Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Association of Estrogen Receptor α (ESR1) PvuII and XbaI Polymorphisms with Sporadic Alzheimer’s Disease and Their Effect on Apolipoprotein E Concentrations

Background: Many studies have shown that estrogen replacement therapy may improve cognitive function in women and reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Because most of the estrogen neuroprotective effect is mediated by receptors, we studied the associations between estrogen receptor α (ESR1) polymorphisms (PvuII and XbaI) and AD, and their interactions with apolipoprotein E (APOE) polymorphism and plasma levels. Methods: ESR1 genotypes and APOE plasma concentrations were determined in a sample of AD patients and controls. Results: ESR1 PP and XX genotypes were associated with an increased risk for AD only in males (OR = 3.6, 95% CI = 1.2–10.9) and conferred a relevant additional risk of AD to subjects also carrying APOE e*4 allele (OR = 13.3, 95% CI = 1.7–103.6). Mean APOE concentrations were lower in AD patients; the lowest levels were observed in male patients carrying PP and/or XX genotypes (p = 0.006) and in patients carrying PP and/or XX genotypes together with the e*4 allele (p = 0.003). In AD women, ESR1 PP and XX genotypes were also associated with lower MMSE values (p = 0.0007). Conclusion: The present data suggest that the involvement of ESR1 polymorphisms in AD onset is mediated by the regulation of apoE expression. ESR1 polymorphisms are also associated with a faster cognitive decline in the women AD patients.
INTRINSIC PULSATILITY OF ACTH RELEASE FROM THE HUMAN PITUITARY IN VITRO

An in‐vitro perifusion system was used to investigate spontaneous ACTH release from human fetal (21–23 weeks gestation) and adult pituitaries. The pattern of ACTH release from fetal pituitaries (n= 7) exhibited a remarkable pulsatile character with a mean (± SEM) pulse interval of 11.3 ± 0.8 min. The mean pulse amplitude was 49.7 ± 6.3 pg, with a nadir to peak increment of 90.7 ± 10.4%. The mean ACTH release rate was 87.2±13.3 pg/2 min. Addition of the calcium chelator EGTA (4 nM) to the perifusion medium induced a significant (p±0.01) decrease in both ACTH release rate (from 102.0 ± 8.5 to 52.0 ± 9.9 pg/2 min) and ACTH pulse amplitude (from 57.7 ± 2.8 to 31.3 ± 4.6 pg) (n= 3). Administration of either 2 nM corticotrophin releasing factor (CRF) or 56 mM KCl induced 10‐ and 2‐fold increases in ACTH secretion, respectively (n= 2). Quarters of adult human pituitaries (n– 6) also secreted ACTH in a pulsatile fashion, with a pulse interval of 14.8±1.7 min, pulse amplitude of 86.7± 10.0 pg, nadir to peak increment of 84.5 ± 9.8%, and overall release rate of 167.2 ± 8.8 pg/2 min. These studies demonstrate that ACTH release from the isolated human pituitary in vitro is characterized by high frequency/low amplitude pulses, independent of hypothalamic stimulation. Accordingly, this spontaneous calcium‐dependent pulsatile ACTH release apparently reflects the activity of an intrinsic intrapituitary pulse‐generating mechanism.
Tight junction‐related human diseases

Tight junctions are intercellular junctions adjacent to the apical ends of paracellular spaces. They have two classical functions, the barrier function and the fence function. The former regulates the passage of ions, water and various molecules through paracellular spaces, and is thus related to edema, jaundice, diarrhea and blood‐borne metastasis. The latter function maintains cell polarity by forming a fence to prevent intermixing of molecules in the apical membrane with those in the lateral membrane. This function is deeply involved in cancer cell properties in terms of loss of cell polarity. Recently, two novel aspects of tight junctions have been reported. One is their involvement in signal transduction. The other is that fact that tight junctions are considered to be a crucial component of innate immunity. In addition, since some proteins comprising tight junctions work as receptors for viruses and extracellular stimuli, pathogenic bacteria and viruses target and affect the tight junction functions, leading to diseases. In this review, the relationship between tight junctions and human diseases will be described.
Traffic prediction based route planning in urban road networks

