Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Albumin gene expression is down-regulated by albumin or macromolecule infusion in the rat.

A novel feedback regulatory mechanism operating on transcription of the albumin gene is described in the rat. In 1946, it was proposed that circulating colloids, including serum albumin, may affect the synthesis and/or secretion of albumin in the liver. The molecular basis for this proposed regulation has now been investigated by adding oncotically active macromolecules to the circulation of normal or genetically albumin-deficient Nagase analbuminemic rats (NAR) and analyzing the hepatic expression of genes, including albumin after 24 h. The transcription rate of the albumin gene was higher in NAR than in normal rats and was dramatically reduced by raising serum albumin to 1.6 g/dl. Intravenous infusion of albumin into normal rats also decreased transcriptional activity of the albumin gene by 50-60%, and this decrease correlated with changes in serum colloid osmotic pressure after albumin infusion. Inhibition of albumin gene transcription was also observed upon intravenous infusion of other protein or nonprotein macromolecules, such as gamma-globulin and dextran. This down-regulation appears to control the steady-state level of albumin mRNA in the liver. Aside from a concomitant decrease in apo E gene transcription after albumin or macromolecule infusion, there was no change in the transcription rate of other genes, including those exhibiting liver-preferred or -specific expression (e.g., tyrosine amino-transferase, cytochrome P-450, alpha 1-antitrypsin, apolipoproteins A-I and B, and transferrin) or general cellular expression (e.g., alpha-tubulin, pro alpha 2 collagen, and beta-actin). Feedback regulation of albumin gene expression by serum colloids may serve as a specific homeostatic mechanism to maintain the steady-state level of total protein in the circulation.
AIMC 2017 Asia International Multidisciplinary Conference PUBLIC OPINION FORMATION : THE ROLE OF INDEPENDENT MEDIA PORTAL DURING CRISIS

Trends in social media had become an approach throughout the world nowadays in spreading an information to the crowd. However, are the information given were the qualified source of information? And, how do they influence the formation of public opinion among netizens? This study aim to investigate the role of independent media portal in social media towards the public opinion formation during Bersih 4.0 Rally. Elements of examination were the distribution of public opinion through comments made on selected Facebook’s post. Content analysis on the extracted comments was carried out using the Application Programme Interface (API) webtools to categorize the sentiment polarity while SPSS version 20 to verify the association of the variables. The independent variables consist of 4 sources of information while public opinion was taken as dependent variable. Results showed the correlations and effect among the independent media portal in the social media towards the dependent variable and highest comments found on independent sources of information where it consists of highest positive and negative comments. There were association among the sources of information towards the formation of public opinion in social media, where results showed the x2 = 26:814, df = 6 was significant at p < 0.05. The independent media portal proved to be one of the most important source of information during crisis. A strategic use of independent media portal by the organisation during crisis can improve and strengthen the organization. © 2018 Published by Future Academy www.FutureAcademy. org.UK
Causality nexus of exports, FDI and economic growth of the ASEAN5 economies: evidence from panel data analysis

ABSTRACT This paper analyzes the causal relationships between exports, FDI and economic growth among the ASEAN5 countries. We have used a three-stage procedure based on unit root, co-integration and causality tests applied to the panel data from 1981 to 2013. The results reveal that there is a bi-directional causal relationship between FDI and growth in the long run, while there is a unidirectional causal relationship from FDI to exports in the short run. Our results also confirm that the export-led growth (ELG) and FDI-led growth hypotheses hold true in the long and short run. To reinforce the FDI inflows, authorities should continue the progressive reduction of barriers, and increase the sophistication of quality exports to compete in the global market. This paper is the first of its kind to analyze the role of both FDI and exports in the ASEAN5 economies using panel analysis.
Polish Emigrants on Organizational Culture of Austrian Companies

Summary The paper is of theoretical and empirical character. It outlines considerations and studies pertaining to the perception of organizational culture of Austrian companies by Polish emigrants. When undertaking employment abroad, emigrants face a challenge of adapting to a new environment. The adaptation pertains to several aspects. Organizational culture is one of these. Therefore, the following research problem arises: What is the organizational culture of Austrian enterprises like? , and, Do emigrants experience problems with the cultural adaptation? Interviews with 40 Poles who worked a minimum of 5 years in Austria were conducted. The interviews revealed that respondents believed the organizational culture of Austrian companies was characterized by low power distance, individualism, activity, and status based upon achievements. The straightforward analysis was difficult to be made with regard to several values. This is true for low vs. high uncertainty tolerance, people vs. task focus, and focus on the outside vs. inside. The identified organizational culture of Austrian enterprises did not pose a significant barrier for respondents.
Repeated Measurements of Urinary Methylated/Oxidative DNA Lesions, Acute Toxicity, and Mutagenicity in Coke Oven Workers

