Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Luteinizing hormone receptor mediates neuronal pregnenolone production via up‐regulation of steroidogenic acute regulatory protein expression

The functional consequences of luteinizing hormone/human chorionic gonadotropin signaling via neuronal luteinizing hormone/human chorionic gonadotropin receptors expressed throughout the brain remain unclear. A primary function of luteinizing hormone (LH) in the gonads is the stimulation of sex steroid production. As LH can cross the blood–brain barrier, present in cerebrospinal fluid and is expressed by neuronal cells, we tested whether LH might also modulate steroid synthesis in the brain. Treatment of differentiated rat primary hippocampal neurons and human M17 neuroblastoma cells with LH (100 mIU/mL) resulted in a twofold increase in pregnenolone secretion in both cell types, suggesting an increase in P450scc‐mediated cleavage of cholesterol to pregnenolone and its secretion from neurons. To explore how LH might regulate the synthesis of pregnenolone, the precursor for steroid synthesis, we treated rat primary hippocampal neurons with LH (0, 10 and 100 mIU/mL) and measured changes in the expression of LH receptor and steroidogenic acute regulatory protein (StAR). LH induced a rapid (within 30 min) increase in the expression of StAR, but induced a dose‐dependent decrease in LH receptor expression. Consistent with these results, the suppression of serum LH in young rats treated with leuprolide acetate for 4 months down‐regulated StAR expression, but increased LH receptor expression in the brain. Taken together, these results indicate that LH induces neuronal pregnenolone production by modulating the expression of the LH receptor, increasing mitochondrial cholesterol transport and increasing P450scc‐mediated cleavage of cholesterol for pregnenolone synthesis and secretion.
Tribological properties of phenolic resin bonded abrasive tools filled with two inclusion complexes of β-cyclodextrin and sulfur-containing additives

In this work, three kinds of phenolic resin bonded abrasive tool specimens containing β-cyclodextrin or its two complexes with dialkyl pentasulfide and sulfurized isobutylene at different contents were prepared by a cold compression method, respectively. The tribological properties of these abrasive tool specimens at different speeds and loads were investigated under water lubrication. The results indicated that filling of the complexes could improve the friction and wear performance of the abrasive tools. The minimum friction coefficient and wear rate were obtained when the content of the filler was about 15–20 wt. %. The friction coefficient of the abrasive tool decreased with the increase of speed and load, while the wear rate showed a reverse trend. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analysis was employed to investigate the self-lubricating mechanism of the abrasive tool. It was found that the additives were released along with the decomposition of the complexes. The enhanced tribological properties of these abrasive tools were believed to stem from the formation of a self-lubricating layer that constituted by sulfide film and carbon deposited film, which had significant influence on the phenolic resin transfer process from substrate to the counter steel surface, and also had functions of anti-friction, anti-wear, and an improvement of surface quality.
Energy Expenditure in People with Diabetes Mellitus: A Review

Physical activity (PA) is an important non-therapeutic tool in primary prevention and treatment of diabetes mellitus (DM). To improve activity-based health management, patients need to quantify activity-related energy expenditure and the other components of total daily energy expenditure. This review explores differences between the components of total energy expenditure in patients with DM and healthy people and presents various tools for assessing the energy expenditure in subjects with DM. From this review, it appears that patients with uncontrolled DM have a higher basal energy expenditure (BEE) than healthy people which must be considered in the establishment of new BEE estimate equations. Moreover, studies showed a lower activity energy expenditure in patients with DM than in healthy ones. This difference may be partially explained by patient with DMs poor compliance with exercise recommendations and their greater participation in lower intensity activities. These specificities of PA need to be taken into account in the development of adapted tools to assess activity energy expenditure and daily energy expenditure in people with DM. Few estimation tools are tested in subjects with DM and this results in a lack of accuracy especially for their particular patterns of activity. Thus, future studies should examine sensors coupling different technologies or method that is specifically designed to accurately assess energy expenditure in patients with diabetes in daily life.
Prognostic factors in severe exacerbation of chronic hepatitis B.