Computing the fastest driving routes in the presence of varying traffic conditions is an essential problem in modern navigation systems. Most existing systems compute the fastest route based on the current traffic conditions, while ignoring the effects of potential dynamics at a future moment. To solve this problem, a time-varying hierarchical graph model is presented for structuring the urban road network, and a hierarchical route computation algorithm is then proposed, which can compute the fastest congestion-avoidance driving routes in very fast response times. The experimental evaluation on a challenging urban environment of Jinan city demonstrates the effectiveness of the algorithm.
AUDIT QUALITY, CORPORATE GOVERNANCE AND FIRM CHARACTERISTICS IN NIGERIA

The major corporate collapses and related frauds which occurred in Nigeria and around the world have raised doubts about the credibility of the operating and financial reporting practices of quoted companies in Nigeria. This stirred a number of professional and regulatory organisations to recommend reforms that will improve transparency in financial reporting and thereby increase audit quality and corporate governance practices. Although evidence of corporate governance practices and audit quality exists from developed economies, very scanty studies have been conducted in Nigeria where corporate governance is just evolving. Therefore, this study provides evidence on corporate governance, audit quality, and firm related attributes from a developing country, Nigeria. Logistic regression was used in investigating the questions that were raised in the study. Findings from the study show that ownership by non-executive director has the possibility of increasing the quality of auditing. Evidence also exist that size of the company and business leverage are important factors in audit quality for companies quoted on the Nigerian Stock Exchange. The study suggests that the composition of non-executive directors as members of the board should be sustained and improved upon in order to enhance audit quality. Keywords: Audit quality, corporate governance, ownership structure, duality, firm characteristics
Antecedents and Effects of Computer Self-Efficacy on Social Networking Adoption among Asian Online Users

The main objective of this study is to identify the antecedents as well as the effects of computer self-efficacy on information systems acceptance and use. The study is conducted in the context of social networking sites adoption. 255 respondents from Bangkok, Thailand participated in this research. Structural equation modeling techniques have been employed to analyze the data collected. Results reveal that basic computer knowledge and previous computer experience positively influence an individual’s computer self-efficacy as well as their intention to use social networking programs. Results also show that Social factors do not play a major role in improving an individual’s computer self-efficacy. Computer self-efficacy is found to be directly influencing perceived usefulness and indirectly influencing intention to use an information system.
Platelet derived growth factor induced tenascin‐C transcription is phosphoinositide 3‐kinase/Akt‐dependent and mediated by Ets family transcription factors

Previous studies have identified several cytokines as inducers of tenascin‐C (TN‐C) expression in various tissue culture systems. However, the signaling pathways of the regulation of TN‐C expression are almost unknown. In this study, we clarified the molecular mechanism(s) underlying the regulation of the TN‐C gene by platelet derived growth factor (PDGF) in cultured human dermal fibroblasts. PDGF induced the expression of TN‐C protein as well as mRNA in a dose‐dependent manner. Actinomycin D, an RNA synthesis inhibitor, significantly blocked the PDGF‐mediated upregulation of TN‐C mRNA expression, whereas cycloheximide, a protein synthesis inhibitor, did not. The PDGF‐mediated induction of TN‐C expression was inhibited by the treatment of fibroblasts with a selective phosphoinositide 3‐kinase (PI3K) inhibitor, wortmannin, or LY294002. These results suggest that PDGF induced the expression of TN‐C at a transcriptional level via phosphoinositide3‐kinase/Akt signaling pathways. We performed serial 5′ deletions and a transient transfection analysis to define the region in the TN‐C promoter mediating the responsiveness to PDGF. Overexpression of Sp1, Ets1, or Ets2 activated the TN‐C promoter and superinduced TN‐C promoter activity stimulated by PDGF, whereas overexpression of Fli1 inhibited the effects of PDGF on TN‐C expression. Mutation of the Sp1/3 binding sites or Ets binding sites in the TN‐C promoter region responsible to PDGF abrogated the PDGF‐inducible promoter activity. Immunoprecipitation analysis revealed that Sp1, Ets1, and Ets2 form a transcriptionally active complex. On the other hand, the interaction of Fli1 with Sp1 decreased after PDGF treatment. These results suggest that the upregulation of TN‐C expression by PDGF involves Ets family transcription factors, co‐operating with Sp1. J.Cell. Physiol. © 2005 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Measurement of Quality of Recovery in 5672 Patients after Anaesthesia and Surgery

