Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Flight-to-quality and contagion in the European sovereign debt crisis

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to analyze the co-movements between the Portuguese, Greek, Irish and German government bond markets after the subprime crisis (2007 to 2013), with a special focus on the European sovereign debt crisis. It aims to assess the existence of contagion between the Portuguese, Greece and Irish bond markets and to explore the phenomenon of flight-to-quality from the Portuguese and Greek bond markets to the German market. Design/methodology/approach The analysis is undertaken using a DCC-GARCH model with daily data for 10-year yield government bonds. The change in correlation from the stable periods to the crisis periods is used to identify contagion or flight-to-quality. Findings Results suggest that there was contagion between the Greek and Portuguese markets, and to a lesser extent between the Irish and Portuguese markets. During most of the identified crisis periods, there are evident flight-to-quality flows from the Portuguese and Greek bond markets to the German market. Originality/value This paper contributes to the literature by applying the methodology DCC-GARCH to several crisis episodes for the analysis of contagion and flight-to-quality during the European sovereign debt crisis.
Identification of the LWYIK Motif Located in the Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1 Transmembrane gp41 Protein as a Distinct Determinant for Viral Infection

ABSTRACT The highly conserved LWYIK motif located immediately proximal to the membrane-spanning domain of the gp41 transmembrane protein of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 has been proposed as being important for the surface envelope (Env) glycoprotein's association with lipid rafts and gp41-mediated membrane fusion. Here we employed substitution and deletion mutagenesis to understand the role of this motif in the virus life cycle. None of the mutants examined affected the synthesis, precursor processing, CD4 binding, oligomerization, or cell surface expression of the Env, nor did they alter Env incorporation into the virus. All of the mutants, particularly the ΔYI, ΔIK, and ΔLWYIK mutants, in which the indicated residues were deleted, exhibited greatly reduced one-cycle viral replication and the Env trans-complementation ability. All of these deletion mutant proteins were still localized in the lipid rafts. With the exception of the Trp-to-Ala (WA) mutant, which exhibited reduced viral infectivity albeit with normal membrane fusion, all mutants displayed loss of some or almost all of the membrane fusion ability. Although these deletion mutants partially inhibited in trans wild-type (WT) Env-mediated fusion, they were more effective in dominantly interfering with WT Env-mediated viral entry when coexpressed with the WT Env, implying a role of this motif in postfusion events as well. Both T20 and L43L peptides derived from the two gp41 extracellular C- and N-terminal α-helical heptad repeats, respectively, inhibited WT and ΔLWYIK Env-mediated viral entry with comparable efficacies. Biotin-tagged T20 effectively captured both the fusion-active, prehairpin intermediates of WT and mutant gp41 upon CD4 activation. Env without the deletion of the LWYIK motif still effectively mediated lipid mixing but inhibited content mixing. Our study demonstrates that the immediate membrane-proximal LWYIK motif acts as a unique and distinct determinant located in the gp41 C-terminal ectodomain by promoting enlargement of fusion pores and postfusion activities.
PDGFB quantification is a useful tool in the diagnosis of dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans: a study of 10 cases

Background. Genetic aberrations involving the platelet‐derived growth factor‐β (PDGFB) gene and the collagen type 1 α1 (COL1A1) gene have been implicated in the pathogenesis of dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans (DFSP), a slow‐growing and locally infiltrative dermal tumour.
Subunit Vaccine Preparation of Bovine Rotavirus and Its Efficacy in Mice.

