Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Inhibition of anchorage-dependent cell spreading triggers apoptosis in cultured human endothelial cells

When cultivated on substrates that prevent cell adhesion (the polymer polyhydroxyethylmethacrylate, bovine serum albumin, and Teflon), human endothelial cells (EC) rapidly lost viability with a half-life of approximately 10 h. Dying EC showed the morphological and biochemical characteristics of apoptosis. The apoptotic process of suspended EC was delayed by the protein synthesis inhibitor cycloheximide. To obtain information as to the mechanism involved in the apoptosis of suspended EC, we investigated whether adhesion to matrix proteins or integrin occupancy in EC retaining a round shape may affect EC suicide. EC bound to low coating concentration of either fibronectin or vitronectin, retaining a round shape and failing to organize actin microfilaments, underwent to rapid cell death; by contrast, cells on high substrate concentrations became flattened, showed actin microfilament organization, and retained viability. Addition of saturating amounts of soluble vitronectin to suspended round-shaped EC did not reduce the process of apoptosis. Finally, when suspended EC bound Gly-Arg-Gly-Asp- Ser-coated microbeads (approximately 10 microbeads/cell), yet retaining a round shape, the apoptotic process was not affected. Oncogene- transformed EC in suspension were less susceptible to cell death and apoptosis than normal EC. Overall, these data indicate that cell attachment to matrix or integrin binding per se is not sufficient for maintaining cell viability, and that cells need to undergo some minimal degree of shape change to survive. Modulation of interaction with the extracellular matrix can, therefore, be an important target for the control of angiogenesis.
Innovation and robustness in complex regulatory gene networks

The history of life involves countless evolutionary innovations, a steady stream of ingenuity that has been flowing for more than 3 billion years. Very little is known about the principles of biological organization that allow such innovation. Here, we examine these principles for evolutionary innovation in gene expression patterns. To this end, we study a model for the transcriptional regulation networks that are at the heart of embryonic development. A genotype corresponds to a regulatory network of a given topology, and a phenotype corresponds to a steady-state gene expression pattern. Networks with the same phenotype form a connected graph in genotype space, where two networks are immediate neighbors if they differ by one regulatory interaction. We show that an evolutionary search on this graph can reach genotypes that are as different from each other as if they were chosen at random in genotype space, allowing evolutionary access to different kinds of innovation while staying close to a viable phenotype. Thus, although robustness to mutations may hinder innovation in the short term, we conclude that long-term innovation in gene expression patterns can only emerge in the presence of the robustness caused by connected genotype graphs.
Open-loop stable running

We present simulated monopedal and bipedal robots that are capable of open-loop stable periodic running motions without any feedback even though they have no statically stable standing positions. Running as opposed to walking involves flight phases which makes stability a particularly difficult issue. The concept of open-loop stability implies that the actuators receive purely periodic torque or force inputs that are never altered by any feedback in order to prevent the robot from falling. The design of these robots and the choice of model parameter values leading to stable motions is a difficult task that has been accomplished using newly developed stability optimization methods.
Innovation and Foreign Ownership

This paper uses a rich panel dataset of Spanish manufacturing firms (1990-2006) and a propensity score reweighting estimator to show that multinational firms acquire the most productive domestic firms, which, on acquisition, conduct more product and process innovation (simultaneously adopting new machines and organizational practices) and adopt foreign technologies, leading to higher productivity. We propose a model of endogenous selection and innovation in heterogeneous firms that jointly explains the observed selection process and the innovation decisions. Further, we show in the data that innovation on acquisition is associated with the increased market scale provided by the parent firm.
Fibrotic Aortic Valve Stenosis in Hypercholesterolemic/Hypertensive Mice

