Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Expression of a synthetic copy of the bovine chymosin gene in Aspergillus awamori from constitutive and pH-regulated promoters and secretion using two different pre-pro sequences.

A copy of the bovine chymosin gene (chy) with a codon usage optimized for its expression in Aspergillus awamori was constructed starting from synthetic oligonucleotides. To study the ability of this filamentous fungus to secrete bovine prochymosin, two plasmids were constructed in which the transcriptional, translational, and secretory control regions of the A. nidulans gpdA gene and pepB genes were coupled to either preprochymosin or prochymosin genes. Secretion of a protein enzymatically and immunologically indistinguishable from bovine chymosin was achieved in A. awamori transformants with each of these constructions. In all cases, the primary translation product (40.5 kDa) was self-processed to a mature chymosin polypeptide having a molecular weight of 35.6 kDa. Immunological assays indicated that most of the chymosin was secreted to the extracellular medium. Hybridization analysis of genomic DNA from chymosin transformants showed chromosomal integration of prochymosin sequences and, in some transformants, multiple copies of the expression cassettes were observed. Expression from the gpdA promoter was constitutive, whereas expression from the pepB promoter was strongly influenced by pH. A very high expression from the pepB promoter was observed during the growth phase. The A. awamori pepB gene terminator was more favorable for chymosin production than the S. cerevisiae CYC1 terminator.
Media Framing of Religious Minorities in Greece: The Case of the Protestants

During the past 50 years, Greece has demonstrated significant progress on different social, economic, and political fronts. After joining the European Union in 1981, Greece received generous funding to engage in a radical reformation of its public services and the industrial and agricultural sectors. The central objective of different Greek governments has been an overall convergence of the Greek standards of living with the European standards of living. Thus far, Greece has only partially succeeded in this goal. In the context of civil liberties and human rights, Greece has improved its performance. In sharp contrast to the 1960s, Greek citizens are no longer persecuted because of their political beliefs or party affiliations. All political views from the far right to the far left are tolerated and represented in the Greek Parliament. However, despite Greece's progress in protecting and respecting political views, similar progress has not been marked in the context of religious beliefs. Its noticeable failure to separate Church and State and the obtrusive influence of the Church of Greece on governmental affairs has prevented the country from functioning like its western counterparts (Agouridis, 1998, 158). Various institutions are involved in the sensitive area of religious expression. First, the Greek Orthodox Church, 1 also known as the Church of Greece, which the Greek Constitution recognizes as the “prevailing” religion, undoubtedly remains a significant element of national/cultural identity, because of its cultural past, as well as a powerful political force claiming a role in the political affairs of the country, both internal and external. Also, the Greek Government's Ministry of Education and Religious Affairs oversees all activities related to public religious education, and supervises all non-Orthodox religious entities (Stathopoulos in Christopoulos, 1999). 1The terms Greek Orthodox Church and Church of Greece are used interchangeably. The same applies for the terms Greek Protestants and Greek Evangelicals.
Bridging the Political Deficit: Loss, Morality and Agency in Films Addressing Climate Change

This article examines the emotional rhetorical strategies of 3 films—The Day After Tomorrow (2004), An Inconvenient Truth (2006), and The Age of Stupid (2009)—that attempt to create engagements with the “postpolitical” problem of climate change. In all 3 films the experience of personal loss, the potential for future loss, and the emotions associated with loss are fundamental to affective engagement. The emotional loading of representations of environmental problems derives partly from concerns about human political agency and subjectivity. It is not so much that emotional or moral appeals are simply added on in order to bolster a political message, but rather that autobiographical narratives of loss and morality occupy the space once dominated by modernist forms of politics.
Effect of HIV-1 and antiretroviral therapy on herpes simplex virus type 2: a prospective study in African women

