Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Peptide YY Directly Inhibits Ghrelin-Activated Neurons of the Arcuate Nucleus and Reverses Fasting-Induced c-Fos Expression

The hypothalamic arcuate nucleus (Arc) monitors and integrates hormonal and metabolic signals involved in the maintenance of energy homeostasis. The orexigenic peptide ghrelin is secreted from the stomach during negative status of energy intake and directly activates neurons of the medial arcuate nucleus (ArcM) in rats. In contrast to ghrelin, peptide YY (PYY) is released postprandially from the gut and reduces food intake when applied peripherally. Neurons in the ArcM express ghrelin receptors and neuropeptide Y receptors. Thus, PYY may inhibit feeding by acting on ghrelin-sensitive Arc neurons. Using extracellular recordings, we (1) characterized the effects of PYY on the electrical activity of ghrelin-sensitive neurons in the ArcM of rats. In order to correlate the effect of PYY on neuronal activity with the energy status, we (2) investigated the ability of PYY to reverse fasting-induced c-Fos expression in Arc neurons of mice. In addition, we (3) sought to confirm that PYY reduces food intake under our experimental conditions. Superfusion of PYY reversibly inhibited 94% of all ArcM neurons by a direct postsynaptic mechanism. The PYY-induced inhibition was dose-dependent and occurred at a threshold concentration of 10–8M. Consistent with the opposite effects of ghrelin and PYY on food intake, a high percentage (50%) of Arc neurons was activated by ghrelin and inhibited by PYY. In line with this inhibitory action, peripherally injected PYY partly reversed the fasting-induced c-Fos expression in Arc neurons of mice. Similarly, refeeding of food-deprived mice reversed the fasting-induced activation in the Arc. Furthermore, peripherally injected PYY reduced food intake in 12-hour fasted mice. Thus the activity of Arc neurons correlated with the feeding status and was not only reduced by feeding but also by administration of PYY in non-refed mice. In conclusion, our current observations suggest that PYY may contribute to signaling a positive status of energy intake by inhibiting Arc neurons, which are activated under a negative status of energy intake by signals such as ghrelin.
An Empirical Analysis of Aggregate Import Demand Function for India

Abstract This paper examines the behaviour of Indian aggregate imports during the period 1980–81 to 2013–14. The stability of aggregate import demand function is examined using five types of cointegration tests including the ARDL bounds test. In order to estimate the long-run elasticities, we have applied three alternative fully efficient cointegrating regressions, autoregressive distributed lag (ARDL) model and Johansen maximum likelihood method. Our results reveal cointegration relationship between import demand, relative prices of import, domestic activity and foreign exchange reserves. Results evince that, in the long-run, the response of import demand to relative import prices is negative and less than unity, whereas it’s response to domestic activity/income is positive and more than unity. The foreign exchange reserve has a positive effect on imports.
The Market Value of Dividend Imputation Credits Implied by Futures Prices

A limitation of prior research on imputation credit value is researchers’ selective interpretation of the regression coefficient used to estimate credit value. This ignores the in-sample evidence on the value of cash dividends and the value of a fully-franked dividend. This is a problem because a sample of security prices, unfranked dividends and franked dividends necessarily leads to the simultaneous estimation of the value of a cash dividend and an imputation credit. We measure the value of imputation credits under three tax regimes, accounting for the joint estimation of the value of cash and credits. The practical implication is that in the cash rebate regime, the market value of imputation credits lies within the range of -0.12 to 0.17. A dollar of cash is valued by the market at somewhere between 88 cents and 98 cents. At the lower end of the cash value (0.88), credits are worth between 0.04 and 0.17; and at the higher end of cash value (0.98), credits are worth between -0.12. and 0.00. The value of imputation credits has, in our view, moved over time in a direction consistent with changing tax treatment. But it is plausible that the value of imputation credits has remained within the range of -0.04 to 0.06 across all three tax regimes.
Understanding the Service Quality and Customer Satisfaction of Mobile Banking in Bangladesh: Using a Structural Equation Model

