Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Inhibition by corticosteroids of epidermal growth factor‐induced recovery of cyclooxygenase after aspirin inactivation

Cultures of vascular smooth muscle cells superfused with [14C]arachidonic acid synthesized the antiplatelet substance prostacyclin as the major cyclooxygenase product. Prostacyclin synthesis was inactivated by aspirin, which irreversibly acetylates cyclooxygenase. Aspirin‐treated cells recovered within 2 h by a process that was blocked by cycloheximide but not by actinomycin D, and that required a serum component identified as epidermal growth factor (EGF). EGF‐induced recovery of cyclooxygenase was greatly potentiated by type β transforming growth factor (TGF‐β). Incubation with EGF and TGF‐β in the 0.1‐1.0 nanomolar range stimulated cyclooxygenase recovery up to 20‐fold without increasing [35S]methionine incorporation into other cell proteins. Induction of cyclooxygenase by EGF and TGF‐β also was prevented by cycloheximide but not by actinomycin D. EGF‐dependent recovery was blocked by preincubation with dexamethasone (2 μM), an effect that was duplicated by pure lipocortin (2‐4 μg/ml). Incubation of membrane preparations from these cells with EGF selectively activated phosphorylation of a 35‐kDa cellular protein that comigrated with lipocortin. The results suggest that cyclooxygenase recovery in aspirin‐inactivated vascular smooth muscle cells is mediated by an EGF‐dependent translational control that is inhibited by corticosteroids. The findings also provide a new mechanism whereby corticosteroids suppress inflammatory prostaglandins. — Pash, J. M. ; Bailey, J. M. Inhibition by corticosteroids of epidermal growth factor‐induced recovery of cyclooxygenase after aspirin inactivation. FASEB J. 2: 2613‐2618; 1988.
Glycaemic index of three Indian rice varieties

Three commonly consumed Indian rice varieties (Sona Masuri, Ponni and Surti Kolam) were tested for their glycaemic index (GI). Healthy volunteers were recruited and after an overnight fast were given a 50 g available carbohydrate portion of glucose (reference food) or different varieties of cooked rice (test foods) on separate occasions. The fasting as well as postprandial capillary blood glucose response was determined over 2 h, and the incremental area under the curve (IAUC) was calculated. The GI was calculated as the IAUC of the test food/IAUC of the reference food (glucose) × 100. The differences between the GI values for Sona Masuri (72.0 ± 4.5), Ponni (70.2 ± 3.6) and Surti Kolam (77.0 ± 4.0) rice varieties were non-significant (p = 0.606) and are all classified as high GI varieties of rice. There is an urgent need to study the GI of other commonly consumed rice varieties and to develop rice of a lower GI value.
Factors Affecting Rural Households’ Income Diversification: Case of Zoba Maekel, Eritrea

This paper examines the effects of internal and external factors on total household’s income through OLS method and the determinants of incomes earned from various income generating activities with the help of Tobit models, based on household level survey data from 4 villages in Zoba Maekel, Eritrea. The study revealed that ownership of irrigated and rain-fed area and livestock units; human capital; social capital; off-farm income and unearned income, have positive effect on total household income. Regarding activities income, income from any kind of wage-employment and non-agricultural wage-employment are negatively related with livestock possession. Probability of being male headed household has positive effect on income from non-agricultural wage-employment and any kind of wage-employment, while it has a negative effect on income from non-agricultural self-employment. The positive effects of: years of schooling of head of household on income from off-farm; adult members on income from non-agricultural self-employment and crop production; number of dependents on income from non-agricultural self-employment and off-farm employment; risk on income from all agricultural and non-agricultural wage-employments are documented. Furthermore, negative effects of distance to the nearest market on income from any kind of wage-employment and non-agricultural wage-employment are found. The results of the analyses are used to draw policy recommendations with respect to activity diversification and rural development which would assist in alleviating rural poverty.
Cell Wall Core Galactofuran Synthesis Is Essential for Growth of Mycobacteria