Objectives: To document the natural history of herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2) in relation to HIV and highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) in Africa, a longitudinal study was conducted of women in the placebo arms of two randomised controlled trials of HSV-suppressive therapy in Burkina Faso. Methods: 22 HIV-uninfected women (group 1), 30 HIV-1-infected women taking HAART (group 2), and 68 HIV-1-infected women not eligible for HAART (group 3) were followed over 24 weeks. HSV-2 DNA was detected on alternate weeks using real-time PCR from cervicovaginal lavages. Plasma HIV-1 RNA was measured every month. CD4 cell counts were measured at enrolment. Results: Ulcers occurred on 1.9%, 3.1% and 7.2% of visits in groups 1, 2 and 3 (p = 0.02). Cervicovaginal HSV-2 DNA was detected in 45.5%, 63.3% and 67.6% of women (p = 0.11), and on 4.3%, 9.7% and 15.5% of visits in the three groups (p<0.001). Among HIV-infected women, cervicovaginal HSV-2 DNA was detected more frequently during ulcer episodes (adjusted risk ratio (aRR) 2.79, 95% CI 2.01 to 3.86) and less frequently among women practising vaginal douching (aRR 0.60, 95% CI 0.40 to 0.91). Compared with women not taking HAART and with CD4 cell counts of 500 cells/μl or greater, women on HAART had a similar risk of HSV-2 shedding (aRR 0.95, 95% CI 0.52 to 1.73), whereas women with CD4 cell counts of 200–500 cells/μl were more likely to shed HSV-2 (aRR 1.71, 95% CI 1.02 to 2.86). Conclusions: HSV-2 reactivations occur more frequently among HIV-infected women, particularly those with low CD4 cell counts, and are only partly reduced by HAART. HSV therapy may benefit HIV-infected individuals during HAART.
Robust Pricing of the American Put Option: A Note on Richardson Extrapolation and the Early Exercise Premium

This paper presents a detailed analysis of the numerical implementation of the American put option decomposition into an equivalent European option plus an early exercise premium (Kim 1990, Jacka 1991, Carr et al. 1992). It subsequently introduces a new algorithm based upon this decomposition and Richardson extrapolation. This new algorithm is based upon (a) the derivation of the correct order for the error term when applying Richardson extrapolation, which is used to control the error of the extrapolated prices, (b) an innovative adjustment of Kim's (1990) discrete-time early exercise premium, so that these premiums monotonically converge and, therefore, it is appropriate to use them in extrapolation, and (c) the optimal exercise frontier can be quickly computed through Newton's method, permitting the efficient implementation of the decomposition formula in practice. Numerical experiments show that this new algorithm is accurate, efficient, easy to implement, and competitive in comparison with other methods. Finally, it can also be applied to other American exotic securities.
Stability of Automatic Guidance for a Mobile Robot

A control law for the automatic guidance is proposed in this paper as if each obstacle exerts upon the mobile robot a repulsion, which varies inversely with the distance between the robot and the obstacle, and becomes infinite as the robot approaches the obstacle. Stability of the automatic guidance is studied when the mobile robot deviates from the ideal path. The results lead to criteria of selecting control parameters for better guidance.
Do Consumers Choose the Right Credit Contracts?

A number of studies have pointed to various mistakes that consumers might make in their consumption-saving and financial decisions. We utilize a unique market experiment conducted by a large U.S. bank to assess how systematic and costly such mistakes are in practice. The bank offered consumers a choice between two credit card contracts, one with an annual fee but a lower interest rate and one with no annual fee but a higher interest rate. To minimize their total interest costs net of the fee, consumers expecting to borrow a sufficiently large amount should choose the contract with the fee, and vice-versa. We find that on average consumers chose the contract that ex post minimized their net costs. A substantial fraction of consumers (about 40%) still chose the ex post sub-optimal contract, with some incurring hundreds of dollars of avoidable interest costs. Nonetheless, the probability of choosing the sub-optimal contract declines with the dollar magnitude of the potential error, and consumers with larger errors were more likely to subsequently switch to the optimal contract. Thus most of the errors appear not to have been very costly, with the exception that a small minority of consumers persists in holding substantially sub-optimal contracts without switching.
A spatio-temporal logic for image sequence coding and retrieval