Objective— Hypercholesterolemia and hypertension are associated with aortic valve stenosis (AVS) in humans. We have examined aortic valve function, structure, and gene expression in hypercholesterolemic/hypertensive mice. Approach and Results— Control, hypertensive, hypercholesterolemic (Apoe −/− ), and hypercholesterolemic/hypertensive mice were studied. Severe aortic stenosis (echocardiography) occurred only in hypercholesterolemic/hypertensive mice. There was minimal calcification of the aortic valve. Several structural changes were identified at the base of the valve. The intercusp raphe (or seam between leaflets) was longer in hypercholesterolemic/hypertensive mice than in other mice, and collagen fibers at the base of the leaflets were reoriented to form a mesh. In hypercholesterolemic/hypertensive mice, the cusps were asymmetrical, which may contribute to changes that produce AVS. RNA sequencing was used to identify molecular targets during the developmental phase of stenosis. Genes related to the structure of the valve were identified, which differentially expressed before fibrotic AVS developed. Both RNA and protein of a profibrotic molecule, plasminogen activator inhibitor 1, were increased greatly in hypercholesterolemic/hypertensive mice. Conclusions— Hypercholesterolemic/hypertensive mice are the first model of fibrotic AVS. Hypercholesterolemic/hypertensive mice develop severe AVS in the absence of significant calcification, a feature that resembles AVS in children and some adults. Structural changes at the base of the valve leaflets include lengthening of the raphe, remodeling of collagen, and asymmetry of the leaflets. Genes were identified that may contribute to the development of fibrotic AVS.
Liquid Immiscibility in Fe-Cu-B-C System

The metal in the shredder dust, which is produced from scrapped automobiles and home electric appliances by shredding and sorting, is mainly composed of iron and copper. It is more desirable to reuse as ferrous and cupreous resources by separating iron and copper. In the present work, the phase separation of iron and copper in the Fe–Cu–B and Fe–Cu–B–C systems is investigated at 1 523 K and 1 425 K. In the Fe–Cu–B system, the copper content of Fe-rich phase and the iron content of Cu-rich phase at 1 523 K are 4.60 mass% and 5.30 mass%, respectively, in the case of [mass%B](in Fe)=2.90. The contents are about 1 to 2 mass% lower than those at 1 873 K. In the Fe–Cu–B–3mass%C system, the copper content of the Fe-rich phase and the iron content of the Cu-rich phase are lower than those in the Fe–Cu–B system. The carbon addition widens the miscibility gap of iron and copper and is more effective for the separation. By the boron and/or carbon additions, it is almost possible to recover more than 80% of copper from Fe–20mass%Cu alloy.
[(99m)Tc]-sestamibi parathyroid scintigraphy in chronic haemodialysis patients: static and dynamic explorations.

BACKGROUND The place of parathyroid gland imaging by [(99m)Tc](technetium)-sestamibi scintigraphy in uraemic patients with secondary hyperparathyroidism remains a matter of debate. The purpose of the present study was (i) to assess its value with respect to plasma intact parathyroid hormone (iPTH) levels and to surgical parathyroidectomy (PTx), and (ii) to explore the possibility of suppressing parathyroid [(99m)Tc]-sestamibi uptake by calcitriol. METHODS In a first cross-sectional, static study 52 chronic haemodialysis (HD) patients with plasma iPTH levels between 14 and 2791 pg/ml (normal, 10-65 pg/ml) had a [(99m)Tc]-sestamibi scan, and 21 of them underwent surgical PTx. In a second longitudinal, dynamic study 14 chronic HD patients with advanced secondary hyperparathyroidism received short-term calcitriol treatment in an attempt to suppress [(99m)Tc]-sestamibi imaging of parathyroid glands. Calcitriol was given intravenously for 2 weeks, 2 microg after each haemodialysis session. Scintigraphy was carried out before and at the end of this inhibition test. RESULTS [(99m)Tc]-Sestamibi scan led to imaging of one or more (maximum three) parathyroid glands in most, but not all, HD patients with plasma iPTH values >600 pg/ml. Based on surgical findings, overall sensitivity of [(99m)Tc]-sestamibi scan in correctly locating parathyroid glands was only 50%, whereas specificity was 100%. In contrast, its sensitivity was 100% in locating single glands in the subgroup of five patients with recurrent hyperparathyroidism. The calcitriol inhibition test showed suppression of [(99m)Tc]-sestamibi uptake by at least one parathyroid gland in eight patients (57%), with complete suppression in five of them (36%). Basal plasma iPTH or decrease of plasma iPTH in response to calcitriol was not predictive of suppressible [(99m)Tc]-sestamibi uptake in the individual case, although mean iPTH was markedly higher in patients with non-suppressible parathyroid glands. CONCLUSION Because of its relatively low sensitivity the [(99m)Tc]-sestamibi scan is of limited help in the exploration of uraemic patients with severe secondary hyperparathyroidism before a first surgical PTx. However, it is very useful in locating the remaining parathyroid gland(s) in case of reoperation. The novel calcitriol inhibition test of [(99m)Tc]-sestamibi uptake could help to better distinguish parathyroid glands with non-suppressible, autonomous activity from glands whose activity might be amenable to long-term suppression.
K-ras Mutations in Lung Tumors and Tumors from Other Organs are Consistent with a Common Mechanism of Ethylene Oxide Tumorigenesis in the B6C3F1 Mouse

