Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
14,15-Epoxyeicosatrienoic acid induces the proliferation and anti- apoptosis of human carcinoma cell

Background and the purpose of the study Epoxyeicosatrienoic acids (EETs), which are cytochrome P450 epoxygenase metabolites of arachidonic acid, have anti-inflammatory effects, modulate smooth muscle proliferation, and inhibit smooth muscle migration. This study was designed to determine whether exogenous EETs have any effect on the cell proliferation and apoptosis of carcinoma cell as well as the possible signaling pathways of EETs in this regulation. Methods The effects of EETs on the proliferation and anti-apoptosis of human carcinoma cells were measured by MTT assay and flowcytometric analysis, and the regulation of PPARγ, epithelial growth factor receptor (EGFR), extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK), phosphatidylinositol 3 (PI3)-Kinase/AKT pathways was investigated by reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and western blot analysis. Results Results of this study suggested that 14, 15-EET may activate the expression of PPARγ in Tca-8113 cells. 14,15-EET may stimulate cell proliferation, and increase the percentage of cells during S-G2-M phase in Tca-8113 cells significantly. The levels of EGFR, ERK, and PI3 kinase/AKT proteins were significantly induced by treatment of 14, 15-EET and 14,15-EET/AUDA, but no significant changes were observed by addition of GW9662. conclusion These findings suggest that exogenous 14,15-EET has potent inhibitory effect on proliferation, and could induce apoptosis in Tca-8113 cell, and these changes are related to the expression of PPARγ, the activation of EGFR, ERK, and PI3 kinase/AKT proteins.
Elevated carbon dioxide affects behavioural lateralization in a coral reef fish

Elevated carbon dioxide (CO2) has recently been shown to affect chemosensory and auditory behaviour, and activity levels of larval reef fishes, increasing their risk of predation. However, the mechanisms underlying these changes are unknown. Behavioural lateralization is an expression of brain functional asymmetries, and thus provides a unique test of the hypothesis that elevated CO2 affects brain function in larval fishes. We tested the effect of near-future CO2 concentrations (880 µatm) on behavioural lateralization in the reef fish, Neopomacentrus azysron. Individuals exposed to current-day or elevated CO2 were observed in a detour test where they made repeated decisions about turning left or right. No preference for right or left turns was observed at the population level. However, individual control fish turned either left or right with greater frequency than expected by chance. Exposure to elevated-CO2 disrupted individual lateralization, with values that were not different from a random expectation. These results provide compelling evidence that elevated CO2 directly affects brain function in larval fishes. Given that lateralization enhances performance in a number of cognitive tasks and anti-predator behaviours, it is possible that a loss of lateralization could increase the vulnerability of larval fishes to predation in a future high-CO2 ocean.
Vpr Stimulates Viral Expression and Induces Cell Killing in Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1-Infected Dividing Jurkat T Cells

ABSTRACT In this study we investigated the effects of Vpr during human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection of proliferating Jurkat T cells by using a vesicular stomatitis virus envelope G glycoprotein pseudotyped HIV superinfection system. We observe that the expression of Vpr results in a severe reduction in the life span of HIV type 1 (HIV-1)-infected dividing T cells in culture. In agreement with a recent report (S. A. Stewart, B. Poon, J. B. M. Jowett, and I. S. Chen, J. Virol. 71:5579–5592, 1997), we show that events characteristic of apoptotic cell death are involved in the Vpr-mediated cytopathic effects. Our results also show that infection with viruses expressing the wild-type vprgene results in an increase in viral gene expression and production. Interestingly, the effects of Vpr on cell viability and on viral gene expression both correlate with the ability of the protein to induce a cell cycle arrest in the G2/M phase. Mutagenesis analyses show that the C terminus of Vpr is essential for these biological activities. Although the role of Vpr is currently associated with the infection of nondividing cells, our results suggest that Vpr can also directly increase viral replication in vivo in infected dividing T cells. Furthermore, these in vitro observations suggest that Vpr-mediated cytotoxic effects could contribute to the CD4+ depletion associated with AIDS progression.
The withering of criticism: A review of professional, Foucauldian, ethnographic, and epistemic studies in accounting

