Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Detection of Epstein‐Barr Virus in Salivary Gland Specimens from Sjögren's Syndrome Patients

The cause of Sjögren's syndrome remains unclear, but several environmental and genetic factors have been implicated. The Epstein‐Barr virus(EBV), among others (e.g., cytomegalovirus, human herpesvirus 6, and retroviruses), has been widely studied in connection with Sjögren's syndrome without conclusive results. To determine the role of EBV infection in patients with Sjögren's syndrome, the presence of EBV deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) in major and minor salivary gland biopsy specimens was investigated by means of sulfur 35 in situ hybridization and polymerase chain reaction. Additionally, the presence of latent virus proteins EBV latent membrane protein and Epstein‐Barr nuclear antigen 2 was analyzed by immunohistochemical methods. Viral DNA, detected by in situ hybridization, was found in 19% of patients with a diagnosis of Sjögren's syndrome and in 3% of controls. All tissues studied were found to be negative for EBV DNA by polymerase chain reaction. EBV latent membrane protein‐positive staining was seen in 17% of patients and 22% of control subjects, while Epstein‐Barr‐positive staining was found in 25% of patients and 39% of controls. The low frequency of EBV DNA detected in the biopsy specimens does not indicate that the virus itself is the cause of Sjögren's syndrome. However, the possibility that the virus acts as a cofactor cannot be ruled out.
Zero-Shot Learning for Natural Language Understanding Using Domain-Independent Sequential Structure and Question Types

Natural language understanding (NLU) is an important module of spoken dialogue systems. One of the difﬁculties when it comes to adapting NLU to new domains is the high cost of constructing new training data for each domain. To reduce this cost, we propose a zero-shot learning of NLU that takes into account the sequential structures of sentences together with general question types across different domains. Experimental re-sults show that our methods achieve higher accuracy than base-line methods in two completely different domains (insurance and sightseeing).
Postpartum coronary artery dissection

unusual presentation. Southern Medical Journal 78:989–992. Peterson WF, Goldzicher J. 1953. Adrenal hemorrhage in pregnancy. American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology 66:648–653. Vella A, Nippoldt TB, Morris JC. 2001. Adrenal haemorrhage: A 25 year experience. Mayo Clinic Proceedings 76:161–168. Zummo BP, Williams PC, Uznanski M. 1952. Retroperitoneal haemorrhage complication pregnancy. Surgery, Gynecology & Obstetrics 95:512–516.
The Non-homologous End-Joining (NHEJ) Pathway for the Repair of DNA Double-Strand Breaks: I. A Mathematical Model

This article presents a biochemical kinetic model for the non-homologous end joining (NHEJ) of DNA double-strand break (DSB) repair pathway. The model is part of a theoretical framework to encompass all cellular DSB repair pathways. The NHEJ model was developed by taking into consideration the biological characteristics of the repair processes in the absence of homologous recombination (HR), the major alternative pathway for DSB repair. The model considers fast and slow components of the repair kinetics resulting in a set of differential equations that were solved numerically. In the absence of available published data for reaction rate constants for the repair proteins involved in NHEJ, we propose reaction rate constants for the solution of the equations. We assume as a first approximation that the reaction rate constants are applicable to mammalian cells under same conditions. The model was tested by comparing measured and simulated DSB repair kinetics obtained with HR-deficient cell lines irradiated by X rays in the dose range of 20–80 Gy. Measured data for initial protein recruitment to a DSB were used to independently estimate rate constants for Ku70/Ku80 and DNA-dependent protein kinase catalytic subunit (DNA-PKcs). We show here based on the model of DSB repair described in this article, application of the model in the accompanying article (Taleei et al., Radiat. Res. 179, 540–548, 2013) and by simulation of repair times for each individual DSB produced by individual tracks of electrons, that the complexity of damage may explain the slow kinetics of DNA DSB repair.
Embryonic Stem Cells Attenuate Viral Myocarditis in Murine Model