Ethylene oxide is a multisite carcinogen in rodents and classified as a human carcinogen by the National Toxicology Program. In 2-year mouse studies, ethylene oxide (EO) induced lung, Harderian gland (HG), and uterine neoplasms. We evaluated representative EO-induced and equivalent spontaneous neoplasms for K-ras mutations in codons 12, 13, and 61. K-ras mutations were identified in 100% (23/23) of the EO-induced lung neoplasms and 25% (27/108) of the spontaneous lung neoplasms. Codon 12 G to T transversions were common in EO-induced lung neoplasms (21/23) but infrequent in spontaneous lung neoplasms (1/108). K-ras mutations were found in 86% (18/21) of the EO-induced HG neoplasms and 7% (2/27) of the spontaneous HG neoplasms. Codon 13 G to C and codon 12 G to T transversions were predominant in the EO-induced HG neoplasms but absent in spontaneous HG neoplasms (0/27). K-ras mutations occurred in 83% (5/6) of the EO-induced uterine carcinomas and all were codon 13 C to T transitions. These data show a strong predilection for development of K-ras mutations in EO-induced lung, Harderian gland, and uterine neoplasms. This suggests that EO specifically targets the K-ras gene in multiple tissue types and that this event is a critical component of EO-induced tumorigenesis.
Differential MHC Class II Presentation of a Pathogenic Autoantigen during Health and Disease1

Glucose-6-phosphate isomerase (GPI) is the target autoantigen recognized by KRN T cells in the K/BxN model of rheumatoid arthritis. T cell reactivity to this ubiquitous Ag results in the recruitment of anti-GPI B cells and subsequent immune complex-mediated arthritis. Because all APCs have the capacity to process and present this autoantigen, it is unclear why systemic autoimmunity with polyclonal B cell activation does not ensue. To this end, we examined how GPI is presented by B cells relative to other immunologically relevant APCs such as dendritic cells (DCs) and macrophages in the steady state, during different phases of arthritis development, and after TLR stimulation. Although all APCs can process and present the GPI:I-Ag7 complex, they do so with different efficiencies. DCs are the most potent at baseline and become progressively more potent with disease development correlating with immune complex uptake. Interestingly, in vivo and in vitro maturation of DCs did not enhance GPI presentation, suggesting that DCs use mechanisms to regulate the presentation of self-peptides. Non-GPI-specific B cells are the weakest APCs (100-fold less potent than DCs) and fail to productively engage KRN T cells at steady state and during arthritis. However, the ability to stimulate KRN T cells is strongly enhanced in B cells after TLR ligation and provides a mechanism whereby polyclonal B cells may be activated in the wake of an acute infection.
Stand-alone interspinous spacers versus decompressive surgery in lumbar spinal stenosis : a systematic review and meta-analysis

Purpose: This study aimed to compare the efficacy and safety of stand-alone placement of interspinous spacers (IPS) with decompressive surgery (DS) for the treatment of lumbar spinal stenosis. Methods: Medline, Embase, and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials databases were searched until February 2016 to identify relevant randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and comparative cohort studies. The relative risk (RR) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated for dichotomous variables. The weighted mean difference (WMD) and 95% CIs were calculated for continuous variables. A random effect model was used for heterogeneous data; otherwise, a fixed effect model was used. Results: Four RCTs and four comparative cohort studies with 834 patients in total met the eligibility criteria for this meta-analysis. Overall, there were no significant differences regarding leg pain score and ODI score between the IPS and DS groups. Pooled estimates showed that patients in the IPS group achieved worse low back pain score and higher rate of reoperation. However, IPS group had a significantly lower rate of complications, shorter hospital stay, and shorter operative time. Conclusions: Based on the current literature, we concluded that there were no significant differences regarding leg pain and ODI scores between the IPS and DS groups. Although having a lower rate of complications and shorter hospital stay and operative time, the IPS group resulted in inferiority of low back pain and a higher rate of reoperation. Careful preoperative consideration on indications, benefits and risks of employing this interspinous implant should be made.
A Review of Brain-Computer Interface Games and an Opinion Survey from Researchers, Developers and Users

