Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Induction of the Acyl-Coenzyme A Synthetase Gene by Fibrates and Fatty Acids Is Mediated by a Peroxisome Proliferator Response Element in the C Promoter (*)

The long-chain acyl-coenzyme A synthetase (ACS) gene gives rise to three transcripts containing different first exons preceded by specific regulatory regions A, B, and C. Exon-specific oligonucleotide hybridization indicated that only A-ACS mRNA is expressed in rat liver. Fibrate administration induced liver C-ACS strongly and A-ACS mRNA to a lesser extent. B-ACS mRNA remained undetectable. In primary rat hepatocytes and Fa-32 hepatoma cells C-ACS mRNA increased after treatment with fenofibric acid, α-bromopalmitate, tetradecylthioacetic acid, or α-linolenic acid. Nuclear run-on experiments indicated that fenofibric acid and α-bromopalmitate act at the transcriptional level. Transient transfections showed a 3.4-, 2.3-, and 2.2-fold induction of C-ACS promoter activity after fenofibric acid, α-bromopalmitate, and tetradecylthioacetic acid, respectively. Unilateral deletion and site-directed mutagenesis identified a peroxisome proliferator activator receptor (PPAR)-responsive element (PPRE) mediating the responsiveness to fibrates and fatty acids. This ACS PPRE contains three imperfect half sites spaced by 1 and 3 oligonucleotides and binds PPAR•retinoid X receptor heterodimers in gel retardation assays. In conclusion, the regulation of C-ACS mRNA expression by fibrates and fatty acids is mediated by PPAR•retinoid X receptor heterodimers interacting through a PPRE in the C-ACS promoter. PPAR therefore occupies a key position in the transcriptional control of a pivotal enzyme controlling the channeling of fatty acids into various metabolic pathways.
Characterization of the bulk current injection calibration-jig for probe-model extraction

In this paper, a circuit model of the jig used for calibration of bulk current injection (BCI) probes is derived. The jig model is used to develop a procedure for probe-model extraction, based on measurement data, with the injection device mounted onto the calibration jig. This allows to exploit a device, i.e., the calibration jig, belonging to standard equipment of every EMC laboratory, and provides precise indications on how to adapt the probe parameters to the characteristics of the actual wiring harness to be tested.
The value of echocardiography in the diagnosis and followup of rheumatic carditis in children and adolescents: a 2 year prospective study.

OBJECTIVE To evaluate echocardiographic/Doppler findings in patients with rheumatic fever whether or not clinical manifestations of carditis were present, and the followup of these findings 24 months after the acute phase. METHODS Twenty-two patients with rheumatic fever (13 boys, 9 girls, mean age 11.0 years) were evaluated at baseline (at diagnosis) and after 3 and 6 mo of disease. Eighteen patients were reevaluated 24 mo later. The assessment included physical and cardiac examination, electrocardiogram, chest radiography, and color ECHO/Doppler performed blindly by different investigators. The control group included 15 healthy children. RESULTS We observed clinical carditis in 8 patients (36.4%): Group 1, all with ECHO abnormalities. We observed no clinical cardiac manifestations in 14 patients (Group 2), but 5 (35.7%) had positive ECHO/Doppler abnormalities that persisted at least 6 mo in followup assessments. Mitral and aortic were the most frequently involved valves. In Group 1 we observed normalization of the ECHO/Doppler in 3 patients, improvement in 2, no change in 2, and worsening in one. Twelve of 14 patients without clinical carditis were reevaluated, including the 5 patients with ECHO/Doppler abnormalities during the initial evaluations; normalization or improvement was observed in 2 patients, no change in 2, and worsening in one. We observed no ECHO/Doppler abnormalities in the control group. CONCLUSION This blind prospective study suggests the existence of asymptomatic carditis in some patients with rheumatic fever and the role ECHO/Doppler investigation could play in diagnosis and followup.
Energy efficient key management scheme based on elliptic curve signcryption for Wireless Sensor Networks

In this paper, an efficient key management scheme based on public key elliptic curves signcryption (ECS) scheme for Wireless Sensor Networks (WSN) has been proposed. The proposed algorithm is compared with the scheme given in [1]. For 250 cluster node, the saving in the total number of operations, key storage requirements, energy consumptions, and communication overhead are 75%, 96%, 23.79 m Joule, and 40% respectively compared with [1]. The proposed protocol is efficient in terms of complexity, number of message exchange, computation, and storage requirements compared with [1]. The proposed key management possesses not only provided confidentiality, authentication, integrity but also unforgeability.
Variants in the IFNγ transcription factor genes TBET, STAT1, STAT4, and HLX and the risk of pulmonary tuberculosis in a Colombian population: a case-control study.