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore the core meaning of critical research.Design/methodology/approach – It begins by noting the frequent divergence between “Real” history (which always marches to its own beat) and academic reflection that often fails to follow the beat of a progressive drum. Indeed, rather than facilitating a productive historical movement, scholarship may, at times, window‐dress brutality. These questions are examined by drawing on pertinent literature in social theory and cultural analysis. This work cautions that only continuous, unconditional, self‐reflective criticism provides a navigational path between barbarism and enlightenment. It proposes harnessing our full repository of critical scholarship to renew ever‐relevant forms of praxis (This is not the same notion of “practical” that involves berating workers in suits and white shirts.)Findings – Unfortunately, an examination of contemporary progressive accounting literature exposes fundamental departures from these st.
Time-Varying Transition Probability Matrix Estimation and Its Application to Brand Share Analysis

In a product market or stock market, different products or stocks compete for the same consumers or purchasers. We propose a method to estimate the time-varying transition matrix of the product share using a multivariate time series of the product share. The method is based on the assumption that each of the observed time series of shares is a stationary distribution of the underlying Markov processes characterized by transition probability matrices. We estimate transition probability matrices for every observation under natural assumptions. We demonstrate, on a real-world dataset of the share of automobiles, that the proposed method can find intrinsic transition of shares. The resulting transition matrices reveal interesting phenomena, for example, the change in flows between TOYOTA group and GM group for the fiscal year where TOYOTA group’s sales beat GM’s sales, which is a reasonable scenario.
Designing Scalable Synthetic Compact Applications for Benchmarking High Productivity Computing Systems

One of the main objectives of the DARPA High Productivity Computing Systems (HPCS) program is to reassess the way we define and measure performance, programmability, portability, robustness and ultimately productivity in the High Performance Computing (HPC) domain. This article describes the Scalable Synthetic Compact Applications (SSCA) benchmark suite, a community product delivered under support of the DARPA HPCS program. The SSCA benchmark suite consists of six benchmarks. The first three SSCA benchmarks are specified and described in this article. The last three are to be developed and will relate to simulation. SSCA #1 Bioinformatics Optimal Pattern Matching stresses integer and character operations (no floating point required) and is compute-limited; SSCA #2 Graph Analysis stresses memory access, uses integer operations, is compute-intensive, and is hard to parallelize on most modern systems; and SSCA #3 Synthetic Aperture Radar Application is computationally taxing, seeks a high rate at which answers are generated, and contains a significant file I/O component. These SSCA benchmarks are envisioned to emerge as complements to current scalable micro-benchmarks and complex real applications to measure high-end productivity and system performance. They are also described in sufficient detail to drive novel HPC programming paradigms, as well as architecture development and testing. The benchmark written and executable specifications are available from www.highproductivity. org.
Why Near‐Miss Events Can Decrease an Individual's Protective Response to Hurricanes

Prior research shows that when people perceive the risk of some hazardous event to be low, they are unlikely to engage in mitigation activities for the potential hazard. We believe one factor that can lower inappropriately (from a normative perspective) people's perception of the risk of a hazard is information about prior near‐miss events. A near‐miss occurs when an event (such as a hurricane), which had some nontrivial probability of ending in disaster (loss of life, property damage), does not because good fortune intervenes. People appear to mistake such good fortune as an indicator of resiliency. In our first study, people with near‐miss information were less likely to purchase flood insurance, and this was shown for both participants from the general population and individuals with specific interests in risk and natural disasters. In our second study, we consider a different mitigation decision, that is, to evacuate from a hurricane, and vary the level of statistical probability of hurricane damage. We still found a strong effect for near‐miss information. Our research thus shows how people who have experienced a similar situation but escape damage because of chance will make decisions consistent with a perception that the situation is less risky than those without the past experience. We end by discussing the implications for risk communication.
On the use of 12 CO/ 13 CO as a test of common-envelope evolution

