Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Molecular cloning, genomic organization, and expression of a C-type (Manduca sexta-type) allatostatin preprohormone from Drosophila melanogaster.

The insect allatostatins are a diverse group of neuropeptides that obtained their names by their inhibitory actions on the corpora allata (two endocrine glands near the insect brain), where they block the biosynthesis of juvenile hormone (a terpenoid important for development and reproduction). Chemically, the allatostatins can be subdivided into three different peptide groups: the large group of A-type (cockroach-type) allatostatins, which have the common C-terminal sequence Y/FXFGLamide; the B-type (cricket-type) allatostatins, which have the C-terminal sequence W(X(6))Wamide in common; and a single allatostatin that we now call C-type allatostatin that was first discovered in the moth Manduca sexta, and which has a nonamidated C terminus, and a structure unrelated to the A- and B-type allatostatins. We have previously cloned the preprohormones for the A- and B-type allatostatins from Drosophila melanogaster. Here we report on the cloning of a Drosophila C-type allatostatin preprohormone (DAP-C). DAP-C is 121 amino acid residues long and contains one copy of a peptide sequence that in its processed form has the sequence Y in position 4) from the Manduca sexta C-type allatostatin. The DAP-C gene has three introns and four exons and is located at position 32D2-3 on the left arm of the second chromosome. Northern blots show that the gene is strongly expressed in larvae and adult flies, but less in pupae and embryos. In situ hybridizations of larvae show that the gene is expressed in various neurons of the brain and abdominal ganglia and in endocrine cells of the midgut. This is the first publication on the structure of a C-type allatostatin from insects other than moths and the first report on the presence of all three types of allatostatins in a representative of the insect order Diptera (flies).
Autophagy and cancer – issues we need to digest

Autophagy is an evolutionarily conserved catabolic pathway that has multiple roles in carcinogenesis and cancer therapy. It can inhibit the initiation of tumorigenesis through limiting cytoplasmic damage, genomic instability and inflammation, and the loss of certain autophagy genes can lead to cancer. Conversely, autophagy can also assist cells in dealing with stressful metabolic environments, thereby promoting cancer cell survival. In fact, some cancers rely on autophagy to survive and progress. Furthermore, tumour cells can exploit autophagy to cope with the cytotoxicity of certain anticancer drugs. By contrast, it appears that certain therapeutics require autophagy for the effective killing of cancer cells. Despite these dichotomies, it is clear that autophagy has an important, if complex, role in cancer. This is further exemplified by the fact that autophagy is connected with major cancer networks, including those driven by p53, mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR), RAS and glutamine metabolism. In this Commentary, we highlight recent advances in our understanding of the role that autophagy has in cancer and discuss current strategies for targeting autophagy for therapeutic gain.
Development of a Highly Productive and Scalable Plasmid DNA Production Platform

With the applications of DNA vaccines extending from infectious diseases to cancer, achieving the most efficient, reproducible, robust, scalable, and economical production of clinical grade plasmid DNA is paramount to the medical and commercial success of this novel vaccination paradigm. A first generation production process based on the cultivation of Escherichia coli in a chemically defined medium, employing a fed‐batch strategy, delivered reasonable volumetric productivities (500–750 mg/L) and proved to perform very well across a wide range of E. coli constructs upon scale‐up at industrial scale. However, the presence of monosodium glutamate (MSG) in the formulation of the cultivation and feed solution was found to be a potential cause of process variability. The development of a second generation process, based on a defined cultivation medium and feed solution excluding MSG, was undertaken. Optimization studies, employing a plasmid coding for the HIV gag protein, resulted in cultivation conditions that supported volumetric plasmid titers in excess of 1.2 g/L, while achieving specific yields ranging from 25 to 32 μg plasmid DNA/mg of dry cell weight. When used for the production of clinical supplies, this novel process demonstrated applicability to two other constructs upon scale‐up in 2,000‐L bioreactors. This second generation process proved to be scalable, robust, and highly productive.
Psychoneuroimmunology of Depression: Clinical Implications

Psychoneuroimmunology is a field that investigates the interactions between the brain and the immune system. One important goal of this field of research is to translate basic research in order to understand how behavior affects health and resistance to disease in humans. This review evaluates the impact of depression on morbidity and mortality risk and asks whether neuroimmune mechanisms contribute to this association. Examples are drawn from three diseases: cardiovascular disease, infectious disease, and rheumatoid arthritis. Finally, the potential for biobehavioral interventions to impact psychological adaptation and the course of immune related disease is discussed.
Cartel in the Indian Cement Industry: An Attempt to Identify it