Forty-seven patients with severe hepatitis B exacerbation were compared with patients who had mild exacerbation (n=96) or no exacerbation (n=96). Seventeen patients (36.2%) died or underwent liver transplantation. Preexisting cirrhosis and a prothrombin time (PT) of >30 s were associated with adverse outcome in 60.9% and 87.5% of patients, respectively. The rate of adverse outcome increased to 92.3% when albumin levels of < or =35 g/L and bilirubin levels of >200 microM were present. Other factors associated with adverse outcomes included peak bilirubin level, peak PT, time to reach peak PT, and the presence of encephalopathy and/or ascites. There was no difference in the frequency of precore mutations in patients with severe or mild exacerbation or without exacerbation. A significantly lower prevalence of core promoter mutants was found in patients with severe exacerbation (50%), compared with those who had mild exacerbation (81.3%; P=.004). Patients with severe exacerbation of hepatitis B with poor prognostic factors should be considered for early liver transplantation.
Painful data: The UNBC-McMaster shoulder pain expression archive database

A major factor hindering the deployment of a fully functional automatic facial expression detection system is the lack of representative data. A solution to this is to narrow the context of the target application, so enough data is available to build robust models so high performance can be gained. Automatic pain detection from a patient's face represents one such application. To facilitate this work, researchers at McMaster University and University of Northern British Columbia captured video of participant's faces (who were suffering from shoulder pain) while they were performing a series of active and passive range-of-motion tests to their affected and unaffected limbs on two separate occasions. Each frame of this data was AU coded by certified FACS coders, and self-report and observer measures at the sequence level were taken as well. This database is called the UNBC-McMaster Shoulder Pain Expression Archive Database. To promote and facilitate research into pain and augment current datasets, we have publicly made available a portion of this database which includes: 1) 200 video sequences containing spontaneous facial expressions, 2) 48,398 FACS coded frames, 3) associated pain frame-by-frame scores and sequence-level self-report and observer measures, and 4) 66-point AAM landmarks. This paper documents this data distribution in addition to describing baseline results of our AAM/SVM system. This data will be available for distribution in March 2011.
Clinical Efficacy of Blue Light Full Body Irradiation as Treatment Option for Severe Atopic Dermatitis

Background Therapy of atopic dermatitis (AD) relies on immunosuppression and/or UV irradiation. Here, we assessed clinical efficacy and histopathological alterations induced by blue light-treatment of AD within an observational, non-interventional study. Methodology/Principal Findings 36 patients with severe, chronic AD resisting long term disease control with local corticosteroids were included. Treatment consisted of one cycle of 5 consecutive blue light-irradiations (28.9 J/cm2). Patients were instructed to ask for treatment upon disease exacerbation despite interval therapy with topical corticosteroids. The majority of patients noted first improvements after 2–3 cycles. The EASI score was improved by 41% and 54% after 3 and 6 months, respectively (p≤0.005, and p≤0.002). Significant improvement of pruritus, sleep and life quality was noted especially after 6 months. Also, frequency and intensity of disease exacerbations and the usage of topical corticosteroids was reduced. Finally, immunohistochemistry of skin biopsies obtained at baseline and after 5 and 15 days revealed that, unlike UV light, blue light-treatment did not induce Langerhans cell or T cell depletion from skin. Conclusions/Significance Blue light-irradiation may represent a suitable treatment option for AD providing long term control of disease. Future studies with larger patient cohorts within a randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial are required to confirm this observation.
Distinct Neural Substrates for Maintaining Locations and Spatial Relations in Working Memory

Previous work has demonstrated a distinction between maintenance of two types of spatial information in working memory (WM): spatial locations and spatial relations. While a body of work has investigated the neural mechanisms of sensory-based information like spatial locations, little is known about how spatial relations are maintained in WM. In two experiments, we used fMRI to investigate the involvement of early visual cortex in the maintenance of spatial relations in WM. In both experiments, we found less quadrant-specific BOLD activity in visual cortex when a single spatial relation, compared to a single spatial location, was held in WM. Also across both experiments, we found a consistent set of brain regions that were differentially activated during maintenance of locations vs. relations. Maintaining a location, compared to a relation, was associated with greater activity in typical spatial WM regions like posterior parietal cortex and prefrontal regions. Whereas maintaining a relation, compared to a location, was associated with greater activity in the parahippocampal gyrus and precuneus/retrosplenial cortex. Further, in Experiment 2 we manipulated WM load and included trials where participants had to maintain three spatial locations or relations. Under this high load condition, the regions sensitive to locations vs. relations were somewhat different than under low load. We also identified regions that were sensitive to load specifically for location or relation maintenance, as well as overlapping regions sensitive to load more generally. These results suggest that the neural substrates underlying WM maintenance of spatial locations and relations are distinct from one another and that the neural representations of these distinct types of spatial information change with load.
Effects of Different Variants in the ENPP1 Gene on the Functional Properties of Ectonucleotide Pyrophosphatase/Phosphodiesterase Family Member 1

