1 Glycan on the Neural Cell Adhesion Molecule and Glycolipids*

The HNK-1 carbohydrate is expressed on various adhesion molecules in the nervous system and is suggested to play a role in cell-cell and cell-substratum interactions. Here we describe the isolation and functional expression of a cDNA encoding a human sulfotransferase that synthesizes the HNK-1 carbohydrate epitope. A mutant Chinese hamster ovary cell line, Lec2, which stably expresses human neural cell adhesion molecule (N-CAM) (Lec2-NCAM), was first established. Lec2-NCAM was co-transfected with a human fetal brain cDNA library, a cDNA encoding the rat glucuronyltransferase that forms a precursor of the HNK-1 carbohydrate, and a vector encoding the polyoma large T antigen. The transfected Lec2-NCAM cells expressing the HNK-1 glycan were enriched by fluorescence-activated cell sorting. Sibling selection of recovered plasmids resulted in a cDNA encoding a sulfotransferase, HNK-1ST, that directs the expression of the HNK-1 carbohydrate epitope on the cell surface. The deduced amino acid sequence indicates that the enzyme is a type II membrane protein. Sequence analysis revealed that there is a short amino acid sequence in the presumed catalytic domain, which is highly homologous to the corresponding sequence in other Golgi-associated sulfotransferases so far cloned. The amount of HNK-1ST transcript is high in fetal brain compared with fetal lung, kidney, and liver. Expression of HNK-1ST resulted in the formation of the HNK-1 epitope on N-CAM and a soluble chimeric form of HNK-1ST was shown to add a sulfate group to a precursor, GlcAβ1→3Galβ1→4GlcNAcβ1→R, forming sulfo→3GlcAβ1→3Galβ1→4GlcNAcβ1→R. The results combined together indicate that the cloned HNK-1ST directs the synthesis of the HNK-1 carbohydrate epitope on both glycoproteins and glycolipids in the nervous tissues.
Structural and Thermodynamic Basis of Amprenavir/Darunavir and Atazanavir Resistance in HIV-1 Protease with Mutations at Residue 50

ABSTRACT Drug resistance occurs through a series of subtle changes that maintain substrate recognition but no longer permit inhibitor binding. In HIV-1 protease, mutations at I50 are associated with such subtle changes that confer differential resistance to specific inhibitors. Residue I50 is located at the protease flap tips, closing the active site upon ligand binding. Under selective drug pressure, I50V/L substitutions emerge in patients, compromising drug susceptibility and leading to treatment failure. The I50V substitution is often associated with amprenavir (APV) and darunavir (DRV) resistance, while the I50L substitution is observed in patients failing atazanavir (ATV) therapy. To explain how APV, DRV, and ATV susceptibility are influenced by mutations at residue 50 in HIV-1 protease, structural and binding thermodynamics studies were carried out on I50V/L-substituted protease variants in the compensatory mutation A71V background. Reduced affinity to both I50V/A71V and I50L/A71V double mutants is largely due to decreased binding entropy, which is compensated for by enhanced enthalpy for ATV binding to I50V variants and APV binding to I50L variants, leading to hypersusceptibility in these two cases. Analysis of the crystal structures showed that the substitutions at residue 50 affect how APV, DRV, and ATV bind the protease with altered van der Waals interactions and that the selection of I50V versus I50L is greatly influenced by the chemical moieties at the P1 position for APV/DRV and the P2 position for ATV. Thus, the varied inhibitor susceptibilities of I50V/L protease variants are largely a direct consequence of the interdependent changes in protease inhibitor interactions.
Unemployment and vacancy flows in spatial labour market matching at the regional level. The case of a transition country

