Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Neutralizing determinants defined by monoclonal antibodies on polypeptides specified by bovine herpesvirus 1

Monoclonal antibodies were used to study neutralizing determinants on polypeptides of bovine herpesvirus 1. Two of three monoclonal antibodies which recognized nonoverlapping epitopes on a glycoprotein of 82,000 daltons were found to neutralize. A second group of monoclonal antibodies that individually precipitated five viral glycopolypeptides ranging in size from 102,000 to 55,000 daltons also neutralized. Two monoclonal antibodies which were the most efficient in neutralization recognized a non-glycosylated protein of 115,000 daltons which was the major polypeptide on the virus. A fourth group of monoclonal antibodies precipitated a non-glycosylated polypeptide of 91,000 daltons and several smaller polypeptides, but these antibodies demonstrated only limited neutralizing activity.
Childhood abuse is associated with increased startle reactivity in adulthood

Background: Understanding the neurobiological correlates of childhood maltreatment is critical to delineating stress‐related psychopathology. The acoustic startle response (ASR) is a subcortical reflex modulated by neural systems implicated in posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The ASR is conserved across species and is increased in rodent models of developmental stress. Methods: We measured ASR to a 40 ms noise probe as well as fear‐potentiated startle using electromyographic recordings of the eyeblink in a primarily African American sample (N=60) from a highly traumatized civilian population. We assessed self‐reported history of abuse with the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire and current symptoms with the PTSD Symptom Scale and the Beck Depression Inventory. Results: We found that subjects reporting a history of high levels of physical or sexual abuse had increased startle on all trial types relative to those with low abuse (P<.01). This effect remained significant after co‐varying for the subjects' age and sex, as well as PTSD and depression symptoms. Perceived childhood sexual abuse was the greatest predictor of increased startle response. Notably, emotional abuse in childhood did not affect baseline startle, and all groups demonstrated equivalent levels of fear‐potentiated startle. Conclusions: The long‐lasting effects of early life trauma result in increased risk for adult psychopathology. These new data demonstrate that a self‐report history of child abuse is related to altered baseline startle response that is not accounted for by PTSD or depression symptoms. Increased startle may be a biomarker of stress responsiveness that can be a persevering consequence of early trauma exposure during childhood. Depression and Anxiety 26:1018–1026, 2009. Published 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
The spectrum of disease in children treated for tuberculosis in a highly endemic area.

BACKGROUND Children contribute a substantial proportion of the global tuberculosis (TB) caseload, particularly in endemic areas, where little is known about their spectrum of disease. OBJECTIVE To document the complete disease spectrum, with relevant age- and HIV-related differences, in children treated for TB in a highly endemic community. METHODS A prospective descriptive study was conducted from February 2003 to October 2004 at five primary health care clinics in Cape Town, South Africa, including all children (< 13 years of age) treated for TB. RESULTS In total, 439 children received anti-tuberculosis treatment. The spectrum of disease included 85 (19.4%) 'not TB', 307 (86.7%) intra-thoracic TB and 72 (20.3%) extra-thoracic TB (25 [5.7%] with co-existing intra- and extra-thoracic disease were included in both groups). In non-HIV-infected children, disseminated (miliary) disease (9/11, 81.8%) and tuberculous meningitis (TBM) (10/13, 76.9%) were predominantly documented in children < 3 years of age. In HIV-infected children, complicated Ghon focus and disseminated (miliary) disease were significantly more common (6/25, 24.0%) than in non-HIV-infected children (12/414, 2.9%) (OR 10.9, 95% CI 3.2-35.9). CONCLUSION This study describes the complete disease spectrum observed in children treated for TB in a highly endemic area. Children suffered significant morbidity, with most severe disease recorded in very young and/or HIV-infected children.
Commercial leases, terms and options in the light of game theory

