Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Expression of Ghrelin and its Receptor in Human Tissues

Ghrelin is a peptide thought to be involved in the regulation of appetite. Furthermore, significant effects on the release of growth hormone (GH) and ACTH were demonstrated. Contributing to the physiological relevance of this hormone, we investigated the expression of ghrelin and its receptor (GHS-R) in several normal human tissues. RNA samples (BD Biosciences) underwent one-step TaqMan Real-Time RT-PCR. Immunohistochemistry was performed on paraffin-embedded tissues using specific primary antibodies against ghrelin and its receptor. Relevant ghrelin mRNA levels were detected in all human tissues with the highest levels in stomach, pituitary, and small intestine. By immunohistochemistry, ghrelin peptide expression was detectable in reproductive and endocrine organs (ovary, anterior pituitary, adrenal gland), and organs of the gastrointestinal tract (stomach, pancreas). GHS-R1a mRNA expression was demonstrated in 10 of 24 human organs analyzed with the highest levels in pituitary, adrenal gland, and spinal cord. Expression of the receptor peptide was detected by immunohistochemistry in endocrine and reproductive organs (anterior pituitary, thyroid, pancreas, testis), parts of the CNS (cerebrum, cerebellum), and in single cells of bone marrow. Expression of both ghrelin and its receptor in endocrine and reproductive organs may indicate new endocrine or paracrine mechanisms of regulation in these tissues.
Seroepidemiology of human herpesvirus‐6 in pregnant women from different parts of the world

The prevalence of HHV‐6 IgG was studied in 11 different countries across several continents: Morocco, Burkina‐Faso, Congo, Ivory Coast, Mali, Niger, Senegal, Togo, Ecuador, Martinique, and France. The study group consisted of 550 pregnant women, representative of the general adult population in each country. Antibodies were detected by immunofluorescence assay on HSB‐2 cells infected with HHV‐6. Each serum was tested at nine dilutions (1:20 to 1:5,120), sera ≥20 being considered positive. For the HSB‐2 cells. Great differences were seen between separate areas: Morocco showed both low prevalence (20%) and a low geometric mean titer (12), whereas sub‐Saharan Africa displayed high prevalences (60% to 90%) and variable geometric mean titers (34 to 229). This study revealed a prevalence of 92% for Ecuador, signifcantly higher than the prevalence for Martinique (50%), yet both countries had very low antibody titers compared with those found in Africa. The prevalence in France (76%) was similar to previous results from other European countries.
Cooperative navigation and control: The EU MORPH project

The EU MORPH project advances the use of a formation of five autonomous marine vehicles for mapping and scientific surveying of challenging, unstructured underwater environments as a means to overcome the limitations imposed by current single-vehicle based technology. We describe the test scenarios envisioned in the project and the requirements and constraints that they impose on the cooperative navigation and control systems that enable the concerted operation of the vehicle formation. We then provide a high-level description of each of the blocks that compose the final navigation and formation control architecture, developed at ISR/IST. We highlight how the systems take into account specific mission-related requirements and applications (e.g., typical trajectories employed for mapping and surveying). We describe the results of several trials at sea (involving multiple partners in the project and a group of heterogeneous vehicles) that illustrate the applicability of the MORPH concept in real operational scenarios as well as the limitations of the systems developed.
The Industry Sources of Productivity Growth and Convergence

Industry-level productivity analysis can be a useful diagnostic tool to better understand why some countries show faster overall productivity growth and to direct research attention to parts of the economy that warrant more detailed scrutiny. This chapter illustrates these strengths in three applications, namely the Europe-US productivity growth gap since the mid-1990s, the sectoral sources of rapid convergence of productivity levels between advanced and emerging economies, and an analysis of the determinants of productivity growth and convergence. One conclusion is that a better understanding of productivity growth (or lack thereof) in services industries should still be an important goal of researchers aiming to understand cross-country growth differences.
An FPGA-Based Hardware Implementation of Configurable Pixel-Level Color Image Fusion