This article aims to understand the association between service quality and customer satisfaction to use mobile banking through structural equation model, because, Bangladesh is one of the fastest increasing mobile banking service providers in the world. A structured survey questionnaire was prepared to collect data from participants in Bangladesh. A convenience sampling method was used to select potential participants in this study. Out of the distributed questionnaires, 240, completed and usable, were selected for the analysis which employed partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM). The results showed that there are positive and significant effects of all constructs of service quality, namely, tangibility, reliability, responsiveness, assurance and empathy on customer satisfaction for using mobile banking. Particularly, the responsiveness has a strong impact (β = 0.3165) on customer satisfaction. Furthermore, the tangibility has identified as less significant factor (β = 0.0770) on customer satisfaction. Findings also indicate that mobile banking service providers should concentrate on all dimensions of service quality, with special focus on responsiveness and reliability for improving their customer satisfaction. This study has several implications for researchers, banking authority, policymakers and financial agencies when rendering services to end users and customers of mobile banking. Furthermore, this implication also helps banks to understand and develop strategies as well as policies to improve the services of mobile banking of Bangladesh.
Prognostic factors in primary breast sarcomas: a series of patients with long-term follow-up.

PURPOSE To describe the pathologic characteristics and prognostic factors of primary breast sarcomas (PBSs). PATIENTS AND METHODS We reviewed the clinical records and pathologic slides of 83 women with PBS treated in our institution between 1954 and 1991, with a median follow-up of 7.8 years. The majority of patients had undergone surgical treatment. RESULTS The main histologic type was malignant fibrohistiocytoma (n = 57). For the whole population, the 10-year overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) rates were 62% and 50%, respectively. For Fédération Nationale des Centres de Lutte Contre le Cancer grade 1, 2, and 3 tumors, the 10-year OS and DFS rates were 82% and 61%, 62% and 51%, and 36% and 25%, respectively (P =.00007 and.004, respectively). For tumors measuring less than 5 cm, 5 to 10 cm, and more than 10 cm, the 10-year OS and DFS rates were 76% and 66%, 68% and 55%, and 28% and 15%, respectively (P =.002 and.009, respectively). In the multivariate analysis, the tumor size and histologic grade were correlated with the 10-year DFS rate (P =.04 and.01, respectively), but only the histologic grade was correlated with OS (P =.01). Angiosarcoma was the only histologic type significantly associated with a poorer outcome in the multivariate analysis. CONCLUSION PBSs have the same clinical history and prognostic factors as sarcomas arising at other sites. Therefore, it is legitimate to use a similar treatment strategy for PBS as for other sarcomas.
The Relationship between Firm Size and Age, and Its Social Responsibility Actions—Focus on a Developing Country (Romania)

The concept of Corporate Social Responsibility covers a wide range of actions which have been practiced for many years in Western countries. As well as in other developing and transitional countries, the concept of social responsibility emerged in Romania after 1990, concurrently with the set-up of many non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and the entrance of multinational companies and was rapidly adopted by several firms. The main purpose of our paper is to investigate practices and actions related to social responsibility, which are undertaken by small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in Romania and to reveal which factors really matter in determining different degrees of involvement in Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) actions. The level of social responsibility actions undertaken by SMEs often depends on the decisions of their managers and the value orientation of the entrepreneur. Moreover, the younger a firm is, the less likely it is that it gets involved in CSR. This is our main assumption: young ventures display a weaker propensity for CSR actions. In order to validate this hypothesis, we used survey data, collected from 84 SMEs, operating in Oradea, Romania. Data were collected between July–September 2016 and analysed by the authors through correlations, independent sample T-tests and linear regression modelling. Our findings reveal that there are significant differences between newly established ventures and those with a longer history; however, age is not a determining factor of CSR. Although, in the literature, there is no clear consensus regarding whether there is a different model of implementation of CSR related practices in developing and transitional countries, especially in the case of SMEs, our results show there are no essential differences between the models of CSR involvement as these are known in the theory and practice of developed countries.
Effect of thrombin on calcium homeostasis in chick embryonic heart cells. Receptor-operated calcium entry with inositol trisphosphate and a pertussis toxin-sensitive G protein as second messengers.

