Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Agenda-setting by the European Commission. Seeking public opinion?

ABSTRACT Historically, the European Commission has followed an expert-based depoliticized route to gain attention for policy issues and the credibility to deal with them. Given growing politicization, we ask whether the Commission might increasingly seek citizens’ views and whether there is patterned variation. We provide the first mapping of special Eurobarometers, the massive instrument for issue-specific public opinion. We found a steep increase and a curvilinear pattern: public opinion is rarely invited in areas of exclusive European Union competencies and exclusive national competencies. Most special Eurobarometers focus on shared competencies. Citizens are almost never asked about expenditure programmes and never on immigration. There is large variation across the Directorates General, which is only weakly related to the amount of planned legislation and the number of expert committees. Business-oriented Directorates General are much less likely to seek public opinion. These results open up promising avenues for research on agenda-setting strategies at times of politicization.
Structure of equine type I and type II collagens.

Collagen type I was purified from equine skin and flexor tendon, and type II collagen was purified from equine articular cartilage. The proteoglycans in these tissues were extracted, using guanidine HCl; the collagens were solubilized, using pepsin digestion, then were selectively precipitated with NaCl. Gel electrophoresis indicated that the precipitates contained only type I or type II collagen. Amino acid analysis indicated that collagen constituted > 97% of the total protein in the precipitates. Hydroxylation of proline was 42.0 +/- 0.6% (mean +/- SEM) in alpha 1(I) and alpha 2(I), and was 48.1 +/- 1.3% in alpha 1(II) chains. The hydroxylation of lysine was 23.2 +/- 0.7% in alpha 1(I) and 34.1 +/- 0.9% in alpha 2(I) chains from tendon, and 49.6 +/- 4.3% in alpha 1(II) chains from cartilage. The cyanogen bromide (CB)-peptide patterns of chromatographically purified equine alpha 2(I) and alpha 1(II) chains were similar to those published previously for rat, bovine, and human alpha 2 and alpha 1 chains. However, the CB-peptide pattern of the equine alpha 1(I) chain resembled the guinea pig alpha 1(I) chain, which has no methionine between CB7 and CB6. Purified equine alpha 1(I)CB7,6 contained no methionine, methionine sulfoxide, or homoserine lactone. Mass of 42.26 kd was determined by use of mass spectrometry, and N-terminal sequence analysis established that the first 12 amino acids of this CB7,6 were identical to the sequence of human alpha 1(I)CB7. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
The Role of Postoperative Analgesia in Delirium and Cognitive Decline in Elderly Patients: A Systematic Review

Postoperative delirium and cognitive decline are adverse events that occur frequently in elderly patients. Preexisting patient factors, medications, and various intraoperative and postoperative causes have been implicated in the development of postoperative delirium and cognitive decline. Despite previous studies identifying postoperative pain as a risk factor, relatively few clinical studies have compared the effect of common postoperative pain management techniques (IV and epidural) or opioid analgesics on postoperative cognitive status. A systematic search of the PubMed and CINAHL databases identified six studies comparing different opioid analgesics on postoperative delirium and cognitive decline and five studies comparing IV and epidural routes of administering analgesia. Meperidine was consistently associated with an increased risk of delirium in elderly surgical patients, but the current evidence has not shown a significant difference in postoperative delirium or cognitive decline among other more frequently used postoperative opioids such as morphine, fentanyl, or hydromorphone. The available studies also suggest that IV or epidural techniques do not influence cognitive function differently. However, future investigations of sufficient study size and more standardized methods of defining outcomes are necessary to confirm the current findings.
CD81 Expression Is Important for the Permissiveness of Huh7 Cell Clones for Heterogeneous Hepatitis C Virus Infection

