Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Misexpression of Fgf-4 in the chick limb inhibits myogenesis by down-regulating Frek expression.

Skeletal muscle development involves an initial period of myoblast replication followed by a phase in which some myoblasts continue to proliferate while others undergo terminal differentiation. The latter process involves the permanent cessation of DNA synthesis, activation of muscle-specific gene expression, and fusion of single cells to generate multinucleated muscle fibres. The in vivo signals regulating the progression through all these steps remain unknown. Fibroblast growth factors (Fgfs) and Fgf receptors comprise a large family whose members have been shown to play multiple roles in the development of skeletal muscle in vitro. Exogenously applied Fgfs are able to stimulate proliferation and suppress myogenic differentiation in cell culture. We sought to determine the role played by Fgf-4 during limb myogenesis in vivo. Fgf-4 transcripts are located at both extremities of myotubes whereas the mRNAs of one of the Fgf receptors, Frek, are detected in mononucleated proliferating myoblasts surrounding the multinucleated fibres. Overexpression of mouse Fgf-4 (mFgf-4) using a replication-competent retrovirus, RCAS, leads to a down-regulation of muscle markers followed by an inhibition of terminal differentiation in limb muscles. Using quail/chick transplantations we were able to follow the muscle cells and found a dramatic decrease in their number after exposure to mFgf-4. Interestingly ectopic mFgf-4 down-regulates Frek transcripts in limb muscle areas. We conclude that overexpression of mFgf-4 inhibits myoblast proliferation, probably by down-regulating Frek mRNAs. This suggests a role for Fgf-4, located at the extremities of the myotubes, where it could be responsible for the absence of Frek mRNA in the muscle fibre.
Using Item Response Theory to Develop a 60-Item Representation of the NEO PI–R Using the International Personality Item Pool: Development of the IPIP–NEO–60

ABSTRACT Given advantages of freely available and modifiable measures, an increase in the use of measures developed from the International Personality Item Pool (IPIP), including the 300-item representation of the Revised NEO Personality Inventory (NEO PI–R; Costa & McCrae, 1992a) has occurred. The focus of this study was to use item response theory to develop a 60-item, IPIP-based measure of the Five-Factor Model (FFM) that provides equal representation of the FFM facets and to test the reliability and convergent and criterion validity of this measure compared to the NEO Five Factor Inventory (NEO-FFI). In an undergraduate sample (n = 359), scores from the NEO-FFI and IPIP–NEO–60 demonstrated good reliability and convergent validity with the NEO PI–R and IPIP–NEO–300. Additionally, across criterion variables in the undergraduate sample as well as a community-based sample (n = 757), the NEO-FFI and IPIP–NEO–60 demonstrated similar nomological networks across a wide range of external variables (rICC = .96). Finally, as expected, in an MTurk sample the IPIP–NEO–60 demonstrated advantages over the Big Five Inventory–2 (Soto & John, 2017; n = 342) with regard to the Agreeableness domain content. The results suggest strong reliability and validity of the IPIP–NEO–60 scores.
Report on the relationship between welfare, education and social entrepreneurship

• You may download this work for personal use only. • You may not further distribute the material or use it for any profit-making activity or commercial gain • You may freely distribute the URL identifying this open access version If you believe that this document breaches copyright please contact us providing details and we will investigate your claim. Please direct all enquiries to puresupport@bib.sdu. dk
Scattering at open perfectly electrically conducting objects using calderón preconditioning and fast multipole methods

Calderón preconditioning is very succesful in stabilising the EFIE and the use of BC functions makes the formalism valid on open surfaces. Through applying a broadband fast multipole method, the complexity can be reduced from O (N2) to O(N log N), allowing the simulation of very large structures. In the high frequency case a localised version of the preconditioner must be used to avoid excessive scattering of the eigenvalues of the combined operator.
Effects of Feeding Pigs Increasing Levels of C 18:1 Trans Fatty Acids on Fatty Acid Composition of Backfat and Intramuscular Fat as well as Backfat Firmness