We conducted a repeated-measures cohort study of coke oven workers to evaluate the relationships between the traditional exposure biomarker, urinary 1-hydroxypyrene (1-OHP), and a series of biomarkers, including urinary 8-oxo-7,8-dihydro-2′-deoxyguanosine (8-oxodG), N7-methylguanine (N7-MeG), acute toxicity, and mutagenicity. A total of eight spot urine samples were collected from each high-exposed (at topside oven area) and low-exposed workers (at side oven area) during the whole working cycle, which consisted of 6 consecutive days of working followed by 2 days off. Our results showed that the high-exposed workers had significantly higher urinary levels of 1-OHP, 8-oxodG, and N7-MeG compared with the low-exposed workers. Acute toxicity and mutagenicity of urine were also found to be markedly increased in the high-exposed workers, as determined by Microtox assay and Ames test, respectively. Multivariate regressions analysis revealed that the urinary 8-oxodG, N7-MeG, or acute toxicity was significantly correlated with 1-OHP concentrations. Overall, the present study showed that exposure to coke oven emissions increased oxidatively damaged DNA products and mutagenicity of urine, and for the very first time, such exposure was also found to increase DNA methylation and urinary acute toxicity. The potential source of methylating agents in coke oven emissions warrants further investigation. Additionally, with repeated measurements, the pattern of time course for urinary 1-OHP was found to be different from those of 8-oxodG and N7-MeG, as well as acute toxicity and mutagenicity. This finding implies that the single measurement that was often conducted in occupational healthy investigations should be used with certain precautions, because single measurement may fail to provide the proper information of interest. (Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2008;17(12):3381–9)
A Space-Vector Modulation Scheme for Multilevel Open-End Winding Five-Phase Drives

Open-end winding three-phase variable speed drives with dual-inverter supply have been extensively investigated for various applications, including series hybrid powertrains and propulsion motors. The topology is simple to realize while offering a higher number of switching states without the need for capacitor voltage balancing algorithms, when compared to the standard multilevel converters. This paper extends the open-end winding concept to a five-phase drive. A relatively simple space-vector modulation (SVM) algorithm, based on the already well-understood five-phase two-level drive SVM method, is developed. The proposed modulation technique has the advantage of being straightforward to implement and, like its two-level counterpart, is able to generate output voltages with minimum low-order harmonic content. The method generates up to 17-level output phase voltage and, therefore, offers superior harmonic performance when compared to the two-level five-phase modulation. The developed scheme is verified via detailed simulations and experiments, using a five-phase induction machine operating under open-loop V/f control.
High voltage batteries for maritime applications

The generation of electric power in maritime and mobile applications comprises the use of multiple mechanical, electrochemical and electronic components and systems that make it a complex undertaking and an interesting system integration problem. The integration of such systems is often complicated although equally complex systems have been integrated successfully into smaller, higher powered single dasiaall-in-one-boxpsila devices. The electrochemical part of the system generally consists of lead-acid batteries commonly found in such vessels; the purpose of this paper is to show the possibility of reducing the volume and weight of the batteries for this type of system by the means of using high voltage hybrid battery packs, which will comprise lithium-ion batteries, supercapacitors, dc/dc converters and protection electronics for monitoring.
EB1-binding–myomegalin protein complex promotes centrosomal microtubules functions

Significance Microtubule dynamics is tightly regulated during fundamental biological processes such as mitosis, thereby representing a major target for anticancer therapies. To better understand the molecular mechanisms underlying the organization of the microtubule network, we systematically investigated proteins interacting with EB1, a major regulator of microtubules dynamics. We identified a specific isoform of myomegalin, which we termed “SMYLE,” that assembles a macromolecular complex associated with the centrosome, the major microtubule-organizing center in cells, and also connected to the microtubule nucleating complex. SMYLE promoted microtubule assembly from the centrosome and subsequent stabilization of microtubules at the cell periphery. This had consequences on cell motility, mitosis, and cell-cycle progression, suggesting that SMYLE might be an important player in tumor progression. Control of microtubule dynamics underlies several fundamental processes such as cell polarity, cell division, and cell motility. To gain insights into the mechanisms that control microtubule dynamics during cell motility, we investigated the interactome of the microtubule plus-end–binding protein end-binding 1 (EB1). Via molecular mapping and cross-linking mass spectrometry we identified and characterized a large complex associating a specific isoform of myomegalin termed “SMYLE” (for short myomegalin-like EB1 binding protein), the PKA scaffolding protein AKAP9, and the pericentrosomal protein CDK5RAP2. SMYLE was associated through an evolutionarily conserved N-terminal domain with AKAP9, which in turn was anchored at the centrosome via CDK5RAP2. SMYLE connected the pericentrosomal complex to the microtubule-nucleating complex (γ-TuRC) via Galectin-3–binding protein. SMYLE associated with nascent centrosomal microtubules to promote microtubule assembly and acetylation. Disruption of SMYLE interaction with EB1 or AKAP9 prevented microtubule nucleation and their stabilization at the leading edge of migrating cells. In addition, SMYLE depletion led to defective astral microtubules and abnormal orientation of the mitotic spindle and triggered G1 cell-cycle arrest, which might be due to defective centrosome integrity. As a consequence, SMYLE loss of function had a profound impact on tumor cell motility and proliferation, suggesting that SMYLE might be an important player in tumor progression.
An investigation on the Impact of the Western Teachers’ Values and Cultures on Emirati Students’ Moral and Character Development