Image fusion has attracted a lot of interest in recent years. As a result, different fusion methods have been proposed mainly in the fields of remote sensing and computer (e.g., night) vision, while hardware implementations have been also presented to tackle real-time processing in different application domains. In this paper, a linear pixel-level fusion method is employed and implemented on a field-programmable-gate-array-based hardware system that is suitable for remotely sensed data. Our work incorporates a fusion technique (called VTVA) that is a linear transformation based on the Cholesky decomposition of the covariance matrix of the source data. The circuit is composed of different modules, including covariance estimation, Cholesky decomposition, and transformation ones. The resulted compact hardware design can be characterized as a linear configurable implementation since the color properties of the final fused color can be selected by the user in a way of controlling the resulting correlation between color components.
Glutathione-Dependent Alcohol Dehydrogenase AdhC Is Required for Defense against Nitrosative Stress in Haemophilus influenzae

ABSTRACT In Haemophilus influenzae Rd KW20, we identified a gene, adhC, which encodes a class III alcohol dehydrogenase (AdhC) and has S-nitrosoglutathione reductase activity. adhC exists on an operon with estD, which encodes an esterase. Divergent to the adhC-estD operon is the Haemophilus influenzae nmlR gene (nmlRHI), which encodes a MerR family regulator that is homologous to the Neisseria MerR-like regulator (NmlR). Analysis of an nmlRHI mutant indicated that expression of the adhC-estD operon is regulated by NmlRHI in strain Rd KW20. Chromosomal inactivation of either adhC or nmlRHI resulted in sensitivity to S-nitrosoglutathione and decreased S-nitrosoglutathione reductase activity. Examination of the NmlRHI-AdhC system in the genome sequences of nontypeable H. influenzae strains R2846, R2866, and 86-028NP identified significant variations. The adhC gene of 86-028NP was predicted to be nonfunctional due to a premature stop codon. Polymorphisms in the operator/promoter region of R2866 resulted in reduced enzyme activity. This correlated with an increased sensitivity to S-nitrosoglutathione. The adhC-nmlRHI system was examined in thirty-three clinical isolates (both capsular and nontypeable strains). Nucleic acid sequence data showed that only strain 86-028NP contained a premature stop codon. There were some variations in the DNA sequence of the operator/promoter region which altered the nmlRHI promoter. However, the clinical isolates still possessed S-nitrosoglutathione reductase activity and showed at least the equivalent ability to grow in the presence of S-nitrosoglutathione as Rd KW20. These data suggest that the nmlRHI-adhC system has a role in the defense against nitrosative stress in Haemophilus influenzae.
HIV-specific CD4 T cells and immune control of viral replication

Purpose of reviewTo understand the role of HIV-specific CD4 T cells in viral control and highlight recent progress in the field. Recent findingsHIV-specific CD4 T cells show higher functional avidity in elite controllers than in patients with progressive infection. There is an attrition of the HIV-specific CD4 T-cell population in the digestive mucosa of antiretroviral therapy (ART)-treated patients that contrasts with robust responses in individuals with spontaneous viral control. Secretion of the cytokine IL-21, by HIV-specific CD4 T cells, is associated with disease control and enhances the capacity of HIV-specific CD8 T cells to suppress viral replication. Studies of the PD-1, IL-10, and Tim-3 pathways provided insight into mechanisms of HIV-specific CD4 T-cell exhaustion and new evidence that manipulation of these networks may restore immune functions. Robust, polyfunctional CD4 T-cell responses can be elicited with novel HIV and simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV) vaccines. SummaryThese observations show that HIV-specific CD4 T-cell responses are different in elite controllers and individuals with progressive disease. Evidence suggests that HIV-specific CD4 T cells will be an important component of an effective HIV vaccine and significant efforts need to be made to further our understanding of HIV-specific CD4 T-cell functions in different body compartments.
“Pulling Telescoped Phantoms Out of the Stump”: Manipulating the Perceived Position of Phantom Limbs Using a Full-Body Illusion