BACKGROUND Rotaviruses (RV) are important viral diarrheal agents in calves. Vaccination is an optimum measure to prevent bovine rotaviruses (BRV) infection. However, little research on BRV VP7 vaccine has been done and currently there is no BRV vaccine. OBJECTIVE To prepare a subunit vaccine of BRV and investigate its efficacy. METHODS Total RNA was extracted from MA104 cells infected with bovine rotavirus (BRV) strain GSB01. BRV VP7 gene was amplified using real time fluorescence quantitative PCR (qPCR). The pEASY-T3-VP7 plasmid was digested using HindⅢ and BamHI restriction endonucleases, then recombined into the prokaryotic expression vector pET32a. The pET32a-VP7 and pET32a-VP7-LTB (heat-labile enterotoxin B subunit) were transformed into BL21 (DE3) competent cells of Escherichia coli, respectively, and induced with IPTG, then analyzed using SDS-PAGE. Sixty mice were randomly divided into three groups (n=20). Group A mice was used as His-tag control and mice in group B and C were inoculated with pET32a-VP7 and pET32a-VP7-LTB, respectively. VP7 IgG antibody titers and protection efficiency of pET32a-VP7-LTB were further determined in neonatal mice challenged with GSB01 BRV strain. RESULTS SDS-PAGE analysis showed that the pET32a-VP7 was highly expressed in the BL21 (DE3) cells. PET32a-VP7 and pET32a-VP7-LTB protein could promote VP7 IgG antibody titer（8.33×103 vs. 17.26×103）in mice. Immunization protection ratios of pET32a-VP7 and pET32a-VP7-LTB proteins in the neonatal mice were 86.4% and 91.7%, respectively. CONCLUSION The fusion protein of pET32a-VP7-LTB had excellent immunogenicity and protected mice from BRV infection. Our findings can be used for further developing of a high-efficiency subunit vaccine of BRV.
On-Shelf Availability in Retailing

Ensuring high On-Shelf Availability (OSA) is essential for retailers today. It is a measure of retailer performance. Out-of Stock is a major problem in retailing, as it leads to lost sales and decreased consumer loyalty. The term "Out-of-Stock" is used to describe a situation where a consumer does not find the product on the shelf, at the time he/she wishes to purchase it. The root causes leading to OOS include inventory inaccuracy, unexpected high demand, restock frequency and poor shelf monitoring. Yet, the possibilities for detecting and measuring an out-of shelf situation are limited, mainly involving visual shelf audits. Hence, the existence of an automatic method for detecting the products that are not on the shelf, would be valuable, offering an accurate view of the shelf availability to the store manager. The proposed solution, is a real-time application connected to a camera device that monitors the on- shelf availability of products and sends alerts to the store manager when products go out of shelf or are misplaced. The proposed solution, compared to the existing solutions, is cost effective, easy to implement and easy to use.
Dimethyl hydrazine-1,2-dicarboxylate–triphenylphosphine oxide (1/1)

In the crystal structure of the title compound, C4H8N2O4·C18H15OP, two triphenylphosphine oxide molecules and two dimethyl hydrazine-1,2-dicarboxylate molecules are connected via N—H⋯O hydrogen bonds of moderate strength and are related via a twofold rotational axis. Weak Car—H⋯ O contacts strengthen the crystal structure.
The Seed Composition of Arabidopsis Mutants for the Group 3 Sulfate Transporters Indicates a Role in Sulfate Translocation within Developing Seeds1[C][W][OA]

Sulfate is required for the synthesis of sulfur-containing amino acids and numerous other compounds essential for the plant life cycle. The delivery of sulfate to seeds and its translocation between seed tissues is likely to require specific transporters. In Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana), the group 3 plasmalemma-predicted sulfate transporters (SULTR3) comprise five genes, all expressed in developing seeds, especially in the tissues surrounding the embryo. Here, we show that sulfur supply to seeds is unaffected by T-DNA insertions in the SULTR3 genes. However, remarkably, an increased accumulation of sulfate was found in mature seeds of four mutants out of five. In these mutant seeds, the ratio of sulfur in sulfate form versus total sulfur was significantly increased, accompanied by a reduction in free cysteine content, which varied depending on the gene inactivated. These results demonstrate a reduced capacity of the mutant seeds to metabolize sulfate and suggest that these transporters may be involved in sulfate translocation between seed compartments. This was further supported by sulfate measurements of the envelopes separated from the embryo of the sultr3;2 mutant seeds, which showed differences in sulfate partitioning compared with the wild type. A dissection of the seed proteome of the sultr3 mutants revealed protein changes characteristic of a sulfur-stress response, supporting a role for these transporters in providing sulfate to the embryo. The mutants were affected in 12S globulin accumulation, demonstrating the importance of intraseed sulfate transport for the synthesis and maturation of embryo proteins. Metabolic adjustments were also revealed, some of which could release sulfur from glucosinolates.
Identification and Characterization of GABAergic Projection Neurons from Ventral Hippocampus to Amygdala