Ectonucleotide pyrophosphatase/phosphodiesterase family member 1 (E‐NPP1), encoded by ENPP1, is a plasma membrane protein that generates inorganic pyrophosphate (PPi), a physiologic inhibitor of hydroxyapatite formation. In humans, variants in ENPP1 are associated with generalized arterial calcification of infancy, an autosomal‐recessive condition causing premature onset of arterial calcification and intimal proliferation resulting in stenoses. ENPP1 variants also cause pseudoxanthoma elasticum characterized by ectopic calcification of soft connective tissues. To determine the functional impact of ENPP1 missense variants, we analyzed 13 putative pathogenic variants in vitro regarding their functional properties, that is, activity, localization, and PPi generation. Transfection of eight of the 13 variants led to complete loss of NPP activity, whereas four mutants (c.1412A > G, p.Tyr471Cys; c.1510A > C, p.Ser504Arg; c.1976A > G, p.Tyr659Cys; c.2330A > G, p.His777Arg) showed residual activity compared with wild‐type E‐NPP1. One putative pathologic variant (c.2462 G > A, p.Arg821His) showed normal activity. The five mutants with normal or residual E‐NPP1 enzyme activity were still able to generate PPi and localized in the plasma membrane. In this study, we identified a functional ENPP1 polymorphism, which was expected to be pathogenic till now. Furthermore, we identified four mutants (p.Tyr471Cys, p.Ser504Arg, p.Tyr659Cys, p.His777Arg) with residual E‐NPP1 function, which would be potential therapeutical targets for conformational‐stabilizing agents.
No tests required: comparing traditional and dynamic predictors of programming success

Research over the past fifty years into predictors of programming performance has yielded little improvement in the identification of at-risk students. This is possibly because research to date is based upon using static tests, which fail to reflect changes in a student's learning progress over time. In this paper, the effectiveness of 38 traditional predictors of programming performance are compared to 12 new data-driven predictors, that are based upon analyzing directly logged data, describing the programming behavior of students. Whilst few strong correlations were found between the traditional predictors and performance, an abundance of strong significant correlations based upon programming behavior were found. A model based upon two of these metrics (Watwin score and percentage of lab time spent resolving errors) could explain 56.3% of the variance in coursework results. The implication of this study is that a student's programming behavior is one of the strongest indicators of their performance, and future work should continue to explore such predictors in different teaching contexts.
Acute changes in myosin heavy chain synthesis rate in pressure versus volume overload.

The left ventricular hypertrophy that develops with the volume overload of mitral regurgitation is relatively less than that which develops with the pressure overload of aortic stenosis even when both lesions are severe. The hypertrophy that develops must be the sum of changes in the rate of myocardial protein synthesis and degradation. In the present canine study, we explored early changes in the synthesis rate of myosin heavy chain in response to severe acute pressure overload versus that of the severe acute volume overload of mitral regurgitation. We tested the hypothesis that in acute overload, the rate of protein synthesis would increase less in the volume-overload model than in the pressure-overload model, a potential partial mechanism for the discrepancy in the eventual total amount of hypertrophy that develops in these two lesions. Acute pressure overload was produced by inflating a balloon in the descending aorta, and acute volume overload was produced by using our closed-chest mitral chordal rupture technique. In both models, the hemodynamic lesion that was created was severe. In eight dogs with pressure overload, the average gradient across the balloon was 119.8 +/- 6.1 mm Hg. In six dogs with volume overload, the average regurgitant fraction was 0.67 +/- 0.06. Six other dogs served as controls. The average rate of myosin heavy chain synthesis in control dogs was 2.7 +/- 0.2% per day, virtually identical to the rate we found in the severe volume-overload model. In contrast, the rate was increased in the pressure-overload model by 30% to 3.5 +/- 0.3% per day (P < .05). (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Integrating approaches for feature implementation