Forty Large White pigs were fed from 30kg to 103kg body mass on diets supplemented with 6% of pure high-oleic sunflower oil (HO) or HO plus increasing amounts of partially hydrogenated rape seed oil (HR; 1.85%, 3.70%, 5.55%), containing high levels of j 6 to j 11 C 18:1 trans fatty acid isomers. Increasing dietary C 18: trans fatty acids resulted in a linear increase in C 18:1 trans fatty acids and conjugated linoleic acid (cis-9, trans-11 CLA) in backfat (BF) as well as in neutral lipids (NL) and phospholipids (PL) of M. long. dorsi. Thus, the rate of bioconversion of trans vaccenic acid (TVA) into CLA and incorporation of C 18:1 trans and CLA into pig adipose tissue was not limited up to 25g total C 18:1 trans fatty acids including 3.3g of TVA perkg feed. BF was higher in C 18:1 trans fatty acids and CLA than M. long. dorsi NL and PL. In BF and NL the sum of saturated fatty acids (SFA) increased with increasing dietary amounts of HR, while in PL SFA were reduced. Thus, according to their physical properties, C 18:1 trans fatty acids partly replaced SFA in PL. Firmness of backfat was also significantly increased (P<0.05) with increasing amounts of HR in feed.
Glycaemic control, dyslipidaemia and metabolic syndrome among recently diagnosed diabetes mellitus patients in Tamale Teaching Hospital, Ghana.

BACKGROUND Poor glycaemic control, dyslipidaemia and metabolic syndrome are all risk factors for cardiovascular disease. OBJECTIVE To determine the association between glycaemic control, dyslipidaemia and metabolic syndrome and their relative incidence among recently diagnosed diabetic patients in Tamale Teaching Hospital, Ghana. METHODS This prospective study, which involved a sample size of 240 diabetics, was conducted at the Tamale Teaching/Regional Hospital in the Northern Region of Ghana from September 2006 to August 2007. Data obtained about each patient included blood pressure, anthropometric measurements, fasting glucose, lipid, lipoprotein cholesterol, and HbA1C levels. The metabolic syndrome was diagnosed according to the National Cholesterol Education Programme Adult Treatment Panel III criteria. RESULTS The frequency of good glycaemic control, poor glycaemic control, dyslipidaemia and metabolic syndrome among the patients were 96(40.0%), 144(60.0%), 164(68.3%),and 104(43.3%) respectively. Dyslipidaemia occurred in 56(58.3%) of the patients with good glycaemic control and 108(75.0%) of those with poor glycaemic control. Metabolic syndrome occurred in 32 (33.3%) of the patients with good glycaemic control and 72 (50.0%) of the patients with poor glycaemic control. CONCLUSION Among recently diagnosed diabetic patients in Tamale Teaching Hospital in Ghana, dyslipidaemia and metabolic syndrome were each associated with poor glycaemic control. Dyslipidaemia was the most sensitive predictor of cardiovascular disease, followed by poor glycaemic control and thirdly metabolic syndrome.
Corporate citizenship as a marketing instrument: concepts, evidence and research directions

Confronted with increasing pressures to limit government spending on social welfare, more and more public policy makers welcome the growing social involvement of corporations. Yet, inasmuch as corporate citizenship may be desirable for society as a whole, it is unlikely to be embraced by a large number of organizations unless it is associated with concrete business benefits. This paper presents past findings and proposes future research directions useful for understanding the potential value of corporate citizenship as a marketing tool. Specifically, after examining the nature of corporate citizenship, the paper discusses its potential impact, first on consumers, then on employees. Two conceptual frameworks are introduced to guide research on the value of corporate citizenship in terms of external and internal marketing respectively.
Endosymbiotic Bacteria in the Parasitic Ciliate Ichthyophthirius multifiliis