In recent years, research on Brain-Computer Interface (BCI) technology for healthy users has attracted considerable interest, and BCI games are especially popular. This study reviews the current status of, and describes future directions, in the field of BCI games. To this end, we conducted a literature search and found that BCI control paradigms using electroencephalographic signals (motor imagery, P300, steady state visual evoked potential and passive approach reading mental state) have been the primary focus of research. We also conducted a survey of nearly three hundred participants that included researchers, game developers and users around the world. From this survey, we found that all three groups (researchers, developers and users) agreed on the significant influence and applicability of BCI and BCI games, and they all selected prostheses, rehabilitation and games as the most promising BCI applications. User and developer groups tended to give low priority to passive BCI and the whole head sensor array. Developers gave higher priorities to “the easiness of playing” and the “development platform” as important elements for BCI games and the market. Based on our assessment, we discuss the critical point at which BCI games will be able to progress from their current stage to widespread marketing to consumers. In conclusion, we propose three critical elements important for expansion of the BCI game market: standards, gameplay and appropriate integration.
On the Cyclic Softening Mechanisms of Reduced Activity Ferritic/Martensitic Steels

Low‐cycle fatigue tests were performed in three different ferrite/martensite steels, i.e., the European RAFM steel EUROFER 97 and the commercials AISI 410 and AISI 420, at room temperature (RT) and at 550°C. After the first few cycles, a cyclic softening that continues up to failure is observed for all these steels. The cyclic softening exhibited by AISI 420 is less pronounced than for the other two steels. The comparison between the mechanical responses of the materials was based on the study of the flow stress components, i.e., the friction and the back stresses, and their correlation with the microstructure evolution. In most cases, the strong cyclic softening observed is produced by the decreasing stress values exhibited by both stress components. However, at RT, for AISI 420, the back stress does not present variation during cycling. The decrease of the free dislocation density inside the subgrains and the growth of the mean subgrain size represent the main microstructural evolution.
A Correlated Worker Model for Grouped, Imbalanced and Multitask Data

We consider the important crowdsourcing problem of estimating worker confusion matrices, or sensitivities and specificities for binary classification tasks. In addition to providing diagnostic insights into worker performance, such estimates enable robust online task routing for classification tasks exhibiting imbalance and asymmetric costs. However, labeled data is often expensive and hence estimates must be made without much of it. This poses a challenge to existing methods. In this paper, we propose a novel model that captures the correlations between entries in confusion matrices. We applied this model in two practical scenarios: (1) an imbalanced classification task in which workers are known to belong to groups and (2) a multitask scenario in which labels for the same workers are available in more than one labeling task. We derive an efficient variational inference approach that scales to large datasets. Experiments on two real world citizen science datasets (biomedical citation screening and galaxy morphological classification) demonstrate consistent improvement over competitive baselines. We have made our source code available.
Electronic Properties of Synthetic Nanostructures

EDITORS Hans Kuzmany Universität Wien, Austria Jörg Fink Institut für Festkörperphysik Dresden, Germany Michael Mehring Universität Stuttgart, Germany Siegmar Roth Max-Planck-Institut für Festkörperforschung SPONSORING ORGANIZATIONS Stuttgart, Germany Bundesministerium für Bildung, Wissenschaft und Kultur, Austria Phantoms, Spain Verein zur Förderung der Internationalen Winterschulen in Kirchberg, Austria
Induction of apoptosis in human corneal and HeLa cells by mutated BIGH3.