We present K-band echelle spectra of the cataclysmic variable SS Cyg and the pre-cataclysmic variable V471 Tau in order to measure the strengths of the 12 CO and 13 CO bands at 2.3525 and 2.3448m, respectively, and so perform the observational test of the common-envelope model of close binary star evolution proposed by Sarna et al. (1995). Although we find evidence of an absorption feature coincident with the expected wavelength of 13 CO in both objects, we attribute it instead to a cluster of neutral atomic absorption features (primarily due to Ti I) possibly arising from star-spots on the surfaces of the rapidly rotating secondary stars in these systems, thereby rendering the test inconclusive. We present a modified observational test of common-envelope evolution, based on the observation of the 13 CO bands at 2.3739 and 2.4037m, which is insensitive to spectral contamination by star-spots.
Sardine Peptide with Angiotensin I-Converting Enzyme Inhibitory Activity Improves Glucose Tolerance in Stroke-Prone Spontaneously Hypertensive Rats

An enzymatic hydrolysate of sardine protein (sardine peptide, SP) derived from sardine muscle possesses angiotensin I-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitory activity. In the present study, we investigated the effect of SP on the blood glucose levels in stroke-prone spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRSPs). Ten-week-old SHRSPs were assigned to three groups. The control group was given tap water for 4 weeks, while the experimental groups were given water containing SP (1 g/kg/d) or an ACE inhibitor, captopril (8 mg/kg/d). Treatment with SP and captopril decreased ACE activity in the kidney, aorta, and mesentery. There were no differences in fasting blood glucose levels among the three groups, whereas SP and captopril administration significantly suppressed the increase in blood glucose after glucose loading in the control SHRSPs. No difference was observed in plasma insulin levels among the three groups. Thus treatment with captopril and ACE-inhibitory sardine peptides ameliorated the glucose tolerance of this rat strain.
Left Atria Strain Is a Surrogate Marker for Detection of Atrial Fibrillation in Cryptogenic Strokes

After complete diagnostic workup, a quarter of ischemic strokes are regarded as undetermined pathogenesis at discharge with a substantial rate of mortality in some cases.1 Paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (PAF) is the most frequent occult cause resulting in significant morbidity and costs when is under diagnosed.2 Recent studies have shown that extending the cardiac monitoring duration with subcutaneous implantable monitors and selecting patients for prolonged monitoring significantly increased the PAF detection in ischemic strokes.3 The left atria volume (LAv) has been used to assess the left atrial function. Nevertheless, the left atria dimension is predictive of stroke but become nonsignificant after adjustment for the older age.4 The left atria function can be also obtained by the analysis of the left atria walls deformation, also called strain of the left atria. The speckle tracking is an echocardiographic technique that uses standard B-mode images for the analysis of the acoustic backscatter generated by the ultrasound beam. The changes between speckles are assumed to represent the strain.5 The published intraobserver and interobserver variability of left atria strain (LAS) is 7.8%, and 8.9%, respectively.6 The LAS profile has been previously described in patients with PAF and in correlation with CHADS2 score (hypertension >140/90 mm Hg, age ≥75, diabetes, prior stroke),7 but it has never been studied in cryptogenic ischemic strokes. We aimed to describe the left atria functionality assessed by LAS parameter in cryptogenic strokes to improve the detection of occult PAF. With the purpose to obtain the best LAS cutoff point to differentiate patients with and without PAF, we planned the comparison as a case–control study. Accordingly, the selection of patients without PAF (non-PAF group) was made considering consecutive patients with cryptogenic stroke after complete workup evaluation with no PAF episodes in 3-year cardiac monitoring with Holter …
Arbitrarily modulated Markov decision processes

We consider decision-making problems in Markov decision processes where both the rewards and the transition probabilities vary in an arbitrary (e.g., nonstationary) fashion. We propose an online Q-learning style algorithm and give a guarantee on its performance evaluated in retrospect against alternative policies. Unlike previous works, the guarantee depends critically on the variability of the uncertainty in the transition probabilities, but holds regardless of arbitrary changes in rewards and transition probabilities over time. Besides its intrinsic computational efficiency, this approach requires neither prior knowledge nor estimation of the transition probabilities.
Autism Spectrum Disorders and Race, Ethnicity, and Nativity: A Population-Based Study