The problem of retrieving image sequences from databases is of main importance in the context of advanced multimedia applications. In this paper, an original formalism is proposed for the description of the changes that occur in image sequences. The concepts of temporal logic are extended so as to comprise a unified framework for handling sequences of images. <<ETX>>
Neighbourhood, Route and Workplace-Related Environmental Characteristics Predict Adults' Mode of Travel to Work

Objective Commuting provides opportunities for regular physical activity which can reduce the risk of chronic disease. Commuters' mode of travel may be shaped by their environment, but understanding of which specific environmental characteristics are most important and might form targets for intervention is limited. This study investigated associations between mode choice and a range of objectively assessed environmental characteristics. Methods Participants in the Commuting and Health in Cambridge study reported where they lived and worked, their usual mode of travel to work and a variety of socio-demographic characteristics. Using geographic information system (GIS) software, 30 exposure variables were produced capturing characteristics of areas around participants' homes and workplaces and their shortest modelled routes to work. Associations between usual mode of travel to work and personal and environmental characteristics were investigated using multinomial logistic regression. Results Of the 1124 respondents, 50% reported cycling or walking as their usual mode of travel to work. In adjusted analyses, home-work distance was strongly associated with mode choice, particularly for walking. Lower odds of walking or cycling rather than driving were associated with a less frequent bus service (highest versus lowest tertile: walking OR 0.61 [95% CI 0.20–1.85]; cycling OR 0.43 [95% CI 0.23–0.83]), low street connectivity (OR 0.22, [0.07–0.67]; OR 0.48 [0.26–0.90]) and free car parking at work (OR 0.24 [0.10–0.59]; OR 0.55 [0.32–0.95]). Participants were less likely to cycle if they had access to fewer destinations (leisure facilities, shops and schools) close to work (OR 0.36 [0.21–0.62]) and a railway station further from home (OR 0.53 [0.30–0.93]). Covariates strongly predicted travel mode (pseudo r-squared 0.74). Conclusions Potentially modifiable environmental characteristics, including workplace car parking, street connectivity and access to public transport, are associated with travel mode choice, and could be addressed as part of transport policy and infrastructural interventions to promote active commuting.
Oxycodone: a review of its use in the management of pain

ABSTRACT Background: Oxycodone is a strong opioid that acts at mu- and kappa-opioid receptors. It has pharmacological actions similar to strong opioids, but with a specific pharmacologic profile and greater analgesic potency to morphine. The efficacy of oxycodone in managing neuropathic and somatic pain, both of malignant and non-malignant origin, has been established in a wide range of settings. Scope: This review aims to provide a comprehensive evaluation of oxycodone and its role within clinical settings in order to provide an evidence-based perspective on its use in the clinic. Literature searches using Medline, EMBASE and Cochrane Databases were used to compile data for review. The review provides information on the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of oxycodone and also profiles established clinical data in neuropathic and somatic pain as well as emerging data to support the use of oxycodone in visceral pain, which may be due to its interaction with kappa-opioid receptors. Oxycodone is available in a range of formulations for oral, intraspinal and parenteral administration. Findings: The prolonged-release form of oxycodone offers a fast onset of analgesia, controlling pain for 12 hours and providing clinically meaningful relief of moderate to severe pain and improving quality of life across a broad spectrum of pain types. Conclusions: Oxycodone provides significant pain relief. It has relevant points of difference from other opioids and as such may be a suitable alternative to morphine.
Vascular endothelial growth factor‐targeted therapy in metastatic renal cell carcinoma

Inactivation of the von Hippel‐Lindau tumor suppressor gene in most sporadic renal cell carcinoma (RCC) tumors leads to a fundamental reliance on elements of this pathway, namely, the potent proangiogenic factor, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). Thus, VEGF‐targeted therapeutics have undergone extensive clinical testing in RCC. Approaches to bind circulating VEGF protein (eg, bevacizumab) and small molecule inhibitors of the receptor on which the VEGF ligand binds (eg, sunitinib, sorafenib, axitinib, and pazopanib) have been tested. Robust clinical effects have been observed, including high objective response rates, prolonged progression‐free survival, and evidence of long overall survival for patients with metastatic RCC patients who are treated with these agents. Future directions include investigation of combination and sequenced therapy, elucidation of mechanisms of response and resistance, and exploration of the effect of these agents in other disease settings. Cancer 2009;115(10 suppl):2306‐12. © 2009 American Cancer Society.
Blood groups and acute aortic dissection type III