We used mice to test our hypothesis that in response to viral invasion, stem cells may migrate into the heart and attenuate the effect of viral myocarditis. Male BALB/c mice were divided into three groups: mouse embryonic stem (ES) cell control, encephalomyocarditis virus (EMCV), and EMCV + ES cells. After administration of ES cells via tail vein, mice were immediately inoculated with EMCV. Mice were sacrificed at different days after EMCV inoculation. Mortality was recorded. Inflammatory cell infiltration and necrosis (major pathological changes of viral myocarditis) were evaluated by hematoxylin-eosin staining. ES cell migration and differentiation were identified by immunofluorescence. The survival rate in the EMCV + ES cell group (80%) was significantly increased (p < 0.05) over the EMCV-alone group (64%). Also, the incidence of inflammatory cell infiltration and myocardial lesions was lower in the EMCV + ES cell mice. Furthermore, the result of green fluorescent protein (GFP) and a-actinin analysis indicated that ES cells migrated into the heart and differentiated into myocytes after virus inoculation. In conclusion, ES cells significantly increased the survival of viral myocarditis mice and also decreased the necrosis and infiltration of inflammatory cells. These results demonstrated the ability of stem cells to mitigate the effects of viral infection on the heart and illustrated their potential therapeutic application to other mammalian species, including humans.
A recommender system based on local topology features and message rate

Social networks have become an indispensable part of every day's life. A vast majority of people use at least one social network to communicate with friends or business partners. Different applications of social networks are used to meet diverse needs of users. Social networks use recommender systems to provide wider experience for their users. Friend recommendation has been the most popular and important application used to expand the circle of friends and social communication. Social networks are very dynamic. Every moment new people are added and new forms of relationship are formed. Therefore, evaluating social networks is a complicated task. In this paper, the focus is both on the characteristics of social networks as well as the messages sent between and among the nodes. A mixed method will be suggested which will initially use a community detection algorithm based on message rate as a pruning algorithm. It will then divide the network into several communities. Afterwards, the FriendLink algorithm will be employed in order to estimate the similarity score between all users based on the properties of the network structure and the rate of the messages sent. Finally, users with maximal similarity will be suggested as friends to the target user. The results of testing a Facebook-like dataset revealed that the suggested method is of a great precision and accuracy as compared to FriendLink and CSM algorithms.
Explaining city applications of smart growth policies: insights from Maryland, USA

Little research examined how technical capacity contributes to smart growth applications. Therefore, this research paper applies case study analysis to investigate the effects of the technical capacity of city/town planning agencies on applications of smart growth policies to reduce urban sprawl. The case studies include 10 cities/towns located in different counties within the State of Maryland, USA. They represent four pairs/groups with comparable population size but different smart growth profiles. First, the researcher conducted content analysis of city/town comprehensive plans to assess how they have embraced smart growth policies. Then, she interviewed city/town planners to explore factors contributing to policy applications. The analysis indicates that city/town technical planning capacity (PC) is the most important factor contributing to smart growth applications. It shows that county applications of anti-sprawl policies lead cities/towns to adopt smart growth policies to manage future growth. In addition, public preferences and concerns about rapid urban growth shape city/town land-use policies.
The dynamics of volunteer motivations for engaging in the management of invasive plants: insights from a mixed-methods study on Scottish seabird islands

Volunteers play an important role in the management of natural habitats. Understanding what motivates volunteers to join conservation initiatives and how motivations change over time is essential to enhance the environmental and social benefits of their engagement. Using a repeated qualitative survey and semi-structured interviews, we explore volunteers’ initial and sustained motivations in the management of the invasive tree mallow (Lavatera arborea) on Scottish seabird islands. Caring for nature, the performance of volunteering activities, and social interactions were the main drivers of involvement. Over time, motivations were shaped by the interplay between individual expectations and experiences with the social and ecological context. They changed from identifiable functions to more complex attachments to the place and the group. We discuss the limitations of functional methodologies in making sense of these attachments and of the performative nature of environmental volunteering. We then explore the practical implications of the dynamics of volunteering motivations.
Mechanism of calcium entry during axon injury and degeneration.

