Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Yin Yang 1 Is a Lipopolysaccharide-Inducible Activator of the Murine 3′ Igh Enhancer, hs3 1

The 3′ Igh enhancers, DNase I hypersensitive site (hs) 3B and/or hs4, are required for germline transcription, and hence, class switch recombination for multiple isotypes. A number of hs3-binding transcription factors have been identified by EMSA, including octamer and NF-κB family members, and Pax5. We have found that the binding of the transcription factor, Yin Yang 1 (YY1), to hs3 and to the μE1 site of the intronic enhancer, Eμ, is induced in primary splenic B cells after ∼48 h in response to LPS and other activators of class switch recombination. Transient transfection experiments in B cell lines indicate that YY1 is an activator of hs3. Interestingly, levels of YY1 expression are unchanged in resting and LPS-stimulated B cells. Mixing experiments followed by EMSA showed that a protein present in resting B cells prevented binding of YY1 to DNA. We found that recombinant retinoblastoma protein (Rb) inhibited binding of YY1 to hs3 in a dose-dependent manner, and we have identified complexes of endogenous YY1 with the Rb in resting B cells, but not in LPS-stimulated B cells. A difference in Rb phosphorylation state was also confirmed between resting (G0) B cells and LPS-stimulated B cells. These observations suggest that the interaction of YY1 with hypophosphorylated Rb in resting B cells prevents interaction of YY1 with DNA. After stimulation with class-switching activators, such as LPS, Rb becomes hyperphosphorylated and YY1 is released and can then bind to the hs3 enhancer and Eμ.
Decreased clearance of Pseudomonas aeruginosa from airways of mice deficient in lysozyme M

Lysozyme is a ubiquitous and abundant, cationic, antimicrobial polypeptide of leukocytes and epithelia, but its biological function in host defense is largely unexplored. To ascertain the role of lysozyme during bacterial infection of murine airways, we exposed the airways of lysozyme M‐deficient (lys M−/−) mice to the pulmonary pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa and examined the host’s response to infection. Despite partial compensation as a result of the appearance of lysozyme P in the infected airways of lys M−/− mice, these lys M−/− mice showed decreased clearance of P. aeruginosa compared with their lys M+/− or lys M+/+ littermates. Lysozyme contributes to optimal clearance of P. aeruginosa from the murine airways.
EFFECT OF METAL TOLERANT PLANT GROWTH PROMOTING BACTERIA ON GROWTH AND METAL ACCUMULATION IN ZEA MAYS PLANTS GROWN IN FLY ASH AMENDED SOIL

The present study was undertaken to examine the effect of the application of fly ash (FA) into Garden soil (GS), with and without inoculation of plant growth promoting bacteria (PGPB), on the growth and metal uptake by Zea mays plants. Three FA tolerant PGPB strains, Pseudomonas sp. PS5, PS14, and Bacillus sp. BC29 were isolated from FA contaminated soils and assessed for their plant growth promoting features on the Z. mays plants. All three strains were also examined for their ability to solubilize phosphate and to produce Indole Acetic Acid (IAA), siderophores, and hydrogencynide acid (HCN) production. Although inoculation of all strains significantly enhanced the growth of plants at both the concentration of FA but maximum growth was observed in plants inoculated with BC29 and PS14 at low level (25%) of FA concentration. The experimental results explored the plant growth promoting features of selected strains which not only enhanced growth and biomass of plants but also protected them from toxicity of FA.
Coordinated guidance of autonomous uavs via nominal belief-state optimization

We apply the theory of partially observable Markov decision processes (POMDPs) to the design of guidance algorithms for controlling the motion of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) with on-board sensors for tracking multiple ground targets. While POMDPs are intractable to optimize exactly, principled approximation methods can be devised based on Bellman's principle.We introduce a new approximation method called nominal belief-state optimization (NBO). We show that NBO, combined with other application-specific approximations and techniques within the POMDP framework, produces a practical design that coordinates the UAVs to achieve good long-term mean-squared-error tracking performance in the presence of occlusions and dynamic constraints.
Psychosocial predictors of unprotected anal intercourse in a sample of HIV positive gay men who volunteer for a sexual risk reduction intervention.