Introduction Acute aortic type III dissection is one of the most catastrophic events, with in-hospital mortality ranging between 10% and 12%. The majority of patients are treated medically, but complicated dissections, which represent 15% to 20% of cases, require surgical or thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR). For the best outcomes adequate blood transfusion support is required. Interest in the relationship between blood type and vascular disease has been established. The aim of our study is to evaluate distribution of blood groups among patients with acute aortic type III dissection and to identify any kind of relationship between blood type and patient’s survival. Material and methods From January 2005 to December 2014, 115 patients with acute aortic type III dissection were enrolled at the Clinic of Vascular and Endovascular Surgery in Belgrade, Serbia and retrospectively analyzed. Patients were separated into two groups. The examination group consisted of patients with a lethal outcome, and the control group consisted of patients who survived. Results The analysis of the blood groups and RhD typing between groups did not reveal a statistically significant difference (p = 0.220). Conclusions Our results indicated no difference between different blood groups and RhD typing with respect to in-hospital mortality of patients with acute aortic dissection type III.
Prevalence of dyslipidemia and risk factors in Campos dos Goytacazes, in the Brazilian state of Rio de Janeiro.

OBJECTIVE To determine the prevalence of dyslipidemias in adults in the city of Campos dos Goytacazes, in the Brazilian state of Rio de Janeiro, and to identify its relation to risk factors. METHODS Cross-sectional, population-based, observational study with sampling through conglomerates and stratified according to socioeconomic levels, sex, and age, with 1,039 individuals. Risk factors, familial history, blood pressure, anthropometric measurements, glucose, triglycerides and cholesterol were determined. RESULTS The following prevalences were observed: of dyslipidemias 24.2%; of hypercholesterolemia, 4.2%; of elevated LDL-C, 3.5%; of low HDL-C, 18.3%; and of hypertriglyceridemia, 17.1%. The following mean levels were observed: cholesterol, 187.6 +/- 33.7 mg/dL; LDL-C, 108.7 +/- 26.8 mg/dL; HDL-C, 48.5 +/- 7.7 mg/dL; and triglycerides, 150.1 +/- 109.8 mg/dL. The following variables showed a positive correlation with dyslipidemia: increased age (P<0.001), male sex (P<0.001), low familial income (P<0.001), familial history (P<0.01), overweight/obesity (P<0.001), waist measure (P<0.001), high blood pressure (P<0.001), and diabetes mellitus (P<0.001). The following variables had no influence on dyslipidemias: ethnicity, educational level, smoking habits, and sedentary lifestyle. CONCLUSION The frequency of lipid changes in the population studied was high, suggesting that measures for the early diagnosis should be taken, in association with implementation of programs for primary and secondary prevention of atherosclerosis.
Target‐specific Catecholamine Elevation Induced by Anticonvulsant Thalamic Deep Brain Stimulation

Summary: Purpose: Anterior thalamic nucleus (AN) deep brain stimulation (DBS) is effective in raising EEG and clonic seizure threshold in experimental models. Little is known about the specific properties of DBS that afford its anticonvulsant effect. We sought to test the hypothesis that experimental seizures and the anticonvulsant action of AN DBS alter the underlying regional neurochemistry of AN, specifically with facilitation of the serotonergic system to local electrical stimulation.
The Impact of Galaxy Cluster Mergers on Cosmological Parameter Estimation from Surveys of the Sunyaev-Zel’dovich Effect