ABSTRACT Huh7 cells constitute a permissive cell line for cell culture of hepatitis C virus (HCV) particles. However, our Huh7 line shows limited permissiveness for HCV. Thus, in this study we set out to determine which host factors are important for conferring permissiveness. To analyze the limited permissiveness of our Huh7 cells, 70 clones were obtained after single-cell cloning of parental Huh7 cells. The cloned Huh7 cells exhibited various levels of HCV pseudoparticles and JFH-1 virus infection efficiency, and some clones were not permissive. A subgenomic replicon was then transfected into the cloned Huh7 cells. While the replication efficiencies differed among the cloned Huh7 cells, these efficiencies did not correlate with infectious permissibility. Flow cytometry showed that CD81, scavenger receptor class B type I, and low-density-lipoprotein receptor expression on the cell surfaces of the Huh7 clones differed among the clones. Interestingly, we found that all of the permissive cell clones expressed CD81 while the nonpermissive cell clones did not. To confirm the importance of CD81 expression for HCV permissiveness, CD81 was then transiently and stably expressed on a nonpermissive Huh7 cell clone, which was consequently restored to HCV infection permissiveness. Furthermore, permissiveness was down-regulated upon transfection of CD81 silencing RNA into a CD81-positive cell clone. In conclusion, CD81 expression is an important determinant of HCV permissiveness of Huh7 cell clones harboring different characteristics.
Panophthalmitis caused by Vibrio parahaemolyticus

We report a case of Vibrio parahaemolyticus panophthalmitis which resulted from contamination of a wound with water from a pond in inland Georgia. The pond was on the property of an oil refinery which receives crude oil from southern Mississippi. Cultures of the pond water 5 years later did not yield V. parahaemolyticus, but did yield non-O1 V. cholerae and had 0.28% sodium chloride content. V. parahaemolyticus may have been introduced into the pond along with oil transported from the Gulf of Mexico, and growth of this halophilic species may have been supported by salt from spilled crude oil.
Evidence for Up-regulation of the Endogenous Na-K-2Cl Co-transporter by Molecular Interactions with the Anion Exchanger tAE1 Expressed in Xenopus Oocyte*

Expression of trout anion exchanger 1 (tAE1) in Xenopus oocyte led to the stimulation of a Na+- and Cl--dependent Rb influx. Functional features and pharmacological data strongly suggest that this Rb influx is mediated by the endogenous Na-K-2Cl (NKCC) co-transporter. The functional relationship between expression of tAE1 and activation of the NKCC co-transporter was investigated. Indeed, it was shown previously that tAE1 expressed in Xenopus oocyte induces a strong anion conductance which is correlated with an increased taurine permeability. Measurements of intracellular ion contents ruled out the involvement of any modification of known electrochemical parameters in NKCC co-transporter activation by tAE1. Furthermore, using chimera of tAE1 made with AE1 from other species unable to exhibit anion conductance led to the conclusion that there was no correlation between tAE1 anion conductance and NKCC co-transporter stimulation. Therefore, a possible molecular interaction between tAE1 and the NKCC co-transporter was investigated. Our results clearly show that NKCC activation is dependent upon the C-terminal part of tAE1. Chimeric constructions where tAE1 C-terminal part was substituted by the corresponding part of mouse AE1 abolished co-transporter activation. Moreover, steric encumbrance on the C-terminal end of tAE1 with a specific antibody or with a protein fusion also prevented the co-transporter activation. These data suggest a new role for some anion exchangers in controlling other transporter activity by molecular interactions.
The roles of the cadherins Fat and Dachsous in planar polarity specification in Drosophila

Planar polarity is generated through the activity of two groups of proteins, the “core” system and the Fat (Ft)/Dachsous (Ds) system. Although both are conserved from insects to mammals, vertebrate studies into planar polarity have primarily focussed on core planar polarity proteins and have only recently branched into the study of the Ft/Ds system. In Drosophila, however, years of detailed analysis have started to elucidate some of the mechanisms by which Ft/Ds signalling might set up polarity across a tissue, and how this may impact upon core protein‐mediated planar polarity. In this review, we discuss the major findings, models, and controversies that have emerged from Drosophila research into the Ft/Ds system, and indicate some areas for further investigation. Developmental Dynamics 241:27–39, 2012. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Superiority of split dose midazolam as conscious sedation for outpatient colonoscopy.