Axon degeneration is a hallmark consequence of chemical neurotoxicant exposure (e.g., acrylamide), mechanical trauma (e.g., nerve transection, spinal cord contusion), deficient perfusion (e.g., ischemia, hypoxia), and inherited neuropathies (e.g., infantile neuroaxonal dystrophy). Regardless of the initiating event, degeneration in the PNS and CNS progresses according to a characteristic sequence of morphological changes. These shared neuropathologic features suggest that subsequent degeneration, although induced by different injury modalities, might evolve via a common mechanism. Studies conducted over the past two decades indicate that Ca2+ accumulation in injured axons has significant neuropathic implications and is a potentially unifying mechanistic event. However, the route of Ca2+ entry and the involvement of other relevant ions (Na+, K+) have not been adequately defined. In this overview, we discuss evidence for reverse operation of the Na+-Ca2+ exchanger as a primary route of Ca2+ entry during axon injury. We propose that diverse injury processes (e.g., axotomy, ischemia, trauma) which culminate in axon degeneration cause an increase in intraaxonal Na+ in conjunction with a loss of K+ and axolemmal depolarization. These conditions favor reverse Na+-Ca2+ exchange operation which promotes damaging extraaxonal Ca2+ entry and subsequent Ca2+-mediated axon degeneration. Deciphering the route of axonal Ca2+ entry is a fundamental step in understanding the pathophysiologic processes induced by chemical neurotoxicants and other types of nerve damage. Moreover, the molecular mechanism of Ca2+ entry can be used as a target for the development of efficacious pharmacotherapies that might be useful in preventing or limiting irreversible axon injury.
Muscarinic responses of rat basolateral amygdaloid neurons recorded in vitro.

1. Intracellular recordings were obtained from pyramidal‐type neurons in the basolateral amygdaloid nucleus (BLA) in slices of rat ventral forebrain and used to compare the actions of exogenously applied cholinomimetics to the effects produced by electrical stimulation of amygdalopetal cholinergic afferents from basal forebrain. 2. Bath application of carbachol depolarized pyramidal cells with an associated increase in input resistance (Ri), reduced the slow after‐hyperpolarization (AHP) that followed a series of current‐evoked action potentials and blocked spike frequency accommodation. All of these effects were reversed by the muscarinic antagonist atropine but not by the nicotinic antagonist hexamethonium. 3. Electrical stimulation of amygdaloid afferents within the external capsule evoked a series of synaptic potentials consisting of a non‐cholinergic fast excitatory postsynaptic potential (EPSP), followed by early and late inhibitory postsynaptic potentials (IPSPs). Each of these synaptic potentials was reduced by carbachol in an atropine‐sensitive manner. 4. Local application of carbachol to pyramidal cells produced a short‐latency hyperpolarization followed by a prolonged depolarization. The hyperpolarization and depolarization to carbachol were blocked by atropine but not hexamethonium. 5. The carbachol‐induced hyperpolarization was associated with a decrease in Ri and had a reversal potential nearly identical to that of the early IPSP. The inhibitory response was blocked by perfusion of medium containing tetrodotoxin (TTX), bicuculline or picrotoxin, while the subsequent depolarization was unaffected. On the basis of these data, it is concluded that the muscarinic hyperpolarization is mediated through the rapid excitation of presynaptic GABAergic interneurons in the slice. 6. The findings that the carbachol‐induced depolarization was associated with an increase in Ri, often had a reversal potential below ‐80 mV, was sensitive to changes in extracellular potassium concentration and was blocked by intracellular ionophoresis of the potassium channel blocker caesium suggest that it resulted from a muscarinic blockade of one or more potassium conductances. 7. Repetitive stimulation of sites within the slice containing cholinergic afferents evoked a series of fast EPSPs followed by IPSPs. These non‐cholinergic potentials were followed by a slow EPSP that lasted from 10 s‐4 min. The slow EPSP was enhanced by eserine and blocked by atropine. It was also blocked by TTX or cadmium, indicating that it was dependent on spike propagation and calcium‐dependent release of acetylcholine (ACh). 8. Stimulation of cholinergic afferents in the slice mimicked other effects produced by carbachol including blockade of the slow AHP and accommodation of action potential discharge and these actions were potentiated by eserine and blocked by atropine. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
How vertical relationships and external funding affect investment efficiency and timing

