Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Simultaneous Detection of Influenza Viruses A and B Using Real-Time Quantitative PCR

ABSTRACT Since influenza viruses can cause severe illness, timely diagnosis is important for an adequate intervention. The available rapid detection methods either lack sensitivity or require complex laboratory manipulation. This study describes a rapid, sensitive detection method that can be easily applied to routine diagnosis. This method simultaneously detects influenza viruses A and B in specimens of patients with respiratory infections using a TaqMan-based real-time PCR assay. Primers and probes were selected from highly conserved regions of the matrix protein gene of influenza virus A and the hemagglutinin gene segment of influenza virus B. The applicability of this multiplex PCR was evaluated with 27 influenza virus A and 9 influenza virus B reference strains and isolates. In addition, the specificity of the assay was assessed using eight reference strains of other respiratory viruses (parainfluenza viruses 1 to 3, respiratory syncytial virus Long strain, rhinoviruses 1A and 14, and coronaviruses OC43 and 229E) and 30 combined nose and throat swabs from asymptomatic subjects. Electron microscopy-counted stocks of influenza viruses A and B were used to develop a quantitative PCR format. Thirteen copies of viral RNA were detected for influenza virus A, and 11 copies were detected for influenza virus B, equaling 0.02 and 0.006 50% tissue culture infective doses, respectively. The diagnostic efficacy of the multiplex TaqMan-based PCR was determined by testing 98 clinical samples. This real-time PCR technique was found to be more sensitive than the combination of conventional viral culturing and shell vial culturing.
Alzheimer disease: quantitative structural neuroimaging for detection and prediction of clinical and structural changes in mild cognitive impairment.

PURPOSE To use structural magnetic resonance (MR) images to identify a pattern of regional atrophy characteristic of mild Alzheimer disease (AD) and to investigate whether presence of this pattern prospectively can aid prediction of 1-year clinical decline and increased structural loss in mild cognitive impairment (MCI). MATERIALS AND METHODS The study was conducted with institutional review board approval and compliance with HIPAA regulations. Written informed consent was obtained from each participant. High-throughput volumetric segmentation and cortical surface reconstruction methods were applied to MR images from 84 subjects with mild AD, 175 with MCI, and 139 healthy control (HC) subjects. Stepwise linear discriminant analysis was used to identify regions that best can aid discrimination of HC subjects from subjects with AD. A classifier trained on data from HC subjects and those with AD was applied to data from subjects with MCI to determine whether presence of phenotypic AD atrophy at baseline was predictive of clinical decline and structural loss. RESULTS Atrophy in mesial and lateral temporal, isthmus cingulate, and orbitofrontal areas aided discrimination of HC subjects from subjects with AD, with fully cross-validated sensitivity of 83% and specificity of 93%. Subjects with MCI who had phenotypic AD atrophy showed significantly greater 1-year clinical decline and structural loss than those who did not and were more likely to have progression to probable AD (annual progression rate of 29% for subjects with MCI who had AD atrophy vs 8% for those who did not). CONCLUSION Semiautomated, individually specific quantitative MR imaging methods can be used to identify a pattern of regional atrophy in MCI that is predictive of clinical decline. Such information may aid in prediction of patient prognosis and increase the efficiency of clinical trials.
Endothelial Akt1 mediates angiogenesis by phosphorylating multiple angiogenic substrates