Quality of recovery after an operation is an important dimension of the patient's experience and may be related to the quality of anaesthesia care. Satisfaction with anaesthesia is a vital component of quality care but difficult to measure. We examined our database of 5672 adult patients to determine if quality of recovery is associated with satisfaction with anaesthesia and to identify the perioperative factors that might influence both these outcome measures. We found that a nine-item quality of recovery score (“QoR Score”) was related to satisfaction with anaesthesia (P<0.0005): the overall level of satisfaction was high (97.2%; median QoR Score 16); 106 patients (2.1%; median QoR Score 14) were “somewhat dissatisfied” and 32 patients (0.6%; median QoR Score 13) were “dissatisfied” with their anaesthesia care. Patients who experienced any of a number of perioperative complications had lower QoR Scores (P<0.0005). We have further demonstrated the validity and clinical utility of the QoR Score, and in particular, its relationship to patient satisfaction in adult surgical patients.
Caregiver preference for rivastigmine patch relative to capsules for treatment of probable Alzheimer's disease

Family caregivers comprise a critical component in the care of Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients. Among their many tasks, caregivers are responsible for administering and managing medications. Effective interventions incorporate the needs of both the AD patient and the caregiver, and understanding treatment preferences may maximize intervention effectiveness. Transdermal patches may offer advantages over conventional oral formulations.
Circulating tumor cells predict survival benefit from chemotherapy in patients with lung cancer

Background This meta-analysis was to explore the clinical significance of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) in predicting the tumor response to chemotherapy and prognosis of patients with lung cancer. Methods We searched PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Database, Web of Science and reference lists of relevant articles. Our meta-analysis was performed by Stata software, version 12.0, with a random effects model. Risk ratio (RR), hazard ratio (HR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were used as effect measures. Results 8 studies, including 453 patients, were eligible for analyses. We showed that the disease control rate (DCR) in CTCs-negative patients was significantly higher than CTCs-positive patients at baseline (RR = 2.56, 95%CI [1.36, 4.82], p < 0.05) and during chemotherapy (RR = 9.08, CI [3.44, 23.98], p < 0.001). Patients who converted form CTC-negative to positive or persistently positive during chemotherapy had a worse disease progression than those with CTC-positive to negative or persistently negative (RR = 8.52, CI [1.66, 43.83], p < 0.05). Detection of CTCs at baseline and during chemotherapy also indicated poor overall survival (OS) (baseline: HR = 3.43, CI [2.21, 5.33], p<0.001; during chemotherapy: HR = 3.16, CI [2.23, 4.48], p < 0.001) and progression-free survival (PFS) (baseline: HR = 3.16, 95%CI [2.23, 4.48], p < 0.001; during chemotherapy: HR = 3.78, CI [2.33, 6.13], p < 0.001). Conclusions Detection of CTCs in peripheral blood indicates poor tumor response to chemotherapy and poor prognosis in patients with lung cancer.
An ACK-based polling strategy for the IEEE 802.11 wireless networks

In IEEE 802.11 infrastructure wireless local area networks (IWLANs), most of data frames are transmitted between access point (AP) and wireless stations (STAs). The data transmission in IWLAN is inefficiency since the excessive overhead generated from frequent handshakes between AP and STAs and contentions among STAs. For minimizing the bandwidth wastage, in this paper, we propose a new ACK-based polling strategy to efficiently coordinate and arbitrate the sequence of transmissions among STAs. The proposed strategy alters the consecutive handshake sequence between sender and receiver defined in IEEE 802.11 medium access control (MAC) protocol to minimize the handshaking overhead and to reduce or even eliminate the potential collisions in transmissions. Different from standard handshakes, the recipient of data frame postpones sending acknowledgement (ACK) control frame to schedule the timing of the next transmission from sender. The ACK frame is sent from receiver via standard contention protocol and the sender waits the ACK frame for the authorization to send the next data frame. The simulations and analytical results demonstrate that the proposed ACK-based contention strategy is able to improve the transmission efficiency by simply reducing the overheads of handshakes and collisions in the wireless networks.
Allergen induced pulmonary inflammation enhances mammary tumor growth and metastasis: Role of CHI3L1