This study used logistic regression analysis to identify psychosocial predictors of unprotected anal intercourse in a sample of 212 HIV positive gay men who were enrolled in a sexual risk reduction intervention. A combination of five psychosocial variables (i.e., age, avoidant coping, loneliness, depressive symptoms, and impulsivity) reliably discriminated between men who had engaged in unprotected anal intercourse (UAI) with HIV negative or serostatus unknown partners and those who had not engaged in this high risk behavior. Avoidant coping emerged as the best psychosocial predictor that distinguished between the two groups. Men who had UAI during the previous 4 months had significantly higher scores on avoidant coping as compared with the no-UAI group. These findings suggest the need to design intervention programs for HIV positive gay men that addresses coping strategies in the context of high-risk sexual behaviors.
Spatial location of Industries - Factors influencing locational choice

This study attempts to analyze the agglomeration of manufacturing firms for the Indian context using an agglomeration measure given by Ellison and Glaeser for 66 manufacturing industries in 21 major States. The analysis yields that the extractive industries like Iron and Steel and Cement, Lime and Plaster, are highly agglomerated and are found in those States where the raw material is in abundance. The analysis indicates that the agglomerated industries are mostly located in few States thereby pointing that the attempts made by the Government to disperse the industrial units have not been quite successful. Taking one step further, this study also looks at the reasons that could be attributed to this clustering. The econometric results indicate that the policy related factors that affect the agglomeration in the case of India’s manufacturing Industries, are not alone, enough to create clusters. These along with other nonpolicy related factors having spillover potential also contribute to agglomeration.
A Statistical Approach for Phrase Location and Recognition within a Text Line: An Application to Street Name Recognition

We describe an approach to conjointly locate and recognize a street name within a street line. The system developed is based on a probabilistic framework that naturally integrates various knowledge sources to emit a final decision. At the handwriting signal level, hidden Markov models are extensively used to provide the needed matching scores. Several optimization techniques are employed to speed up the processing time. Experiments carried out on large data sets of street line images, automatically extracted from real French mail envelope images, show very promising results.
Identification of a Novel Determinant for Membrane Association in Hepatitis C Virus Nonstructural Protein 4B

ABSTRACT Nonstructural protein 4B (NS4B) plays an essential role in the formation of the hepatitis C virus (HCV) replication complex. It is a relatively poorly characterized integral membrane protein predicted to comprise four transmembrane segments in its central portion. Here, we describe a novel determinant for membrane association represented by amino acids (aa) 40 to 69 in the N-terminal portion of NS4B. This segment was sufficient to target and tightly anchor the green fluorescent protein to cellular membranes, as assessed by fluorescence microscopy as well as membrane extraction and flotation analyses. Circular dichroism and nuclear magnetic resonance structural analyses showed that this segment comprises an amphipathic α-helix extending from aa 42 to 66. Attenuated total reflection infrared spectroscopy and glycosylation acceptor site tagging revealed that this amphipathic α-helix has the potential to traverse the phospholipid bilayer as a transmembrane segment, likely upon oligomerization. Alanine substitution of the fully conserved aromatic residues on the hydrophobic helix side abrogated membrane association of the segment comprising aa 40 to 69 and disrupted the formation of a functional replication complex. These results provide the first atomic resolution structure of an essential membrane-associated determinant of HCV NS4B.
Predominance of capsular polysaccharide type 5 among oxacillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus

The relationship between capsular polysaccharide types 5 and 8 and resistance of Staphylococcus aureus to oxacillin was studied with a collection of 406 clinical isolates from six French hospitals. Of 175 type 5 isolates, 84 (48%) were resistant to oxacillin. In contrast, only 8 of 160 type 8 isolates (5%) and 5 of 71 nontypeable isolates (7%) were resistant to oxacillin. Therefore, capsular typing of clinical isolates of S. aureus may facilitate the choice of first-line antibiotic therapy.
An Outcome Study of Gestalt-Oriented Growth Workshops