Most amputees experience phantom limbs, or the sensation that their amputated limb is still attached to the body. Phantom limbs can be perceived in the location previously occupied by the intact limb, or they can gradually retract inside the stump, a phenomenon referred to as “telescoping”. Telescoping is relevant from a clinical point of view, as it tends to be related to increased levels of phantom pain. In the current study we demonstrate how a full-body illusion can be used to temporarily revoke telescoping sensations in upper limb amputees. During this illusion participants view the body of a mannequin from a first person perspective while being subjected to synchronized visuo-tactile stimulation through stroking, which makes them experience the mannequin’s body as their own. In Experiment 1 we used an intact mannequin, and showed that amputees can experience ownership of an intact body as well as referral of touch from both hands of the mannequin. In Experiment 2 and 3 we used an amputated mannequin, and demonstrated that depending on the spatial location of the strokes applied to the mannequin, participants experienced their phantom hand to either remain telescoped, or to actually be located below the stump. The effects were supported by subjective data from questionnaires, as well as verbal reports of the perceived location of the phantom hand in a visual judgment task. These findings are of particular interest, as they show that the temporary revoking of telescoping sensations does not necessarily have to involve the visualization of an intact hand or illusory movement of the phantom (as in the rubber hand illusion or mirror visual feedback therapy), but that it can also be obtained through mere referral of touch from the stump to the spatial location corresponding to that previously occupied by the intact hand. Moreover, our study also provides preliminary evidence for the fact that these manipulations can have an effect on phantom pain sensations.
Airborne particulate matter increases MUC5AC expression by downregulating Claudin-1 expression in human airway cells

CLB2.0, a constituent of PM, induces secretion of multiple cytokines and chemokines that regulate airway inflammation. Specifically, IL-6 upregulates CLB2.0-induced MUC5AC and MUC1 expression. Interestingly, of the tight junction proteins examined, claudin-1 expression was inhibited by CLB2.0. While the overexpression of claudin-1 decreased CLB2.0-induced MUC5AC expression, it increased the expression of the anti-inflammatory mucin, MUC1. CLB2.0-induced IL-6 secretion was mediated by ROS. The ROS scavenger N-acetylcysteine inhibited CLB2.0-induced IL-6 secretion, thereby decreasing the CLB2.0-induced MUC5AC expression, whereas CLB2.0-induced MUC1 expression increased. CLB2.0 activated the ERK1/2 MAPK via a ROS-dependent pathway. ERK1/2 downregulated the claudin-1 and MUC1 expressions, whereas it dramatically increased CLB2.0-induced MUC5AC expression. These findings suggest that CLB2.0-induced ERK1/2 activation acts as a switch for regulating inflammatory conditions though a ROS-dependent pathway. Our data also suggest that secreted IL-6 regulates CLB2.0-induced MUC5AC and MUC1 expression via ROS-mediated downregulation of claudin-1 expression to maintain mucus homeostasis in the airway.
Vaccinia, cowpox, and camelpox viruses encode soluble gamma interferon receptors with novel broad species specificity

Soluble receptors for gamma interferon (IFN-gamma) are secreted from cells infected by 17 orthopoxviruses, including vaccinia, cowpox, rabbitpox, buffalopox, elephantpox, and camelpox viruses, representing three species (vaccinia, cowpox, and campelpox viruses). The B8R open reading frame of vaccinia virus strain Western Reserve, which has sequence similarity to the extracellular binding domain of cellular IFN-gamma receptors (IFN-gamma Rs), is shown to encode an IFN-gamma binding activity by expression in recombinant baculovirus. The soluble virus IFN-gamma Rs bind IFN-gamma and, by preventing its interaction with the cellular receptor, interfere with the antiviral effects induced by this cytokine. Interestingly, in contrast to cellular IFN-gamma Rs, which are highly species specific, the vaccinia, cowpox, and camelpox virus IFN-gamma Rs bind and inhibit the biological activity of human, bovine, and rat IFN-gamma but not mouse IFN-gamma. This unique broad species specificity of the IFN-gamma R would aid virus replication in different species and suggests that vaccinia, cowpox, and camelpox viruses may have evolved in several species, possibly including humans but excluding mice. Last, the conservation of an IFN-gamma R in orthopoxviruses emphasizes the importance of IFN-gamma in defense against poxvirus infections.
Reduction in human papillomavirus (HPV) prevalence among young women following HPV vaccine introduction in the United States, National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys, 2003-2010.