Metastasis is the primary cause of mortality in women with breast cancer. Metastasis to the lungs is greater in patients with pulmonary inflammatory illnesses. It is unknown how pre‐existing pulmonary inflammation affects mammary tumor progression. We developed a novel breast cancer model in which pulmonary inflammation is induced in mice prior to tumor cell implantation. In the present study, we determined how pre‐existing allergen‐induced inflammation changes the pulmonary microenvironment to exacerbate tumor metastasis. We showed that pre‐existing pulmonary inflammation in mammary tumor bearers is associated with: 1) an increase in growth of the primary tumor and metastasis; 2) an increase in the expression of a glycoprotein known as CHI3L1; and 3) increase in the levels of myeloid populations in their lungs. We also showed that myeloid derived cells from the lungs of allergic tumor bearers produce higher amounts of CHI3L1 than the saline controls. We previously showed that CHI3L1 induces the expression of proinflammatory and protumorigenic molecules. In this study, we show that CHI3L1 knockout tumor bearers with pre‐existing allergic pulmonary inflammation had decreased levels of myeloid‐derived cells, decreased levels of proinflammatory mediators, and a significant reduction in tumor volume and metastasis compared with the wild‐type controls. Pre‐existing inflammation and CHI3L1 might be driving the establishment of a premetastatic milieu in the lungs and aiding in the support of metastatic foci. Understanding the role of allergen‐induced CHI3L1 and inflammation in tumor bearers and its effects on the pulmonary microenvironment could result in targeted therapies for breast cancer.
On Gaussian Limits and Large Deviations for Queues Fed by High Intensity Randomly Scattered Traffic

We study a single server FIFO queue that offers general service. Each of n customers enter the queue at random time epochs that are inde- pendent and identically distributed. We call this the random scattering traffic model, and the queueing model RS/G/1. We study the workload process associated with the queue in two different settings. First, we present Gaussian process approximations in a high intensity asymptotic scale and characterize the transient distribution of the approximation. Second, we study the rare event paths of the workload by proving a large deviations principle in the same high intensity regime. We also obtain exact asymptotics for the Gaussian approximations developed prior. This analysis significantly extends and simplifies recent work in [1] on uniform population acceleration asymptotics to the queue length and workload in the RS/G/1 queue.
Statistical models to accelerate software development by means of iterative compilation

Minimization of data-processing time and reduction of software-development time are important practical problems to be tackled by modern computer science. This paper presents the authors' proposal of a family of statistical models for the estimation of program execution time, which is an approach focused on both of the above problems at the same time. The family consists of a general model and specific models and has been elaborated based on empirical data collected for pattern-program loops representing some arbitrarily selected features related to the program structure and the specificity of a program-execution environment. The paper presents steps to elaborate the aforementioned family as well as the results of the carried-out experimental research. The paper demonstrates how the elaborated models can be applied in iterative compilation for optimization purposes, allowing us to reduce the time of software development and produce code with minimal execution time.
Co-simulation of a marine electrical power system using PowerFactory and MATLAB/Simulink

In this work, an approach to co-simulate a marine electrical power system is set forth using PowerFactory and MATLAB/Simulink. Although MATLAB/Simulink is one of the well-known simulation tools to design and simulate marine power modules, it lacks the features for comprehensive power system analysis, which are offered by PowerFactory. In this paper, a methodology is proposed to map the MATLAB/Simulink power system module model as an object in PowerFactory environment. This approach offers the benefits of exploiting the features of both platforms as well as the potential reduction in development time and costs by recycling available models.
Commentary: Whole-Genome Sequencing Data for Serotyping Escherichia coli—It's Time for a Change!