ABSTRACT The mycobacterial cell wall core consists of an outer lipid (mycolic acid) layer attached to peptidoglycan via a galactofuranosyl-containing polysaccharide, arabinogalactan. This structural arrangement strongly suggests that galactofuranosyl residues are essential for the growth and viability of mycobacteria. Galactofuranosyl residues are formed in nature by a ring contraction of UDP-galactopyranose to UDP-galactofuranose catalyzed by the enzyme UDP-galactopyranose mutase (Glf). In Mycobacterium tuberculosis the glf gene overlaps, by 1 nucleotide, a gene, Rv3808c, that has been shown to encode a galactofuranosyl transferase. We demonstrate here thatglf can be knocked out in Mycobacterium smegmatis by allelic replacement only in the presence of two rescue plasmids carrying functional copies of glf and Rv3808c. The glf rescue plasmid was designed with a temperature-sensitive origin of replication and the M. smegmatis glf knockout mutant is unable to grow at the higher temperature at which the glf-containing rescue plasmid is lost. In a separate experiment, the Rv3808c rescue plasmid was designed with a temperature-sensitive origin of replication and theglf-bearing plasmid was designed with a normal original of replication; this strain was also unable to grow at the nonpermissive temperature. Thus, both glf and Rv3808c are essential for growth. These findings and the fact that galactofuranosyl residues are not found in humans supports the development of UDP-galactopyranose mutase and galactofuranosyl transferase as important targets for the development of new antituberculosis drugs.
Selection for resistance, reversion towards susceptibility and synergism of chlorantraniliprole and spinetoram in obliquebanded leafroller, Choristoneura rosaceana (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae).

BACKGROUND Obliquebanded leafroller, Choristoneura rosaceana (Harris), is an economic pest of pome fruits throughout North America. Repeated applications of broad-spectrum insecticides have resulted in the development of resistance, cross-resistance and multiple resistance in this pest. Studies were conducted to determine the possibility of resistance evolution, stability of resistance and the effect of metabolic synergists on toxicity of new reduced-risk insecticides chlorantraniliprole and spinetoram in C. rosaceana. RESULTS Larvae of C. rosaceana were selected for resistance to chlorantraniliprole and spinetoram in the laboratory. Significant levels of resistance to each insecticide were observed after 12 generations of selection. In the absence of selection pressure, susceptibility of a subset of larvae from both chlorantraniliprole- and spinetoram-selected populations reverted to preselection levels after five and six generations respectively, indicating that resistance to both chlorantraniliprole and spinetoram was unstable in C. rosaceana. In synergist bioassays performed after 12 generations of selection, S,S,S-tributylphosphoro trithioate (DEF) and piperonyl butoxide (PBO) synergized the toxicity of chlorantraniliprole and spinetoram respectively, suggesting the involvement of esterases in chlorantraniliprole resistance and the involvement of mixed-function oxidases in spinetoram resistance. CONCLUSION These findings suggest that chlorantraniliprole and spinetoram could be incorporated into C. rosaceana resistance management programs by using rotational strategies.
Metasploit: The Penetration Tester's Guide

"The best guide to the Metasploit Framework. " HD Moore, Founder of the Metasploit Project The Metasploit Framework makes discovering, exploiting, and sharing vulnerabilities quick and relatively painless. But while Metasploit is used by security professionals everywhere, the tool can be hard to grasp for first-time users. Metasploit: The Penetration Tester's Guide fills this gap by teaching you how to harness the Framework and interact with the vibrant community of Metasploit contributors. Once you've built your foundation for penetration testing, you'll learn the Framework's conventions, interfaces, and module system as you launch simulated attacks. You'll move on to advanced penetration testing techniques, including network reconnaissance and enumeration, client-side attacks, wireless attacks, and targeted social-engineering attacks. Learn how to: Find and exploit unmaintained, misconfigured, and unpatched systems Perform reconnaissance and find valuable information about your target Bypass anti-virus technologies and circumvent security controls Integrate Nmap, NeXpose, and Nessus with Metasploit to automate discovery Use the Meterpreter shell to launch further attacks from inside the network Harness standalone Metasploit utilities, third-party tools, and plug-ins Learn how to write your own Meterpreter post exploitation modules and scripts You'll even touch on exploit discovery for zero-day research, write a fuzzer, port existing exploits into the Framework, and learn how to cover your tracks. Whether your goal is to secure your own networks or to put someone else's to the test, Metasploit: The Penetration Tester's Guide will take you there and beyond.
Experiences and benefits of positron emitted tomography-computed tomography (PET-CT) combined with video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) in the diagnosis of Stage 1 sarcoidosis