ABSTRACT We examine the extent to which spatial interactions affect the labour market matching process at the regional level using three frameworks: random, stock-flow, and job-queuing. We study the underexplored, regionally diversified former transition country of Poland at the LAU-1 level over the 2003–2014 time period using registered monthly data. We employ a Durbin panel model with spatial error. Results prove that spatial interactions affect matching and that the stock-flow model is in some respects superior to others in explaining the job creation process. Unemployment affects matching more than vacancies. The newly unemployed may seek jobs in adjacent regions and can cause congestion there, but vacancies tend to attract workers from adjacent markets and exert positive externalities. Policy actions should be aimed at exploiting spatial interdependencies to improve matching at the regional level by increasing the number of available job offers, improving information, and increasing labour force mobility.
VHF cross-range profiling of aerial targets via passive ISAR: Preliminary experimental results

In this paper we investigate the possibility of obtaining cross-range profiles of real aerial targets by exploiting FM transmitters as illuminators of opportunity and by applying Inverse Synthetic Aperture Radar (ISAR) techniques against the collected passive radar echoes. To this purpose a suitable processing scheme has been developed to successfully exploit the very long Coherent Processing Interval (CPI) required to attain a reasonable cross-range resolution. The results are shown against real data set collected by an experimental setup developed and fielded at DIET Dept. of the University of Rome “Sapienza”. This allows to preliminary demonstrate advanced potentialities of a FM-based PBR in aerial targets surveillance applications.
The usefulness of gastric mass screening using serum pepsinogen levels compared with photofluorography.

Chronic atrophic gastritis, which is though to be a high risk for gastric cancer, can be diagnosed by serum pepsinogen levels. We compared the usefulness of the measurement of pepsinogen levels and indirect photofluorography as indicators of gastric cancer in a mass screening involving 5,620 Japanese subjects (mean age: 60.1 years old; male : female = 2,268:3,352) in 1991 and 1992. Subjects with a serum pepsinogen I level below 30 micrograms/liter or a pepsinogen I/II ratio below 2.0 were considered to be at high risk of gastric cancer. The incidence of gastric cancer and the ratio of early cancers detected by pepsinogen levels (0.12%, 4/7) were similar to those detected by photofluorography (0.11%, 4/6). Our results showed that mass screening using pepsinogen levels was as useful as indirect photofluorography for the detection of gastric cancer in Japan. In addition, our results showed that the sensitivity of gastric mass screening was increased when the measurement of serum pepsinogen levels was combined with photofluorography.
Intelligence profiles of Chinese school-aged boys with high-functioning ASD and ADHD

Purpose This study aimed to explore the intelligence profiles of Chinese school-aged boys with high-functioning autism spectrum disorder (HFASD) and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Additionally, differences in intelligence quotient (IQ) between the HFASD group and the ADHD group were examined. Patients and methods Thirty-two boys with HFASD, 58 boys with ADHD, and 39 typically developing (TD) boys aged 6–16 years participated in this study. The ADHD group was divided into subgroups: ADHD-I (predominantly inattentive) and ADHD-C (combined type). (The ADHD-H [hyperactive] group was excluded because of small sample size). The Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-IV Chinese version was administered to every participant, and the FSIQ (Full-Scale IQ) score was used as the measure of IQ. Results Both boys with HFASD and ADHD (ADHD-I and ADHD-C) showed impairments in Processing Speed Index and FSIQ, as compared to the TD group. Lower Verbal Comprehension Index scores were found in the ASD and ADHD-I groups. Interestingly, Working Memory Index was only impaired in children with ADHD. Additionally, equivalent Perceptual Reasoning Index (PRI) scores were found among the HFASD, ADHD, and TD groups. Conclusion Results indicated that both children with ADHD and HFASD have difficulty in processing speed, which may be explained by these children having neurodevelopmental disorders. These results also indicated that working memory appears to only be impacted by having ADHD. Children with ASD are known to have language difficulties while children with ADHD typically display working memory deficits; thus, these findings were expected.
d(GC)n repeats form Z-DNA within promoter region and repress the promoter activity in Escherichia coli.