This article is devoted to the problem of the detection of overt or tacit collusion equilibrium in the context of the choice of the appropriate econometric method, a choice that is determined by the amount of information that the observer possesses. The author addresses this problem in two steps. First, to provide a theoretical background, he uses a collusion marker based on structural disturbances in a price process'; variance. Then, he applies a Markov switching model with switching in variance regimes. The author considers this method adequate and coherent with the problem structure and the research objective, and useful for assessing the functionality of the collusion marker he uses. He uses the model to examine the Indian cement industry in the period 1994-2009 and finds some objective indications of collusion and competition phases. These phases are confirmed by certain historical facts as well as by numerous research articles.
Immune evasion strategies of the human gamma‐herpesviruses: Implications for viral tumorigenesis

Two human gamma‐herpesviruses, Epstein–Barr virus and Kaposi's sarcoma associated herpesvirus/human herpesvirus 8 display oncogenic potential, causing benign and malignant lymphoproliferative disorders in genetically susceptible or immunosuppressed individuals. As a family of viruses that establish persistent life‐long infections, herpesviruses have evolved strategies to limit innate antiviral responses and evade host immune surveillance. Herpesviruses have developed mechanisms to disrupt antigen presentation, pirate the production of immune regulating cytokines, and inhibit pro‐apoptotic signaling pathways. Although these strategies are designed to facilitate the long‐term persistence of herpesviruses, in certain circumstances they can contribute to viral‐driven carcinogenesis. J. Med. Virol. 84:272–281, 2012. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Modeling Consensus and (Dis)agreement in Rating Processes

This dissertation introduces a general framework modeling common rating processes in order to aggregate rating information stemming from a variety of raters or rating sources. Ratings play an increasingly important role in our life. They are used to evaluate a variety of objects and activities all over the world. Here we apply our model framework to two different ratings, the credit ratings and the bookmakers odds. Whereas credit ratings represent the evaluation of credit customers or firms by banks or external rating agencies, bookmakers odds are prospective ratings of the performance of the participating players or teams in a sports competition. Despite the fact that these ratings are used in different kind of areas, both rating systems have a very similar underlying rating process. In both rating processes each rater estimates an underlying numerical variable which represent a probability or is directly related to a probability. In the case of credit ratings this probability is the probability of default (PD) of a credit customer or a firm and in the case of bookmakers odds this probability is the probability of winning a specifc sports competition. The proposed model framework is then used to solve the aggregation problem of the two rating processes for different applications yielding different model specifcations. Finally, the model results are used to validate the different underlying rating systems as well as for forecasting. (author's abstract)
The Rate and Molecular Spectrum of Spontaneous Mutations in Arabidopsis thaliana

Evolution in Action Rates of evolution in gene and genome sequences have been estimated, but these estimates are subject to error because many of the steps of evolution over the ages are not directly measurable or are hidden under subsequent changes. Ossowski et al. (p. 92) now provide a more accurate measurement of how often spontaneous mutations arise in a nuclear genome. Mutations arising over 30 generations were compared by sequencing DNA from individual Arabidopsis thaliana plants. UV- and deamination-induced mutagenesis appeared to bias the type of mutations found. Rapid sequencing technologies allow a more accurate calculation of the mutation rate for plants. To take complete advantage of information on within-species polymorphism and divergence from close relatives, one needs to know the rate and the molecular spectrum of spontaneous mutations. To this end, we have searched for de novo spontaneous mutations in the complete nuclear genomes of five Arabidopsis thaliana mutation accumulation lines that had been maintained by single-seed descent for 30 generations. We identified and validated 99 base substitutions and 17 small and large insertions and deletions. Our results imply a spontaneous mutation rate of 7 × 10−9 base substitutions per site per generation, the majority of which are G:C→A:T transitions. We explain this very biased spectrum of base substitution mutations as a result of two main processes: deamination of methylated cytosines and ultraviolet light–induced mutagenesis.
Brown Carbon Spheres in East Asian Outflow and Their Optical Properties

Atmospheric aerosols play a substantial role in climate change through radiative forcing. Combustion-produced carbonaceous particles are the main light-absorbing aerosols; thus, quantifying their optical properties is essential for determining the magnitude of direct forcing. By using the electron energy-loss spectrum in the transmission electron microscope, we quantified the optical properties of individual, submicrometer amorphous carbon spheres that are ubiquitous in East Asian–Pacific outflow. The data indicate that these common spheres are brown, not black, with a mean refractive index of 1.67 – 0.27i (where i = \batchmode \documentclass[fleqn,10pt,legalpaper]{article} \usepackage{amssymb} \usepackage{amsfonts} \usepackage{amsmath} \pagestyle{empty} \begin{document} \(\sqrt{1}\) \end{document}) at a wavelength of 550 nanometers. The results suggest that brown carbon aerosols should be explicitly included in radiative forcing models.
Intellectual Capital = Competence x Commitment