BackgroundThe purpose of this study was to describe our experiences and analyze the benefits of video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) combined with positron emitted tomography (PET)-computed tomography (CT) in the diagnosis of patients with early (Stage 1) sarcoidosisMethodsFrom 1995 to 2006, seven patients (two males, five females), with ages ranging from 26 to 58 years, were impressed with Stage 1 sarcoidosis (mediastinal or hilar lymph nodes involvements without lung involvement) by histological examination of intrathoracic lymph nodes (LNs) and/or lung parenchyma taken from VATS biopsy. Three of them received PET or PET-CT evaluation. VATS was approached from the right and left side in one and six patients, respectively, according to the locations of their lesions.ResultsAll the VATS biopsied LNs or lung specimens were adequate for establishing diagnosis. Mediastinal LNs were taken from Groups 3, 4 in four, Group 7 in two, and Groups 5, 6 in one of them. Hilar LNs biopsies were performed in four cases. Lung biopsy was performed in all but two cases. All of them were expressed pathologically or radiologically as Stage 1 sarcoidosis. PET-CT revealed high emission signals over these affected LNs. These patients received oral steroid treatment or follow up only. All of them were followed up from 5 months to 11 years with satisfactory results.ConclusionVATS biopsy is a minimally invasive, safe and effective procedure. It can be used as a diagnostic alternative of transbronchial lung biopsy (TBLB), and can harvest larger and more areas of specimens than mediastinoscopy for staging patients with sarcoidosis. PET-CT can provide us more accurate information about the characteristics and localization of these lesions before biopsy. VATS combined with PET-CT can provide more accurate and earlier diagnosis of patients with unknown intrathoracic lesions, including the sarcoidosis.
An experimental large capacity semiconductor file memory using 16-levels/cell storage

In recent years, high density and high speed file memories have become increasingly important for achieving higher performance in computer systems. Multilevel storage dynamic memories offer advantages in terms of speed and density for file usage. An experimental 4Mbit memory has been designed and fabricated utilizing a newly developed multilevel storage scheme and unique peripheral circuits. These include a staircase pulse generator for multilevel storage operation, a voltage regulator for maintaining storage level accuracy, an error correcting circuit for protecting the data from alpha-particle-induced soft error, and a timing generator for testing the device as a fully integrated LSI memory.
Enhanced angle estimation accuracy of ultra compact radars inspired by a biomimetic approach

The theoretical and experimental evaluation of using biomimetic antenna arrays (BMAAs) in an angle sensing radar system is presented. This ultra compact antenna system can enhance the angle estimation accuracy for radar systems which allow only small antenna separations due to the limited available space. A quality criterion will be given to indicate which BMAA parameters are necessary to achieve precise angle estimation accuracy. Radar measurements show a reduction in the RMS angle estimation error by a factor of 2 compared to conventional antenna systems of the same size.
Mesenchymal stem cells as vehicles for targeted delivery of anti‐angiogenic protein to solid tumors

Inhibition of tumor‐induced angiogenesis may restrict tumor growth and metastasis. Long‐term systemic delivery of angiogenic inhibitors is associated with toxicity, as well as other severe side‐effects. The utility of cells as vehicles for gene therapy to deliver therapeutic molecules has been suggested to represent an efficient approach. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) exhibit a tropism to cancer tissue, and may serve as a cellular delivery vehicle and a local producer of anti‐angiogenic agents.
Proteome and phosphoproteome dynamic change during cell dedifferentiation in Arabidopsis