AIM To elucidate the efficacy and safety of a split dose of midazolam in combination with meperidine for colonoscopy. METHODS Eighty subjects undergoing outpatient colonoscopy were randomly assigned to group A or B. Group A (n = 40) received a split dose of midazolam in combination with meperidine. Group B (n = 40) received a single dose of midazolam in combination with meperidine. Outcome measurements were level of sedation, duration of sedation and recovery, degree of pain and satisfaction, procedure-related memory, controllability, and adverse events. RESULTS Group A had a lower frequency of significant hypoxemia (P = 0.043) and a higher sedation score on withdrawal of the endoscope from the descending colon than group B (P = 0.043). Group B recovered from sedation slightly sooner than group A (P < 0.002). Scores for pain and memory, except insertion-related memory, were lower in group A one week after colonoscopic examination (P = 0.018 and P < 0.030, respectively). Poor patient controllability was noted by the endoscopist and nurse in group B (P = 0.038 and P = 0.032, respectively). CONCLUSION Split dose midazolam in combination with meperidine resulted in a safer, more equable sedation status during colonoscopic examination and a reduction in procedure-related pain and memory, but resulted in longer recovery time.
Regulated protein–protein interaction between aPKC and PAR‐3 plays an essential role in the polarization of epithelial cells

Background: Recent studies have revealed that aPKC (atypical protein kinase C), PAR‐3 and PAR‐6 play indispensable roles in the regulation of various cell polarization events, from worms to mammals, suggesting that they comprise an evolutionarily conserved protein machinery which is essential for cell polarization. The three proteins interact with each other to form a ternary complex and thus mutually regulate their functionality and localization. Here, we investigated the biochemical nature of the aPKC–PAR‐3 interaction in detail to clarify its functional importance in cell polarity.
The natural history of autogenous radio-cephalic wrist arteriovenous fistulas of haemodialysis patients: a prospective observational study.

BACKGROUND Clinical practice guidelines have supported vascular access surveillance programmes on the premise that the natural history of the vascular access will be altered by radiological or surgical interventions after vascular access dysfunction is detected. The primary objective of this study was to assess the actual risk of thrombosis of autogenous radio-cephalic (RC) wrist arteriovenous fistulas (AVFs) without any pre-emptive interventions. METHODS We enrolled 52 randomly selected adult Caucasian prevalent haemodialysis (HD) patients, all with autogenous RC wrist AVFs, into this prospective, observational study aimed to follow the natural history of their AVFs for 4 years. The protocol prescribed avoiding any surgical or interventional radiological procedures until access failure (AVF thrombosis or a vascular access not assuring a single-pool Kt/V > or =1.2). The subjects underwent yearly assessments of vascular access blood flow rate by means of a saline ultrasound dilution method. RESULTS All failures of vascular access were due to AVF thrombosis; none were attributed to an inadequacy of the dialysis dose. AVF thrombosis occurred in nine cases; a rate of 0.043 AVF thrombosis per patient-year at risk. A receiver operating characteristic curve, evaluating the diagnostic accuracy of baseline vascular access blood flow rate values in predicting AVF failure, showed an under-the-curve area of 0.82+/-0.05 SD (P = 0.01). The value of vascular access blood flow rate, identified as a predictor of AVF failure, was <700 ml/min with an 88.9% sensitivity and 68.6% specificity. When subdividing the population of AVFs into two groups according to the baseline vascular access blood flow rates, two out of the nine thromboses occurred among the AVFs that had baseline blood flow rates >700 ml/min (n = 31), whereas seven occurred among the AVFs that had baseline blood flow rates <700 ml/min (n = 21). The 4 year cumulative actuarial survival was 74.36 and 20.80%, respectively (log-rank test, P = 0.04). The 24 AVFs that remained patent at the end of the 4 years maintained a median blood flow rate > or =900 ml/min at all time points studied. Worth noting is that, five of them (20.8%) remained patent throughout the study with a blood flow rate consistently < or =500 ml/min. CONCLUSIONS This study shows a very low rate of AVF thrombosis per patient-year at risk and a high actuarial survival of autogenous RC wrist AVFs, particularly of those having a blood flow rate >700 ml/min. Thus, a vascular access blood flow rate <700 ml/min appears to be a reliable cut-off point at which to start a closer monitoring of this parameter-which may lead to further investigations and possibly interventions relevant to the function of the AVFs.
Up‐regulation and activation of the P2Y2 nucleotide receptor mediate neurite extension in IL‐1β‐treated mouse primary cortical neurons