INTRODUCTION Interferon gamma (IFNγ) is the most potent cytokine involved in the control of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb), the etiological agent of human tuberculosis (TB). Patients with active TB present reduced levels of IFNγ, which may explain the lack of effective immunity against Mtb in these patients. The diminished expression of or functional alterations in trans-acting factors that regulate IFNγ gene expression may explain the reduced levels of IFNγ in TB patients. OBJECTIVE To investigate the relationships of genetic variants in the transcription factors TBET, STAT1, STAT4, and HLX to susceptibility/resistance to pulmonary TB. MATERIALS AND METHODS Eight candidate single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were selected, and genotyped in 466 unrelated pulmonary TB patients and 300 healthy controls from Colombia, and the allelic and genetic associations with TB were analyzed. RESULTS The results indicate that no SNP in the transcription factors studied is associated with TB. However, polymorphism rs11650354 in the TBET gene may be associated with a decreased risk of TB; the TT genotype was significantly associated with TB protection in a recessive genetic model (OR=0.089, 95% CI: 0.01-0.73, p=0.0069), although this association was not maintained after multiple test correction (EMP2= 0.61). CONCLUSION In this study, the rs11650354 variant of TBET was suggested to promote resistance to TB in a Colombian population. A future replication case-control study using additional samples will be necessary to confirm this suggestive association.
Back in Touch with Contagion: Some Essential Issues

Since the introduction of contagion theory to the psychological literature in the 1980s and 1990s, research and interest in the topic have proliferated, especially as related to consumer perceptions and preferences. In this article we review current conceptual issues in contagion theory, including the nature of essence and its relation to conceptions of the soul and self, backward contagion, the process of transmission and whether contact is necessary or sufficient for it to occur, the relation between positive and negative contagion, the status of the eight originally proposed defining features of psychological contagion, and the companion “law of similarity. ” We conclude with a discussion of sustainability-relevant applications of contagion theory in the public interest, such as food and water supply and safety, ownership and the sharing economy, and health care. Future research should devote increased attention to cultural differences in psychological contagion and begin to explore emerging impacts of virtual environments on the extended sense of self, reality, and attendant contagion-based thinking.
Sustained use of CPAP slows deterioration of cognition, sleep, and mood in patients with Alzheimer's disease and obstructive sleep apnea: a preliminary study.

INTRODUCTION Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is common among patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD). Untreated OSA exacerbates the cognitive and functional deficits. Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) has recently been shown to have beneficial effects on cognition in AD. Little attention has focused on the long-term benefits of CPAP in these patients. METHODS This was an exploratory study of sustained CPAP use (mean use = 13.3 months, SD = 5.2) among a subset of participants from an initial 6-week randomized clinical trial (RCT) of CPAP in patients with mild to moderate AD. Follow-up included 5 patients who continued CPAP (CPAP+) after completion of the RCT and 5 patients who discontinued CPAP (CPAP-), matched by time of completion of the initial study. A neuropsychological test battery and sleep/mood questionnaires were administered and effect sizes were calculated. RESULTS Even with a small sample size, sustained CPAP use resulted in moderate-to-large effect sizes. Compared to the CPAP- group, the CPAP+ group showed less cognitive decline with sustained CPAP use, stabilization of depressive symptoms and daytime somnolence, and significant improvement in subjective sleep quality. Caregivers of the CPAP+ group also reported that their own sleep was better when compared to the final RCT visit and that their patients psychopathological behavior was improved. CONCLUSION The results of this preliminary study raise the possibility that sustained, long-term CPAP treatment for patients with AD and OSA may result in lasting improvements in sleep and mood as well as a slowing of cognitive deterioration. Prospective randomized controlled research trials evaluating these hypotheses are needed.
The activity of single vasoconstrictor nerve units in hypertension.

AIM It has long been established from controlled experiments in anaesthetized animals that it is more accurate to quantify the mean frequency of efferent sympathetic nerve activity from single unit than from multi-unit bursts recordings. More recently, sympathetic nerve hyperactivity has been reported in patients with essential hypertension (EHT) when using microneurographic recordings from peripheral efferent nerves. This review will focus on the mean frequency of single unit of muscle sympathetic nerve activity (s-MSNA) in relation to that of multi-unit bursts (MSNA) as obtained by microneurography in EHT. RESULTS We have shown that the resting levels of s-MSNA and MSNA were increased in uncomplicated EHT, white coat hypertension and in EHT complicated by left ventricular hypertrophy. There was a relatively greater increase in s-MSNA than in MSNA in mild hypertension and in complicated EHT. We also found that both s-MSNA and MSNA were increased to a similar extent in conditions known to affect reflexes emanating from the heart and influencing sympathetic output, such as acute myocardial infarction. In other preliminary studies, the increase of s-MSNA in response to the discomfort of cold pressor test was greater than that of MSNA and this difference was abolished by the centrally sympatholytic agent moxonidine. CONCLUSION These results are consistent with the hypothesis that an increase in the mean frequency of central sympathetic discharge to the periphery (greater s-MSNA than MSNA) is involved in the pathogenesis and complications of EHT. Target organ damage may in turn lead to an increase in overall sympathetic output (excessive MSNA increase) through the operation of peripheral reflex mechanisms.
Emotional conversations in Parkinson’s disease