Compared to other intervention modalities, there are relatively few outcome studies of gestalt therapy. This study aimed to address this gap by evaluating the therapeutic effects of four gestalt-oriented group workshops designed to enhance well-being in professionals trained as social workers, counselors, and psychologists. The results of this preliminary, uncontrolled study indicated that the 55 participants had better emotional well-being and experienced a heightened sense of hope following the workshops. The factors leading to these positive outcomes are discussed.
Redox proteomics screening cellular factors associated with oxidative stress in hepatocarcinogenesis

Liver cancer is a major global health problem being the sixth most common cancer and the third cause of cancer‐related death, with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) representing more than 90% of primary liver cancers. Mounting evidence suggests that, compared with their normal counterparts, many types of cancer cell have increased levels of ROS. Therefore, cancer cells need to combat high levels of ROS, especially at early stages of tumor development. Recent studies have revealed that ROS‐mediated regulation of redox‐sensitive proteins (redox sensors) is involved in the pathogenesis and/or progression of many human diseases, including cancer. Unraveling the altered functions of redox sensors and the underlying mechanisms in hepatocarcinogenesis is critical for the development of novel cancer therapeutics. For this reason, redox proteomics has been developed for the high‐throughput screening of redox sensors, which will benefit the development of novel therapeutic strategies for the treatment of HCC. In this review, we will briefly introduce several novel redox proteomics techniques that are currently available to study various oxidative modifications in hepatocarcinogenesis and summarize the most important discoveries in the study of redox processes related to the development and progression of HCC.
Social Integration and Health Insurance Status Among African American Men and Women

Using 2010 national data, we investigate the relationship between social integration and health insurance for African American adults. During the previous year 21.6% of men and 19.8% of women lacked continuous health insurance. The effect of marital status, income, and employment on insurance coverage differed by age and gender. Additionally, frequency of church attendance was positively associated with continuous health insurance for women aged 51–64. Spiritual/religious identity was marginally associated with insurance status for men aged 36–50. As provisions of the Affordable Care Act take effect, implementation programs should expand enrollment efforts to include the conjugal unit and the church.
Antenna grouping techniques for MIMO beamforming systems

In this paper, we investigate antenna grouping algorithms which are hybrids of beamforming and spatial multiplexing. With antenna grouping, we can achieve diversity gain through beamforming, and high spectral efficiency through spatial multiplexing. We introduce existing criteria and present several new criteria in multiple-input multiple-output antenna grouping system where the number of transmit antennas is larger than that of receive antennas. We also propose a low complexity antenna grouping algorithm. Comparing bit error rate (BER) and complexity, we demonstrate the benefits of our algorithm. We also derive the BER approximation of our algorithm.
On Markovian Short Rates in Term Structure Models Driven by Jump-Diffusion Processes

In this paper a bond market model and the related term structure of interest rates are studied where prices of zero coupon bonds are driven by a jump-diffusion process. A criterion is derived on the deterministic forward rate volatilities underwhich the short rate process isMarkovian. In the case that the volatilities depend on the short rate sufficient conditions are presented for the existence of a finite-dimensional Markovian realization of the term structure model.
HPV prevalence, viral load and physical state of HPV‐16 in cervical smears of patients with different grades of CIN