The pro‐inflammatory cytokine interleukin‐1β (IL‐1β), whose levels are elevated in the brain in Alzheimer's and other neurodegenerative diseases, has been shown to have both detrimental and beneficial effects on disease progression. In this article, we demonstrate that incubation of mouse primary cortical neurons (mPCNs) with IL‐1β increases the expression of the P2Y2 nucleotide receptor (P2Y2R) and that activation of the up‐regulated receptor with UTP, a relatively selective agonist of the P2Y2R, increases neurite outgrowth. Consistent with the accepted role of cofilin in the regulation of neurite extension, results indicate that incubation of IL‐1β‐treated mPCNs with UTP increases the phosphorylation of cofilin, a response absent in PCNs isolated from P2Y2R−/− mice. Other findings indicate that function‐blocking anti‐αvβ3/5 integrin antibodies prevent UTP‐induced cofilin activation in IL‐1β‐treated mPCNs, suggesting that established P2Y2R/αvβ3/5 interactions that promote G12‐dependent Rho activation lead to cofilin phosphorylation involved in neurite extension. Cofilin phosphorylation induced by UTP in IL‐1β‐treated mPCNs is also decreased by inhibitors of Ca2+/calmodulin‐dependent protein kinase II (CaMKII), suggesting a role for P2Y2R‐mediated and Gq‐dependent calcium mobilization in neurite outgrowth. Taken together, these studies indicate that up‐regulation of P2Y2Rs in mPCNs under pro‐inflammatory conditions can promote cofilin‐dependent neurite outgrowth, a neuroprotective response that may be a novel pharmacological target in the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases.
Using Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAO1 to evaluate hydrogen peroxide as a biofouling control agent in membrane treatment systems

Hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) is widely used in water treatment for biofouling control and, in conjunction with catalysts, as a powerful oxidant for contaminant destruction. H2O2 could potentially serve as an antifouling agent in reverse osmosis systems in lieu of chlorine‐based disinfectants. The dependence of the biocidal efficiency of H2O2 on cell density, temperature and H2O2 concentration by determining the growth, attachment and viability of the model bacterium Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAO1 was studied. For controlling growth of planktonic PAO1 cells, the minimally required H2O2 concentration depends on the cell density and temperature. The effect of H2O2 to remove the existing biofilm was found to be effective in the presence of a high concentration bicarbonate (8·4 g l−1), which forms peroxymonocarbonate, a strong oxidant and disinfectant. Treatment with H2O2–bicarbonate reduced the density of live PAO1 cells, removed extracellular polymeric substances and lowered the average biofilm thickness while maintaining the integrity of the membrane, suggesting that this type of treatment may be a suitable ‘in‐place‐cleaning’ procedure for biofouled membranes.
Dual-band microstrip patch antenna element with double U slots for GSM

A new dual-band microstrip patch antenna element is presented. The element configuration consists on a rectangular patch with double U slots and coaxial feeding. A prototype was designed, fabricated and tested to be used in a GSM 900/1800 base station antenna. Good agreement has been obtained between theoretical and experimental results. To provide the required bandwidth for both the GSM bands a double-layer structure is under analysis.
Evolutionary trends in Triceratops from the Hell Creek Formation, Montana

Significance The deciphering of evolutionary trends in nonavian dinosaurs can be impeded by a combination of small sample sizes, low stratigraphic resolution, and lack of ontogenetic (developmental) details for many taxa. Analysis of a large sample (n > 50) of the famous horned dinosaur Triceratops from the Hell Creek Formation of Montana incorporates new stratigraphic and ontogenetic findings to permit the investigation of evolution within this genus. Our research indicates that the two currently recognized species of Triceratops (T. horridus and T. prorsus) are stratigraphically separated and that the evolution of this genus likely incorporated anagenetic (transformational) change. These findings impact interpretations of dinosaur diversity at the end of the Cretaceous and illuminate potential modes of evolution in the Dinosauria. The placement of over 50 skulls of the well-known horned dinosaur Triceratops within a stratigraphic framework for the Upper Cretaceous Hell Creek Formation (HCF) of Montana reveals the evolutionary transformation of this genus. Specimens referable to the two recognized morphospecies of Triceratops, T. horridus and T. prorsus, are stratigraphically separated within the HCF with the T. prorsus morphology recovered in the upper third of the formation and T. horridus found lower in the formation. Hypotheses that these morphospecies represent sexual or ontogenetic variation within a single species are thus untenable. Stratigraphic placement of specimens appears to reveal ancestor–descendant relationships. Transitional morphologies are found in the middle unit of the formation, a finding that is consistent with the evolution of Triceratops being characterized by anagenesis, the transformation of a lineage over time. Variation among specimens from this critical stratigraphic zone may indicate a branching event in the Triceratops lineage. Purely cladogenetic interpretations of the HCF dataset imply greater diversity within the formation. These findings underscore the critical role of stratigraphic data in deciphering evolutionary patterns in the Dinosauria.
Isolation and Characterization of Senescence-induced cDNAs Encoding Deoxyhypusine Synthase and Eucaryotic Translation Initiation Factor 5A from Tomato*

