Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Pneumocystis jirovecii infection: Cell wall (1→3)-β-D-glucan biology and diagnostic utility

Pneumocystis jirovecii has emerged as an important pulmonary pathogen. Historically associated with the immunocompromised, it is being increasingly observed in immunocompetent populations. (1→3)-β-D-glucan (BG) is a major component of the cyst cell wall and plays an important role in the inflammatory response to the organism. Inflammatory synergy by co-stimulation with BG and Toll-like receptor ligands has been demonstrated in vitro and may be a factor in the pathophysiology of Pneumocystis pneumonia. Detection of highly elevated serum concentrations of BG in the serum of patients has been shown to be highly sensitive for the presence of pulmonary P. jirovecii.
DJ‐927, a novel oral taxane, overcomes P‐glycoprotein‐mediated multidrug resistance in vitro and in vivo

DJ‐927 is a novel taxane, which was selected for high solubility, non‐neurotoxicity, oral bioavailability, and potent antitumor activity. In this study, we compared the in vitro and in vivo efficacy of DJ‐927 with those of paclitaxel and docetaxel. DJ‐927 exhibited stronger cytotoxicity than paclitaxel and docetaxel in various tumor cell lines, especially against P‐glycoprotein (P‐gp)‐expressing cells. The cytotoxicity of DJ‐927, unlike those of other taxanes, was not affected by the P‐gp expression level in tumor cells, or by the co‐presence of a P‐gp modulator. When intracellular accumulation of the three compounds was compared, intracellular amounts of DJ‐927 were much higher than those of paclitaxel or docetaxel, particularly in P‐gp‐positive cells. In vivo, DJ‐927 showed potent antitumor effects against two human solid tumors in male BALB/c‐nu/nu mice, and yielded significant life‐prolongation in a murine liver metastasis model with male C57BL/6 mice, in which neither paclitaxel nor docetaxel was effective. The results demonstrate the superior efficacy of orally administered DJ‐927 over intravenously administered paclitaxel or docetaxel against P‐gp‐expressing tumors, probably due to higher intracellular accumulation. A phase I clinical trials of DJ‐927 is currently ongoing in the US. (Cancer Sci 2003; 94: 459–466)
Stakeholders' Preferences and the Assessment of Forest Ecosystem Services: A Comparative Analysis in Italy

Values are qualities and beliefs orientating human actions and they change according to socio-economic variables such as gender, culture, education and income. Incorporating stakeholders' values and attitudes in the forest planning is essential for reducing conflicts among forest users and ensuring successful formulation and implementa - tion of the plans. The paper focuses on the analysis of stakeholders' attitudes and preferences to the forest ecosystem services considering three types of attitudes: biocentric attitudes, social-altruistic attitudes, and individual attitudes. The stakeholders' preferences were analysed in four case studies in Italy, characterized by different socio-economic structures and relationship between people and territory. Socio-economic attributes were tested as predictors of stakeholder preferences. A semi-structured questionnaire was used to collect opinions and preferences from altogether 327 stakeholders' involved in forest planning. Results show that different background and culture influence the priori - ties given to forest ecosystem services. The study suggests paying attention to the evaluation of stakeholders' prefer - ences to forest ecosystem services when defining forest management guidelines, which could contribute to reduce the distance between communities and decision makers.
Prognostic Factor Analysis in Advanced Gastric Cancer Patients Treated with Hydroxyurea, Leucovorin, 5-Fluorouracil, and Cisplatin (HLFP Regimen)

This study was performed to determine the prognostic factors of 102 nonresectable locally advanced or metastatic gastric cancer patients prospectively treated with a multimodulation of 5-fluorouracil (5FU), hydroxyurea, leucovorin, and cisplatin. Response rate in 85 patients with measurable disease was 62.4% (95% confidence interval 51.9% to 72.9%). A weight increase (5% or more) was observed in 47% of patients, performance status improved in 70.6%, and symptoms disappeared in 69%. Median times for progression-free survival and overall survival were eight and 11 months, respectively. Liver metastases, more than two involved sites, and increased carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) were found to be univariate adverse prognostic factors for survival. In a multivariate analysis, only the presence of liver metastasis was found to be an independent prognostic factor. Response rate and survival in patients with gastric linitis or diffuse forms were in the same range as in patients with intestinal forms of gastric adenocarcinoma.
The Effects on Firm Profits of the Stock of Intellectual Property Rights

