Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Effect of ethanol on rat fetal hepatocytes: Studies on cell replication, lipid peroxidation and glutathione

Studies have shown that ethanol at moderate concentrations inhibits epidermal growth factor–dependent replication of fetal rat hepatocytes in culture. This may account for the growth/development impairment associated with fetal alcohol syndrome and decreased liver regeneration in alcoholic liver disease. In this study, we further define the mechanism(s) of the negative impact of ethanol on fetal rat hepatocytes and provide evidence that ethanol‐induced injury to these cells is associated with membrane damage caused by lipid peroxidation, altered cell glutathione homeostasis and deranged mitochondrial structure and function. Exposure of fetal rat hepatocyte replication to ethanol (2 mg/ml) promptly resulted in blockade of replication, as indicated by a 40% reduction in DNA synthesis (p < 0.05). Assessment of cell injury on the basis of lactate dehydrogenase and ALT leakage indicated a statistically significant but not appreciable effect, whereas 51Cr leakage was more substantially increased (p < 0.05). Within 6 hr of ethanol exposure, superoxide radical levels increased more than twofold (p < 0.05). We noted a 56% increase in levels of diene conjugates, a 131% increase in malonaldehyde concentration and a 66% increase in fluorescent products of lipid peroxidation (all p < 0.05). Glutathione levels were decreased to 47% below control values (p < 0.05). Electron microscopic studies illustrated a slight disruption of mitochondrial structure (enlargement of mitochondria and dilation of cristae). This disruption was accompanied by mitochondrial swelling (increased permeability), altered mitochondrial membrane potential (a 16% decrease in rhodamine uptake), a 28% decrease in succinate dehydrogenase activity and a 30% decrease in cellular ATP level (p < 0.05). Pretreatment of fetal rat hepatocytes with 0.1 mmol/L N‐acetylcysteine or S‐adenosylmethionine for 24 hr prevented the ethanol‐induced reduction of ATP and glutathione levels, essentially restored cell replication, ameliorated 51Cr leakage and decreased malonal‐dehyde and diene conjugate levels to 41% to 65% and 25% above control values, respectively. Pretreatment with 0.1 mmol/L vitamin E fully normalized malonal‐dehyde and diene conjugate levels and 51Cr leakage but failed to improve ATP levels or to increase significantly cell replication and glutathione levels. Concomitant administration of glutathione precursors with ethanol, rather than pretreatment, did not alter the impaired cell replication. Thus our data underscore the importance of cellular glutathione and ATP in preventing ethanol‐induced decreases in fetal cell replication and suggest that alleviation of cellular lipid peroxidation alone is not sufficient to prevent this abnormality in fetal rat hepatocyte function. (HEPATOLOGY 1993;18:648–659.)
Differential spatial modulation in V2X

The rapid development of vehicle-to-vehicle and vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2X) communications calls for highly spectral efficient communication techniques under time-selective channels. Spatial modulation (SM) facilitates flexible trade-off between spectral and energy efficiency. In this paper, we propose a novel modulation technique based on SM for V2X, which discards the requirement of channel state information (CSI) at the receiver and exhibits enhanced robustness against time-selective fading and Doppler effects. Our proposed scheme tailors differential modulation to SM and is named differential spatial modulation (DSM). Monte Carlo simulations are carried out to demonstrate the advantage of the new scheme in terms of bit error rate (BER) performance for both point-to-point and dual-hop amplify-and-forward (AF) relaying systems in V2X channels.
Fear of Floating

This paper uses unique household survey data to investigate the expected effects of a switch from a fixed exchange rate regime to a floating exchange rate regime in Bulgaria during the global financial crisis. The data show that the public associated such a switch with a contraction of output, higher prices, a decline in exports, and an overall deterioration of economic welfare. These expectations fuelled a strong opposition to removing the fixed exchange rate. Thus, the survey data allow us to investigate why a switch from a fixed exchange rate to a floating exchange rate did not take place.
Graph-based multiview depth estimation using segmentation