In this paper we consider a potential investor who contemplates entering an uncertain new market under two conditions: i) a prerequisite for the project to take place is the purchase of a discrete input from an upstream firm with market power and ii) the completion of the investment is conditional on the participation of an investment partner who is willing to bear some of the investment cost receiving compensation in return. Using the real option approach, we find that the involvement of any of the two alien agents causes the postponement of the completion of the investment and we discuss how these timing discrepancies are reflected on the value of the option to invest in the project. We next analyze the synchronous effect of outsourcing and external funding both in a non-cooperative and in a cooperative (Nash bargaining solution) game-theoretic setting and we show how the endogeneity of the sunk investment cost affects the timing and the value of the option to invest in projects characterized by uncertainty and irreversibility.
Plasma markers of angiogenesis in pregnancy induced hypertension

Summary This study tests the hypothesis that abnormalities in plasma indices of angiogenesis, such as Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor (VEGF) and angiopoietins (Ang-1, Ang-2), as well as their soluble receptors Flt-1 (sflt-1) and Tie 2 (sTie-2) respectively, are present in women with in pregnancy-induced hypertension (PIH). We also measured platelet levels of VEGF and Ang-1 (pVEGF and pAng-1 respectively). We studied 69 consecutive women with PIH (34 without proteinuria, and 35 with proteinuria, i.e. preeclampsia) who were compared to 64 consecutive women with normotensive pregnancies and 30 normotensive non-pregnant women, in a cross-sectional study. Using ELISA, we measured levels of plasma VEGF, Ang-1 &2, Tie-2 and sflt-1, and also the levels of angiogenic markers within the platelet [platelet VEGF (pVEGF) and platelet Ang-1 (pAng1)] by lysing a fixed number of platelets with 0.5% tween. Results show that levels of plasma VEGF, Ang-1, Ang2, sFlt-1 and Tie-2 were significantly different between the study groups. Post hoc analyses revealed plasma Ang-1 was highest in the preeclampsia group (p<0.001), whilst Ang-2 was highest in the normotensive pregnant group (p-=0.018). Plasma Tie-2 was highest in the PIH group. VEGF levels were significantly different between the preeclampsia group and the PIH group (p<0.05). Platelet VEGF levels were higher in the non-pregnant group than in the pregnant group, but there were no significant differences in the platelet levels of Ang-1 between the different groups. Ang-2, sFlt-1 and Tie-2 were undetectable in the platelet lysate in any of the patient groups or controls. Blood pressure was a major determinant of the different angiogenic factors studied. Abnormal indices of angiogenesis are evident in PIH and preeclampsia, with higher levels of sFlt-1 and lower levels ofVEGF; in PIH, increased levels of Ang-1 and Tie-2, but reduced Ang-2, are evident compared to normal pregnancy. These abnormalities may have implications for the pathogenesis of PIH and preeclampsia.
Pre‐natal sensitization in humans

Allergy has a very strong hereditary component but even in identical twins, concordance for the development of allergic disease can be as low as 50%. This suggests that there is a very strong environmental influence on manifestations of sensitization. To what extent environment might have an influence on the ontogeny of sensitization antenatally has hitherto not been a focus of much research. However, circumstantial evidence suggests that this may be important.
p53 Mutations: Gains or losses?