In this paper, a lease rate valuation model is developed whereby the market rent is subject to binomial movements. We then consider a commercial leasing game where different renters, large and small, find a location in different buildings owned by competing landlords operating under a rent negotiation process. When supply for office space exceeds demand from large firms, the latter always pay an advantageous rent. We demonstrate theoretically that small firms are better off in a building containing a large firm and thus will accept to pay a premium to lodge in such buildings rather than opting for a lower rent in a building occupied by small firms. The conditions leading to opposite results are also discussed in the paper. Using data from New York City, Chicago and Los Angeles, we discuss lease rates in light of the predictions of our theoretical model.
Dietary salt enhances glomerular endothelial nitric oxide synthase through TGF-beta1.

Dietary salt controls production of nitric oxide (NO), a potent paracrine relaxation factor involved in glomerular filtration and salt excretion. We hypothesized that glomerular NO production was enhanced through endothelial nitric oxide synthase (NOS3). Rats in metabolic cages were studied after 4 days on 0.3% (Lo-salt) or 8.0% (Hi-salt) NaCl diet. Steady-state mRNA and protein levels of NOS3 and calcium-dependent NO production of isolated glomeruli from Hi-salt animals were greater than those values observed in glomeruli from Lo-salt rats. Because dietary salt enhanced glomerular production of transforming growth factor-beta1 (TGF-beta1) [W. -Z. Ying and P. W. Sanders. Am. J. Physiol. 274 (Renal Physiol. 43): F635-F641, 1998], studies were then conducted to examine the interaction between NOS3 and TGF-beta1. Glomerular steady-state levels of mRNA of NOS3 and TGF-beta1 directly correlated (r2 = 0. 946; P < 0.0001). A neutralizing antibody to TGF-beta reduced NOS3 protein and NO production in cultured glomeruli from Hi-salt animals to levels seen in the Lo-salt glomeruli. Thus dietary salt increased glomerular expression of TGF-beta1, which in turn augmented NO production through NOS3.
Segmentation by Motivation in Ecotourism: Application to Protected Areas in Guayas, Ecuador

Among tourists, there is recently a growing interest in the environment and enjoying the natural world. This study analyzed the motivations and segmentation of the demand for ecotourism, using functional theory as a reference point. Empirical analysis was carried out in Santay National Recreation Area, Morro Mangrove Wildlife Refuge, and Samanes National Recreation Area. The sample included 382 surveys, obtained in situ using the simple random sampling method. Factorial analysis and non-hierarchical segmentation were performed to analyze the data. The results indicate that there are several motivational dimensions in ecotourism, including self-development, interpersonal relationships and ego-defensive function, building personal relationships, escape reward, and nature appreciation. We also identified three different segments of ecotourists based on their motivations—nature, multiple motives, and reward and escape—as well as the characteristics of the different segments. The present investigation will help public institutions and private companies improve their tourism offerings and develop more efficient marketing plans.
Energy storage management in smart homes based on resident activity of daily life recognition

Recently, home energy storage system is emerging as one of the main driving forces to prompt the development of the future smart grid. By leveraging time-based electricity pricing, the home energy storage system can store energy during off-peak periods and supply energy to residential customers during on-peak periods, such that the stress on main power system can be relieved. Yet, an efficient use of home energy storage system is still a challenging issue, due to the nonlinear properties of the battery in terms of energy conversion loss and shortened battery life, and the randomness in residential energy demand. In this paper, we investigate the utilization of smart home monitoring and communication technologies to recognize the resident activity of daily life (ADL) and propose a non-homogeneous hidden Markov model (NHMM) to characterize the residential energy demand. An optimal energy storage management problem is formulated by taking into account the NHMM and nonlinear battery properties. This problem belongs to a class of adaptive stochastic control problems in smart grid with nonlinear value functions. In order to solve this problem efficiently, piecewise linear approximation is applied to the energy conversion function, and a state-dependent multi-threshold policy is proposed and proved to be optimal. The performance of the proposed energy management scheme is evaluated via a case study based on CASAS smart home dataset collected in real life by Washington State University. Numerical results indicate that our proposed energy storage management scheme can achieve energy cost savings, in comparison with existing schemes with uniform and non-uniform discharging profiles.
Identify the potential of technology transfer through international trade between Iran and Azerbaijan