UNLABELLED Thrombin increases intracellular calcium ([Ca++]i) in several cell types and causes a positive inotropic effect in the heart. We examined the mechanism of the thrombin-induced [Ca++]i increase in chick embryonic heart cells loaded with the fluorescent calcium indicator, indo-1. Thrombin (1 U/ml) increased both systolic and diastolic [Ca++]i from 617 +/- 62 and 324 +/- 46 to 1041 +/- 93 and 587 +/- 38 nM, respectively. An initial rapid [Ca++]i increase was followed by a more sustained increase. There were associated increases in contraction strength, beat frequency, and action potential duration. The [Ca++]i increase was not blocked by tetrodotoxin or verapamil, but was blocked by pretreatment with pertussis toxin (100 ng/ml). The thrombin-induced [Ca++]i increase was partly due to intracellular calcium release, since it persisted after removal of external calcium. The [Ca++]i increase in zero calcium was more transitory than in normal calcium and was potentiated by 10 mM Li+. Thrombin also induced influx of calcium across the surface membrane, which could be monitored using Mn++ ions, which quench indo-1 fluorescence when they enter the cell. Thrombin-induced Mn++ entry was insensitive to verapamil, but was blocked by 2 mM Ni++. Thrombin increased inositol trisphosphates by 180% at 90 s and this effect was also blocked by pretreatment with pertussis toxin. CONCLUSION thrombin promotes calcium entry and release in embryonic heart cells even when action potentials are inhibited. Both modes of [Ca++]i increase may be coupled to the receptor by pertussis toxin-sensitive G proteins.
Extramedullary Relapse Confirmed by Fluorescence In Situ Hybridization Study of an Ear Mass in Acute Promyelocytic Leukemia

A 40-year-old man with acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) achieved complete remission after induction chemotherapy combined with all-trans-retinoic acid. A mass developed in the left ear 24 months later. Relapse of APL was suspected at morphologic examination of the biopsy specimen of the ear mass, but t(15;17) and PML/RARα rearrangement were not detected by chromosomal, fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH), or reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction analysis of bone marrow samples. FISH performed on the ear mass revealed t(15;17). To our knowledge, this case is the first reported case of extramedullary relapse of APL confirmed by FISH study of a biopsy specimen of extramedullary tissue.
Sexually transmitted infections and risk behaviours in women who have sex with women

Objectives: To assess the prevalence of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and blood borne viruses, risk behaviours, and demographics in women who have sex with women (WSW). Methods: Retrospective cross sectional study using a multivariate model. Demographic, behavioural, and morbidity data were analysed from standardised medical records of patients attending a public STI and HIV service in Sydney between March 1991 and December 1998. All women with any history of sex with a woman were compared with women who denied ever having sex with another woman (controls). Results: 1408 WSW and 1423 controls were included in the study. Bacterial vaginosis (BV) was significantly more common among WSW (OR 1.7, p<0.001). Abnormalities on cervical cytology were equally prevalent in both groups, except for the higher cytological BV detection rate in WSW (OR 5.3, p=0.003). Genital herpes and genital warts were common in both groups, although warts were significantly less common in WSW (OR 0.7, p=0.001). Prevalence of gonorrhoea and chlamydia were low and there were no differences between the groups. The prevalence of hepatitis C was significantly greater in WSW (OR 7.7, p<0.001), consistent with the more frequent history of injecting drug use in this group (OR 8.0, p<0.001). WSW were more likely to report previous sexual contact with a homo/bisexual man (OR 3.4, p<0.001), or with an injecting drug user (OR 4.2, p<0.001). Only 7% of the WSW reported never having had sexual contact with a male. Conclusion: We demonstrated a higher prevalence of BV, hepatitis C, and HIV risk behaviours in WSW compared with controls. A similar prevalence of cervical cytology abnormalities was found in both groups. Measures are required to improve our understanding of STI/HIV transmission dynamics in WSW, to facilitate better health service provision and targeted education initiatives.
Effect of castration on myofibrillar protein turnover, endogenous proteinase activities, and muscle growth in bovine skeletal muscle.