Human papillomavirus (HPV) infection is the most important event in malignant transformation of human cervical epithelium. We analysed in cervical smears, HPV genotypes with a focus on single/multiple infections, then characteristics of HPV‐16 infections (presence of other genotypes, viral load and physical state) according to the grade of histological lesions. The purpose of this study was to know if these parameters could allow to differentiate histological diagnoses. DNA was extracted from 363 cervical samples corresponding to 24 cases without lesion, 96 CIN1, 92 CIN2, 144 CIN3 and 7 cancers. Our results show that HPV‐16 was predominant and its prevalence increased with the severity of lesions (CIN1: 27.1%; CIN3: 65.3%). In addition, we showed that the frequency of single infections, as compared with multiple infections, increased with the severity of the lesion (CIN1: 25.0%; CIN3: 54.8%). Among HPV‐16 positive samples (n = 170), we found that viral load, determined on cervical samples by real‐time PCR, did not vary significantly according to the different CIN grades. Concerning HPV‐16 integration, the mixed and integrated HPV‐16 forms, already present in women with normal histology, increased to the benefit of pure episomal forms with the severity of lesions (normal cervix: 28.6%; CIN3: 73.8%). Thus, our data raise the question of the viral load as a valuable clinical parameter to discriminate between lesion grades. Moreover, we emphasize integration as an early event in cervical carcinogenesis, increasing with the severity of lesions. Finally, this study underlines the importance of single versus multiple infections linked to the severity of CIN. © 2007 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Tilburg University Reliability of test scores in nonparametric item response theory

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Preservation of limbic and paralimbic structures in aging

Patterns of gray matter (GM) loss were measured in 223 healthy subjects spanning eight decades. We observed significant clusters of accelerated loss in focal regions of the frontal and parietal cortices, including the dorsolateral frontal cortex, pre‐ and postcentral gyrus, and the inferior and superior parietal lobes. The rate of loss in these clusters was approximately twice that of the global average. By contrast, clusters of significant GM preservation were found in limbic and paralimbic structures, including the amygdala, hippocampus, thalamus, and the cingulate gyrus. In these clusters, GM loss was attenuated significantly relative to the global rate. The preservation of these structures is consistent with the functional importance of the thalamo‐limbic circuits in sensory integration, arousal, emotion, and memory, and lends credence to the idea that later‐maturing cortical regions are more vulnerable to age‐related morphologic changes. Moreover, the limbic findings act as a frame of reference to explore further the effects of stress and learning on these structures in an evidence‐based manner across age. Hum Brain Mapp, 2005. © 2005 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Xenopus laevis Retinal Ganglion Cell Dendritic Arbors Develop Independently of Visual Stimulation

Newly formed neurons must locate their appropriate target cells and then form synaptic connections with these targets in order to establish a functional nervous system. In the vertebrate retina, retinal ganglion cell (RGC) dendrites extend from the cell body and form synapses with nearby amacrine and bipolar cells. RGC axons, however, exit the retina and synapse with the dendrites of midbrain neurons in the optic tectum. We examined how visual stimulation influenced Xenopus RGC dendritic arborization. Neuronal activity is known to be an important factor in shaping dendritic and axonal arborization. Thus, we reared tadpoles in dark and light environments then used rhodamine dextran retrograde labeling to identify RGCs in the retina. When we compared RGC dendritic arbors from tadpoles reared in dark and light environments, we found no morphological differences, suggesting that physiological visual activity did not contribute to the morphological development of Xenopus RGC dendritic arbors.
THE FORM OF SEXUAL SELECTION ON MALE GENITALIA CANNOT BE INFERRED FROM WITHIN-POPULATION VARIANCE AND ALLOMETRY—A CASE STUDY IN AQUARIUS REMIGIS

