Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Phosphoinositide‐Regulated Retrograde Transport of Ricin: Crosstalk Between hVps34 and Sorting Nexins

The plant toxin ricin is transported from the plasma membrane via early endosomes and the Golgi apparatus to the endoplasmic reticulum. From this compartment, it enters the cytosol and inhibits protein synthesis. Lipid phosphorylation is an important regulator of vesicular transport, and in the present study we have investigated the role of the phosphatidylinositol (PI) 3‐kinase hVps34 in retrograde transport of ricin. Our data demonstrate that transport of ricin from endosomes to the Golgi apparatus in human embryonic kidney cells (HEK 293) is dependent on PI(3)P. By using PI 3‐kinase inhibitors, by sequestering the hVps34 product PI(3)P and by expressing mutants of hVps34 or small interfering RNA targeted against its messenger RNA, we show that hVps34 and its product PI(3)P are involved in transport of ricin from endosome to Golgi apparatus. Furthermore, we identify two effector proteins in the hVps34‐dependent pathway, namely sorting nexin (SNX) 2 and SNX4. Knockdown of SNX2 or SNX4 inhibits ricin transport to the Golgi apparatus to the same extent as when hVps34 is perturbed. Furthermore, inhibition or knockdown of hVps34 redistributes these proteins. Interestingly, knocking down both SNX2 and SNX4 results in a better inhibition than knocking down only one of them, suggesting that they may act on separate pathways.
Study of Hybrid-Type Field Coil for Superconducting Rotating Machines

This study examines a hybrid-type superconducting field coil that exploits the advantages of a permanent magnet and an electromagnet-type coil to mitigate the weaknesses of a conventional superconducting field coil with a power supply. The hybrid-type superconducting field coil proposed in this study can be applied to improve the performance of conventional superconducting rotating machines. One of the biggest problems of conventional superconducting power generators is the large fluctuation in the output voltage due to the fluctuation in the load. However, the hybrid-type superconducting field coil can be applied to superconducting power generators to stably control the electromotive force of the field and to effectively reduce the fluctuation in the output voltage. This study uses a high-temperature superconductor (HTS) 2G wire to manufacture a test model for the innovative superconducting field coil. A proof-of-principle test using the finite element method was conducted, and the performance of the coil was verified through an experiment.
Identification of estrogen‐responsive proteins in MCF‐7 human breast cancer cells using label‐free quantitative proteomics

17β‐Estradiol (E2) is a key regulatory steroid hormone that is involved in the control of a number of developmental and other functions. The aim of the present work was to identify estrogen‐dependent proteomic changes by determining the levels of expressed proteins in MCF‐7 human breast cancer cells following treatment with E2. A number of methods exist for differential analysis of complex proteomic mixtures. Here, a label‐free mass spectrometric approach comparing the ion intensities of tryptic peptides was adopted, which was combined with prefractionation of whole cell lysate proteins by 1‐D SDS‐PAGE. Using this approach, 60 proteins were found to be affected by E2. These comprised 55 up‐regulated and five down‐regulated proteins. These proteins varied widely in their physiochemical properties with pIs of 4–12 and molecular weights of 9–500 kDa. Pathway analysis revealed that the majority of changes were related and together describe an up‐regulated pathway consistent with the events of cell proliferation. The quantitative approach used here is relatively straightforward, avoids the use of costly labelling reagents, was reproducible within acceptable limits and has a linear response over a useful concentration range.
Oxytocin promotes social bonding in dogs