OBJECTIVE: Our understanding of the influence of maternal race/ethnicity and nativity and childhood autistic disorder (AD) in African Americans/blacks, Asians, and Hispanics in the United States is limited. Phenotypic differences in the presentation of childhood AD in minority groups may indicate etiologic heterogeneity or different thresholds for diagnosis. We investigated whether the risk of developing AD and AD phenotypes differed according to maternal race/ethnicity and nativity. METHODS: Children born in Los Angeles County with a primary AD diagnosis at ages 3 to 5 years during 1998–2009 were identified and linked to 1995–2006 California birth certificates (7540 children with AD from a cohort of 1 626 354 births). We identified a subgroup of children with AD and a secondary diagnosis of mental retardation and investigated heterogeneity in language and behavior. RESULTS: We found increased risks of being diagnosed with AD overall and specifically with comorbid mental retardation in children of foreign-born mothers who were black, Central/South American, Filipino, and Vietnamese, as well as among US-born Hispanic and African American/black mothers, compared with US-born whites. Children of US African American/black and foreign-born black, foreign-born Central/South American, and US-born Hispanic mothers were at higher risk of exhibiting an AD phenotype with both severe emotional outbursts and impaired expressive language than children of US-born whites. CONCLUSIONS: Maternal race/ethnicity and nativity are associated with offspring’s AD diagnosis and severity. Future studies need to examine factors related to nativity and migration that may play a role in the etiology as well as identification and diagnosis of AD in children.
Genetic Loci Associated with Allergic Sensitization in Lithuanians

Allergic rhinitis (AR) is a common and complex disease. It is associated with environmental as well as genetic factors. Three recent genome-wide association studies (GWAS) reported altogether 47 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) associated with AR or allergic sensitization (AS) in Europeans and North Americans. Two follow up studies in Swedish and Chinese replicated 15 associations. In these studies individuals were selected based on the self-reported AR, or AR/AS diagnosed using blood IgE test or skin prick test (SPT), which were performed often without restriction to specific allergens. Here we performed third replication study in Lithuanians. We used SPT and carefully selected set of allergens prevalent in Lithuania, as well as Illumina Core Exome chip for SNP detection. We genotyped 270 SPT-positive individuals (137 Betulaceae -, 174 Poaceae-, 199 Artemisia-, 70 Helianthus-, 22 Alternaria-, 22 Cladosporium-, 140 mites-, 95 cat- and 97 dog dander-sensitive cases) and 162 SPT-negative controls. We found altogether 13 known SNPs associated with AS (p ≤0.05). Three SNPs were found in Lithuanians sensitive to several allergens, and 10 SNPs were found in Lithuanians sensitive to a certain allergen. For the first time, SNP rs7775228:C was associated with patient sensitivity to dog allergens (F_A=0,269, F_U=0.180, P=0.008). Thus, careful assessment of AS allowed us to detect known genetic variants associated with AS/AR in relatively small cohort of Lithuanians.
Identification of Neutralizing Epitopes within Structural Domain III of the West Nile Virus Envelope Protein

ABSTRACT Using a panel of neutralizing monoclonal antibodies, we have mapped epitopes in domain III of the envelope protein of the New York strain of West Nile virus. The ability of monoclonal antibodies that recognize these epitopes to neutralize virus appeared to differ between lineage I and II West Nile virus strains, and epitopes were located on the upper surface of domain III at residues E307, E330, and E332.
Recent progress in understanding the epidemiology of bacterial vaginosis