d(GC)n repeats form Z-DNA within promoter region and repress the promoter activity in Escherichia coli Shenghe Huang1, Chuxin Wu2, Dongming Li1, Haizhou Wang3, Zechang Rao1, Qiling Shen1, Chunxiang Chen1, Yong Liu3, Xun Xu1, and Chengyu Hu3,* Fuzhou Medical College, Nanchang University, Fuzhou 344000, China, Nanchang Teachers College, Nanchang 330103, China, and Department of Bioscience, College of Life Science, Nanchang University, Nanchang 330031, China
Mistrust in a multi-campus institutional context: a socio-spatial analysis

ABSTRACT Higher education literature identifies mistrust as one of the prominent features of managerialism. Similarly, multi-campus institutional studies have interrogated mistrust in various ways. However, there is limited research on academics’ experiences of how mistrust relates to their understandings and values of their academic profession in multi-campus contexts. This article contributes knowledge to narrow this gap. It draws from a study that examined academics’ experiences of how space enables or constrains their practices towards academic identity construction in an open distance learning institution in South Africa. A total of 12 academics who work on satellite campuses of the institution were interviewed. The social production of space framed the analysis. Findings indicate that a multi-campus institutional context aggravates mistrust and impinges on academics’ interaction and prospects for development within a wider institutional space. Recommendations are made about how to reduce the influence of mistrust on academics’ practices in multi-campus contexts.
In vitro chondrogenesis with lysozyme susceptible bacterial cellulose as a scaffold

A current focus of tissue engineering is the use of adult human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) as an alternative to autologous chondrocytes for cartilage repair. Several natural and synthetic polymers (including cellulose) have been explored as a biomaterial scaffold for cartilage tissue engineering. While bacterial cellulose (BC) has been used in tissue engineering, its lack of degradability in vivo and high crystallinity restricts widespread applications in the field. Recently we reported the formation of a novel bacterial cellulose that is lysozyme‐susceptible and ‐degradable in vivo from metabolically engineered Gluconacetobacter xylinus. Here we report the use of this modified bacterial cellulose (MBC) for cartilage tissue engineering using hMSCs. MBC's glucosaminoglycan‐like chemistry, combined with in vivo degradability, suggested opportunities to exploit this novel polymer in cartilage tissue engineering. We have observed that, like BC, MBC scaffolds support cell attachment and proliferation. Chondrogenesis of hMSCs in the MBC scaffolds was demonstrated by real‐time RT–PCR analysis for cartilage‐specific extracellular matrix (ECM) markers (collagen type II, aggrecan and SOX9) as well as histological and immunohistochemical evaluations of cartilage‐specific ECM markers. Further, the attachment, proliferation, and differentiation of hMSCs in MBC showed unique characteristics. For example, after 4 weeks of cultivation, the spatial cell arrangement and collagen type‐II and ACAN distribution resembled those in native articular cartilage tissue, suggesting promise for these novel in vivo degradable scaffolds for chondrogenesis. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Higher Prevalence of Secretory CSE1L/CAS in Sera of Patients with Metastatic Cancer

Metastatic markers are highly useful diagnostic and prognostic indicators of cancer metastasis. Herein, we report that secretory CSE1L/CAS, a cellular apoptosis susceptibility protein, is a new marker for metastatic cancer. CAS was colocalized with matrix metalloproteinase-2 in vesicles surrounding the outside of MCF-7 cell membranes, and the COOH-terminal domain of CAS was associated with matrix metalloproteinase-2-containing vesicles. Immunohistochemical staining for CAS was positive in the stroma and gland lumens of human metastatic cancer tissues. CAS was also detected in conditioned medium from B16-F10 melanoma cells and more frequently in the sera of patients with metastatic cancer than in sera from patients with primary cancer. Specifically, the prevalence of serum CAS in serum samples from 146 patients was 58.2% (32 of 55), 32.0% (8 of 25), and 12.1% (8 of 66) for patients with metastatic, invasive, and primary cancers, respectively. Our results suggest that CAS is a secretory protein associated with cancer metastasis, which may have clinical utility in metastatic cancer screening and diagnosis. (Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2009;18(5):1570–7)
‘Female Heroes’: Celebrity Executives as Postfeminist Role Models