Significance The expression of multiple isoforms of a protein kinase in cells raises the question of which substrates are preferentially phosphorylated by each isoform. Endothelial cells (ECs) that line all blood vessels express the protein kinases, Akt1 and Akt2, and we demonstrate here that endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) is a preferential Akt1 substrate and supraphysiological overexpression of Akt2 is needed to phosphorylate eNOS and promote NO release. In mice, the endothelial loss of Akt1, but not Akt2, retards vessel growth, and quantitative assessment of the phosphoproteomes in ECs isolated from these mice shows that Akt1 uniquely phosphorylates several important proteins regulating vascular function. Thus, despite the presence of both isoforms of Akt in the endothelium, substrate phosphorylation by Akt1 is nonredundant. The PI3K/Akt pathway is necessary for several key endothelial cell (EC) functions, including cell growth, migration, survival, and vascular tone. However, existing literature supports the idea that Akt can be either pro- or antiangiogenic, possibly due to compensation by multiple isoforms in the EC when a single isoform is deleted. Thus, biochemical, genetic, and proteomic studies were conducted to examine isoform-substrate specificity for Akt1 vs. Akt2. In vitro, Akt1 preferentially phosphorylates endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) and promotes NO release, whereas nonphysiological overexpression of Akt2 can bypass the loss of Akt1. Conditional deletion of Akt1 in the EC, in the absence or presence of Akt2, retards retinal angiogenesis, implying that Akt1 exerts a nonredundant function during physiological angiogenesis. Finally, proteomic analysis of Akt substrates isolated from Akt1- or Akt2-deficient ECs documents that phosphorylation of multiple Akt substrates regulating angiogenic signaling is reduced in Akt1-deficient, but not Akt2-deficient, ECs, including eNOS and Forkhead box proteins. Therefore, Akt1 promotes angiogenesis largely due to phosphorylation and regulation of important downstream effectors that promote aspects of angiogenic signaling.
Theoretical Shannon Capacity Performance of Nonlinearly Amplified Uplink OFDMA Signals in the Presence of Terminal Mobility

This paper proposes the theoretical derivation method of the Shannon capacity for nonlinearly amplified uplink Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access (OFDMA) in the presence of terminal mobility. In our theoretical derivation, the impact of the intercarrier interference (ICI) arising from terminal mobility as well as the multiuser interference (MUI) caused by nonlinear amplification of the mobile stations (MSs) on OFDMA signals is taken into account. Considering the fact that these interferences differ with the sub-carrier allocation methods such as localized FDMA (LFDMA) and interleaved FDMA (IFDMA), we derive the probability density function (PDF) of the instantaneous signal-to-noise-plus-distortion-plus-interference ratio (SNDIR) for each sub-carrier allocation method. Since the SNDIR is successfully expressed in the closed form, the proposed formula enables us to evaluate the Shannon capacity without conducting time consuming computer simulations.
Are Leaders Influenced by Advocates in Decisions on Special Education Eligibility

The purpose of this study was to investigate the influence of the opinions of private practitioners and educational advocates on instructional leaders’ decisionmaking processes when making a recommendation for special education eligibility. School-based administrators (n = 56) with varying years of experience as special education administrators participated in this study. Using data from a series of vignettes and from structured interviews, results indicated that private practitioners and educational advocates significantly influence administrators’ recommendations for special education eligibility.
The Internationalization Process and Networks: A Strategic Management Perspective

In this article, a conceptual model is developed that places internationalization and key process dimensions into a longitudinal strategy context. The model follows the internationalization literature with its emphasis on internal organizational processes (such as learning and network development) that drive foreign market expansion, but are also outcomes of it. These internal processes (which feed into the so-called strategic foundation) are linked to the company's strategy mechanisms, thus tying internationalization and strategic management into an interrelated cycle. Networks are analyzed as a subset of the conceptual model, illustrating many of the challenges of taking a strategic approach to internationalization. Although the paper is exploratory in nature, managerial implications of the model in terms of effective servicing of foreign markets are discussed.
Two protein kinase C isoforms, δ and ε, regulate energy homeostasis in mitochondria by transmitting opposing signals to the pyruvate dehydrogenase complex