Economics and Business Sciences theorists today believe that international trade tools of the field instrument in the development of nations. Sustainable results and analysis of important international trade and global trade is technology transfer. The perspectives of technology transfer hardware and software development role in the country, Technology transfer discussion must inevitably subject to three types of technology transfer is accurate. The first topic is the technology life cycle. The second topic is the technology needs of the buyer and seller usually win — win final analysis are the subject of technology is appropriate. In this article, researcher to the role of knowledge based development potential that the technology transfer between Iran and Azerbaijan through trade between two countries is done. In this research, the researcher intends to hide knowledge resulting in trade between Iran and Azerbaijan as a potential development at least raised to regional and finally to determine what areas of the better business done between the two countries in order to technology transfer and knowledge management technologies transferred technology acceleration in the growth and development of the country is.
Impact of acute care surgery to departmental productivity.

BACKGROUND The face of trauma surgery is rapidly evolving with a paradigm shift toward acute care surgery (ACS). The formal development of ACS has been viewed by some general surgeons as a threat to their practice. We sought to evaluate the impact of a new division of ACS to both departmental productivity and provider satisfaction at a University Level I Trauma Center. METHODS Two-year retrospective analysis of annual work relative value unit (wRVU) productivity, operative volume, and FTEs before and after establishment of an ACS division at a University Level I trauma center. Provider satisfaction was measured using a 10-point scale. Analysis completed using Microsoft Excel with a p value less than 0.05 significant. RESULTS The change to an ACS model resulted in a 94% increase in total wRVU production (78% evaluation and management, 122% operative; p<0.05) for ACS, whereas general surgery wRVU production increased 8% (-15% evaluation and management, 14% operative; p<0.05). Operative productivity was substantial after transition to ACS, with 129% and 44% increases (p<0.05) in operative and elective case load, respectively. Decline in overall general surgery operative volume was attributed to reduction in emergent cases. Establishment of the ACS model necessitated one additional FTE. Job satisfaction substantially improved with the ACS model while allowing general surgery a more focused practice. CONCLUSIONS The ACS practice model significantly enhances provider productivity and job satisfaction when compared with trauma alone. Fears of a productivity impact to the nontrauma general surgeon were not realized.
Tropomodulin 1 directly controls thin filament length in both wild-type and tropomodulin 4-deficient skeletal muscle

The sarcomeric tropomodulin (Tmod) isoforms Tmod1 and Tmod4 cap thin filament pointed ends and functionally interact with the leiomodin (Lmod) isoforms Lmod2 and Lmod3 to control myofibril organization, thin filament lengths, and actomyosin crossbridge formation in skeletal muscle fibers. Here, we show that Tmod4 is more abundant than Tmod1 at both the transcript and protein level in a variety of muscle types, but the relative abundances of sarcomeric Tmods are muscle specific. We then generate Tmod4−/− mice, which exhibit normal thin filament lengths, myofibril organization, and skeletal muscle contractile function owing to compensatory upregulation of Tmod1, together with an Lmod isoform switch wherein Lmod3 is downregulated and Lmod2 is upregulated. However, RNAi depletion of Tmod1 from either wild-type or Tmod4−/− muscle fibers leads to thin filament elongation by ∼15%. Thus, Tmod1 per se, rather than total sarcomeric Tmod levels, controls thin filament lengths in mouse skeletal muscle, whereas Tmod4 appears to be dispensable for thin filament length regulation. These findings identify Tmod1 as the key direct regulator of thin filament length in skeletal muscle, in both adult muscle homeostasis and in developmentally compensated contexts. Summary: Deletion of tropomodulin 4 induces compensatory upregulation of tropomodulin 1 to preserve thin filament lengths in mouse skeletal muscle. Knockdown of tropomodulin 1 results in increased thin filament lengths.
Racial disparities in knee and hip total joint arthroplasty: an 18-year analysis of national medicare data