This paper presents a new depth estimation method for multiview systems with arbitrary camera locations. The method exploits the graph cuts method, where vertices of the graph represent segments used for controlling the trade-off between the quality of depth maps and the time of estimation, while preserving the original resolution of a depth map. Moreover, the inter-view consistency of the depth maps, crucial for free-viewpoint television systems, is ensured by introduction of suitable connections in the optimized graph. It makes the proposed method the first that allows generation of spatially-consistent multiview depth maps using segmentation-based estimation. A new method of the adaptive calculation of the smoothing coefficient was also presented. The performance of the proposed algorithm was tested and compared with the state-of-the-art DERS method, showing an significant improvement, both in terms of the depth maps fidelity and the time of estimation.
Curvature-induced stiffness and the spatial variation of wavelength in wrinkled sheets

Significance Thin elastic sheets buckle and wrinkle to relax compressive stresses. Wrinkling metrologies have recently been developed as noninvasive probes of mechanical environment or film properties, for instance in biological tissues or textiles. This work proposes and experimentally tests a prediction for the local wavelength of wrinkles in nonuniform curved topographies. Wrinkle patterns in compressed thin sheets are ubiquitous in nature and technology, from the furrows on our foreheads to crinkly plant leaves, from ripples on plastic-wrapped objects to the protein film on milk. The current understanding of an elementary descriptor of wrinkles—their wavelength—is restricted to deformations that are parallel, spatially uniform, and nearly planar. However, most naturally occurring wrinkles do not satisfy these stipulations. Here we present a scheme that quantitatively explains the wrinkle wavelength beyond such idealized situations. We propose a local law that incorporates both mechanical and geometrical effects on the spatial variation of wrinkle wavelength. Our experiments on thin polymer films provide strong evidence for its validity. Understanding how wavelength depends on the properties of the sheet and the underlying liquid or elastic subphase is crucial for applications where wrinkles are used to sculpt surface topography, to measure properties of the sheet, or to infer forces applied to a film.
Creating a National Provider Identifier (NPI) to Unique Physician Identification Number (UPIN) Crosswalk for Medicare Data.

INTRODUCTION Many health services researchers are interested in assessing long term, individual physician treatment patterns, particularly for cancer care. In 2007, Medicare changed the physician identifier used on billed services from the Unique Physician Identification Number (UPIN) to the National Provider Identifier (NPI), precluding the ability to use Medicare claims data to evaluate individual physician treatment patterns across this transition period. METHODS Using the 2007-2008 carrier (physician) claims from the linked Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) cancer registry-Medicare data and Medicare's NPI and UPIN Directories, we created a crosswalk that paired physician NPIs included in SEER-Medicare data with UPINs. We evaluated the ability to identify an NPI-UPIN match by physician sex and specialty. RESULTS We identified 470,313 unique NPIs in the 2007-2008 SEER-Medicare carrier claims and found a UPIN match for 90.1% of these NPIs (n=423,842) based on 3 approaches: (1) NPI and UPIN coreported on the SEER-Medicare claims; (2) UPINs reported on the NPI Directory; or (3) a name match between the NPI and UPIN Directories. A total of 46.6% (n=219,315) of NPIs matched to the same UPIN across all 3 approaches, 34.1% (n=160,277) agreed across 2 approaches, and 9.4% (n=44,250) had a match identified by 1 approach only. NPIs were paired to UPINs less frequently for women and primary care physicians compared with other specialists. DISCUSSION National Cancer Institute has created a crosswalk resource available to researchers that links NPIs and UPINs based on the SEER-Medicare data. In addition, the documented process could be used to create other NPI-UPIN crosswalks using data beyond SEER-Medicare.
Genetically Engineered Grapevines Carrying GFLV Coat Protein and Antifreeze Genes