GABAergic local circuit neurons are critical for the network activity and functional interaction of the amygdala and hippocampus. Previously, we obtained evidence for a GABAergic contribution to the hippocampal projection into the basolateral amygdala. Using fluorogold retrograde labeling, we now demonstrate that this projection indeed has a prominent GABAergic component comprising 17% of the GABAergic neurons in the ventral hippocampus. A majority of the identified GABAergic projection neurons are located in the stratum oriens of area CA1, but cells are also found in the stratum pyramidale and stratum radiatum. We could detect the expression of different markers of interneuron subpopulations, including parvalbumin and calbindin, somatostatin, neuropeptide Y, and cholecystokinin in such retrogradely labeled GABA neurons. Thus GABAergic projection neurons to the amygdala comprise a neurochemically heterogeneous group of cells from different interneuron populations, well situated to control network activity patterns in the amygdalo-hippocampal system.
Farm Family Characteristics and the Viability of Farm Households in Wisconsin, Mississippi, and Tennessee

The authors used data from sample surveys of farm households in Wisconsin, MISSISSIPPI, and Tennessee to examine the relationship of farm household Viability to human resource, farm business, and financial characteristics Viability IS measured as the ratio of farm and nonfarm Income to consumption expenses, capital replacement costs, and principal payments Households are grouped by region, gross sales, farm type, operator off-farm employment, and farm business plans Regression results indicate that factors associated with viability differ by household group Farm size is associated positively with viability only for larger full-time farmers in MISSISSIPPI and Tennessee and for households planning to leave farming
Moving object detection using unstable camera for consumer surveillance systems

In this paper, we present a robust motion-based object detection system that corrects for the motion of an unstable camera. Assuming that the global camera motion may be modeled as an affine transform of the image between two successive frames, the proposed method is able to correct for camera motion using an elastic registration algorithm (ER). The local motion is then estimated from a current image and affine-transformed previous image. Finally, object regions are detected using the estimated local motions. Experimental results show that the proposed system is able to robustly detect moving objects in unstable imaging environment for consumer surveillance systems.
Hypothalamic Expression of KISS1 and Gonadotropin Inhibitory Hormone Genes During the Menstrual Cycle of a Non-Human Primate1

Kisspeptin, the product of the KISS1 gene, stimulates gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) secretion; gonadotropin inhibitory hormone (GnIH), encoded by the RF-amide-related peptide (RFRP) or NPVF gene, inhibits the reproductive axis. In sheep, kisspeptin neurons are found in the lateral preoptic area (POA) and the arcuate nucleus (ARC) and may be important for initiating the preovulatory GnRH/luteinizing hormone (LH) surge. GnIH cells are located in the ovine dorsomedial hypothalamic nucleus (DMN) and paraventricular nucleus (PVN), with similar distribution in the primate. KISS1 cells are found in the primate POA and ARC, but the function that kisspeptin and GnIH play in primates has not been elucidated. We examined KISS1 and NPVF mRNA throughout the menstrual cycle of a female primate, rhesus macaque (Macaca mulatta), using in situ hybridization. KISS1-expressing cells were found in the POA and ARC, and NPVF-expressing cells were located in the PVN/DMN. KISS1 expression in the caudal ARC and POA was higher in the late follicular phase of the cycle (just before the GnRH/LH surge) than in the luteal phase. NPVF expression was also higher in the late follicular phase. We ascertained whether kisspeptin and/or GnIH cells project to GnRH neurons in the primate. Close appositions of kisspeptin and GnIH fibers were found on GnRH neurons, with no change across the menstrual cycle. These data suggest a role for kisspeptin in the stimulation of GnRH cells before the preovulatory GnRH/LH surge in non-human primates. The role of GnIH is less clear, with paradoxical up-regulation of gene expression in the late follicular phase of the menstrual cycle.
Biomass residential heating: semantic structure and implications for advertising