The purpose of the study was to investigate the influence of the Western teachers’ values and cultures on the Emirati students’ character and moral development in the international schools that follow the British curriculum. Moreover, the study explored the UAE national students’ perceptions of character development in the international schools as well as investigated the Emirati parents’ perceptions of the influence of the Western teachers’ values on their children’s character and moral development. A total of fortynine Western teachers, fortynine UAE national students from different grades and forty nine parents participated in the quantitative part of the study. While in the qualitative part of the study, fifteen Western teachers, ten UAE national students and ten parents were interviewed in semi structured interviews to get deeper insights on the effect of the Western teachers on the students’ character and moral development. Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) programme was used to analyse the quantitative data, while the thematic interpretive approach was used to analyse the responses of the interviewees. Available documents related to character education, including ten lesson plans and behaviour polices of the three sample schools were analysed. Quantitative data suggested that the majority of parents believe that parents are the best teachers of character (mean of 1.55) and social skills are more important for their children than academic skills (mean of 1.73). Moreover, the quantitative data revealed that the majority of students do not treat each other with respect (mean of 2.32) and the majority of teachers do not treat students with respect (mean of 2.90). Students felt that their voice and thoughts are not heard and valued in their schools (mean of 2.65). While most of the teachers believe that character education enhances academic achievement (with a mean of 1.37) and develops good character (with a mean of 1.48). They also agreed (with a mean of 1.69) that teachers participate in providing character education to their students.
Cryptococcus gattii urease as a virulence factor and the relevance of enzymatic activity in cryptococcosis pathogenesis

Ureases (EC 3.5.1.5) are Ni2+‐dependent metalloenzymes produced by plants, fungi and bacteria that hydrolyze urea to produce ammonia and CO2. The insertion of nickel atoms into the apo‐urease is better characterized in bacteria, and requires at least three accessory proteins: UreD, UreF, and UreG. Our group has demonstrated that ureases possess ureolytic activity‐independent biological properties that could contribute to the pathogenicity of urease‐producing microorganisms. The presence of urease in pathogenic bacteria strongly correlates with pathogenesis in some human diseases. Some medically important fungi also produce urease, including Cryptococcus neoformans and Cryptococcus gattii. C. gattii is an etiological agent of cryptococcosis, most often affecting immunocompetent individuals. The cryptococcal urease might play an important role in pathogenesis. It has been proposed that ammonia produced via urease action might damage the host endothelium, which would enable yeast transmigration towards the central nervous system. To analyze the role of urease as a virulence factor in C. gattii, we constructed knockout mutants for the structural urease‐coding gene URE1 and for genes that code the accessory proteins Ure4 and Ure6. All knockout mutants showed reduced multiplication within macrophages. In intranasally infected mice, the ure1Δ (lacking urease protein) and ure4Δ (enzymatically inactive apo‐urease) mutants caused reduced blood burdens and a delayed time of death, whereas the ure6Δ (enzymatically inactive apo‐urease) mutant showed time and dose dependency with regard to fungal burden. Our results suggest that C. gattii urease plays an important role in virulence, in part possibly through enzyme activity‐independent mechanism(s).
Novel 3-DSVM scheme for three-phase four-wire tri-level APFs

This paper main focus on the 3-D modulation scheme and neutral-point unbalance problem of 3-level 3-leg converter for Active Power Filters. The neutral point unbalance problem is a key issue for this topology based APFs. To date there hasn't any perfect 3-D modulation solutions to tackle with neutral point unbalance problem well. In this paper, a detailed discussion on this issue is carried out. The relationship between the neutral point potential and the relative voltages and currents is analyzed in this paper. Then a new concept named Factor of neutral-point balance (Fn) is proposed and the calculation formula is derived. Basing on Fn, a novel 3-D modulation scheme is proposed in a-b-c coordinates. By measuring the output currents and DC voltages, Fn is calculated in every sampling period and the most fit space vectors are selected to approximate the reference vector. In addition, a concept called Neutral Point Control Grade (NPCG) and another concept named average-NPCF (A-NPCG) are utilized in this paper to evaluate the control capability of neutral point potential control scheme. The simulation and experiment results verified the correctness and validity of this novel 3DSVM scheme.
Modeling Neural Correlates of Auditory Attention in Evoked Potentials using Corticothalamic Feedback Dynamics