The effects of innovation on firm performance is conventionally analysed using RD and thirdly, by using market value, the studies heroically assume that stock markets work efficiently. In this paper, we develop a model of the effects of intangible capital, including, but not limiting to, innovation capital, on firm profits, using new measures for the former. Our results indicate that profits vary, ceteris paribus, according to the type of IP rights held by the firm, the age of the firm, the size of the firm, and the lifespan of the IP right.
Anxiety disorders: under-diagnosed and insufficiently treated

Anxiety disorders have a high prevalence, particularly specific phobia, social anxiety disorder (SAD), post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and generalized anxiety disorder (GAD). The lifetime prevalence for any anxiety disorder is almost 30%. Also, many anxiety disorders have a high rate of comorbid depression, which is generally secondary to the anxiety. Despite high prevalence, anxiety disorders are under-diagnosed, misdiagnosed and inappropriately treated. There is a hierarchy in the lifetime probability of treatment contact, with panic and GAD being diagnosed and treated earlier – possibly as a result of these disorders being the most “visible”, unlike SAD, which is characteristically discreet. Under-diagnosis is linked with under-treatment: less than one in five patients with an anxiety disorder receive appropriate medication, which improves to almost one in three for subjects with comorbid depression. For the majority of people with undiagnosed or untreated anxiety disorder, there are many negative consequences, for both the individual and society. These include disability, reduced ability to work leading to loss of productivity, and a high risk of suicide. All of these factors contribute to a reduced quality of life. The economic costs associated with anxiety disorders are large – €48 billion over 28 European countries – and similar to those for dementia. Almost half of the costs are indirect, due to loss of productivity and earnings; the remainder being direct medical and non-medical costs. Current first-line therapies are the antidepressive selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), with cognitive behavioural therapy a first- or second-line treatment. However, benzodiazepines continue to be prescribed more often than antidepressants. Recent studies have shown that a new type of SSRI, escitalopram (the S-enantiomer of the racemic citalopram), with a unique mode of action, is effective and offers potential as a new treatment for anxiety disorders.
I MPACT OF S TUDENTS A TTITUDES T OWARDS S OCIAL M EDIA U SE I N E DUCATION ON T HEIR A CADEMIC P ERFORMANCE

Purpose: The primary focus of the paper is to examine the relationship between student‘s beliefs and attitude towards social media use in Education on their Academic Performance. It also seeks to examine the social media usage trends among management students of private colleges and universities and understand the interaction between social media usage and their academic performance Design/methodology/approach – The paper used predominantly the quantitative approach andbriefly outlines the relationship between use of social media in education on the academic performance of students using the data from a sample of 237management students from 3 private colleges and 2 private universities of Delhi NCR region. Data was collected using a self-designed questionnaire. Pilot testing was done to check the reliability of the questionnaire and the Cronbach alpha value was found to 0.72. Correlations, regressions and descriptive analysis were carried out. FindingsThe study results provided considerable support for the hypothesized relationships between positive beliefs and attitudes towards social media for exchanging academic activities and the academic performance of the students. The results also indicated that management students used social media mainly for sharing their assignments, projects and learning experiences with their colleagues. The study results suggested that the academic institutions should promote both students and faculty to develop a positive attitude towards usageof socialmedia as effective learning tools in order to affect the academic results of their institution in a positive way. Research limitations/implications-Research implications of the findings outlined in this paper will encourage research to link various aspects of social media and its impact on the academic performance. Future studies may use a mixed method approach and use qualitative design for understanding the relationship in an in-depth manner. Practical implications – By focusing on developing a positive attitude towards usage of social media in students and faculty, management institutions can help in improving the academic performance of the students. It is likely that this occurs because students develop holistic learning by sharing their knowledge over social media due to which their academic performance improves. Originality/value – The paper contributes by filling a gap in the managementliterature, in which empirical studies on social media and its relationship with academic performance of management students have been scarce until now.
Cost of movement in the multicellular stage of the social amoebae Dictyostelium discoideum and D. purpureum