Significance Although the positive impact of social bonds on individual’s fitness has recently been demonstrated, the mechanisms underlying the motivation to form long-term associations remain largely unknown. Current evidence shows that oxytocin modulates social behavior but evidence of its effects in bond maintenance remains scant, especially in nonreproductive contexts. We provide evidence that in the domestic dog oxytocin enhances social motivation to approach and affiliate with conspecifics and human partners, which constitutes the basis for the formation of any stable social bond. Furthermore, endogenous oxytocin levels increased after dogs engaged in affiliation with their dog partners, indicating a stimulation of the oxytocin system during social interactions. Our findings highlight the important role that oxytocin has in the expression of sociality in mammals. Recent evidence suggests that enduring social bonds have fitness benefits. However, very little is known about the neural circuitry and neurochemistry underlying the formation and maintenance of stable social bonds outside reproductive contexts. Oxytocin (OT), a neuropeptide synthetized by the hypothalamus in mammals, regulates many complex forms of social behavior and cognition in both human and nonhuman animals. Animal research, however, has concentrated on monogamous mammals, and it remains unknown whether OT also modulates social bonds in nonreproductive contexts. In this study we provide behavioral evidence that exogenous OT promotes positive social behaviors in the domestic dog toward not only conspecifics but also human partners. Specifically, when sprayed with OT, dogs showed higher social orientation and affiliation toward their owners and higher affiliation and approach behaviors toward dog partners than when sprayed with placebo. Additionally, the exchange of socio-positive behaviors with dog partners triggered the release of endogenous OT, highlighting the involvement of OT in the development of social relationships in the domestic dog. These data provide new insight into the mechanisms that facilitate the maintenance of close social bonds beyond immediate reproductive interest or genetic ties and complement a growing body of evidence that identifies OT as one of the neurochemical foundations of sociality in mammalian species.
Financial Capability and Asset Development: Research, Education, Policy, and Practice, by Birkenmaier, J., Sherraden, M., and Curley, J. (Eds.)

There is a growing interest among academicians, practitioners, and policy makers in the concept of asset building. Many people associate this approach to poverty alleviation with a popular book written by Sherraden (1991), Assets and the Poor: A New American Welfare Policy. The goal of asset building is to provide low-income households with the capacity to build wealth through a wide variety of financial tools, such as individual development accounts. These tools have proved to be very effective in helping some low-income households accumulate wealth and reduce their vulnerability to a changing economy. This edited volume garners evidence regarding the importance of financial education and financial capacity in contributing to the success of asset building among low-income residents. Much of the discussion is focused on the need for social workers to build financial capacity and literacy among vulnerable populations through financial education that is linked to beneficial financial products. Although the bulk of the book is directed toward social workers, it will be of interest to a much broader audience, especially among people interested in strategies to reduce poverty. The book is organized into three sections. The first section introduces the concept of financial capacity and the role that social workers have played in providing education and training in this area. Section two focuses on a wide variety of innovations in financial capacity. The authors examine the effectiveness of financial products for several populations—immigrants, Native Americans, Latino(a)s, and parents with preschool children. The final section includes several chapters that address curriculum development and the role of social workers in building financial capacity in the future. This volume makes an important contribution to the literature on asset building by demonstrating the critical role that financial education and training can play in this process. Much of the focus in policy circles is on how to develop new financial products that improve access for the poor. The research in this volume suggests that this is not enough. The success of asset building depends largely on the capacity of low-income residents to
Loss assessment of building and contents damage from the potential earthquake risk in Seoul, South Korea

Abstract. After the 2016 Gyeongju earthquake and the 2017 Pohang earthquake struck the Korean peninsula, securing financial stability regarding earthquake risks has become an important issue in South Korea. Many domestic researchers are currently studying potential earthquake risk. However, empirical analyses and statistical approaches are ambiguous in the case of South Korea because no major earthquake has ever occurred on the Korean peninsula since the Korean Meteorological Agency started monitoring earthquakes in 1978. This study focuses on evaluating possible losses due to earthquake risk in Seoul, the capital of South Korea, by using a catastrophe model methodology integrated with GIS (Geographic Information Systems). Building information, such as structure and location, is taken from the building registration database and the replacement cost for buildings is obtained from insurance information. As the seismic design code in the KBC (Korea Building Code) is similar to the seismic design code of the UBC (Uniform Building Code), the damage functions provided by HAZUS-Multi-hazard (HAZUS-MH) are used to assess the damage state of each building in event of an earthquake. A total of 12 earthquake scenarios are evaluated by considering the distribution and characteristics of active fault zones on the Korean peninsula and damages, with total loss amounts are calculated for each of the scenarios. The results of this study show that loss amounts due to potential earthquakes are significantly lower than those of previous studies. The challenge of this study is to implement an earthquake response spectrum and to reflect the actual asset value of buildings in Seoul.
What is Predictive Technology Model (PTM)?