SUMMARY Biotic and abiotic stress has a negative effect on both the quality and quantity of grape production. Like many woody crops, grape has been relatively recalcitrant to in vitro manipulations. The crucial point in the process of genetic transformation is to have cells that are able to both regenerate and be transformed. A regeneration system seems to be a major problem in the transformation process. Somatic embryogenesis is the favoured regenerative protocol in genetic transformations of grapes. Comparison of an embryogenic and organogenic system in grape demonstrated that organogenesis frequently leads to chemical transformation of tissues. In this respect we started to develop and apply procedures suitable for the genetic transformation of grapevine. Two sources of explants were used for embryo induction. In the first case, immature zygotic ovules of Vitis vinifera seedless genotypes were used. In the second case in vivo leaf tissues from rootstocks Vitis rupestris cv. Rupestris du Lot and 110 Richter (Vitis berlandieri x Vitis rupestris). Continual transfer to fresh medium maintained embryogenic cultures. Agrobacterium tumefaciens mediated transformation of enbryogenic cultures of seedless grapes (Vitis vinifera L.) with constructs containing the gene encoding the coat protein of Grape Fanleaf Virus (GFLV) and with four constructs containing genes encoding for an antifreeze protein. An embryogenic culture of rootstock Vitis rupestris cv. Rupestris du Lot was transformed with a construct carrying the β-glucoronidase (GUS) gene. The first transformed plantlets have been regenerated from somatic embryos and the presence of the NPTII gene was verified by PCR and Southern blot analyses.
Sparse Reconstruction Based on the ADMM and Lasso-LSQR for Bearings Vibration Signals

In this paper, we introduce a novel method for reconstructing roller bearings vibration signals. As well as the sparse reconstruction algorithm, our approach is based on the Lasso via the alternate direction multiplier method (ADMM) and optimized by least square QR-factorization (LSQR), which takes the priority over the Basis Pursuit and Lasso in iterations and errors. First, we use the discrete cosine transformation to achieve sparse signals, then we compress signals by using the Gaussian random matrix, and, finally, we reconstruct the original signals with the Lasso-LSQR by using the ADMM. According to the results, vibration signals can keep sufficient reconstruction accuracy with high compressive ratio, which validates the effectiveness of the method for vibration signals.
Air passenger flow communities between countries

In this study, we perform an empirical analysis of air transportation systems as networks of countries. We build three network variants based on worldwide ticket data from the year 2013 and identify patterns of air passenger flow between countries as induced by network centrality metrics. These metrics, understood as observables about countries, are then exploited to estimate the similarity of countries in the global network. We detect community structures and find that communities largely coincide with the continental division of the world. Our research contributes to a better understanding of international air passenger flow patterns and potential control mechanisms against natural or human intended disruptions.
Correlation of HIWI and HILI Expression with Cancer Stem Cell Markers in Colorectal Cancer.

BACKGROUND/AIM Cancer stem cells (CSCs) constitute a sub-population of tumor cells that possess stem cell properties, such as self-renewal and the ability of differentiation. The presence of CSCs is associated with metastatic potential, treatment resistance and poor patient prognosis. Recently, aberrant expression of P-element induced wimpy testis proteins-PIWI (HIWI and HILI) has been identified in various types of tumors. The aim of the study was to evaluate the clinical significance of the HIWI and HILI expression and its relationship with cancer stem cells markers in 72 patients with colorectal carcinoma (CRC). MATERIALS AND METHODS The expression level of HIWI and HILI and cancer stem cells markers in paired cancerous and non-cancerous tissues was measured by real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) assay. Immunohistochemistry was performed to confirm the observed changes on mRNA level and detect tissue localization of PIWI proteins. RESULTS Significantly higher mRNA levels of HIWI and decreased HILI mRNA were measured in colorectal cancer tissues compared to corresponding non-cancerous samples. The changes in HIWI mRNA level in cancer tissues were correlated with OCT4 expression. Positive correlations between HILI level and SOX2 were also observed in cancerous tissues. CONCLUSION Our results indicate a reciprocal regulation between HIWI, HILI and some CSCs markers in colorectal cancer.
Unraveling the paradox of external knowledge sourcing in an era of open innovation, appropriation, and organizational learning

Organizational learning has been an important topic for the field of organization theory scholars but it is somewhat underexplored in the innovation management literature. I provide a typology and a practical framework to analyze organizational learning from product-related failure experience and its impact on strategic decision making. I include and combine different theoretical approaches from organization theory literature focusing on learning from experience, learning from failure and learning from rare events. Although the literature review reveals that several barriers to effective learning from failure exist, I show that firms will learn more from others’ product failure experience in the short-run than from their own product failure experience. This paper provides two insights. Firstly, firms incorporate own and others’ product failure experience in their strategic decision making. Secondly, they will adapt their innovation strategy based on a preliminary conscious reflection, sensemaking and cause analysis of the failure. I also discuss a practical application of dealing with and avoiding failure. Furthermore, my findings have implications for practitioners and scholars in innovation management. Hence, the paper identifies promising future research directions in the field of organizational learning within the area of innovation management.
Effects of Urbanisation on Urban Housing among Low Income Households in Nigeria