Although the case for p53 as a tumor suppressor gene appears very strong, one should still keep an open eye for the possibility that mutations in p53 do not necessarily imply a mere loss of “suppressor” activity. It is still possible that the presence of a p53 mutation in a tumor contributes, in a dominant positive manner, to tumorigenesis. In other words, certain p53 mutants may well be oncogenic in their own right, and carry distinct activities that promote growth deregulation and malignant progression. Elucidating this issue also has practical implications, since the nature of the resident mutations may greatly dictate the consequences of attempts to reintroduce wild‐type (wt) p53 into particular types of tumor cells. There are two major obstacles along the road to meaningful answers: the limitations of the experimental systems used for evaluating the biological activities of Wt and mutant p53 and a fundamental lack of knowledge about the relevant biochemistry of the p53 protein. These two aspects constitute primary experimental challenges for investigators in the field.
The Struggle Over the Real Wage In the Monetary Production Economy

Keynes contents in General Theory that the monetary market logic of the aggregate real wage in the monetary production economy conveys: (i) the determination of the average real wage rate, the level of employment, and the possibility of involuntary unemployment through the interaction of the monetary markets and the goods markets; and (ii) the determination of the money wage rate through the bargains of the firms and the workers as a market-theoretical stability condition of the economic system. Accordingly, (iii) the money wage claims of labour (in conformity with changes of the average labour productivity) do not alter the distribution of income between capital and labour; and (iv) the struggle about the money wages by different groups of workers is actually a zerosum game over the distribution of the aggregate real wage between the different fractions of the working class. The paper discusses Keynes´s contention in the context of the monetary-keynesian theory of the endogenous-money monetary production economy.
Digital Divide: Impact of Access

Access to digital media is defined as the full process of appropriation of technology by users. It starts with motivation and attitudes and moves on to the process of finding physical access. Then, having learned sufficient digital skills, users will realize a particular frequency and diversity of usage of digital media. In all these phases significant divides are observed. After the year 2000 the importance of digital divides shifted from physical access to skills and usage. However, the main media effects of all these divides are unequal benefits and unequal participation in society. Keywords: digital media; diversity; information and communication technology; media literacy; public participation; the concept
Medical coverage for track and field events

Providing medical coverage at a track and field event is similar to other spectator events, but there are some important differences. With simultaneous events occurring over a large area, reliable communication with quick access to all event sites is mandatory. Preparation needs to include a prearranged emergency response plan for each event. Because field events involve throwing heavy and sometimes sharp objects (discus, hammer, shot put, and javelin) or landing in a cushioned pit (high jump, pole vault), sites need well-demarcated, constantly monitored boundaries with properly installed, well-maintained safety equipment. All personnel involved in monitoring these events should be educated on proper procedure in managing potential head or neck injuries. Event officials must also remained focused on their tasks, avoiding the distractions that simultaneous events can cause. Because most events are outdoors, appropriate protection and recovery sites for heat, cold, and sun exposure should be arranged.
Familial Neurofibromatosis‐1 and Gilbert Syndrome

BACKGROUND Neurofibromatosis (NF) is a genetic disorder of the neural sheet, affecting almost all organ systems. METHOD A family that consisted of the father and his three children, two males and one female, having NF-1 is evaluated in detail for cosmetic purposes. The routine preoperative laboratory examinations, including complete blood counts, serum biochemistries, urinary analysis, extremity and chest roentgenograms, ultrasounds of the abdomen and the affected regions, and pelvic computed tomographies, revealed characteristics of NF-1 and unexpected hyperbilirubinemia. The patients are evaluated further for the cause of hyperbilirubinemia by the fasting test. Variously localized plexiform neurofibromas of the three children are totally excised. RESULTS The father was affected as a result of a mutation, and his three children had inherited the disease. The father, having subcutaneous neurofibromas, differs from the children, as they have elephantiasis neurofibromatosa. The children had various rare clinical presentations besides disfiguring deformities. Two male patients had retroperitoneal neurofibromas, and one had splenomegaly and osseous changes. Gilbert's disease was diagnosed, interestingly, and coincidentally in the three patients with elephantiasis due to NF-1. DISCUSSION An interesting diagnosis of NF occurring coincidentally with Gilbert's disease in a family is reported. This clinical study is the first report of Gilbert's disease accompanying familial NF.