The minimum feature size of CMOS technology will reach 10nm in ten years. Beyond that benchmark, the present scaling approach may have to take a different route. The grand challenge to integrated circuit design community is to identify alternative technologies, such as carbon-based electronics, integrate them into the circuit architecture, and enable continuous growth of chip scale and performance. Predictive Technology Model (PTM), which bridges the process development and circuit simulation through device modeling, is essential in assessing potentials and limits of new technology and in supporting early design prototyping.
Glycoprotein IIb/IIIa inhibitors and low‐molecular‐weight heparins: A combined role in coronary interventions?

Management strategies for acute coronary syndromes (ACS) are making increasing use of both low‐molecular‐weight heparins (LMWHs) and glycoprotein (GP) IIb/IIIa inhibitors. To date, however, relatively few studies have assessed the clinical potential of these two classes of agents in combination. There are theoretical grounds to expect LMWHs to be more effective than unfractionated heparin (UFH) in combination with GP Ilb/IIIa inhibitors, since UFH, but not LMWH, activates platelets. The antiplatelet effects of GP Ilb/IIIa inhibitors are therefore likely to be both more potent and more predictable when combined with LMWH. A recent study in more than 100 patients has demonstrated that a combination of dalteparin and the GP Ilb/IIIa inhibitor abciximab provided effective anticoagulation in patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), without causing significant bleeding or adverse events. Similar results were demonstrated in the National Investigators Collaborating on Enoxaparin (N1CE‐4) study using a combination of abciximab and enoxaparin in patients undergoing PCI. Of importance is the fact that there were no cases of severe thrombocytopenia in either LMWH study, although this is a recognized potential complication when UFH and abciximab are used in combination. Further studies are now warranted to confirm the efficacy of LMWH and GP Ilb/IIIa inhibitors in combination, both for PCI and medical stabilization.
New Approaches on Good Governance in the European Union

Governance as a concept has progressed from obscurity to widespread usage, particularly in the last two decades, due to the critical role it plays in determining welfare for nations, regions, communities. The paper aims to offer an overview on good governance and it’s principles, the way it evolved from the World Bank’s point of view in the ‘90’s, to European Commission’s White Paper on European Governance in 2001. The article also emphasizes on the impact good governance has on regional development, through multi-level European governance.
How Important are Debt and Growth Expectations for Interest Rates?

This paper uses a dataset on private-sector risk aversion as well as expectations of long-run growth and debt to explain trends in implied forward rates on government bonds in the G-7 countries. The results show, consistent with the literature, that a one-percent rise in the long-run projected debt-to-GDP ratio causes an increase in bond yields of a relatively modest 1-to-6 basis points. Shocks to growth expectations and risk aversion have been comparatively more successful in explaining the behavior of long-term rates. The findings imply that growth policies rather than long-run projections of fiscal outcomes may be more important in helping influence long-term borrowing costs.
Frequency Domain Causality Analysis of Interactions between Financial Markets of Turkey

In this paper, we examined the dynamic linkages between financial markets of Turkey by using frequency domain causality analysis, proposed by Breitung and Candelon (2006), for the weekly Turkish data from 2003 to 2015. The results show that there are volatility spillovers from stock market returns to interest rate and EURO both in the mid and long terms, and short and medium-terms to U.S. Dollar; but, from U.S. Dollar to stock market returns in the short-term. In the long-run, EURO exchange rate Granger cause to interest rate; but, interest rate Granger cause to EURO exchange rate in the short-run. On the other hand, there is no evidence of volatility spillovers from EURO and interest rate to stock market returns. Based on these results, we can conclude that there are certain degree of interdependence and volatility spillovers among the financial markets of Turkey, which have serious policy implications.
The Australian Baccalaurate: a preliminary study