This study aims at examining the effect of urbanisation on urban housing among low income households in Nigeria using Ibadan as a case study. Ibadan, the capital city of Oyo state is growing at an alarming rate resulted from migration of people from countryside in search of job opportunity and infrastructural facilities. Access to decent housing among the low income households has becoming difficult due to growing housing demand, rising land prices and growing in urban poverty level. The study employed the qualitative approach through direct observation, photographs and personal interviews with the aid of unstructured questionnaire among 45 participants. Content analyses were used to evaluate the results. Findings revealed that, low income households are living within the housing units characterised by substandard housing condition in terms of quality and provision of basic infrastructural facilities such as accessibility. This paper suggests government intervention in terms of rural development in order to reduce massive movement of the people from the countryside to the urban centre, there is need to review 1978 land use decree in order to address the land tenure problem, rent control and partnership with private housing sector in order to enhance affordable housing among low income households.
Oxidative stress gene expression profile in inbred mouse after ischemia/reperfusion small bowel injury.

PURPOSE To determine the profile of gene expressions associated with oxidative stress and thereby contribute to establish parameters about the role of enzyme clusters related to the ischemia/reperfusion intestinal injury. METHODS Twelve male inbred mice (C57BL/6) were randomly assigned: Control Group (CG) submitted to anesthesia, laparotomy and observed by 120 min; Ischemia/reperfusion Group (IRG) submitted to anesthesia, laparotomy, 60 min of small bowel ischemia and 60 min of reperfusion. A pool of six samples was submitted to the qPCR-RT protocol (six clusters) for mouse oxidative stress and antioxidant defense pathways. RESULTS On the 84 genes investigated, 64 (76.2%) had statistic significant expression and 20 (23.8%) showed no statistical difference to the control group. From these 64 significantly expressed genes, 60 (93.7%) were up-regulated and 04 (6.3%) were down-regulated. From the group with no statistical significantly expression, 12 genes were up-regulated and 8 genes were down-regulated. Surprisingly, 37 (44.04%) showed a higher than threefold up-regulation and then arbitrarily the values was considered as a very significant. Thus, 37 genes (44.04%) were expressed very significantly up-regulated. The remained 47 (55.9%) genes were up-regulated less than three folds (35 genes - 41.6%) or down-regulated less than three folds (12 genes - 14.3%). CONCLUSION The intestinal ischemia and reperfusion promote a global hyper-expression profile of six different clusters genes related to antioxidant defense and oxidative stress.
Engraftment and dissemination of T lymphocytes from primary haemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis in scid mice

Summary. Although primary haemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) is a genetic disorder of T lymphocytes, it remains unclear why T lymphocytes of primary HLH patients preferentially infiltrate the central nervous system and peripheral blood, in addition to the reticuloendothelial systems. We engrafted Herpesvirus saimiri (HVS)‐immortalized T‐lymphocyte lines established from primary HLH patients into severe combined immunodeficient (scid) mice and examined their capacity to infiltrate mouse organs. A diffuse infiltration of human T lymphocytes was detected in each organ of scid mice treated with 1 × 106 T lymphocytes from all four primary HLH patients assessed, whereas no infiltration of T lymphocytes from healthy individuals was observed in any organ. The infiltration of T lymphocytes was mainly observed in the lung, brain and peripheral blood, in association with haemophagocytosis. These cells were positive for HLA‐DR, CD3 and either CD8 or CD4, but negative for CD68. Certain markers of proliferation and apoptotic activities were highly positive in these cells. There was no difference between the infiltration pattern of T lymphocytes of primary HLH patients with a perforin deficiency and those without. By Southern blot analysis, T lymphocytes infiltrating mouse organs were observed to be polyclonal. These findings suggest that our murine model implementing HVS‐immortalized human T lymphocytes is suitable to clarify the pathogenesis of primary HLH.
Dietary intake and food contributors of polyphenols in adults and elderly adults of Sao Paulo: a population-based study