Cell dedifferentiation is a cell fate switching process in which a differentiated cell reverts to a status with competence for cell division and organ regeneration like an embryonic stem cell. Although the phenomenon of cell dedifferentiation has been known for over two and a half centuries in plants, little is known of the underlying mechanisms. Here, we have established the proteome map of Arabidopsis cotyledons and investigated the dynamic change of the cotyledon proteome in the time course of cell dedifferentiation. Among the 353 distinct genes, corresponding to 500 2‐DE gel protein spots identified with high confidence, 12% have over twofold differential regulations within the first 48 h of induction of cell dedifferentiation. The distributions of these genes among different Gene Ontology categories and gene differential regulations within each of the categories have been examined. In addition, we have investigated the cotyledon phosphoproteome using Pro‐Q Diamond Phosphoprotein in Gel Stain followed by mass spectrometry analyses. Among the 53 identified putative phosphoproteins, nine are differentially regulated during cell dedifferentiation. These studies have provided significant new insight into protein and phosphoprotein differential expression during cell dedifferentiation in plants.
Switching Adaptive Control for a Remotely Operated Vehicle

This paper considers the tracking control problem for an underwater vehicle subjected to different load configurations, that result in considerable variations of its mass and inertial parameters. Depending on the operative situation, the different possible vehicle configurations could not be known in advance. In general, it is not a priori known neither when the operating conditions are changed nor which is the new vehicle configuration after the change. The control of this class of mode-switch processes can not be adequately faced with traditional adaptive control techniques because of the too long time needed for adaptation when a change of the configuration occurs. To cope with this problem, an adaptive control strategy endowed with a supervised switching logic is proposed. This strategy is particularly suitable when the different possible vehicle configurations are not a priori known. The stability of this switched control system is analyzed using the Lyapunov theory and its performance is evaluated by numerical simulations.
Columnar Architecture Sculpted by GABA Circuits in Developing Cat Visual Cortex

The mammalian visual cortex is organized into columns. Here, we examine cortical influences upon developing visual afferents in the cat by altering intrinsic γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA)–mediated inhibition with benzodiazepines. Local enhancement by agonist (diazepam) infusion did not perturb visual responsiveness, but did widen column spacing. An inverse agonist (DMCM) produced the opposite effect. Thus, intracortical inhibitory circuits shape the geometry of incoming thalamic arbors, suggesting that cortical columnar architecture depends on neuronal activity.
Identifying the Drivers of Student Retention: A Service Marketing Approach

Examination of Higher Education literature concerning student retention reveals a variety of influences from student satisfaction, professors’ engagement and/or approachability with students. However, as with most complex issues there appears to be multiple causes for student disengagement. This paper presents a “service marketing” approach to understanding student retention. If a university system is couched in terms of multiple, interactive service encounters, are there interactions which take place on a campus which would lead to a students’ satisfaction/dissatisfaction with that University? The results indicate that this is in fact true. While the student-teacher interaction is still critical to retaining students, additional interactions with support staff also emerge as having significant impact on the retention of students. Implications for “customer service” training across all venues within a University are discussed.
CD49d Overexpression and T Cell Autoimmunity1

D10.G4. 1 (D10) cells, a murine conalbumin-reactive Th2 cell line, made to overexpress the β2 integrin LFA-1 by pharmacological manipulation or by transfection become autoreactive and are capable of inducing in vivo autoimmunity. However, whether this is specific to LFA-1 and whether overexpression of other T cell integrin molecules has the same effect are unknown. We examined the functional consequences of T cell CD49d (α4 integrin) overexpression by transfecting murine CD49d cDNA into D10 cells. Similar to the LFA-1-transfected cells, the CD49d-overexpressing T cells are autoreactive and proliferate in response to APCs in an MHC class II-dependent manner in the absence of nominal Ag. Additionally, CD49d overexpression is associated with increased in vitro adhesion to endothelial cells and increased in vivo splenic homing. However, in contrast to LFA-1 overexpression, increased T cell CD49d expression is not associated with autoreactive cytotoxicity or the ability to induce in vivo autoimmunity. In addition to the novel observation that CD49d overexpression is sufficient to induce T cell autoreactivity, our results also support the hypothesis that the ability to induce in vivo autoimmunity is related to T cell cytotoxicity and not to T cell proliferation function in the D10 murine adoptive transfer model of autoimmunity.
Gemcitabine-based concurrent chemoradiotherapy versus chemotherapy alone in patients with locally advanced pancreatic cancer.