Objective To examine whether racial disparities in usage and outcomes of total knee and total hip arthroplasty (TKA and THA) have declined over time. Methods We used data from the US Medicare Program (MedPAR data) for years 1991–2008 to identify four separate cohorts of patients (primary TKA, revision TKA, primary THA, revision THA). For each cohort, we calculated standardised arthroplasty usage rates for Caucasian and African–American Medicare beneficiaries for each calendar year, and examined changes in disparities over time. We examined unadjusted and adjusted outcomes (30-day readmission rate, discharge disposition etc.) for Caucasians and African–Americans, and whether disparities decreased over time. Results In 1991, the use of primary TKA was 36% lower for African–Americans compared with Caucasians (20.6 per 10 000 for African–Americans; 32.1 per 10 000 for Caucasians; p<0.0001); in 2008, usage of primary TKA was 40% lower for African–Americans (41.5 per 10 000 for African–Americans; 68.8 per 10 000 for Caucasians; p<0.0001) with similar findings for the other cohorts. Black–White disparities in 30-day hospital readmission increased significantly from 1991–2008 among three patient cohorts. For example in 1991 30-day readmission rates for African–Americans receiving primary TKA were 6% higher than for Caucasians; by 2008 readmission rates for African–Americans were 24% higher (p<0.05 for change in disparity). Similarly, black–white disparities in the proportion of patients discharged to home after surgery increased across the study period for all cohorts (p<0.05). Conclusions In an 18-year analysis of US Medicare data, we found little evidence of declines in racial disparities for joint arthroplasty usage or outcomes.
Aromatase inhibitors for the treatment of infertility

Ovarian stimulation during infertility treatment is used either alone or in conjunction with intrauterine insemination and assisted reproductive technologies. At the present time, the two main medications used for ovarian stimulation include an oral antioestrogen, clomiphene citrate and injectable gonadotrophins. In spite of the high ovulation rate, the use of clomiphene citrate is associated with adverse side effects and low pregnancy rates. In clomiphene citrate failures, gonadotrophin injections are generally the next treatment option but, especially in polycystic ovarian syndrome, are associated with increased risk of severe ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome and high multiple pregnancies. Therefore, an effective oral treatment that could be used without risk of ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome and with minimal monitoring is preferred. It was hypothesised that aromatase inhibitors can be administered early in the follicular phase to induce ovulation by releasing the hypothalamus and/or pituitary from oestrogen negative feedback. The success of aromatase inhibitors in induction and augmentation of ovulation has been reported. In addition, increased intraovarian androgen levels may synergise with central effects of decreased oestrogen to enhance ovarian response to gonadotrophin stimulation. This increased sensitivity to follicle-stimulating hormone may be especially useful in poor responders. The potential future applications for aromatase inhibitors in infertility management are also discussed.
Economic losses from and the national research program on mastitis in the United States.

Scientific papers estimating economic losses from mastitis were reviewed. Reduced milk production from cows with subclinical mastitis was responsible for the largest losses. Losses from mastitis in the United States in 1976 were estimated by usable responses to a survey from 33 states representing 9.5 million cows or 86% of the dairy cow population. Losses of milk yields caused by mastitis were 386 kg/cow per yr and losses of discarded milk 62 kg/cow per yr. Annual losses per cow from mastitis were a) reduced milk production, $81.32; b) discarded milk, $12.88; c) cost of veterinary services, $1.97; d) cost of drugs, ! 3,86; e) increased labor, $2.28; f) decreased sale value, $5.72; g) increased replacement costs, $9.32; h) total, $117.35. For the 11 million cows in the United States 1976 losses from mastitis were $1.294 billion. Mastitis research was supported publicly at 22 locations under 43 projects. Approximately 24 scientist years were involved and $2.7 million of public funds were expended annually. If economic losses from mastitis were reduced 2% per year for 10 yr by research and expenditures for mastitis research remained the same, the benefit to cost ratio from mastitis research would be approximately 9.6 to 1.
Impact of enhanced detection on the increase in thyroid cancer incidence in the United States: review of incidence trends by socioeconomic status within the surveillance, epidemiology, and end results registry, 1980-2008.