Full-length cDNA clones encoding deoxyhypusine synthase (DHS) and eucaryotic initiation factor 5A (eIF-5A) have been isolated from a cDNA expression library prepared from tomato leaves (Lycopersicon esculentum, cv. Match) exposed to environmental stress. DHS mediates the first of two enzymatic reactions that activate eIF-5A by converting a conserved lysine to the unusual amino acid, deoxyhypusine. Recombinant protein obtained by expressing tomato DHS cDNA in Escherichia coli proved capable of carrying out the deoxyhypusine synthase reaction in vitro in the presence of eIF-5A. Of particular interest is the finding that DHS mRNA and eIF-5A mRNA show a parallel increase in abundance in senescing tomato flowers, senescing tomato fruit, and environmentally stressed tomato leaves exhibiting programmed cell death. Western blot analyses indicated that DHS protein also increases at the onset of senescence. It is apparent from previous studies with yeast and mammalian cells that hypusine-modified eIF-5A facilitates the translation of a subset of mRNAs mediating cell division. The present study provides evidence for senescence-induced DHS and eIF-5A in tomato tissues that may facilitate the translation of mRNA species required for programmed cell death.
The Role of Pancreatic Ductal Secretion in Protection Against Acute Pancreatitis in Mice*

Objectives:A common potentially fatal disease of the pancreas is acute pancreatitis, for which there is no treatment. Most studies of this disorder focus on the damage to acinar cells since they are assumed to be the primary target of multiple stressors affecting the pancreas. However, increasing evidence suggests that the ducts may also have a crucial role in induction of the disease. To test this hypothesis, we sought to determine the specific role of the duct in the induction of acute pancreatitis using well-established disease models and mice with deletion of the Na+/H+ exchanger regulatory factor-1 that have selectively impaired ductal function. Design:Randomized animal study. Setting:Animal research laboratory. Subjects:Wild-type and Na+/H+ exchanger regulatory factor-1 knockout mice. Interventions:Acute necrotizing pancreatitis was induced by i.p. administration of cerulein or by intraductal administration of sodium taurocholate. The pancreatic expression of Na+/H+ exchanger regulatory factor-1 and cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (a key player in the control of ductal secretion) was analyzed by immunohistochemistry. In vivo pancreatic ductal secretion was studied in anesthetized mice. Functions of pancreatic acinar and ductal cells as well as inflammatory cells were analyzed in vitro. Measurements and Main Results:Deletion of Na+/H+ exchanger regulatory factor-1 resulted in gross mislocalization of cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator, causing marked reduction in pancreatic ductal fluid and bicarbonate secretion. Importantly, deletion of Na+/H+ exchanger regulatory factor-1 had no deleterious effect on functions of acinar and inflammatory cells. Deletion of Na+/H+ exchanger regulatory factor-1, which specifically impaired ductal function, increased the severity of acute pancreatitis in the two mouse models tested. Conclusions:Our findings provide the first direct evidence for the crucial role of ductal secretion in protecting the pancreas from acute pancreatitis and strongly suggest that improved ductal function should be an important modality in prevention and treatment of the disease.
NON AUTOMATICALLY EXERCISED (NAE) EUROPEAN CAPPED CALL PRICING THEORY

The objective of this paper is to present a methodology for deriving Black Scholes formulae via a simple lognormal distribution approach and introduce European capped non automatically exercise (NAE) call option pricing theory. DOI : http://dx.doi. org/10.22342/jims.13. 2.69. 215-221