DURING THE 2010 AUSTRALIAN federal election campaign, the Gillard Government announced plans for a new, internationally recognised senior-school qualifi cation termed the Australian Baccalaureate. This paper details a research project on the new Australian Baccalaureate which investigated its proposed aims, framework and timeline for planning and implementation. The intent of the project was to analyse both the practical and political implications of adding an elite level of secondary curriculum to the roll out of the K–12 Australian Curriculum; compare it to the longer standing International Baccalaureate; and examine the Australian Baccalaureate within the context of internationalising Australia’s curriculum qualifi cations. The Australian Baccalaureate launched in 2010 The Australian Baccalaureate is an embryonic curriculum concept announced during the 2010 federal election campaign by then Prime Minister, Julia Gillard, in a televised political campaign announcement. On the same day, an Australian Labor Party (ALP) campaign fact sheet was posted onto the party’s website announcing the Australian Baccalaureate: The Gillard Labor Government will develop a new senior qualification, the Australian Baccalaureate. Alongside existing state based qualifi cations, drawing on the National Curriculum . we will work to develop a certifi cate structure and achievement standards which are benchmarked against the world’s best systems and standards and which will become nationally consistent . providing a credential of international standing . The Baccalaureate will be voluntary, with students electing to be certifi ed for the award, similar to the way students can currently elect to undertake the International Baccalaureate. (ALP Campaign Fact Sheet, August 2010, pp. 2–3) The ALP brands the Australian Baccalaureate (ABacc) as a “world class qualifi cation for a world class education” and the then Federal Minister for the Arts, Simon Crean, elaborated on a 10 August 2010 radio interview with Jon Faine on ABC 774 Melbourne that: 46 CURRICULUM PERSPECTIVES VOL. 33, NO. 3 The Australian Baccalaureate: A preliminary study Christine Cunningham
Meiotic recombination errors, the origin of sperm aneuploidy and clinical recommendations

Since the early 1990s male infertility has successfully been treated by intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI), nevertheless concerns have been raised regarding the genetic risk of ICSI. Chromosome aneuploidy (the presence of extra or missing chromosomes) is the leading cause of pregnancy loss and mental retardation in humans. While the majority of chromosome aneuploidies are maternal in origin, the paternal contribution to aneuploidy is clinically relevant particularly for the sex chromosomes. Given that it is difficult to study female gametes investigations are predominantly conducted in male meiotic recombination and sperm aneuploidy. Research suggests that infertile men have increased levels of sperm aneuploidy and that this is likely due to increased errors in meiotic recombination and chromosome synapsis within these individuals. It is perhaps counterintuitive but there appears to be no selection against chromosomally aneuploid sperm at fertilization. In fact the frequency of aneuploidy in sperm appears to be mirrored in conceptions. Given this information this review will cover our current understanding of errors in meiotic recombination and chromosome synapsis and how these may contribute to increased sperm aneuploidy. Frequencies of sperm aneuploidy in infertile men and individuals with constitutional karyotypic abnormalities are reviewed, and based on these findings, indications for clinical testing of sperm aneuploidy are discussed. In addition, the application of single nucleotide arrays for the analysis of meiotic recombination and identification of parental origin of aneuploidy are considered.
Elevated serum lipids in hypogonadal men with and without hyperprolactinemia.