Auditory evoked cortical potentials (AECP) are well established as diagnostic tool in audiology and gain more and more impact in experimental neuropsychology, neuro- science, and psychiatry, e.g., for the attention deficit disorder, schizophrenia, or for studying the tinnitus decompensation. The modulation of AECP due to exogenous and endogenous attention plays a major role in many clinical applications and has experimentally been studied in neuropsychology. However the relation of corticothalamic feedback dynamics to focal and non-focal attention and its large-scale effect reflected in AECPs is far from being understood. In this paper, we model neural correlates of auditory attention reflected in AECPs using corticothalamic feedback dynamics. We present a mapping of a recently developed multiscale model of evoked potentials to the hearing path and discuss for the first time its neurofunctionality in terms of corticothalamic feedback loops related to focal and non-focal attention. Our model reinforced recent experimental results related to online attention monitoring using AECPs with application as objective tinnitus decompensation measure. It is concluded that our model presents a promising approach to gain a deeper understanding of the neurodynamics of auditory attention and might be use as an efficient forward model to reinforce hypotheses that are obtained from experimental paradigms involving AECPs.
Acetylation‐dependent nuclear arrangement and recruitment of BMI1 protein to UV‐damaged chromatin

Polycomb group (PcG) proteins, organized into Polycomb bodies, are important regulatory components of epigenetic processes involved in the heritable transcriptional repression of target genes. Here, we asked whether acetylation can influence the nuclear arrangement and function of the BMI1 protein, a core component of the Polycomb group complex, PRC1. We used time‐lapse confocal microscopy, micro‐irradiation by UV laser (355 nm) and GFP technology to study the dynamics and function of the BMI1 protein. We observed that BMI1 was recruited to UV‐damaged chromatin simultaneously with decreased lysine acetylation, followed by the recruitment of heterochromatin protein HP1β to micro‐irradiated regions. Pronounced recruitment of BMI1 was rapid, with half‐time τ = 15 sec; thus, BMI1 is likely involved in the initiation step leading to the recognition of UV‐damaged sites. Histone hyperacetylation, stimulated by HDAC inhibitor TSA, suppression of transcription by actinomycin D, and ATP‐depletion prevented increased accumulation of BMI1 to γH2AX‐positive irradiated chromatin. Moreover, BMI1 had slight ability to recognize spontaneously occurring DNA breaks caused by other pathophysiological processes. Taken together, our data indicate that the dynamics of recognition of UV‐damaged chromatin, and the nuclear arrangement of BMI1 protein can be influenced by acetylation and occur as an early event prior to the recruitment of HPβ to UV‐irradiated chromatin. J. Cell. Physiol. 227: 1838–1850, 2012. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Centrally Necrotizing Carcinomas of the Breast: A Distinct Histologic Subtype With Aggressive Clinical Behavior

Most breast carcinomas exhibit ductal differentiation. However, recognition of less common histologic patterns provides clinically useful data. This report describes a distinctive subtype of breast carcinoma that we have termed “centrally necrotizing carcinoma” (CNC; in this study, N = 34), which is characterized by an unusual and aggressive natural history. Centrally necrotizing carcinomas are composed of well-circumscribed, unicentric nodules with extensive central necrosis that are surrounded by a narrow rim of viable high-grade tumor cells. These tumor cells show minimal ductal differentiation (i.e., tubule formation), but are usually associated with focal ductal carcinoma in situ. The mean age of the patients in this study was 57.5 ± 11.6 years, and the mean tumor size was 2.5 ± 1.2 cm. Twenty-eight percent of the patients had positive axillary lymph nodes (mean number of lymph nodes involved, 2.1 ± 1.2). Ninety-four percent of cases were negative for estrogen and progesterone receptors. In 21 patients (62%), local and/or distant recurrences developed (median time to recurrence, 16.2 months), and, to date, 20 have died from breast cancer (median time to death, 22.5 months). Progression of disease (defined as the development of either a recurrence or death resulting from disease) occurred in 24 patients (71%). Comparison with a set of 26 poorly differentiated ductal carcinomas with (nonextensive, patchy) necrosis matched for age, tumor size, and lymph node status showed a significantly worse progression-free survival rate for the CNC group (p <0.004). We conclude that CNC is an uncommon but readily identifiable subtype of breast carcinoma and is characterized by early systemic metastasis and an accelerated clinical course.