Abstract A comprehensive estimation of polyphenol intake is needed to gain a better understanding of the association between polyphenol-rich food intake and the potential effects of this intake on chronic diseases. The aim of this study was to estimate the intake of polyphenols and the major dietary contributors in the population of Sao Paulo. Data were obtained from the Health Survey-São Paulo (ISA-Capital 2008) and were reported for 1103 adults and elderly adults. Food intake was estimated by one 24-h dietary recall (24HR). Polyphenol intake was calculated by matching food consumption data from the 24HR with the polyphenol content in foods listed in the Phenol-Explorer database. The mean total intake of polyphenols was 377·5 (se 15·3) mg/d. The main polyphenol classes were phenolic acids (284·8 (se 15·9) mg/d) and flavonoids (54·6 (se 3·5) mg/d). Intakes were higher in the elderly adults than in other adults (P<0·001) and higher in individuals with lower educational level (P=0·01) and current smokers (P=0·02). The main dietary contributors for total polyphenols were coffee (70·5 %), citrus fruits (4·6 %) and tropical fruits (3·4 %). Coffee was the major source of polyphenols, providing 266·2 (se 16·5) mg/d, and contributed 92·3 % of the phenolic acids and 93·1 % of the alkylmethoxyphenols. These findings will be useful for assessing the potential role on health of polyphenols and specific polyphenol-rich foods, such as coffee, and enable a comparison with people from other countries.
Strong and Weak Price Momentum Components: Evidence from 10 Arabic Market Indices

This paper examines the presence of momentum profits in the Arabic market indices for the period of January 1989 through August 2013. Also, momentum portfolios are divided into two components depending on past long-term performance produces early and late-stage momentum strategies. This paper confirms that the momentum profits are present and they are statistically or economically significant in 10 Arabic market indices over all formation periods. Thus, to reap the benefit of such profit opportunities, an investor has to sell and buy a past short-term loser portfolio and short-term winner portfolio, respectively. In regard to the relative merits of the pure and both early and late-stage momentum strategies, the late-stage momentum method consistently generates stronger evidence of momentum. It appears that the late-stage momentum strategy utilizes past long-term performance to better identify those indices that are continuing the short-term performances, while the early-stage momentum strategy doesn’t provide any profits.
The genera Polyeunoa McIntosh, Hololepidella Willey, and three new genera (Polychaeta, Polynoidae)

The polynoid genera Polyeunoa Mclntosh (1885) and Hoîolepidella Willey (1905) have been used by various polychaete vv^orkers to include identical species. The species referred to the two genera are generally elongate, with numerous segments and numerous pairs of elytra. In addition, the lateral antennae are inserted ventrally on the prostomium, i. e. , harmothoid type of insertion. The elytra in the posterior segments may be rather irregularly arranged in these elongate species. In a study of numerous specimens of the type-species of Polyeunoa, P. laevis Mclntosh, Bergström (1916) pointed out the unusual variability in the number and arrangement of the elytra. At the same time, he suggested that Polynoe tuta Grube and Holoïepidella commensalis WiUey might both be referred to Polyeunoa, since these two species also show variability in the arrangement of the elytra in the posterior regions. The elytral variability was well shown for Polynoe tuta (as Halosydna) by Johnson (1901). Augener (1918,1922) suggested that Hohlepideüa be used for polynoids with a harmothoid prostomium and numerous elytra extending along the body. Neither Bergström nor Augener emphasized differences in the arrangement of the elytra in the anterior region or otiier parapodial differences. Berkeley and Berkeley ( 1948) and Pettibone ( 1953), following Bergström, referred Polynoe tuta Grube to Polyeunoa Mclntosh; emended Bergström. The same species was referred to HololepideUa, following Augener, by Annenkova (1937), Hartman (1948), and Uschakov (1955). Similarly, Polynoe nigropunctata Horst was referred to Hohlepideüa by Day (1957) and to