PURPOSE To determine the effects of overexpression of mutated BIGH3 in HeLa and human corneal epithelial (HCE) cells. METHODS Six mutations known to be responsible for autosomal dominant corneal dystrophies linked to chromosome 5 were generated in a BIGH3 expression vector and transfected in HeLa and HCE cells. The expression and secretion of the various BIGH3-EGFP fusion proteins were measured by Western blot analysis. Apoptotic cells were identified by Hoechst/propidium iodide and annexin V staining. Lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) activity was measured in the medium of transfected cells. Truncated BIGH3 protein and site-specific mutations were generated to determine the exact region that mediated apoptosis. RESULT The overexpressed BIGH3 fusion protein was secreted regardless of its mutation status and was clearly observed in the culture medium. Overexpression of mutated BIGH3 induced apoptosis in both cell lines through activation of caspase-3. Although all the disease-causing mutations tested in this experiment induced apoptosis, the strongest effect was observed with the R124C and R555W mutations. Overexpression of a carboxyl-truncated BIGH3 protein did not induce apoptosis, suggesting that a region located in the C-terminal domain was necessary to mediate cell death. In addition, mutation of the Pro-Asp-Ile (PDI) site at 616-618 was sufficient to prevent induction of apoptosis. CONCLUSIONS Overexpression of mutated BIGH3 induces apoptosis in HeLa and HCE cells through activation of a pathway that uses the PDI domain of the fourth internal Fas domain and activation of caspase-3. Because DI is a known site of interaction with alpha 3 beta 1 integrins, it suggests that integrins play a role in mediating apoptosis in the system used in the current study. This work suggests that apoptosis is a key element in the pathophysiology of BIGH3-related corneal dystrophies.
Total nondialyzable solids (TNDS) in human urine. V. Subfractionation of the ultrafiltrate (UF-O) fraction.

A procedure has been reported (1) for the re-producible separation of the total nondialyzable solids (TNDS) of normal human urine into three primary fractions. The most abundant of the -three fractions, designated UF-O, was separated from the other two by virtue of its passage through a collodion ultrafilter membrane. The overall chemical composition of fraction UF-O was described, but no further information was then available. Accordinigly, we have devised a procedure for the separation of this material into subfractions. While these subfractions appear to be cleanly separated, they are all probably mixtures of various chemical compounds. The method yields consistent results and therefore seems to be a useful tool for the study of possible changes in physiological and pathological conditions, and as an intermediate step in the ultimate separation of the components of UF-O. This report describes the procedure for the subfractionation of the UF-O and the results obtained with it, including the range of normal daily variation in the excretion of the subfractions and their overall chemical composition. Some perti
On the trade-off between complexity and correlation decay in structural learning algorithms

We consider the problem of learning the structure of Ising models (pairwise binary Markov random fields) from i.i. d. samples. While several methods have been proposed to accomplish this task, their relative merits and limitations remain somewhat obscure. By analyzing a number of concrete examples, we show that low-complexity algorithms often fail when the Markov random field develops long-range correlations. More precisely, this phenomenon appears to be related to the Ising model phase transition (although it does not coincide with it).
The influence of montmorillonite on mechanical, thermal and fire retardation properties of vinylester/glass composites

This paper presents the influence of dispersing montmorillonite in 2 to 8 wt% in vinylester on the mechanical, thermal and fire retardation behaviour of vinylester/glass composites. X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy results of montmorillonite/vinylester showed exfoliation of montmorillonite up to 4 wt% loading. Glass transition temperature (Tg) and microhardness of montmorillonite/vinylester increased with increase in montmorillonite loading. Tensile strength, interlaminar shear strength, flexural strength, impact strength and fatigue life of vinylester/glass increased by the addition of 4 wt% montmorillonite. Thermogravimetric analysis showed decrease in thermal degradation in 4 wt%/montmorillonite/vinylester compared to 2 wt%/montmorillonite/vinylester. Horizontal and vertical burning rates of vinylester/glass decreased with the addition of montmorillonite. Limiting oxygen index increased by 18% and 25% with the addition of 8 wt% montmorillonite to vinylester and vinylester/glass respectively. Scanning electron microscopy was used to study montmorillonite, vinylester and glass fibre interfacial strengths and the fatigue damage mechanism.