One of the challenges of microbial life is that the best location for feeding and growth may not be the best location for dispersal. This is likely to be the case for the social amoebae Dictyostelium discoideum and Dictyostelium purpureum that feed on soil bacteria in the amoeba stage, but then group into a multicellular slug that moves towards light before forming a fruiting body. Here we examine this short-range social dispersal in the social amoebae, Dictyostelium discoideum and D. purpureum. We predicted D. purpureum would have higher migration costs and travel less far because it forms a dead stalk from living cells as it moves, while D. discoideum delays stalk formation until movement ceases. We found that D. purpureum migrated shorter distances than D. discoideum, in accord with our prediction. D. discoideum slugs moved an average of 2.46 ± 0.19 cm while D. purpureum slugs moved an average of 1.04 ± 0.06 cm. In both species, migration incurred a cost in reduced spore production, compared to experimental conditions where slugs did not migrate. D. discoideum under the no migration treatment produced 0.55± 0.05 spores per cell and under the migration treatment produced 0.25 ± 0.04 spores per cell. D. purpureum under the no migration treatment produced 1.01± 0.06 spores per cell and under the migration treatment produced 0.85 ± 0.06 spores per cell. We also found that D. discoideum produced fruiting bodies with fewer spores after migrating while D. purpureum did not. It appears that the evolutionary loss of stalked migration gives D. discoideum cells the advantage of delaying specialization and the ability to colonize more distant locations, but has significant costs due to migration distance, such as the fraction of cells that become fertile spores.
Drosophila GGA Model: An Ultimate Gateway to GGA Analysis

Golgi‐localized, γ‐ear‐containing, ADP ribosylation factor‐binding (GGA) proteins are monomeric adaptors implicated in clathrin‐mediated vesicular transport between the trans Golgi network and endosomes, characterized mainly from cell culture analysis of lysosomal sorting. To provide the first demonstration of GGA's role in vivo, we used Drosophila which has a single GGA and a single lysosomal sorting receptor, lysosomal enzyme receptor protein (LERP). Using RNAi knockdowns, we show that the Drosophila GGA is required for lysosomal sorting. We further identified authentic components of the Drosophila lysosomal sorting system—the sorting receptor LERP, the sorting adaptor GGA and the lysosomal cargo cathepsins B1, D and L—to show that GGA depletion results in lysosomal dysfunction. Abnormal lysosomal morphology, missorting of lysosomal cathepsins and impaired lysosomal proteolysis show disturbed LERP trafficking after GGA depletion. GGA is highly expressed in the mushroom bodies and the pigment cells of the retina, and increasing or decreasing the levels of GGA in the eyes leads to retinal defects. Reduced GGA levels also enhance an eye defect caused by overexpression of the autophagy‐associated protein Blue cheese (Bchs), implicating GGA in autophagic processes. This shows that Drosophila provides an excellent whole‐animal model to gain new insights into the function of GGA in the physiological environment of a multicellular organism.
Enhanced Subpixel Mapping With Spatial Distribution Patterns of Geographical Objects

This paper proposes spatial distribution pattern-based subpixel mapping (SPMS) as a novel subpixel mapping (SPM) strategy. It separately considers spatial distribution patterns of different types of geographical objects. Initially, it classifies geographical objects into areal, linear, and point patterns according to their spatially geometric characteristics. For the different patterns, SPMS uses the vectorial boundary-based SPM algorithm with the spatial dependence assumption to deal with areal objects, the linear template matching-based SPM algorithm for linear objects, and the spatial pattern consistency matching-based SPM algorithm for point objects. The three patterns are integrated to generate a subpixel map. An artificially created image and two remotely sensed images were used to evaluate the performance of SPMS. The results were compared with a traditional hard classifier and seven existing SPM methods. The experimental results demonstrated that SPMS performed better than the hard classification and traditional SPM methods, particularly when dealing with linear and point objects.
The Characterization of Tubulin in CNS Membrane Fractions