Commitment and competence are embedded in how each employee thinks about and does his or her work and in how a company organizes to get work done. It is, according to Dave Ulrich, a firm's only appreciable asset. As the need for intellectual capital increases, companies must find ways to ensure that it develops and grows. There are five tools for increasing competence in a firm, site, business, and plant. 1. Buy. The company goes outside to hire new talent. 2. Build. Managers invests in employee learning and training. 3. Borrow. A company hires consultants and forms partnerships with suppliers, customers, and vendors to share knowledge, create new knowledge, and bring in new ways to work. 4. Bounce. The company removes those employees who fail to change, learn, and adapt. 5. Bind. The firm finds ways to keep those workers it finds most valuable. Companies also need to foster employees who are not only competent but committed. Employees with too many demands and not enough resources to cope with those demands quickly burn out, become depressed, and lack commitment. A company can build commitment in three ways: 1. Reduce demand on employees by prioritizing work, focusing only on critical activities, and streamlining work processes. 2. Increase resources by giving employees control over their own work, establishing a vision for the company that creates excitement about work, providing ways for employees to work in teams, creating a culture of fun, compensating workers fairly, sharing information on the company's long-range strategy, helping employees cope with the demands on their time, providing new technologies, and training workers to use it. 3. Turn demands into resources by exploring how company policies may erode commitment, ensuring that new managers and workers are clear about expectations, understanding family commitments, and having employees participate in decision making. Only by fostering competence and commitment together can a company ensure the growth of intellectual capital, says Ulrich.
Perinatal Period and Obesity

Fetal programming concerns the fetal physiological or metabolic adaptations responding to an adverse environment during a critical developmental stage that become definitive later in life. The idea that tendency to develop chronic and degenerative disease as type 2 diabetes, obesity or hypertension could be programmed since the fetal stage is supported by scientific evidence. An excessive exposure to nutrients can be considered as an adverse environment. It is known that prevalence of overweight and obesity, impaired glucose tolerance, overeating, insulin secretion dysregulation and insulin resistance is higher in children born from mothers presenting gestational diabetes or obesity.
Reaping the Most Nutrients: Working With Starch and Nonfiber Carbohydrate Digestibility

Cows survive, grow, produce milk, reproduce, and store energy reserves based on the amount of digestible nutrients they get from their diets. There is consensus that cows do not have a starch requirement, but starch has been a staple source of digestible nutrients in dairy cattle diets. With concerns about grain supplies and prices, the question of how to approach meeting the nutrient needs of our herds becomes more pressing. Questions we need to answer to figure out how to meet the needs include: ♦ How do we capitalize on nutrients raised on farm? ♦ What off-farm options do we have for feed supplies? ♦ What factors will change how well the nutrients are utilized for production? These are simple, straightforward questions that force us to look down many avenues.
Screening, Monitoring, and Treatment of Stage 1 to 3 Chronic Kidney Disease: A Clinical Practice Guideline From the American College of Physicians

DESCRIPTION The American College of Physicians (ACP) developed this guideline to present the evidence and provide clinical recommendations on the screening, monitoring, and treatment of adults with stage 1 to 3 chronic kidney disease. METHODS This guideline is based on a systematic evidence review evaluating the published literature on this topic from 1985 through November 2011 that was identified by using MEDLINE and the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. Searches were limited to English-language publications. The clinical outcomes evaluated for this guideline included all-cause mortality, cardiovascular mortality, myocardial infarction, stroke, chronic heart failure, composite vascular outcomes, composite renal outcomes, end-stage renal disease, quality of life, physical function, and activities of daily living. This guideline grades the evidence and recommendations by using ACP's clinical practice guidelines grading system. RECOMMENDATION 1 ACP recommends against screening for chronic kidney disease in asymptomatic adults without risk factors for chronic kidney disease. (Grade: weak recommendation, low-quality evidence) RECOMMENDATION 2 ACP recommends against testing for proteinuria in adults with or without diabetes who are currently taking an angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor or an angiotensin II-receptor blocker. (Grade: weak recommendation, low-quality evidence) RECOMMENDATION 3 ACP recommends that clinicians select pharmacologic therapy that includes either an angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor (moderate-quality evidence) or an angiotensin II-receptor blocker (high-quality evidence) in patients with hypertension and stage 1 to 3 chronic kidney disease. (Grade: strong recommendation) RECOMMENDATION 4 ACP recommends that clinicians choose statin therapy to manage elevated low-density lipoprotein in patients with stage 1 to 3 chronic kidney disease. (Grade: strong recommendation, moderate-quality evidence).
Measles outbreaks: what does it represent for the elimination strategy in the region of the Americas? A call for the action