Objective: To learn how PD influences verbal description of emotional events. Background: Individuals with PD exhibit emotional processing deficits. Emotional experience likely involves several dimensions (e.g., valence, arousal, motor activation) subserved by a distributed modular network involving cortical, limbic, basal ganglia, diencephalic, and mesencephalic regions. Although the neurodegeneration in PD likely affects components in this network, little is known about how PD influences emotional processing. Because PD is associated with activation deficits, one could predict that the discourse of emotional experiences involving high activation would be reduced in patients with PD compared to control subjects. Alternatively, because patients with PD exhibit paradoxical sensitivity to externally evoked motor activation (kinesia paradoxica), it is possible that emotional stimuli may facilitate verbal emotional expression more so in patients with PD than in control subjects. Methods: The authors measured verbal descriptions of personal emotional experiences in subjects with PD and normal controls. Results: Compared with control subjects, individuals with PD showed a relative increase in the number of words spoken and in discourse duration when talking about emotional experiences that are usually associated with high levels of arousal and motor activation. Although the authors did not measure arousal or activation, prior research has shown that, when asked to recall an emotional experience, people will often re-experience the emotion previously experienced during that episode. Conclusions: Recalling emotional episodes induces verbal kinesia paradoxica in patients with PD. Although recall of these emotional episodes may have been associated with increased arousal and activation, the mechanism underlying emotional verbal kinesia paradoxica is unclear.
Symposium on ‘Plants as animal foods: a case of catch 22?’ Antimicrobial properties of plant secondary metabolites

Increasing awareness of hazards associated with the use of antibiotic and chemical feed additives has accelerated investigations into plants and their extracts as feed additives. The present review mainly discusses two classes of plant secondary compounds in this context, i.e. essential oils and saponins. The broader potential of plants and their extracts is illustrated by the progress of an EC Framework 5 project, ‘Rumen-up’. Dietary inclusion of a commercial blend of essential oils causes markedly decreased NH 3 production from amino acids in rumen ﬂuid taken from sheep and cattle. This effect is mediated partly by the effects on hyper-NH 3 - producing bacteria and the protein-and starch-fermenting rumen bacterium, Ruminobacter amylophilus . Saponin-containing plants and their extracts suppress the bacteriolytic activity of rumen ciliate protozoa and thereby enhance total microbial protein ﬂow from the rumen. The effects of some saponins are transient, because saponins are hydrolysed by bacteria to their corresponding sapogenin aglycones, which are much less toxic to protozoa. Saponins also have selective antibacterial effects that may prove useful in, for example, controlling starch digestion. The ‘Rumen-up’ project began with a targetted collection of European plants and their extracts, which partners have tested for their effects on rumen proteolysis, protozoa, methanogenesis and lactate production. A success rate of about 5% in terms of positive hits illustrates that plant secondary compounds, of which essential oils and saponins comprise a small proportion, have great potential as ‘natural’ manipulators of rumen fermentation to beneﬁt the farmer and the environment in the future.
Football injuries during the 2014 FIFA World Cup

Background FIFA has surveyed match injuries in its tournaments since 1998. Aim To analyse the incidence and characteristics of match injuries incurred during the 2014 FIFA World Cup in comparison to previous FIFA World Cups. Methods The chief physicians of the participating teams reported all newly incurred injuries of their players after the match on a standardised report form. 124 (97%) forms were returned. Results A total of 104 injuries were reported, equivalent to an incidence of 1.68 injuries per match (95% CI 1.36 to 2.00). 64 (63.4%) injuries were caused by contact with another player. Thigh (26; 25%) and head (19; 18%) were the most frequently injured body parts. The most frequent diagnosis was thigh strain (n=18). Five concussions and three fractures to the head were reported. While most thigh strains (15/17; 88.2%) occurred without contact, almost all head injuries (18/19; 94.7%) were caused by contact. 0.97 injuries per match (95% CI 0.72 to 1.22) were expected to result in absence from training or match. Eight injuries were classified as severe. The incidence of match injuries in the 2014 FIFA World Cup was significantly lower than the average of the four preceding FIFA World Cups, both for all injuries (2.34; 95% CI 2.15 to 2.53) and time-loss injuries (1.51; 95% CI 1.37 to 1.65). Conclusions The overall incidence of injury during the FIFA World Cups decreased from 2002 to 2014 by 37%. A detailed analysis of the injury mechanism is recommended to further improve prevention strategies.
Regional distribution of cholecystokinin receptors in macaque medial temporal lobe determined by in vitro receptor autoradiography