ABSTRACT Endosymbiotic bacteria were identified in the parasitic ciliate Ichthyophthirius multifiliis, a common pathogen of freshwater fish. PCR amplification of DNA prepared from two isolates of I. multifiliis, using primers that bind conserved sequences in bacterial 16S rRNA genes, generated an ∼1,460-bp DNA product, which was cloned and sequenced. Sequence analysis demonstrated that 16S rRNA gene sequences from three classes of bacteria were present in the PCR product. These included Alphaproteobacteria (Rickettsiales), Sphingobacteria, and Flavobacterium columnare. DAPI (4′,6-diamidino-2-phenylindole) staining showed endosymbionts dispersed throughout the cytoplasm of trophonts and, in most, but not all theronts. Endosymbionts were observed by transmission electron microscopy in the cytoplasm, surrounded by a prominent, electron-translucent halo characteristic of Rickettsia. Fluorescence in situ hybridization demonstrated that bacteria from the Rickettsiales and Sphingobacteriales classes are endosymbionts of I. multifiliis, found in the cytoplasm, but not in the macronucleus or micronucleus. In contrast, F. columnare was not detected by fluorescence in situ hybridization. It likely adheres to I. multifiliis through association with cilia. The role that endosymbiotic bacteria play in the life history of I. multifiliis is not known.
Immediate closure of the open abdomen with bilateral bipedicle anterior abdominal skin flaps and subsequent retrorectus prosthetic mesh repair of the late giant ventral hernias.

BACKGROUND Management of the open abdomen in trauma and nontrauma patients is difficult, and some areas of controversy remain. Gastrointestinal fistulas are serious complications that are associated with significant mortality. We present our method for management of patients with open abdomen and also present a logical technique of subsequent repair of the late giant ventral hernias that uniformly occur in these patients. METHODS From January 1992 to December 2001, nine patients with open abdomen underwent successful immediate closure with bilateral bipedicle anterior abdominal skin flaps. The major points of this technique of abdominal closure are coverage of abdominal viscera with absorbable mesh and mobilization of the skin and subcutaneous tissue on both sides of the abdominal wound to cover the absorbable mesh. All patients had uneventful recovery and also had subsequent late giant ventral hernias. Repair of the late giant ventral hernias was performed several months later by inserting a large sheet of nonabsorbable mesh under the rectus abdominis muscles that form the neck of the ventral hernia bilaterally. This technique of ventral hernia repair is also called retrorectus prosthetic mesh repair. RESULTS Five men and four women were entered into the study. The age ranged from 22 to 53 years (median, 35 years). Seven patients suffered from blunt and penetrating trauma and two patients suffered from nontrauma causes. All patients with immediate closure of the open abdomen had uneventful recovery. Late giant ventral hernias (diameter, > 10 cm) occurred in all patients. The time from closure of the open abdomen to subsequent repair of the giant ventral hernias ranged from 7 to 48 months (median, 14 months). Follow-up after hernia repair ranged from 1 to 72 months (median, 9 months), and we have seen no evidence of recurrence. CONCLUSION Immediate closure of the open abdomen with bilateral bipedicle anterior abdominal skin flaps is an effective technique for dealing with such potentially complicated problems. Management of late giant ventral hernias with retrorectus prosthetic mesh repair is theoretically reasonable and, so far, no recurrence has been observed in our patients.
Adsorption of ochratoxin A and zearalenone by potential probiotic Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains and its relation with cell wall thickness

Aims: To examine Saccharomyces cerevisae strains with previously reported beneficial properties and aflatoxin B1 binding capacity, for their ability to remove ochratoxin A (OTA) and zearalenone (ZEA) and to study the relation between cell wall thickness and detoxificant ability of yeast strains.
Is Advertising Under‐Resourced in a Growth Market? Intangible Endogeneity and Informed Trading Issues

We examine advertising value relevance when advertising competes against other intangibles for scarce funding in a growth market. Manufacturing firms that strategically increase advertising are rewarded—they provide a direct and indirect Granger lead to stock prices above sales and income. In service firms, stock prices and intangible budgets are independently determined—with increased expenditures beyond established (optimal) levels penalised. Insider trading, conditioned on advertising, extracts 60‐day arbitrage returns of 22.5 percent, consistent with VECM signals. Highlighted is the importance of maintaining optimum intangible budgets, observing cues from informed traders and in identifying analyst following that constrains insider rent extraction.
Increased NG2+ glial cell proliferation and oligodendrocyte generation in the hypomyelinating mutant shiverer