Energy production in mitochondria is a multistep process that requires coordination of several subsystems. While reversible phosphorylation is emerging as the principal tool, it is still unclear how this signal network senses the workloads of processes as different as fuel procurement, catabolism in the Krebs cycle, and stepwise oxidation of reducing equivalents in the electron transfer chain. We previously proposed that mitochondria use oxidized cytochrome c in concert with retinol to activate protein kinase Cδ, thereby linking a prominent kinase network to the redox balance of the ETC. Here, we show that activation of PKC∊ in mitochondria also requires retinol as a cofactor, implying a redox‐mechanism. Whereas activated PKCδ transmits a stimulatory signal to the pyruvate dehdyrogenase complex (PDHC), PKC∊ opposes this signal and inhibits the PDHC. Our results suggest that the balance between PKCδ and ∊ is of paramount importance not only for flux of fuel entering the Krebs cycle but for overall energy homeostasis. We observed that the synthetic retinoid fenretinide substituted for the retinol cofactor function but, on chronic use, distorted this signal balance, leading to predominance of PKC∊ over PKCδ. The suppression of the PDHC might explain the proapoptotic effect of fenretinide on tumor cells, as well as the diminished adiposity observed in experimental animals and humans. Furthermore, a disturbed balance between PKCδ and PKC∊ might underlie the injury inflicted on the ischemic myocardium during reperfusion. —Gong, J., Hoyos, B. , Acin‐Perez, R. , Vinogradov, V. , Shabrova, E. , Zhao, F. , Leitges, M. , Fischman, D. , Manfredi, G. , Hammerling, U. Two protein kinase C isoforms, δ and ∊, regulate energy homeostasis in mitochondria by transmitting opposing signals to the pyruvate dehydrogenase complex. FASEB J. 26, 3537–3549 (2012). www.fasebj. org
Social-Community-Aware Resource Allocation for D2D Communications Underlaying Cellular Networks

Device-to-device (D2D) communication has been proposed as a promising technology for future cellular communication systems due to its advantages of high spectrum efficiency, low energy consumption, and enhanced system capacity. Resource allocation for D2D communications, which occupies nonorthogonal channels with cellular transmissions, is an important problem in terms of achieving the aforementioned benefits. In this problem, there are two fundamental challenges to be addressed: 1) how to emulate cellular users to share their resources and 2) how to efficiently allocate resources in terms of channels for D2D pairs. In this paper, we exploit social ties in human-formed social networks to enhance D2D resource sharing and further propose a social-community-aware D2D resource allocation framework, where cellular users would like to share their channels with D2D communications in the same community formed by a group of people with close social ties. After that, we propose a two-step coalition game, where a coalition formulation is established for communities, and an optimal resource allocation problem is formulated for D2D pairs. Extensive simulations on random networks and real mobile trace verify the effectiveness of the proposed scheme.
Investigating the Factors Influencing the Decoupling of Transport-Related Carbon Emissions from Turnover Volume in China

With the boom of vehicles, especially the dramatic rise of private car ownership, in China, transport CO2 emission in China has surged. However, China has been taking the responsibility to cut down carbon emissions and to make positive efforts towards technology innovations in the transport sector. Breaking the link between transport carbon emissions and transport turnover capacity for the past decades should be analyzed. The paper tested the decoupling degree and ranked its potential determinants for every transport mode in consideration of specific transport mode characteristics. We extended the original Kaya identity to make the factor analysis more pertinent to the analysis of transport-related CO2 emissions. Besides, we combined the decomposition technique with decoupling analysis, decomposing the transport decoupling index into five distinct aspects to detect the key drivers of the decoupling of transport-related CO2 emissions from transport turnover volume. Moreover, we analyzed the relationship between transport-related CO2 emission and transport output, which also offers a novel perspective on transport and corresponding environmental research. The results uncovered that a weak decoupling state appeared between 1990–1995 and 2000–2010 in China’s transport sector. Transport energy efficiency exerted the most significant impact in accelerating the decoupling of transport-related CO2 emissions from turnover volume for all transport modes while the energy mix effect impeded the decoupling evolution in most observed periods. Railway transport turnover and rail locomotives shared rises boosted by decoupling evolution, while vehicular transport showed adverse effects. The rise of the transport facilities’ shares of railways, waterways, and airways also advanced the decoupling evolution. Hence, policies of switching travel modes and establishing a “smart growth” pattern for private vehicles should be considered.
Oxytocin, testosterone, and human social cognition