STUDY OBJECTIVE To determine whether men with hypogonadism are at risk for hyperlipidemia. DESIGN Case-control study. SETTING Neuroendocrine clinical center of a referral-based university medical center. PATIENTS Consecutive sample of 18 men with testosterone deficiency who had prolactin-secreting pituitary adenomas, 15 men with acquired secondary hypogonadism and normal prolactin levels, and 33 normal male controls. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS We found a significant elevation in fasting cholesterol (6.23 +/- 0.28 mmol/L [mean +/- SE] compared with 5.17 +/- 0.13 mmol/L [241 +/- 11 mg/dL compared with 200 +/- 5 mg/dL], P less than 0.01), low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol (4.11 +/- 0.23 mmol/L compared with 3.34 +/- 0.13 mmol/L [159 +/- 9 mg/dL compared with 129 +/- 5 mg/dL], P less than 0.05), and triglycerides (1.85 +/- 0.26 mmol/L compared with 1.11 +/- 0.07 mmol/L [164 +/- 23 mg/dL compared with 98 +/- 6 mg/dL], P less than 0.001) in men with hyperprolactinemia compared with controls. In the normoprolactinemic hypogonadal men, cholesterol (6.28 +/- 0.34 mmol/L [243 +/- 13 mg/dL], P less than 0.01), LDL cholesterol (4.34 +/- 0.34 mmol/L [168 +/- 13 mg/dL], P less than 0.01), and triglycerides (1.61 +/- 0.18 mmol/L [143 +/- 16 mg/dL], P less than 0.05) were also significantly higher than in the controls, and were the same as in the hyperprolactinemic men. High density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol did not differ among the three groups. CONCLUSIONS Hypogonadism in men, with or without hyperprolactinemia, may be associated with elevation of fasting serum cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, and triglycerides compared with normal men. These data suggest that serum lipid levels should be evaluated in hypogonadal men. The presence of lipid abnormalities may affect the decision to treat testosterone deficiency in these patients.
Role of cytokines and testosterone in regulating lean body mass and resting energy expenditure in HIV-infected men.

Although catastrophic weight loss is no longer common in HIV-infected men, we hypothesized that a more gradual process of cachexia [loss of lean body mass (LBM) without severe weight loss, often accompanied by elevated resting energy expenditure (REE)] is still common and is driven by excessive production of the catabolic cytokines tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) and interleukin-1 beta (IL-1 beta). We performed a longitudinal analysis of an ongoing cohort study of nutritional status in 172 men with HIV infection. LBM loss of >1 kg occurred in 35% of the cohort, and LBM loss of >5% occurred in 12.2% over 8 mo of observation, but classical wasting (loss of approximately 10% of weight) was rare (2%). Both TNF-alpha (-150 g LBM. ng(-1) x ml(-1), P < 0.02) and IL-1 beta production (-130 g LBM x ng(-1) x ml(-1), P < 0.01) by peripheral blood mononuclear cells predicted loss of LBM. A rise in REE of >200 kcal/day was found in 17.7% of the subjects regardless of weight change. IL-1 beta (+9 kcal/day per ng/ml, P < 0.002) and TNF-alpha (+10 kcal/day per ng/ml, P < 0.02) production predicted Delta REE. Serum free testosterone was inversely associated with TNF-alpha production and was not an independent predictor of either Delta LBM or Delta REE after adjustment for cytokine production. Even though weight loss was rare in this cohort of patients treated with highly active antiretroviral therapy, loss of LBM was common and was driven by catabolic cytokines and not by inadequate dietary intake or hypogonadism.
Securities Auctions under Moral Hazard: An Experimental Study

In many settings, including venture capital financing, mergers and acquisitions, and lease competition, the structure of the contracts over which firms compete differs. Furthermore, the structure of the contract affects the future incentives of the firm to engage in value-creating activities by potentially diluting effort or investment incentives. We study, both theoretically and in the lab, the performance of debt and equity auctions in the presence of both private information and hidden effort. We show that the revenues to sellers in debt and equity auctions differ systematically depending on the returns to entrepreneurial effort. Using a controlled laboratory experiments we test the model's predictions and find strong support for the theory. Copyright 2010, Oxford University Press.