Glial cells that express the NG2 proteoglycan (NG2+ cells) are considered to be oligodendrocyte progenitors (OPCs) in the central nervous system (CNS), based on their ability to give rise to mature oligodendrocytes in vitro. To understand how dysmyelinated conditions influence OPC proliferation and differentiation, we studied proliferation and differentiation of NG2+ OPCs in vivo in the shiverer mutant (shi), which do not form compact myelin due to a deletion in the myelin basic protein gene. Acute bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) labeling studies revealed a 4‐ to 6‐fold increase in NG2+ cell proliferation in shi spinal cord between postnatal day18 (P18) and P60, and most BrdU+ cells were NG2+ after P18. The increased proliferation was accompanied by a 2‐fold increase in the number of OPCs and oligodendrocytes. Survival studies following a single injection of BrdU at P18 revealed a decline in the number of BrdU+/NG2+ cells with a concomitant increase in the number of BrdU+ oligodendrocytes over time, suggesting that the proliferated NG2+ cells had differentiated into oligodendrocytes. BrdU+ oligodendrocytes were generated over a longer period of time in shi spinal cord and persisted longer in shi than in wild type spinal cord. These findings suggest that new oligodendrocytes continue to be generated in the dysmyelinated shi spinal cord by enhanced proliferation and differentiation of NG2+ oligodendrocyte progenitor cells. © 2004 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Reversal of vertebral deformities in osteoporosis: Measurement error or “rebound”?

Digitized morphometry of vertebral bodies on lateral spine films is used to identify and quantify vertebral deformities or fractures. One problem associated with this method is the phenomenon of “disappearing fractures,” which results from the apparent increase in vertebral body heights of previously deformed vertebrae on subsequent radiographs. These have been considered biologically implausible and therefore a result of measurement error. Measurement error is unlikely to be unidirectional, so that a proportion of fractures identified by morphometry is also the result of measurement error. Since some vertebral deformities are real events, some disappearances of deformities detected by morphometry may be real events. In this report, we examine the data from our clinical trial of sodium fluoride in spinal osteoporosis to assess critically the plausibility of two hypotheses: (1) The “rebound” phenomenon results from measurement error. If this is the case, then some fractures of the same magnitude as the rebound must also represent measurement error. (2) Some deformed vertebrae in fact rebound toward their original shape and size, displaying an elastic response to deformation. If this occurs, then some vertebral deformities are transient events, not true fractures. We conclude that the variability inherent in morphometric data obtained from serial spine x‐rays results in both disappearing fractures and a high false positive fracture rate. The use of more stringent criteria for defining significant deformities, or true fractures, will minimize these problems. We cannot exclude the second hypothesis, that some vertebral deformities may be transient events, but this needs further study.
Clinical and pathological effects of short‐term cyanide repeated dosing to goats

The purpose of this work is to determine and describe the effects of subacute cyanide toxicity to goats. Eight female goats were divided into two groups. The first group of five animals was treated with 8.0 mg KCN kg−1 body weight day−1 for seven consecutive days. The second group of three animals was treated with water as controls. Complete physical examination, including observation for behavior changes, was conducted before and after dosing. One treated animal was euthanized immediately after dosing. Later, two of the remaining treated animals and a control goat were euthanized after a 30‐day recovery period. Euthanized animals were necropsied and tissues were collected and prepared for histologic studies. Clinical signs in treated goats were transient and included depression and lethargy, mild hyperpnea and hyperthermia, arrhythmias, abundant salivation, vocalizations, expiratory dyspnea, jerky movements and head pressing. Two goats developed convulsions after day 3 of treatment. One animal developed more permanent behavioral changes as she became less dominant and aggressive. Histologic changes included mild hepatocellular vacuolation and degeneration, mild vacuolation and swelling of the proximal convoluted tubules of the kidneys and spongiosis of the white matter (status spongiosis) of the cerebral white tracts, internal capsule, cerebellar peduncles, spinal cord and peripheral nerves. In summary, sub‐lethal cyanide intoxication in goats resulted in behavioral changes, and during the treatment period animals showed delayed signs of toxicity. Significant histologic lesions in goats were observed and need to be characterized further. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Power efficient multiple voltage stimulation for implantable retinal prosthesis