I describe an integrative social‐evolutionary model for the adaptive significance of the human oxytocinergic system. The model is based on a role for this hormone in the generation and maintenance of social familiarity and affiliation across five homologous, functionally similar, and sequentially co‐opted contexts: mothers with offspring, female and male mates, kin groups, individuals with reciprocity partners, and individuals within cooperating and competing social groups defined by culture. In each situation, oxytocin motivates, mediates and rewards the cognitive and behavioural processes that underlie the formation and dynamics of a more or less stable social group, and promotes a relationship between two or more individuals. Such relationships may be positive (eliciting neurological reward, reducing anxiety and thus indicating fitness‐enhancing effects), or negative (increasing anxiety and distress, and thus motivating attempts to alleviate a problematic, fitness‐reducing social situation). I also present evidence that testosterone exhibits opposite effects from oxytocin on diverse aspects of cognition and behaviour, most generally by favouring self‐oriented, asocial and antisocial behaviours. I apply this model for effects of oxytocin and testosterone to understanding human psychological disorders centrally involving social behaviour. Reduced oxytocin and higher testosterone levels have been associated with under‐developed social cognition, especially in autism. By contrast, some combination of oxytocin increased above normal levels, and lower testosterone, has been reported in a notable number of studies of schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and depression, and, in some cases, higher oxytocin involves maladaptively ‘hyper‐developed’ social cognition in these conditions. This pattern of findings suggests that human social cognition and behaviour are structured, in part, by joint and opposing effects of oxytocin and testosterone, and that extremes of such joint effects partially mediate risks and phenotypes of autism and psychotic‐affective conditions. These considerations have direct implications for the development of therapies for alleviating disorders of social cognition, and for understanding how such disorders are associated with the evolution of human cognitive‐affective architecture.
Nitrogen-fixing nodules induced by Agrobacterium tumefaciens harboring Rhizobium phaseoli plasmids

Rhizobium phaseoli CFN299 forms nitrogen-fixing nodules in Phaseolus vulgaris (bean) and in Leucaena esculenta. It has three plasmids of 185, 225, and 410 kilobases. The 410-kilobase plasmid contains the nitrogenase structural genes. We have transferred these plasmids to the plasmid-free strain Agrobacterium tumefaciens GMI9023. Transconjugants containing different combinations of the R. phaseoli plasmids were obtained, and they were exhaustively purified before nodulation was assayed. Only transconjugants harboring the 410-kilobase plasmid nodulate P. vulgaris and L. esculenta. Nodules formed by all such transconjugants are able to reduce acetylene. Transconjugants containing the whole set of plasmids from CFN299 nodulate better and fix more nitrogen than the transconjugants carrying only the Sym plasmid. Microscopic analysis of nodules induced by A. tumefaciens transconjugants reveals infected cells and vascular bundles. None of the A. tumefaciens transconjugants, not even the one with the whole set of plasmids from CFN299, behaves in symbiosis like the original R. phaseoli strain; the transconjugants produce fewer nodules and have lower acetylene reduction (25% as compared to the original R. phaseoli strain) and more amyloplasts per nodule. More than 2,000 bacterial isolates from nodules of P. vulgaris and L. esculenta formed by the transconjugants were analyzed by different criteria. Not a single rhizobium could be detected. Our results show that R. phaseoli plasmids may be expressed in the A. tumefaciens background and direct the formation of effective, differentiated nodules.
A Criminal Commodity Consensus: The Coloniality of State Power, State Crime and the Transformation of Property Relations in Mexico