This paper explores the significance of contemporary celebrity businesswomen as role models for women aspiring to leadership in business. We explore the kind of gendered ideals they model and promote to women through their autobiographical narratives, and analyse how these ideals map against a contemporary postfeminist sensibility to further understand the potential of these role models to redress the under‐representation of women in management and leadership. Our findings show that celebrity businesswomen present a role model that we call the ‘female hero’, a figure characterized by 3Cs: confidence to jump over gendered barriers; control in managing these barriers; and courage to push through them. We argue that the ‘female hero’ role model is deeply embedded in the contemporary postfeminist sensibility; it offers exclusively individualized solutions to inequality by calling on women to change themselves to succeed, and therefore has limited capacity to challenge the current gendered status quo in management and leadership. The paper contributes to current literature on role models by generating a more differentiated and socially situated understanding of distant female role models in business and extending our understanding of their potential to generate sustainable and long‐term change in advancing gendered change in management and leadership.
Interaction model for chasm creation on multiagent network

When a newly-developed product becomes available, consumers will wonder whether or not to purchase it. In general, their decision depends on the reputation of the product, rather than its convenience or performance. Therefore, in this study, we focus on the properties of buzz propagation mechanism that plays one of the most important roles to providing useful product information to consumers. We introduce two different types of consumers, i.e., EA(Early Adapter) and EM(Early Majority), into our model where they play iterated games based on each decision criterion within the complex network. In this study, we examine the emerged behaviors of buying in the four different networks, that is, regular network, small-world network, random network, and scale-free network. Through some computer simulations in the four different networks, we will show the validity of our proposed model for mechanism of chasm generation within those networks.
Thromboelastography identifies children with rare bleeding disorders and predicts bleeding phenotype

Rare bleeding disorders (RBDs) comprise 3–5% of all congenital bleeding disorders. They can evade typical coagulation screening tests and there is a poor correlation between laboratory results and bleeding phenotype. Thromboelastography (TEG) measures coagulation globally in whole blood samples. The aims of this study were to evaluate the utility of TEG as an adjunct to the routine screening tests employed for the diagnosis of RBDs and to correlate TEG results with the bleeding phenotype in RBDs. TEG parameters and clot kinetics were compared to bleeding phenotypes (asymptomatic, mild, moderate and severe) in 26 RBD patients and 30 normal controls. Clot kinetics correlated strongly with RBDs and with the severity of bleeding phenotype with mean maximum rate of thrombus generation (MRTG) 15.4 mm min−1 in controls vs. 6.0 in RBDs (P < 0.0001, Wilcoxin). The mean MRTG was 7.7 in mildly symptomatic, 5.5 in moderately symptomatic and 4.1 in severely symptomatic patients (P < 0.0001, Kruskal–Wallis). Disorders that are often missed by conventional screening tests, dysfibrinogenaemia and platelet disorders displayed a distinctive TEG curve with markedly decreased maximum amplitude (MA) and low MRTG values. Factor XIII and PAI deficient patients displayed increased fibrinolysis in addition to low MRTGs. All patients with RBDs, but none of the normal controls, had abnormal clot kinetics suggesting that TEG may be an effective screening test for RBDs.
Quantitation of total metastatic tumor volume in the rat liver: Correlation of MR and histologic measurements

Assessing tumor response to chemotherapy in the liver has always been difficult. Most investigators estimate tumor volume as either a product of the two perpendicular diameters of a tumor nodule, or, in animal studies, simply count surface tumor nodules. The authors evaluated magnetic resonance (MR) imaging as a technique for determining absolute tumor volume in the liver in an animal model. Specifically, histologic volumetric and MR imaging measurements of tumor and liver volumes were quantitatively compared over a wide range of tumor burdens in a rat model of hepatic metastasis of a colorectal carcinoma. Twenty‐three rats were imaged, with two different section thicknesses used in each animal. Both section thicknesses showed highly significant correlations between MR and histologic measurements for both tumor and liver volumes (P <.001). MR imaging may be useful for noninvasively quantifying tumor burden and temporal response of metastatic disease in the liver to novel antineoplastic regimens.
Immunogenic activity of gonococcal protein I in mice with three different lipoidal adjuvants delivered in liposomes and in complexes