Electrical stimulation of retinal neurons has been identified as a form of visual prosthesis to restore vision in blind patients affected by Retinitis Pigmentosa (RP) and Age-related Macular Degeneration (AMD). Experiments on a successful prosthetic device in a chronically implanted patient indicate that the threshold current varies depending on the retinal region. Power can be saved by reducing the stimulus current in these sites. Further power savings can be obtained by reducing the supply voltage for these sites. This paper proposes a multiple voltage scheme in a retinal stimulator for reducing the power dissipation. An analysis of power dissipation is performed that helps to identify the stimulus range where maximum power savings is possible. A prototype retinal microstimulator IC is fabricated in CMOS technology that is capable of delivering 600/spl mu/A bi-phasic pulses. The performance of the chip is verified under multiple voltages and measurement results of the chip are presented.
Sentiment analysis of student feedback using machine learning and lexicon based approaches

This paper presents a combination of machine learning and lexicon-based approaches for sentiment analysis of students feedback. The textual feedback, typically collected towards the end of a semester, provides useful insights into the overall teaching quality and suggests valuable ways for improving teaching methodology. The paper describes a sentiment analysis model trained using TF-IDF and lexicon-based features to analyze the sentiments expressed by students in their textual feedback. A comparative analysis is also conducted between the proposed model and other methods of sentiment analysis. The experimental results suggest that the proposed model performs better than other methods.
Oligomer formation of the gB glycoprotein of herpes simplex virus type 1

Oligomer formation of the gB glycoprotein of herpes simplex virus type 1 was studied by sedimentation analysis of radioactively labeled infected cell and virion lysates. Fractions from sucrose gradients were precipitated with a pool of gB-specific monoclonal antibodies and analyzed by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE). Pulse-labeled gB from infected cell was synthesized as monomers and converted to oligomers posttranslationally. The oligomers from infected cells and from virions sedimented as dimers, and there was no evidence of higher-molecular-weight forms. To identify amino acid sequences of gB that contribute to oligomer formation, pairs of mutant plasmids were transfected into Vero cells and superinfected with a gB-null mutant virus to stimulate plasmid-specified gene expression. Radioactively labeled lysates were precipitated with antibodies and examined by SDS-PAGE. Polypeptides from cotransfections were precipitated with an antibody that recognized amino acid sequences present in only one of the two polypeptides. A coprecipitated polypeptide lacking the antibody target epitope was presumed to contain the sequences necessary for oligomer formation. Using this technique, two noncontiguous sites for oligomer formation were detected. An upstream site was localized between residues 93 and 282, and a downstream site was localized between residues 596 and 711. Oligomer formation resulted from molecular interactions between two upstream sites, between two downstream sites, and between an upstream and a downstream site. A schematic diagram of a gB oligomer is presented that is consistent with these data.
Transient Mobilization of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV)-Specific CD4 T-Helper Cells Fails To Control Virus Rebounds during Intermittent Antiretroviral Therapy in Chronic HIV Type 1 Infection

ABSTRACT Immune control of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is not restored by highly active antiretroviral therapies (HAART) during chronic infection. We examined the capacity of repeated structured therapeutic interruptions (STI) to restore HIV-specific CD4 and CD8 T-cell responses that controlled virus production. Eleven STI (median duration, 7 days; ranges, 4 to 24 days) were performed in three chronically HIV-infected patients with CD4 counts above 400/mm3 and less than 200 HIV RNA copies/ml after 18 to 21 months of HAART; treatment resumed after 1 week or when virus became detectable. HIV-specific T-cell responses were analyzed by proliferation, gamma interferon (IFN-γ) production, and enzyme-linked immunospot assays. Seven virus rebounds were observed (median, 4,712 HIV-1 RNA copies/ml) with a median of 7 days during which CD4 and CD8 counts did not significantly change. After treatment resumed, the viral load returned below 200 copies/ml within 3 weeks. Significant CD4 T-cell proliferation and IFN-γ production against HIV p24 appeared simultaneously with or even before the virus rebounds in all patients. These CD4 responses lasted for less than 3 weeks and disappeared before therapeutic control of the virus had occurred. Increases in the numbers of HIV-specific CD8 T cells were delayed compared to changes in HIV-specific CD4 T-cell responses. No delay or increase in virus doubling time was observed after repeated STI. Iterative reexposure to HIV during short STI in chronically infected patients only transiently mobilized HIV-specific CD4 T1-helper cells, which might be rapidly altered by virus replication. Such kinetics might explain the failure at delaying subsequent virus rebounds and raises concerns about strategies based on STI to restore durable HIV-specific T-cell responses in chronic HIV infection.