Abstract— Rough endoplasmic reticulum (RER), smooth endoplasmic reticulum (SER), and a plasma membrane (PM) fraction enriched in synaptic membranes were isolated from rat forebrain. The proteins in these membrane fractions were analyzed by two‐dimensional gel electrophoresis (2DGE) in the isoelectric range of 5.1 to 6.0 by a modification of the O'Farrell procedure. Proteins were detected by Coomassie Brilliant Blue staining of the electrophoretograms. The results of these analyses were compared with 2DGE analysis of cytosol proteins, with particular attention given to tubulin subunits and actin. The RER contained one major protein (53K 5.4) in the β‐tubulin region with a molecular weight of 53,000 and an isoelectric point of 5.4. The SER contained at least two major proteins in the β‐tubulin region; one with a migration identical to 53K 5.4 and other proteins with slightly higher apparent molecular weights and more acidic isoelectric points (54K, 5.4 to 5.3), identical to cytoplasmic β‐tubulin. The PM fraction also contained multiple overlapping proteins (54K, 5.4 to 5.3) in the β‐tubulin area and a trace amount of the 53K 5.4 protein. The proteins in the β‐tubulin region were removed from the 2DGE electrophoretogram and digested by Staphylococcus aureus V8 protease, and the peptides separated on one‐dimensional polyacrylamide gels. The peptide patterns of 53K 5.4 protein from RER and SER were almost identical and differed significantly from the cytoplasmic β‐tubulin pattern; however, the peptide maps of the PM and SER β‐tubulin region were identical to the cytoplasmic β‐tubulin. The 2DGE analysis of RER did not contain proteins in the region of cytoplasmic α‐tubulin. SER and PM contained proteins in the α‐tubulin region with a similar, but not identical, peptide analysis to cytoplasmic α‐tubulin. Significant amounts of actin were detected in 2DGE analysis of SER and PM, and the peptide analysis of the actin was identical to the cytoplasmic actin analysis. The RER fraction contained only trace amounts of actin. The cytosol and all membrane fractions contained a protein (68K 5.6) found among microtubule‐associated proteins, as judged by molecular weight and isoelectric point. Several proteins present in all membrane fractions (61K 5.1 and 58K 5.1) bound to concanavalin A agarose.
Vascular endothelial growth factor, CD68, and epidermal growth factor receptor expression and survival in patients with Stage II and Stage III colon carcinoma

The elucidation of new therapeutic targets of prognostic significance in colon carcinoma is necessary to improve outcomes. In the current study, the authors examined the expression of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in primary colon carcinoma cases and VEGF in tumor‐associated macrophages (TAM)/stroma, and their correlation with survival.
Acceleration Sensor Fixed on Teeth for Healthcare Monitoring

In order to construct a novel home healthcare system by detecting uttering actions, we investigated tooth accelerations when ten adult participants uttered five Japanese vowels: /a/, /i/, /u/, /e/, and /o/. In the experiment, we measured the lower front teeth accelerations in three directions (front-to-back, right-to-left, and top-to-bottom) by using acceleration sensors mounted on dental mouthpieces. We then conducted frequency analyses of the accelerations using a fast Fourier transform. Results showed that the power spectral densities of the front tooth accelerations in the top-to-bottom direction that corresponded to lower jaw movement were relatively higher than those in the other directions. High-power spectral densities of the tooth accelerations were observed at both a low frequency range of 2–10 Hz and a high frequency range corresponding to voice pitch frequency. These results show that the proposed acceleration sensors can detect uttering actions by calculating the frequency bands that have high-power spectral densities of the tooth accelerations in the top-to-bottom direction. In order to expand the application range of the sensor, we also investigated tooth accelerations when the participants performed simple eating actions–specifically, eating cookies. In the eating action, high-power spectral densities of tooth accelerations were observed at a wide frequency range of 2–500 Hz. This means we can detect not only uttering but also eating actions by using the acceleration sensor fixed on teeth.
Targeting DDX 3 with a small molecule inhibitor for lung cancer therapy