Abstract Male genital morphology in insects and arachnids is characterized by static hypoallometry and low intrapopulational levels of phenotypic variation relative to other male traits. The one-size-fits-all model of genital evolution attributes these patterns to stabilizing sexual selection. This model relies on the assumption that the observed patterns of variation and allometry reflect the form of sexual selection acting these traits. We test this by examining the patterns of scaling and trait variation for a set of genitalic and somatic morphological traits in male water striders (Aquarius remigis). This suite of traits is of particular interest because previous work has shown that the genitalic traits are under strong directional selection whereas the somatic traits are under either weak directional or stabilizing selection. Because the selection regime for these traits is known, we can, for the first time, test the purported relationship between trait variation, scaling, and the form of sexual selection. We show that the patterns of variation and scaling of these traits differ sharply from those predicted for traits experiencing strong directional sexual selection. Specifically, the male genital structures show static hypoallometry and low intrapopulational levels of phenotypic variation relative to other male traits, in spite of consistent, strong, directional sexual selection. These scaling relationships and levels of variation are typical of genital traits in other insect species, where they have been presumed to reflect stabilizing sexual selection. Our data clearly refute the assumption of the one-size-fits-all hypothesis that hypoallometric scaling of genitalic traits implies stabilizing selection. We discuss the implications of this finding and propose future directions for improving our current understanding of genital evolution in arthropods.
Commentary: Penetrating Aortic Ulcer of the Abdominal Aorta: An Increasingly Frequent Finding

The first case of penetrating aortic ulcer (PAU) in the thoracic aorta was described by Shennan in 1934 and the first successful treatment by Shumacker and King in 1959. Although PAU remained a rare and obscure pathology for many decades, multiple case reports and some case series have been published over the years. As the sophistication of imaging modalities has grown, so too have the number of PAUs being diagnosed worldwide, increasing our knowledge of the natural history of this lesion, which is now considered a distinct entity in the acute aortic syndrome. Indications for treatment, surgical or endovascular, still remain unclear. Some authors recommend early aggressive treatment. Others insist on a conservative approach, with the patient in the acute phase of the disease treated in the intensive care unit with aggressive hypertension control (nitroprusside, bblockers) and morphine combined with frequently repeated ultrasonography and/or magnetic resonance angiography (MRA)/computed tomographic angiography (CTA). Because the lesions are usually short and localized in a single segment of the aorta, endovascular treatment appears ideal. The hypothesis is so far supported by excellent technical success rates near 100% in most series. Moreover, the high frequency of comorbidities in PAU patients, particularly cardiac disease, makes endovascular treatment the first-choice option for most vascular surgeons. Hyhlik-Dürr et al. report the largest series published so far on PAU of the infrarenal aorta in this issue of JEVT. They treated 20 patients by endovascular means with a technical success rate of 100%. The 2 late deaths were from myocardial infarction, which confirms the high atherosclerotic burden of these patients and the need for strict cardiology workup before proceeding with treatment. As PAUs are more frequent in the descending aorta, it is mandatory to perform the imaging examination over the entire aorta when infrarenal PAU is diagnosed. Some authors recommend MRA as the method of choice in these patients, while others insist that the best imaging technique is electrocardiographically-gated multidetector CTA. Perhaps the most crucial point in the management of PAU is the indication for surgical versus endovascular correction. The authors adopted the strategy of aggressive endovascular treatment in patients who remained symptomatic, demonstrated lesion progression, or had severe complications (aortic rupture). In my opinion, this is a most prudent strategy because, on the one hand, PAU is an unstable condition that can progress to intramural hematoma, aortic dissection, pseudoaneurysm, or even direct aortic rupture in up to 40% of patients in some reports. On the other hand, aggressive management carries high rates of in-hospital mortality and reintervention, both 10% in the Hyhlik-Dürr study. Clearly, we lack knowledge regarding the natural history of PAU and, especially, of the lesion in the infrarenal aorta. Multicenter prospective registries could help in this regard. Until more data become available,
Unemployment, marriage and divorce

ABSTRACT In this article, we examine whether the business cycle plays a role in marriage and divorce. We use data on Spain, since the differences between recession and expansion periods across regions are quite pronounced in that country. We find that the unemployment rate is negatively associated with the marriage rate, pointing to a pro-cyclical evolution of marriage; however, the response of the divorce rate to the business cycle is mixed. Results show the existence of different patterns, depending on geography: divorce rates in coastal regions are pro-cyclical, while in inland regions divorces react to unemployment in a counter-cyclical way.