Purpose of review Bacterial vaginosis epidemiology has been transformed by new theoretical insights and methodologies, such as molecular sequencing. We summarize the progress made in these domains. Recent findings The vaginal microbiome can be classified in five to eight clusters. Bacterial vaginosis-type clusters typically constitute one of these clusters, but in higher risk women, it can constitute up to three clusters. The vaginal microbiomes may be fairly stable or be subject to rapid changes in their constitutive makeup. Bacterial vaginosis does not appear to be a single entity. Certain bacterial communities are associated with particular symptoms of bacterial vaginosis that are paired with unique adverse outcomes. Biofilm-producing Gardnerella vaginalis are likely to play an important role in initiating the structured polymicrobial biofilm that is a hallmark of bacterial vaginosis. Summary Longitudinal studies currently underway should help elucidate how to best define bacterial vaginosis and its subtypes. Risk factors and outcomes associated with particular bacterial vaginosis subtypes should also be further clarified through these studies.
Targeting Antigen to Mouse Dendritic Cells via Clec9A Induces Potent CD4 T Cell Responses Biased toward a Follicular Helper Phenotype

Three surface molecules of mouse CD8+ dendritic cells (DCs), also found on the equivalent human DC subpopulation, were compared as targets for Ab-mediated delivery of Ags, a developing strategy for vaccination. For the production of cytotoxic T cells, DEC-205 and Clec9A, but not Clec12A, were effective targets, although only in the presence of adjuvants. For Ab production, however, Clec9A excelled as a target, even in the absence of adjuvant. Potent humoral immunity was a result of the highly specific expression of Clec9A on DCs, which allowed longer residence of targeting Abs in the bloodstream, prolonged DC Ag presentation, and extended CD4 T cell proliferation, all of which drove highly efficient development of follicular helper T cells. Because Clec9A shows a similar expression pattern on human DCs, it has particular promise as a target for vaccines of human application.
Gazprom versus the Skyline: Spatial Displacement and Social Contention in St. Petersburg

On 1 December 2006, the Governor of St. Petersburg, Russia, announced the winning entry in a design competition to design a skyscraper headquarters for the Gazprom-Neft corporation. The chosen site lies directly across the Neva River from a popular historical tourist site, Smolny Cathedral, and the building's high modernist style in steel and glass promises a departure from St. Petersburg's historical style. However, the building's proposed height of 396 meters poses the greatest threat to local notions of architectural and planning tradition, which favors a low horizontal skyline. Widespread loyalty to that tradition focused attention on the project's contradiction of the existing Height Regulation, which galvanized the protest activity of several disparate groups throughout 2007 and 2008. Evidence gathered in examination of media coverage, participant observation and interviews among protest groups, as well as city planners and architects, suggests that protest against the project connects directly to the struggle to codify the Height Regulation. Drawing on the moral authority of the historical built environment, protest groups develop a thorough knowledge of drafted legislation and attempt to shame officials who disregard existing codes. Residents thereby enact their 'right to the city', as well as new possibilities for Russian polity and identity. Copyright (c) 2009 The Author. Journal Compilation (c) 2009 Joint Editors and Blackwell Publishing Ltd.
Roles of the WHHL Rabbit in Translational Research on Hypercholesterolemia and Cardiovascular Diseases

Conquering cardiovascular diseases is one of the most important problems in human health. To overcome cardiovascular diseases, animal models have played important roles. Although the prevalence of genetically modified animals, particularly mice and rats, has contributed greatly to biomedical research, not all human diseases can be investigated in this way. In the study of cardiovascular diseases, mice and rats are inappropriate because of marked differences in lipoprotein metabolism, pathophysiological findings of atherosclerosis, and cardiac function. On the other hand, since lipoprotein metabolism and atherosclerotic lesions in rabbits closely resemble those in humans, several useful animal models for these diseases have been developed in rabbits. One of the most famous of these is the Watanabe heritable hyperlipidemic (WHHL) rabbit, which develops hypercholesterolemia and atherosclerosis spontaneously due to genetic and functional deficiencies of the low-density lipoprotein (LDL) receptor. The WHHL rabbit has been improved to develop myocardial infarction, and the new strain was designated the myocardial infarction-prone WHHL (WHHLMI) rabbit. This review summarizes the importance of selecting animal species for translational research in biomedical science, the development of WHHL and WHHLMI rabbits, their application to the development of hypocholesterolemic and/or antiatherosclerotic drugs, and future prospects regarding WHHL and WHHLMI rabbits.