: Mexican human rights organizations accuse the Mexican military and federal police of having taken part in tens of thousands of forced disappearances in the last decade. Curiously, the regions in which people disappear are also sites of displacement and changing patterns of land tenure and production. Yet, property relations are seldom a topic of studies on illegal state activities. Through a state theory lens, including Aníbal Quijano’s notion of coloniality of power, this article examines conflicts between private property and communal land tenure such as ejidos in Mexico, as two different property regimes. The article aims to show how the state ensemble not only removes legal protection for communal tenure but also mobilizes legal as well as illegal means to force the change of communal lands into private property. Beyond that, the article also aims to show how these changes in land tenure regulation intersect with the Mexican war on Drugs.
Caries assessment by clinical examination with or without radiographs of young Chinese adults.

OBJECTIVE To compare caries status assessment of posterior teeth of young Chinese adults by using clinical examination alone and with the supplemental use of bitewing radiographs. METHODS Two calibrated dentists examined the posterior teeth of 200 Chinese university students (aged 18-24 years) using dental mirrors and probes under optimal lighting. Caries was diagnosed by visual detection of carious cavities. Duplicate examinations were performed to monitor intra- and inter-examiner variations. Bitewing radiographs were taken and examined by an independent dentist. Caries was recorded when a lesion extended into dentine. RESULTS Among the 3,162 posterior teeth examined, 113 were detected with caries. More than one third (35.4%) of the caries found in the posterior teeth was not detected from reading the radiographs but was detected by clinical examination. About half (51.4%) of the caries was found on the bitewing radiographs only, leaving 13.2% being detected by using either method. With the supplement of bitewing radiographs, there was a 105% increase in the number of carious lesions detected. This leads to a correction factor of 1.13 for adjustment of the mean DMFT score obtained from conducting clinical examinations alone. CONCLUSION Due to the significant number of clinically undetected carious cavities in these young Chinese adults who live in a community with water fluoridation, it may be advisable to use a correction factor to adjust the caries experience obtained from epidemiological surveys when bitewing radiographs are not available.
Sending expats or hiring locals? The impact of communication barriers on foreign subsidiary CEO staffing

Communication between headquarters (HQs) and foreign subsidiaries of multinational corporations (MNCs) is crucial for coordination, control, and knowledge transfer, but language barriers and geographic distance impede this exchange. Hypothesizing that MNCs react to these hurdles by appointing subsidiary top managers with adequate communication skills, we investigate how the native language barrier, foreign language barrier, and geographic distance between HQs and a foreign subsidiary influence the choice between parent and host/third country nationals as subsidiary CEOs. Testing our hypotheses on a sample of 101 staffing decisions made by German firms in 33 countries, we find a negligible effect of the native language barrier, but establish that a foreign language barrier enhances and higher geographic distance lowers firms’ propensity to staff subsidiary CEO positions with parent country nationals. An MNC’s international experience was found to moderate these relationships.
Corpus approaches to discourse: a critical review

Corpus linguistics has now come of age and Corpus Approaches to Discourse equips students with the means to question, defend and refine the methodology. Looking at corpus linguistics in discourse research from a critical perspective, this volume is a call for greater reflexivity in the field. The chapters, each written by leading authorities, contain an overview of an emerging area and a case-study, presenting practical advice alongside theoretical reflection. Carefully structured with an introduction by the editors and a conclusion by leading researcher, Paul Baker, this is key reading for advanced students and researchers of corpus linguistics and discourse analysis.
A Quantile Regression Approach to Estimate the Variance of Financial Returns*

We propose to estimate the conditional variance of a time series of financial returns through a quantile autoregressive (AR) model and demonstrate that it contains all information commonly captured in two separate equations for the mean and variance of a generalized AR conditional heteroscedasticity-type model. We show that the inter-quantile range spanned by conditional quantile estimates identifies the asymmetric response of volatility to lagged returns, resulting in wider conditional densities for negative returns than for positive returns. Finally, we estimate the conditional variance based on the estimated conditional density and illustrate its accuracy in a forecast evaluation.