For several reasons the major outer membrane protein from Neisseria gonorrhoeae (gonococcal protein [PI]) is an attractive component for a gonococcal vaccine. This paper describes the influence of two different physical forms of PI on its immunogenic activity. To this end PI was delivered in liposomes and in protein-detergent complexes. In both forms PI was present in a multimeric form. The liposomes were composed of phosphatidylcholine and cholesterol. The effect of dicetylphosphate as a negatively charged amphiphile and three lipoidal adjuvants was investigated. Two lipoidal adjuvants (Avridine and dimethyldioctadecylammoniumbromide) were positively charged amphiphiles, whereas the third one (tridecyl N-acetylmuramyl-L-alanyl-D-isoglutaminate) was neutral. The protein-detergent complexes were also tested in the presence of the lipoidal adjuvants and in an AlPO4-adsorbed form. The liposome preparations were characterized for their size, charge, and residual amount of detergent. The immunogenic activity of PI in all forms was tested in mice. The results of the antibody assays showed that PI in the liposomes was more immunogenic than PI in the complexes. A second dose with liposomes induced only a small booster effect, whereas such a dose with the complexes produced pronounced booster effects. The incorporation of the positively charged lipoidal adjuvants in the liposomes resulted in enhanced booster effects. The highest immunogenic activity of PI after two injections, however, was observed in the complexed form adsorbed to AlPO4.
Deep multi-view robust representation learning

Multi-view representations are widely existed in practical applications, the quality of latent representation learned from multi-view observations often suffer from noise and outliers in original data. In this work, we propose an auto encoder based deep multi-view robust representation learning (DMRRL) algorithm, which can learn a shared representation from multi-view observations and the algorithm is robust to noise and outliers by using Cauchy estimator as loss function. When the label of the original data is available, the algorithm can gain better representation by adding an auxiliary loss. We validate our methods on the CMU PIE dataset (noise applied) with face recognition task and UCF101 dataset with human motion recognition task, demonstrating that DMRRL is an effective algorithm for practical applications.
Integrated ports clusters and competitive advantage in an extended resource pool for the Antwerp Seaport

ABSTRACT In the context of increased scale of carriers and vessel sizes, stakeholder opposition to port expansion, and heavy regulation, ports prepare their strategic response. A port’s competitive strength strongly depends on its capability of developing or retaining competitive advantages. Ports consider options such as strategic partnerships, or any form of collaboration, which could help them to create more or alternative combinations of unique resources as sources of competitive advantage. Taking an extended resource base perspective, the competitive advantages of the Antwerp port cluster are analyzed, using both linear regression and factor analysis, for its integrated hinterland network area, on data of 59 port experts. The results of our analysis show that the port’s hinterland extension did not (yet) result in new sources of competitive advantages. This leads us to the reflection that we cannot assume integrated port clusters always lead to projected positive strategic outcomes.
Evaluating the time-varying impact of economic data on the accuracy of stock market volatility forecasts

I assess the time-variation in predictive ability arising from the inclusion of macroeconomic and financial data in a GARCH-MIDAS model for stock market volatility. I consider whether the usefulness of augmenting a volatility model with economic data is affected by the state of the business cycle or the market environment. Results suggest the predictive ability of economic variables varies significantly over time, especially over long horizons. A central result is that models including economic data are useful for forecasting in low volatility periods. On the other hand, financial data performs overall surprisingly poorly. No single forecasting model or combination scheme is superior on all horizons and in all time periods, and while the term spread improves forecasting performance over long horizons, forecast combinations perform well over the medium term. JEL codes: G17, E44, C52