The US is experiencing a large multi-state measles outbreak that started in California in 2014. At this time, no source case for the outbreak has been identified. Measles was declared eliminated in the US in 2000, because at that time, there were high coverage rates with the two-dose schedule and these vaccines have been very immunogenic. Measles is still endemic in many parts of the world, and outbreaks can occur when unvaccinated groups are exposed to imported measles virus. The current multi-state outbreak underscores the ongoing risk of measles importation, the need for high measles vaccination coverage rates, and the importance of a prompt and appropriate public health response to individual cases and outbreaks. The US outbreak threatens measles control in the Americas. Strengthening immunization programs and keeping vaccination coverage rates above 95% with a two-dose schedule will be necessary for measles control strategies in the Americas.
Metabolomics-Based Biomarkers of the Pathogenesis of Atherosclerosis

Atherosclerosis is a progressive disease of the mediumlarge arteries and the major underlying cause of most cardiovascular diseases. Despite recent advances in atherosclerosis research, the molecular mechanisms underlying the pathophysiology of this disease are not clear. Conventional methods to detect atherosclerosis are invasive, time-consuming and are associated with significant risk. The identification of metabolomics-based biomarkers of atherosclerosis would allow the development of a reliable, sensitive and non-invasive diagnostic technique. The relative levels of specific metabolites provide a direct functional readout of the physiological or pathological state of an organism and hence, can act as a biomarker of disease and/or biomarker of a specific stage of disease progression. Biomarker discovery also provides insight into established and novel metabolic pathways associated with the pathogenesis and progression of atherosclerosis. In this review, we explore recent progress in metabolomicsbased biomarker discovery in both human and animalbased atherosclerosis research. We highlight the need for direct and translational biomarkers for the diagnosis of atherosclerosis and assessment of atherosclerotic progression.
Defense in Depth: Foundation for Secure and Resilient IT Enterprises

Abstract : The Defense-in-Depth Foundational Curriculum is designed for students ranging from system administrators to CIOs who have some technical understanding of information systems and want to delve into how technical assurance issues affect their entire organizations. The course material takes a big-picture view while also reinforcing concepts presented with some details about implementation. Therefore, this course can be a useful pursuit for system administrators and IT security personnel who would like to step up to the management level. It also can provide a refresher for IT managers and executives who want to stay up to date on the latest technological threats facing their enterprises. The curriculum consists of eight main modules: (1) Compliance Management, (2) Risk Management, (3) Identity Management, (4) Authorization Management, (5) Accountability Management, (6) Availability Management, (7) Configuration Management, and (8) Incident Management. The document also contains an introduction, "Foundations of Information Assurance," which focuses on how the overarching concepts of confidentiality, integrity, and availability can lead to a comprehensive security strategy.
Building Sme rating: is it necessary for lenders to monitor financial statements of the borrowers?

The goal of this paper is to analyze the role that non-financial variables can play in assessing Smes creditworthiness and to compare their value in predicting business failure with the one of the most commonly used financial ratios. We investigate the importance for banks in modeling credit risk for Smes using non-financial variables able to describe the relationship company-banks. Our findings demonstrate that credit relationship information is better predictor of corporate failure than financial ratios. We also test the models on an out-of-time and out-of-universe sample to prove their accuracy and soundness. Our initial assumptions remained confirmed: non-financial variables allow to improve the accuracy and performance of banks’ credit rating models
Froude Number and Scale Effects and Froude Number 0.35 Wave Elevations and Mean-Velocity Measurements for Bow and Shoulder Wave Breaking of Surface Combatant DTMB 5415

Abstract : This study is a good demonstration on how complementary EFD and CFD can provide a powerful and advanced tool in analyzing complex industrial flows. Results are presented from a cooperative study between INSEAN and IIHR about wave and flow field measurement about a surface combatant with focus on the 3D ship wave breaking. At Fr-0.35, free-surface near and far fields have been measured, as well as the velocity in some transversal planes under the bow and shoulder wave. CFD computations have also been used to complete and extend EFD data and to understand some particular features of the flow, such as location of vortices near the free-surface and scars.
Stereology and its impact on our understanding of human placental functional morphology

The new stereology permits the objective, quantitative description of morphology by efficient and design‐based methods. Applications to placentas in normal and abnormal pregnancies have proved of great value for challenging earlier misconceptions and interpreting better the processes of growth, morphogenesis, adaptation, and functioning at the whole‐organ level. This contribution reviews the essential features of the stereological approach, identifies useful structural quantities, and provides examples of their application in various experiments of nature. We focus particularly on normal gestation and the effects of pregnancies associated with high altitude, maternal diabetes mellitus, preeclampsia, and maternal smoking. Microsc. Res. Tech. 38:195–205, 1997. © 1997 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.