OBJECTIVE To explore improved treatment by retrospectively comparing survival time of gemcitabine-based concurrent chemoradiotherapy (GemRT) versus chemotherapy (Gem) alone in patients with locally advanced pancreatic cancer (LAPC). METHODS From January 2005 to June 2010, 56 patients with LAPC from Subei People's Hospital were treated either with Gem (n=21) or GemRT (n=35). Gem consisted of 4-6 cycles gemcitabine alone (1000 mg/m2 on Days 1, 8, 15, 28-day a cycle). GemRT consisted of 50.4Gy/28F radiotherapy with concurrent 2 cycles of gemcitabine (1000 mg/m2 on days of radiation 1, 8, 15, 21-day a cycle). Radiation was delivered to the gross tumor volume plus 1-1.5 cm by use of a three-dimensional conformal technique. The follow-up time was calculated from the time of diagnosis to the date of death or last contact. Kaplan-Meier methodology wes used to evaluate survival. RESULTS Patient characteristics were not significantly different between treatment groups. The disease control rate and the objective response rate of GemRT versus Gem was 97.1% vs 71.4%, 74.3% vs 38.1%. The overall survival (OS) was significantly better for GemRT compared to Gem (median 13 months versus 8 months; 51.4% versus 14.3% at 1 year, respectively). CONCLUSION Radiation therapy at 50.4Gy with 2 concurrent cycles of gemcitabine results in favorable rates of OS. Concurrent chemoradiotherapy should be the first choice for patients with LAPC.
Major histocompatibility complex class I-restricted cytotoxic T-lymphocyte responses in horses infected with equine herpesvirus 1

An experimental system that permits sensitive and reproducible detection of equine herpesvirus 1 (EHV-1)-specific cytotoxic T-lymphocyte (CTL) activity in the horse was developed. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) collected from immune horses were restimulated in vitro by culture with live EHV-1. Cytotoxic activity against virus-infected, pokeweed mitogen-stimulated lymphoblast targets was assessed in a 4-h 51Cr release assay. The optimal conditions for in vitro stimulation of equine memory CTLs and for preparation of EHV-1-infected target cells expressing viral antigens were systematically identified by individually testing the effects of variations in responder cell concentration, culture medium composition, serum type, incubation time, antigen form, and exogenous mediator content. By using this optimized system for generation and assay of equine CTLs, the development of EHV-1-specific cytotoxic responses in 12 horses was evaluated after experimental viral infection. CTLs with the capacity for killing EHV-1-infected target cells were detected in equine PBMC as early as 1 week postinfection, reached maximal levels by 2 to 3 weeks, and remained detectable for a year after infection. Equine effector cells mediating lysis of EHV-1-infected targets were predominantly CD8+ T lymphocytes, and the cytotoxicity was specific for virus and restricted by major histocompatibility complex class I molecules. The results define a reliable and convenient experimental system for generation and assay of EHV-1 CTLs which can now be used for more-detailed characterization of the equine CTL response to infection by this herpesvirus pathogen.
Certainty vs. Severity Revisited: Evidence for Colombia

A recurring debate in the literature on crime control is whether an increase in the probability of punishment is a more effective deterrent than an increase in the severity of the sanction. This paper further explores this issue in the context of crime in Colombia. We use a natural policy experiment (the introduction of the Adversarial System of Criminal Justice) to estimate how changes in the costs associated with criminal activity have affected crime rates in the country. The results show that for the Colombian case, when a reform reduces the probability of punishment it leads to an increase in crime rates across a variety of different types of criminal activity, including both violent crimes and property theft. Moreover, our evidence suggests that changes in the probability of punishment have greater impact in crime rates than changes in its severity. This has important implications for public policy regarding crime rates and the design of judicial mechanisms.
Economic Growth in the Long Run

The focus of these volumes is on the empirical evidence of trends and patterns in long term economic growth, viewed in particular from the perspective of economic history. There is a strong emphasis on international comparative studies, which are useful in that they highlight the common and unique characteristics of the growth process in individual countries. This authoritive collection offers a good representation of the major contributions by eminent scholars, a balanced exposition of the main issues in each field and an account of the evolution of the literature available on this subject.