BACKGROUND Human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination was introduced into the routine immunization schedule in the United States in late 2006 for females aged 11 or 12 years, with catch-up vaccination recommended for those aged 13-26 years. In 2010, 3-dose vaccine coverage was only 32% among 13-17 year-olds. Reduction in the prevalence of HPV types targeted by the quadrivalent vaccine (HPV-6, -11, -16, and -18) will be one of the first measures of vaccine impact. METHODS We analyzed HPV prevalence data from the vaccine era (2007-2010) and the prevaccine era (2003-2006) that were collected during National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys. HPV prevalence was determined by the Linear Array HPV Assay in cervicovaginal swab samples from females aged 14-59 years; 4150 provided samples in 2003-2006, and 4253 provided samples in 2007-2010. RESULTS Among females aged 14-19 years, the vaccine-type HPV prevalence (HPV-6, -11, -16, or -18) decreased from 11.5% (95% confidence interval [CI], 9.2-14.4) in 2003-2006 to 5.1% (95% CI, 3.8-6.6) in 2007-2010, a decline of 56% (95% CI, 38-69). Among other age groups, the prevalence did not differ significantly between the 2 time periods (P > .05). The vaccine effectiveness of at least 1 dose was 82% (95% CI, 53-93). CONCLUSIONS Within 4 years of vaccine introduction, the vaccine-type HPV prevalence decreased among females aged 14-19 years despite low vaccine uptake. The estimated vaccine effectiveness was high.
A domain of murine retrovirus surface protein gp70 mediates cell fusion, as shown in a novel SC-1 cell fusion system

Virus-induced cell fusion of the fusion-from-without type was observed in SC-1 cells infected with Moloney murine leukemia virus when grown in NIH 3T3 cells. Replication-competent virus mutants with altered surface protein gp70 were examined. Fusion mutations were found in the proline-rich region of gp70. They acted on a step after binding and before or during endocytosis. The fusion mutants had an altered gp70 isomer pattern, presumably caused by different glycosylation. Other mutants with deleted glycans were analyzed, and some which also showed defective fusion were found. The interrelationship of the proline-rich region, glycosylation, and fusion is discussed.
Stroke severity in atrial fibrillation. The Framingham Study.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Stroke occurring with atrial fibrillation (AF) is more likely to be fatal or more severe than non-AF stroke based on clinical series, but data from prospective epidemiological studies are sparse and inconsistent. METHODS Over 40-year follow-up of the original 5070 Framingham cohort, 501 initial ischemic strokes, including 103 with AF, were analyzed. Stroke severity was rated as none, mild, moderate, severe, or fatal. Since 1981, functional status indicated by the Barthel index has been evaluated acutely and at 3, 6, and 12 months. Severity and functional status of AF strokes were compared with non-AF strokes using chi 2 test and Student's t test. Thirty-day mortality was assessed by logistic regression analyses. RESULTS AF was associated with increased stroke severity (P = .048). Thirty-day mortality was greater in AF strokes than in non-AF strokes (25% versus 14%). The multivariate-adjusted odds ratio for 30-day mortality for AF subjects was 1.84 (95% confidence interval, 1.04 to 3.27). Since 1981, follow-up was available for 150 initial ischemic strokes, including 30 with AF. Compared with the non-AF group, the AF group had poorer survival and more recurrences during 1 year of follow-up. The AF subjects had lower mean Barthel index scores acutely (29.6 versus 58.6, P < .001) and at 3 months (P = .005), 6 months (P = .003), and 12 months (P = .130) after stroke among survivors. CONCLUSIONS Ischemic stroke associated with AF was nearly twice as likely to be fatal as non-AF stroke. Recurrence was more frequent, and functional deficits were more likely to be severe among survivors. Since stroke is usually the initial manifestation of embolism in AF, prevention is critical to reducing disability and mortality.
TLR7 Influences Germinal Center Selection in Murine SLE