The effect of castration on endogenous proteinase activity and myofibrillar protein turnover was investigated in cattle. Six each of MARC III composite bulls and steers weighing approximately 210 kg were given ad libitum access to a typical growing diet. At 0, 42, 84, 126, and 168 d, two consecutive 24-h urine samples were obtained. Urine was analyzed for N tau-methylhistidine (N tau MH) and creatinine. Following slaughter after 170 d on feed, a longissimus muscle sample was removed immediately from each carcass for quantification of mu-calpain, m-calpain, calpastatin, cystatin(s), cathepsin B, and cathepsin B + L activities. Bulls were heavier (P < .05) at 126 and 168 d and more efficient (P < .05) in conversion of feed to gain at 84 and 168 d than were steers. Compared with steers, bulls excreted less (P < .05) N tau MH at 84, 126, and 168 d and displayed lower (P < .05) fractional degradation rates (FDR) at all sample times. No differences (P > .05) in calpain or cathepsin activities were observed between bulls and steers. However, muscle from bulls had greater (P < .05) activities of calpastatin and cystatin(s) than that from steers. A negative relationship existed between d-168 FDR and calpastatin (r = -.72; P < .05) and cystatin (r = -.62; P < .05) activities. These results indicate that decreased FDR of skeletal muscle from growing bulls contributes to their greater efficiency of growth and could be related partially to cystatin-mediated cathepsin activity and(or) calpastatin-mediated calpain activity.
Calcium Pyrophosphate Dihydrate Crystal Deposition Disease As a Cause of Lumbar Canal Stenosis

Study Design This study measured the incidence of calcium pyrophosphate dihydrate crystal deposition in specimens of ligamenta flava in consecutive patients undergoing decompressive laminectomy between 1984 and 1991. The results were compared to determine the difference between calcium pyrophosphate dihydrate‐positive and calcium pyrophosphate dihydrate‐negative patients with lumbar canal spinal stenosis. Objectives The results were compared with cadaver specimens and literature values to determine if calcium pyrophosphate dihydrate crystal deposition disease contributes to the thickening of the ligamentum flavum and thereby contributes to spinal stenosis. Summary of Background Data Calcium pyrophosphate dihydrate crystal deposition disease has been described in the axial skeleton. Hypertrophy of the ligamentum flavum has been suggested to contribute to stenosis. The association of calcium pyrophosphate dihydrate disease and hypertrophied ligamenta flava has not been fully defined nor linked to neurologic symptoms and signs. Methods The incidence of calcium pyrophosphate dihydrate crystal deposition in specimens of ligamenta flava obtained from four groups was measured: specimens obtained during surgery from 102 consecutive patients undergoing decompression laminectomy between 1984 and 1991, 47 additional pathologic specimens of ligamentum flavum tested between 1984 and 1991, 222 calcium pyrophosphate dihydrate‐positive Pathology Department specimens collected between 1980 and 1991, and, as control specimens, specimens from 20 cadavers. The associated patient histories were reviewed for the first two groups; no histories were available for the cadaver group. Results The incidence of calcium pyrophosphate dihydrate crystal deposition was 24.5% in the ligamentum flavum among the surgical patients, 31% among the Pathology Department specimens, 33.8% among the calcium pyrophosphate dihydrate‐positive Pathology Department specimens, and 5% among the cadavers. No associated medical conditions with calcium pyrophosphate dihydrate crystal deposition were found among the medical histories. Patients with the symptoms of spinal stenosis who were also calcium pyrophosphate dihydrate‐positive presented with more acute symptoms than calcium pyrophosphate dihydrate‐negative patients with symptoms of less than 6 months' and less than 24 months' duration (P < 0.001). Except for time to presentation, calcium pyrophosphate dihydrate‐positive and calcium pyrophosphate dihydrate‐negative patients had similar signs and symptoms of lumbar canal spinal stenosis. Having previous spine surgery did not produce a statistically significant risk of having calcium pyrophosphate dihydrate crystal deposition. No specific laboratory tests were found to be of predictive value. Conclusions These findings suggest that calcium pyrophosphate dihydrate crystal deposition may indeed be associated with the thickening of the ligamentum flavum. If so, patients may benefit from medical treatment before undergoing surgical treatment of lumbar canal spinal stenosis.
Reinforcement Learning Based Mobile Offloading for Cloud-Based Malware Detection