ABSTRACT The accessibility of whole-genome sequencing (WGS) presents the opportunity for national reference laboratories to provide a state-of-the-art public health surveillance service. The replacement of traditional serology-based typing of Escherichia coli by WGS is supported by user-friendly, freely available data analysis Web tools. An article in this issue of the Journal of Clinical Microbiology (K. G. Joensen, A. M. M. Tetzschner, A. Iguchi, F. M. Aarestrup, and F. Scheutz, J Clin Microbiol, 53:2410–2426, 2015, http://dx.doi.org/10.1128/JCM.00008-15) describes SerotypeFinder, an essential guide to serotyping E. coli in the 21st century.
The effect of ageing on macrophage Toll‐like receptor‐mediated responses in the fight against pathogens

The cellular changes during ageing are incompletely understood yet immune system dysfunction is implicated in the age‐related decline in health. The acquired immune system shows a functional decline in ability to respond to new pathogens whereas serum levels of cytokines are elevated with age. Despite these age‐associated increases in circulating cytokines, the function of aged macrophages is decreased. Pathogen‐associated molecular pattern receptors such as Toll‐like receptors (TLRs) are vital in the response of macrophages to pathological stimuli. Here we review the evidence for defective TLR signalling in normal ageing. Gene transcription, protein expression and cell surface expression of members of the TLR family of receptors and co‐effector molecules do not show a consistent age‐dependent change across model systems. However, there is evidence for impaired downstream signalling events, including inhibition of positive and activation of negative modulators of TLR induced signalling events. In this paper we hypothesize that despite a poor inflammatory response via TLR activation, the ineffective clearance of pathogens by macrophages increases the duration of their activation and contributes to perpetuation of inflammatory responses and ageing.
Linkage of Reduced Receptor Affinity and Superinfection to Pathogenesis ofTR1.3 Murine Leukemia Virus

ABSTRACT TR1.3 is a Friend murine leukemia virus (MLV) that induces selective syncytium induction (SI) of brain capillary endothelial cells (BCEC), intracerebral hemorrhage, and death. Syncytium induction by TR1.3 has been mapped to a single tryptophan-to-glycine conversion at position 102 of the envelope glycoprotein (Env102). The mechanism of SI by TR1.3 was examined here in comparison to the non-syncytium-inducing, nonpathogenic MLV FB29, which displays an identical BCEC tropism. Envelope protein expression and stability on both infected cells and viral particles were not statistically different for TR1.3 and FB29. However, affinity measurements derived using purified envelope receptor binding domain (RBD) revealed a reduction of >1 log in the KD of TR1.3 RBD relative to FB29 RBD. Whole-virus particles pseudotyped with TR1.3 Env similarly displayed a markedly reduced binding avidity compared to FB29-pseudotyped viral particles. Lastly, decreased receptor affinity of TR1.3 Env correlated with the failure to block superinfection following acute and chronic infection by TR1.3. These results definitively show that acquisition of a SI phenotype can be directly linked to amino acid changes in retroviral Env that decrease receptor affinity, thereby emphasizing the importance of events downstream of receptor binding in the cell fusion process and pathology.
Influence of deleting some of the inputs and outputs on efficiency status of units in DEA

One of the important issues in data envelopment analysis (DEA) is sensitivity analysis. This study discusses about deleting some of the inputs and outputs and investigates the influence of it on efficiency status of Decision Making Units (DMUs). To this end some models are presented for recognizing this influence on efficient DMUs. Model 2 (Model 3) in section 3 investigates the influence of deleting i(th) input (r(th) output) on an efficient DMU. Thereafter these models are improved for deleting multiple inputs and outputs. Furthermore, a model is presented for recognizing the maximum number of inputs and (or) outputs from among specified inputs and outputs which can be deleted, whereas an efficient DMU preserves its efficiency. Finally, the presented models are utilized for a set of DMUs and the results are reported.
First Steps Towards Coverage-Based Sentence Alignment

In this paper, we introduce a coverage-based scoring function that discriminates between parallel and non-parallel sentences. When plugged into Bleualign, a state-of-the-art sentence aligner, our function improves both precision and recall of alignments over the originally proposed BLEU score. Furthermore, since our scoring function uses Moses phrase tables directly we avoid the need to translate the texts to be aligned, which is time-consuming and a potential source of alignment errors.