TLR7 enhances germinal center maturation and migration of B cells to the dark zone where proliferation and somatic hypermutation occur. Our goal was to determine how Tlr7 dose influences selection of the autoreactive B cell repertoire in NZW/BXSB. Yaa mice bearing the site-directed heavy chain transgene 3H9 that encodes for the TLR7 regulated anti-CL response. To create a physiologic setting in which autoreactive B cells compete for survival with non-autoreactive B cells, we generated bone marrow chimeras in which disease onset occurred with similar kinetics and the transferred 3H9+ female non-Yaa, male Yaa or male TLR7-/Yaa cells could be easily identified by positivity for GFP. Deletion of 3H9 B cells occurred in the bone marrow and the remaining 3H9 follicular B cells manifested a decrease in surface IgM. Although there were differences in the naïve repertoire between the chimeras it was not possible to distinguish a clear pattern of selection against lupus related autoreactivity in TLR7-/Yaa or female chimeras. By contrast, preferential expansion of 3H9+ B cells occurred in the germinal centers of male Yaa chimeras. In addition, although all chimeras preferentially selected 3H9/Vκ5 encoded B cells into the germinal center and plasma cell compartments, 3H9 male Yaa chimeras had a more diverse repertoire and positively selected the 3H9/Vκ5-48/Jκ4 pair that confers high affinity anti-cardiolipin activity. We were unable to demonstrate a consistent effect of Tlr7 dose or Yaa on somatic mutations. Our data show that TLR7 excess influences the selection, expansion and diversification of B cells in the germinal center, independent of other genes in the Yaa locus.
A longitudinal meta-analysis of corruption in international business and trade: Bridging the isolated themes

ABSTRACT This article chronicles the academic debate on corruption in international business and trade. It identifies three themes: contributing factors, consequences, and combating corruption. We found convergence in the literature and that authors tend to remain loyal to their chosen theme. As a result, we found a distressing dearth of research that transcends, integrates, or validates the interrelationships between them. Through our work, we propose the bridging of themes, demonstrating how they interrelate, thereby validating their interdependencies and the broader lens needed through which to observe corruption in international business.
Accelerated benzodiazepine receptor recovery after lorazepam discontinuation

Benzodiazepine discontinuation can lead to a behavioral syndrome in animals and humans. In a mouse model, this syndrome is associated with benzodiazepine receptor up‐regulation. The protein‐modifying reagent, N‐ethoxycarbonyl‐2‐ethoxy‐1,2‐dihydroquinoline (EEDQ), has been used to irreversibly inactivate a number of neurotransmitter receptors including benzodiazepine receptors, and thus allows estimation of receptor recovery in vivo. To assess benzodiazepine receptor recovery after benzodiazepine discontinuation, we treated mice with lorazepam (LRZ), 2 mg·kg–1·day–1 for 1 wk. After 24 h, EEDQ (12.5 mg/kg) was administered, and benzodiazepine binding in the cortex and cerebellum was determined after 4–144 h. EEDQ treatment decreased receptor density in the cortex in both LRZ‐ and vehicle‐treated groups by approximately 50%, with no change in apparent affinity as previously reported. Binding in both groups returned to control values after 96 h. Kinetic analysis indicated a more rapid increase in binding in LRZ‐compared with vehicle‐treated animals, with t1/2 for LRZ 19.1 h, and for vehicle, 30.8 h (P < 0.05). Receptor density was decreased in the cerebellum after EEDQ by approximately 40% in both treatment groups, with no change in apparent affinity. Receptor density returned to control values at 96 h, with no difference in kinetics in LRZ‐ compared with vehicle‐treated mice. The decrease in receptor t1/2 associated with lorazepam discontinuation is consistent with the observed increase in benzodiazepine receptors in this setting. —Miller, L. G. ; Lumpkin, M. ; Greenblatt, D. J.; Shader, R. I. Accelerated benzodiazepine receptor recovery after lorazepam discontinuation. FASEB J. 5: 93–97; 1991.