Cholecystokinin (CCK) binding sites were localized in the hippocampus, amygdala, and medial temporal cortices of macaque monkeys by using techniques of in vitro receptor autoradiography. Binding sites were labeled with 3H‐CCK‐8 and 125I‐CCK‐33, and nonspecific binding was assessed in the presence of 1 μM CCK‐8. Comparison of autoradiograms with Nisslstained sections allowed precise correlation of autoradiographic grain distribution with cytoarchitecture.
Words Faithful to the Phenomenon

The article presents the developing of a tool aimed to analyze the decision-making (DM) processes in critical care contexts. It was developed in a study conducted through a phenomenological approach. By analyzing the discursive practice through which physicians in an intensive care unit (ICU) arrive at decisions, we construct a discursive profile of each ICU involved, to improve the ICU team members’ knowledge of the complexity of their DM processes. To do so, we develop a system of analysis capable of capturing discursive actions faithfully. Our method facilitates a system of analysis that highlights the role of the various discursive acts in conversational flow, starting from the needs in an ICU setting, which are spontaneously recognized from the data, to the almost simultaneous processes of description and understanding. This has led to the creation of a tool follows the phenomenological-grounded route.
A 1.2-V reconfigurable resolution CMOS image sensor with energy harvesting capability

In this paper, we propose a low voltage, low power, reconfigurable resolution CMOS image sensor with energy harvesting capability for wireless image sensor networks. Logarithmic type pixel is adopted to provide a wide dynamic range for image capturing. Semi-pixel level single slope analog-to-digital conversion is realized by employing in-pixel transistors as a part of the column comparator. A correlated double sampling (CDS) control transistor is introduced to remove fixed pattern noise (FPN) due to transistor threshold voltage variations. Energy/power scalability is achieved through reconfiguring the spatial resolution of the imager. The photodiode in the proposed pixel can be used as an energy harvesting device to scavenge energy from the ambient light after photo-sensing. The proposed 64 × 66 imager is designed with AMIS CMOS 0.35-µm digital process, and operates at a supply voltage of 1.2V. It can achieve a dynamic range of 108.6dB with an energy efficiency of 10.74nJ/pixel/frame in simulation. A comparison with other reported designs reveals that the proposed imager is one of the most energy efficient imagers of wide dynamic range. Moreover, the energy harvesting capability of the proposed imager could lead to further improved energy efficiency.
Regulation of work and employment: advances, tensions and future directions in research in international and comparative HRM

Abstract Changes to dynamics work and employment have resulted in calls for more sustainable management, procedural control, institutional governance, and political accountability. Against this background, there is renewed attention to regulation, its terms, nature and quality, and its role to shape the employment relationship. An important concern for international and comparative human resource management (I/CHRM) is understanding the role of regulation in interacting with these changes and how this varies across within and between countries. Regulation sits at the centre of competing economic and social demands, which are seen as both complementary and irreconcilable, and its complexity needs to be theorized and empirically mapped. The article discusses key themes related to changes to dynamics, processes and structures, and tensions that concern the fields of I/CHRM and its relationship with the regulation of work and employment. The article calls for more comprehensive insight into the theoretical links between regulation and I/CHRM, and more empirical evidence of their interplay across contexts. It suggests that engaging with the paradoxes and ambiguities of different competing agendas of regulation of work and employment, and exploring these in relation to different social actors within and across geographies is a significant step in advancing research in this area.
Simulation analysis of power quality improvement in BLDC motor drive using type III CUK derived converter

This paper deals with a simulation analysis of Power Factor Correction (PFC) in BLDC motor drives using type III cuk derived converter. A power factor corrected converter is required for improving power quality at the AC mains of an inverter fed BLDC motor drive. Conventionally, the BLDC motor is fed by a diode bridge rectifier (DBR) which results in highly distorted supply current and a poor power factor. A new bridgeless single-phase ac-dc Cuk derived topology has been introduced for power factor correction. This bridgeless topology uses minimum number of switches and thus reduces the less conduction losses compared with the conventional PFC rectifier. There are three Cuk derived configurations for power factor correction. In this paper, all the Cuk derived topologies are investigated and compared. The best topology is modelled in MATLAB/Simulink platform and the results are analysed.
No Safety, No Quality: Synthesis of Research on Hospital and Patient Safety (1996–2007)

The aim of this study was to identify associated research trends in patient safety and hospitals. Content analyses were used to analyze the titles and abstracts of journal articles included in the PubMed database (1996–March 2007; n = 6569). The given category code for each record was analyzed. The developed consensus system may help scholars and clinicians identify studies to be done, examine trends in the research on hospital safety, and advance the knowledge in this field.