Lung cancer is the most common malignancy worldwide and is a focus for developing targeted therapies due to its refractory nature to current treatment. We identified a RNA helicase, DDX3, which is overexpressed in many cancer types including lung cancer and is associated with lower survival in lung cancer patients. We designed a first-in-class small molecule inhibitor, RK-33, which binds to DDX3 and abrogates its activity. Inhibition of DDX3 by RK-33 caused G1 cell cycle arrest, induced apoptosis, and promoted radiation sensitization in DDX3-overexpressing cells. Importantly, RK-33 in combination with radiation induced tumor regression in multiple mouse models of lung cancer. Mechanistically, loss of DDX3 function either by shRNA or by RK-33 impaired Wnt signaling through disruption of the DDX3–b-catenin axis and inhibited nonhomologous end joining—the major DNA repair pathway in mammalian somatic cells. Overall, inhibition of DDX3 by RK-33 promotes tumor regression, thus providing a compelling argument to develop DDX3 inhibitors for lung cancer therapy.
Charcot Neuroarthropathy of the Foot and Ankle

&NA; Charcot neuroarthropathy is a common cause of morbidity in persons with diabetes mellitus and sensory neuropathy. Although Charcot neuroarthropathy is rare, it likely will become more prevalent in conjunction with increased incidence of diabetes mellitus. Prevention of disease progression remains the mainstay of treatment, with surgical intervention usually reserved for refractory cases. Late deformities are often complicated by chronic ulceration, infection, and osteomyelitis. The clinical presentation is best summarized with the Eichenholtz classification, and progression often follows a predictable pattern. Although Charcot neuroarthropathy is a clinical diagnosis, recent advances in diagnostic imaging have eased the clinical challenge of deciphering infection from Charcot changes. Advances in surgical treatment have demonstrated new options for limb salvage. Pharmacologic therapies directed toward decreasing bone resorption have also shown promise for treatment, but clinical application remains theoretical.
von Hippel–Lindau binding protein 1-mediated degradation of integrase affects HIV-1 gene expression at a postintegration step

HIV-1 integrase, the viral enzyme responsible for provirus integration into the host genome, can be actively degraded by the ubiquitin–proteasome pathway. Here, we identify von Hippel–Lindau binding protein 1(VBP1), a subunit of the prefoldin chaperone, as an integrase cellular binding protein that bridges interaction between integrase and the cullin2 (Cul2)-based von Hippel–Lindau (VHL) ubiquitin ligase. We demonstrate that VBP1 and Cul2/VHL are required for proper HIV-1 expression at a step between integrase-dependent proviral integration into the host genome and transcription of viral genes. Using both an siRNA approach and Cul2/VHL mutant cells, we show that VBP1 and the Cul2/VHL ligase cooperate in the efficient polyubiquitylation of integrase and its subsequent proteasome-mediated degradation. Results presented here support a role for integrase degradation by the prefoldin–VHL–proteasome pathway in the integration–transcription transition of the viral replication cycle.
Financial Systems in Sub-Saharan Africa: A Comparative Study

This report compares the performance of eleven financial systems of sub-Saharan Africa in the 1980s and early 1990s. It focuses on four areas: monetary management, banking sector performance, development of financial markets, and informal financial mechanisms and instruments. In a policy agenda for the future, the report draws conclusions and makes recommendations that are applicable to most sub-Saharan financial systems.
The Usage of Z-Score Model as Bankruptcy Prediction Model and an Aplication to Companies of Kazakhstan

Corporate bankruptcy is a subject of extensive research, and since 1960’s a number of models were developed to predict failures in the real world. The most prominent research was done by Dr. Edward Altman, who developed Z-score model in 1968 for the US companies, which has been extensively used by practitioners. In this model a set of financial ratios specific to a company are analyzed in order to give a judgment on the company’s likelihood to go bankrupt. The goal of this paper is to see the efficiency of Altman’s bankruptcy prediction model to Kazakhstan market. The model is built based on financial variables which are derived from financial statements of companies listed on Kazakhstan Stock Exchange (KASE).