For a business, knowing current stakeholder product knowledge is essential to influencing behaviour. What do consumers think and feel about biomass residential heating? An assessment of consumers’ semantic structure about a biomass residential heating product: pellet stove/furnace, reveals that consumers perceive the product as natural but laborious to maintain, and dirty/smelly. An exploratory analysis of the industry’s marketing communications suggests that the industry is not addressing the ‘ease-of-use’ issue.
Comparison of Carbon Nutrition for Pathogenic and Commensal Escherichia coli Strains in the Mouse Intestine

ABSTRACT The carbon sources that support the growth of pathogenic Escherichia coli O157:H7 in the mammalian intestine have not previously been investigated. In vivo, the pathogenic E. coli EDL933 grows primarily as single cells dispersed within the mucus layer that overlies the mouse cecal epithelium. We therefore compared the pathogenic strain and the commensal E. coli strain MG1655 modes of metabolism in vitro, using a mixture of the sugars known to be present in cecal mucus, and found that the two strains used the 13 sugars in a similar order and cometabolized as many as 9 sugars at a time. We conducted systematic mutation analyses of E. coli EDL933 and E. coli MG1655 by using lesions in the pathways used for catabolism of 13 mucus-derived sugars and five other compounds for which the corresponding bacterial gene system was induced in the transcriptome of cells grown on cecal mucus. Each of 18 catabolic mutants in both bacterial genetic backgrounds was fed to streptomycin-treated mice, together with the respective wild-type parent strain, and their colonization was monitored by fecal plate counts. None of the mutations corresponding to the five compounds not found in mucosal polysaccharides resulted in colonization defects. Based on the mutations that caused colonization defects, we determined that both E. coli EDL933 and E. coli MG1655 used arabinose, fucose, and N-acetylglucosamine in the intestine. In addition, E. coli EDL933 used galactose, hexuronates, mannose, and ribose, whereas E. coli MG1655 used gluconate and N-acetylneuraminic acid. The colonization defects of six catabolic lesions were found to be additive with E. coli EDL933 but not with E. coli MG1655. The data indicate that pathogenic E. coli EDL933 uses sugars that are not used by commensal E. coli MG1655 to colonize the mouse intestine. The results suggest a strategy whereby invading pathogens gain advantage by simultaneously consuming several sugars that may be available because they are not consumed by the commensal intestinal microbiota.
A chromogenic assay for activated protein C resistance

Summary. Resistance to activated protein C (APC) diagnosed on the basis of prolongation of clotting time in an activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT) assay is now considered a major cause of inherited thrombophilia. The majority of patients with APC resistance carry a factor V molecule with a point mutation at one APC cleavage site (Arg506Gln) which prevents the optimal inactivation of activated factor V by APC. To overcome the limitations of aPTT‐based assays in the diagnosis of APC resistance, we have developed a chromogenic assay which is based on the capacity of APC to limit the generation of factor Xa by inactivating factor Villa in plasma. The ratio of the factor Xa amidolytic activity in a sample without APC to its factor Xa activity with the addition of APC reflects the response of the plasma coagulation system to APC. The normal range in 44 healthy individuals was 1.62‐2.06. APC response ratios as measured by the chromogenic assay correlated with ratios measured by the aPTT assay and were below the normal range in 23.24 individuals with Arg506Gln mutant factor V from three different families with familial thrombosis and from 11 unrelated asymptomatic individuals. In reconstitu‐tion experiments, purified factor V corrected the decreased APC response in plasma samples from patients with the Arg506Gln mutation as well as with factor V deficiency, and increased the APC response in normal plasma, whereas the addition of activated factor V had no enhancing effect.
Impact of Frailty on the First 30 Days of Major Cardiac Events in Elderly Patients with Coronary Artery Disease Undergoing Elective Percutaneous Coronary Intervention.