BACKGROUND In the past 3 decades, the incidence of thyroid cancer in the United States has been increasing. There has been debate on whether the increase is real or an artifact of improved diagnostic scrutiny. Our hypothesis is that both improved detection and a real increase have contributed to the increase. METHODS Because socioeconomic status (SES) may be a surrogate for access to diagnostic technology, we compared thyroid cancer incidence trends between high- and low-SES counties within the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results 9 (SEER 9) registries. The incidence trends were assessed using joinpoint regression analysis. RESULTS In high-SES counties, thyroid cancer incidence increased moderately (annual percentage change 1 [APC1]=2.5, p<0.05) before the late 1990s and more pronounced (APC2=6.3, p<0.05) after the late 1990s. In low-SES counties, incidence increased steadily with an APC of 3.5 (p<0.05) during the entire study period (1980-2008). For tumors ≤4.0 cm, incidence was higher in high-SES counties, and APC was higher for high- than low-SES counties after the late 1990s. For tumors >4.0 cm, high- and low-SES counties had similar increasing incidence trends. Similarly, for tumors ≤2.0 cm, the incidence trends differed between counties that are in or adjacent to metropolitan areas and counties that are in rural areas, whereas for tumors >2.0 cm, all counties regardless of area of residence had similar increasing trends. CONCLUSIONS Enhanced detection likely contributed to the increased thyroid cancer incidence in the past decades, but cannot fully explain the increase, suggesting that a true increase exists. Efforts should be made to identify the cause of this true increase.
Starvation‐induced Mucts62‐mediated coding sequence fusion: a role for ClpXP, Lon, RpoS and Crp

The formation of araB–lacZ coding sequence fusions in Escherichia coli is a particular type of chromosomal rearrangement induced by Mucts62, a thermoinducible mutant of mutator phage Mu. Fusion formation is controlled by the host physiology. It only occurs after aerobic carbon starvation and requires the phage‐encoded transposase pA, suggesting that these growth conditions trigger induction of the Mucts62 prophage. Here, we show that thermal induction of the prophage accelerated araB–lacZ fusion formation, confirming that derepression is a rate‐limiting step in the fusion process. Nonetheless, starvation conditions remained essential to complete fusions, suggesting additional levels of physiological regulation. Using a transcriptional fusion indicator system in which the Mu early lytic promoter is fused to the reporter E. coli lacZ gene, we confirmed that the Mucts62 prophage was derepressed in stationary phase (S derepression) at low temperature. S derepression did not apply to prophages that expressed the Mu wild‐type repressor. It depended upon the host ClpXP and Lon ATP‐dependent proteases and the RpoS stationary phase‐specific σ factor, but not upon Crp. None of these four functions was required for thermal induction. Crp was required for fusion formation, but only when the Mucts62 prophage encoded the transposition/replication activating protein pB. Finally, we found that thermally induced cultures did not return to the repressed state when shifted back to low temperature and, hence, remained activated for accelerated fusion formation upon starvation. The maintenance of the derepressed state required the ClpXP and Lon host proteases and the prophage Ner‐regulatory protein. These observations illustrate how the cts62 mutation in Mu repressor provides the prophage with a new way to respond to growth phase‐specific regulatory signals and endows the host cell with a new potential for adaptation through the controlled use of the phage transposition machinery.