Sensitive surveys of the cosmic microwave background will detect thousands of galaxy clusters via the Sunyaev-Zel’dovich (SZ) effect. Two SZ observables, the central or maximum and integrated Comptonization parameters ymax and Y, relate in a simple way to the total cluster mass, which allows the construction of mass functions (MFs) that can be used to estimate cosmological parameters such as ΩM, σ8, and the dark energy parameter w. However, clusters form from the mergers of smaller structures, events that can disrupt the equilibrium of intracluster gas on which SZ- M relations rely. From a set of N-body/hydrodynamical simulations of binary cluster mergers, we calculate the evolution of Y and ymax over the course of merger events and find that both parameters are transiently “boosted,” primarily during the first core passage. We then use a semianalytic technique developed by Randall et al. to estimate the effect of merger boosts on the distribution functions YF and yF of Y and ymax, respectively, via cluster merger histories determined from extended Press-Schechter (PS) merger trees. We find that boosts do not induce an overall systematic effect on YFs, and the values of ΩM, σ8, and w were returned to within 2% of values expected from the nonboosted YFs. The boosted yFs are significantly biased, however, causing ΩM to be underestimated by 15%-45%, σ8 to be overestimated by 10%-25%, and w to be pushed to more negative values by 25%-45%. We confirm that the integrated SZ effect, Y, is far more robust to mergers than ymax, as previously reported by Motl et al. and similarly found for the X-ray equivalent YX, and we conclude that Y is the superior choice for constraining cosmological parameters.
Racial Integration as an Innovation: Empirical Evidence from Sports Leagues

This paper treats racial integration as an innovation in economic process in which economic entities find it advantageous to utilize potentially more productive inputs previously unavailable due to law, custom, or managerial discretion. Data on the racial integration of Major League Baseball and Atlantic Coast Conference basketball are employed to address this issue. The central question examined is which type of team integrated first—losers or winners? The results strongly support the idea that entrepreneurship trumps competitive rivalry; that is, winning teams led the process of racial integration.
Transdisciplinarity as an Inference Technique to Achieve a Better Understanding in the Health and Environmental Sciences

The problems of the world are not categorised into disciplines. They are far more complex, a reality that the tradition of transdisciplinary research has recognised. When faced with questions in public health and sustainability, the traditional scientific paradigm often seems inadequate, and, at least in medicine, transdisciplinary research has not yet been fully appreciated or acknowledged. This lack of recognition may be partly caused by a lack of cooperation between disciplines and between science and society. In this paper, I discuss some of the challenges that scientists and policymakers face in public health and environment within a methodological context. I present transdisciplinarity as a modern research tool that should be applied in research in health and the environment and argue that these topics can be approached beyond the inherent obstacle of incommensurability between disciplines. Thus, a small step might be taken in this immense research arena.
Beneficial Effects of Minocycline and Botulinum Toxin–Induced Constraint Physical Therapy Following Experimental Traumatic Brain Injury

Background. Effective recovery from functional impairments caused by traumatic brain injury (TBI) requires appropriate rehabilitation therapy. Multiple pathways are involved in secondary injury and recovery suggesting a role for multimodal approaches. Objective. Here, we examined the efficacy of the anti-inflammatory agent minocycline and botulinum toxin (botox)–induced limb constraint with structured physical therapy, delivered alone or in combination, after a severe TBI produced by a controlled cortical impact in rats. Methods. Minocycline was administered at 25 mg/kg daily for 2 weeks beginning 1 day after TBI or sham surgery. For constraint/physical therapy, botox-type A was injected into the nonaffected forearm muscle 1 day after injury and 2 weeks of physical therapy commenced at 5 days after injury. Functional evaluations were conducted 8 weeks after injury. Results. Minocycline, either as a monotherapy or as combination treatment with botox/physical therapy significantly reduced impairments of spatial learning and memory in the water maze test, whereas botox/physical therapy reduced forelimb motor asymmetry and improved manual dexterity in the cylinder and vermicelli handling tests, A synergistic effect between the 2 treatments was observed when rats performed tasks requiring dexterity. Inflammation was attenuated in the peri-contusion cortex and hippocampus in all TBI groups receiving mono or combination therapies, though there was no significant difference in lesion size among groups. Conclusion. These data provide a rationale for incorporating anti-inflammatory treatment during rehabilitation therapy.