AIM to obtain the proportion of frailty and the incidence of 30-day major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) as well as to review the impact of frailty on the prognosis of elderly patients with coronary heart disease who underwent elective PCI. METHODS this is a prospective cohort study to assess the frailty of elderly patients with coronary artery disease that underwent elective PCI in Cipto Mangunkusumo Hospital using the frailty phenotype criteria. They were subsequently followed-up for 30 days to see whether there was any MACE developed. RESULTS there were 100 elderly patients with coronary artery disease who underwent elective PCI between September 2014 and June 2015. The mean age of patients was 66.95 (SD 4.875) years and 69% of the patients were males. Frailty was present in 61% of the patients. MACE were occurred in 8.19% of frail patients and 5.12% were occurred in non-frail patients. The association between frailty and MACE was demonstrated by the result of crude HR of 1.6 (CI 95% 0.31-8.24). In our study, the 30-day survival rate was 95% in frail patients and 98% in non-frail patients. CONCLUSION there is a 1.6-fold increased risk of 30-day MACE in elderly frail patients undergoing elective PCI; however, it is not statistically significant.
The Psychology of Groups

This module assumes that a thorough understanding of people requires a thorough understanding of groups. Each of us is an autonomous individual seeking our own objectives, yet we are also members of groups—groups that constrain us, guide us, and sustain us. Just as each of us influences the group and the people in the group, so, too, do groups change each one of us. Joining groups satisfies our need to belong, gain information and understanding through social comparison, define our sense of self and social identity, and achieve goals that might elude us if we worked alone. Groups are also practically significant, for much of the world’s work is done by groups rather than by individuals. Success sometimes eludes our groups, but when group members learn to work together as a cohesive team their success becomes more certain. People also turn to groups when important decisions must be made, and this choice is justified as long as groups avoid such problems as group polarization and groupthink.
When do social actors shape sub-national employment policies? Case study evidence from four multinationals in Belgium

There is an ongoing debate in business and industrial relations literature regarding the role of social actors in shaping employment policies in multinational companies. However, less attention has been given to how sub-national employment levels are shaped by social actors within multinational companies. This article contributes to that question by investigating the conditions under which social actors engage in the development of regional employment policies, inter-firm employment policies and company-specific policies. Based on four case studies of multinational companies with different subsidiaries in Belgium, the study reveals that social actors shape these employment policies in line with their employment aims where they have access to sub-national resources. Furthermore, high levels of entrepreneurship were found if sub-national resources were available at multiple complementary sub-national levels. The availability of these resources is dependent on the specific historical development of each of these sub-national levels.
Strongly coupled versus uncoupled spin response to radio frequency interference effects: application to glutamate and glutamine in spectroscopic imaging

It is well known that comparable radio frequency (RF) wavelengths and human head dimensions at high fields can lead to an inhomogeneous RF field when using standard RF transmission. However, the impact of RF inhomogeneity on potential differences in quantification between coupled and uncoupled spins at longer echo times has not been investigated thoroughly. The consequence of this RF interference on metabolite quantification in spectroscopic imaging at 4.7 T was investigated for the strongly coupled spin systems of glutamate and glutamine at an echo time of 120 ms, and compared with the singlet response of choline. These effects were studied using a single‐voxel PRESS sequence (α–2α–2α) with varying flip angle (α) from 90° to 65° in simulation, phantom, and in vivo experiments. Phantom metabolite yield decreased to 57% for choline and 27% for glutamate/glutamine in agreement with the simulations. Even a minor reduction from α = 85° to 80° produced a large difference between coupled and uncoupled yields, with a reduction of 7% for choline and 17% for glutamate/glutamine. Anecdotal in vivo spectroscopic imaging studies show similar trends, with large differences between choline and glutamate/glutamine yield over a small, 2.2 cm, region. These results demonstrate severe effects on metabolite yield due to RF variation between strongly coupled and uncoupled spin systems at long echo time, which complicates metabolite quantification. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.