Cloud-based malware detection improves the detection performance for mobile devices that offload their malware detection tasks to security servers with much larger malware database and powerful computational resources. In this paper, we investigate the competition of the radio transmission bandwidths and the data sharing of the security server in the dynamic malware detection game, in which each mobile device chooses its offloading rate of the application traces to the security server. As the Q-learning technique has a slow learning rate in the game with high dimension, we have designed a mobile malware detection based on hotbooting-Q techniques, which initiates the quality values based on the malware detection experience. We propose an offloading strategy based on deep Q-network technique with a deep convolutional neural network to further improve the detection speed, the detection accuracy, and the utility. Preliminary simulation results verify the detection gain of the scheme compared with the Q- learning based strategy.
Genetic Determinants of Silicibacter sp. TM1040 Motility

ABSTRACT Silicibacter sp. TM1040 is a member of the marine Roseobacter clade of Alphaproteobacteria that forms symbioses with unicellular eukaryotic phytoplankton, such as dinoflagellates. The symbiosis is complex and involves a series of steps that physiologically change highly motile bacteria into cells that readily form biofilms on the surface of the host. The initial phases of symbiosis require bacterial motility and chemotaxis that drive the swimming bacteria toward their planktonic host. Cells lacking wild-type motility fail to establish biofilms on host cells and do not produce effective symbioses, emphasizing the importance of understanding the molecular mechanisms controlling flagellar biosynthesis and the biphasic “swim-or-stick” switch. In the present study, we used a combination of bioinformatic and genetic approaches to identify the genes critical for swimming of Silicibacter sp. TM1040. More than 40 open reading frames with homology to known flagellar structural and regulatory genes were identified, most of which are organized into approximately eight operons comprising a 35.4-kb locus, with surprising similarity to the fla2 locus of Rhodobacter sphaeroides. The genome has homologs of CckA, CtrA, FlbT, and FlaF, proteins that in Caulobacter crescentus regulate flagellum biosynthesis. In addition, we uncovered three novel genes, flaB, flaC, and flaD, which encode flagellar regulatory proteins whose functions are likely to involve regulation of motor function (FlaD) and modulation of the swim-or-stick switch (FlaC). The data support the conclusion that Silicibacter sp. TM1040 uses components found in other Alphaproteobacteria, as well as novel molecular mechanisms, to regulate the expression of the genes required for motility and biofilm formation. These unique molecular mechanisms may enhance the symbiosis and survival of Roseobacter clade bacteria in the marine environment.
Patch abscess after a closure of an atrial septal defect.

Surgical atrial septal defect closure with a patch is one of the simplest interventions in cardiac surgery. However, patch infection could be a serious complication. A 34-year-old man was referred to our service 7 years after surgical closure with a Dacron patch of an ostium primum septal defect and mitral cleft closure. …
Effect of Resveratrol on 17β-Estradiol Sulfation by Human Hepatic and Jejunal S9 and Recombinant Sulfotransferase 1E1

The purpose of this study was to investigate the sulfation of resveratrol (3,5,4′-trihydroxystilbene) and its potential to exhibit drug-drug interactions via sulfation. The possible interaction of resveratrol with 17β-estradiol (E2), a major estrogen hormone and prototypic substrate for sulfate conjugation, was studied. Resveratrol and E2 are both known to undergo sulfate conjugation catalyzed by human sulfotransferases (SULTs). Resveratrol is a phytoestrogen with mixed estrogen agonist/antagonist properties that is being developed as a chemopreventive agent. The sulfate conjugation of E2 and resveratrol were studied individually using S9 fractions from human liver and jejunum as well as recombinant human SULT isoforms. The sulfation of E2 (3–20 nM) was then investigated in the presence of various concentrations (0, 0.5, 1, and 2 μM) of resveratrol using the two S9 preparations as well as recombinant SULT1E1, the major isoform responsible for E2 sulfation. Resveratrol inhibited E2 sulfation with estimated Ki values of 1.1 μM (liver), 0.6 μM (jejunum), and 2.3 μM (SULT1E1), concentrations that could be pharmacologically relevant. The results suggest that these phytoestrogens can potentially alter the homeostasis of estrogen levels. These findings also imply that resveratrol may inhibit the metabolism of other estrogen analogs or therapeutic agents such as ethinylestradiol or dietary components that are also substrates for SULT1E1.