Compositional and annotative approaches are two competing yet complementary candidates for implementing feature-oriented software product lines. While the former provides real modularity, the latter excels concerning expressiveness. To combine the respective advantages of compositional and annotative approaches, we aim at unifying their underlying representations by leveraging the snippet system instead of directories and files. In addition, to exploit this unification, we propose different editable views.
Stress and Memory: Behavioral Effects and Neurobiological Mechanisms

Stress is a potent modulator of learning and memory processes. Although there have been a few attempts in the literature to explain the diversity of effects (including facilitating, impairing, and lack of effects) described for the impact of stress on memory function according to single classification criterion, they have proved insufficient to explain the whole complexity of effects. Here, we review the literature in the field of stress and memory interactions according to five selected classifying factors (source of stress, stressor duration, stressor intensity, stressor timing with regard to memory phase, and learning type) in an attempt to develop an integrative model to understand how stress affects memory function. Summarizing on those conditions in which there was enough information, we conclude that high stress levels, whether intrinsic (triggered by the cognitive challenge) or extrinsic (induced by conditions completely unrelated to the cognitive task), tend to facilitate Pavlovian conditioning (in a linear-asymptotic manner), while being deleterious for spatial/explicit information processing (which with regard to intrinsic stress levels follows an inverted U-shape effect). Moreover, after reviewing the literature, we conclude that all selected factors are essential to develop an integrative model that defines the outcome of stress effects in memory processes. In parallel, we provide a brief review of the main neurobiological mechanisms proposed to account for the different effects of stress in memory function. Glucocorticoids were found as a common mediating mechanism for both the facilitating and impairing actions of stress in different memory processes and phases. Among the brain regions implicated, the hippocampus, amygdala, and prefrontal cortex were highlighted as critical for the mediation of stress effects.
Improved immune reconstitution after allotransplantation of peripheral blood stem cells instead of bone marrow.

Clinical studies are evaluating possible advantages of allogeneic peripheral blood stem cell transplantation (PBSCT) over bone marrow transplantation (BMT). We compared immune reconstitution after PBSCT (n = 20) and BMT (n = 20) in terms of lymphocyte subset counts and proliferative in vitro responses to mitogens and recall antigens (follow-up: 5 to 11 months posttransplant). Additionally, 10 PBSC harvests and 10 marrow harvests were analyzed for their composition of immunocompetent cells. Compared with BMT patients, PBSCT recipients had PB counts of naive (CD4+CD45RA+) and memory (CD4+CD45RO+) helper T cells and of B cells (CD19+) that were elevated (P < .003, P < .001, and P < .004, respectively) and proliferative responses to phytohemagglutinin (P < .0001), pokeweed mitogen (P < .02), Tetanus toxoid (P < .0005), and Candida (P < .004) that were increased. PBSCT recipients received a mean of 188 (range, 44 to 280) x 10(6) naive helper T cells and 169 (range, 18 to 296) x 10(5) memory helper T cells per kilogram; the corresponding numbers for BMT recipients were 11 (range, 4 to 24) and 10 (range, 1 to 22) x 10(5) cells per kilogram, respectively. The question of whether the documented improved in vitro immune competence after PBSCT is associated with a lower incidence of infectious complications in vivo still needs further study.
Chordoid Meningioma: Differentiating a Rare World Health Organization Grade II Tumor from Other Meningioma Histologic Subtypes Using MRI

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Meningiomas are very commonly diagnosed intracranial primary neoplasms, of which the chordoid subtype is seldom encountered. Our aim was to retrospectively review preoperative MR imaging of intracranial chordoid meningiomas, a rare WHO grade II variant, in an effort to determine if there exist distinguishing MR imaging characteristics that can aid in differentiating this atypical variety from other meningioma subtypes. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Ten cases of WHO grade II chordoid meningioma were diagnosed at our institution over an 11-year span, 8 of which had preoperative MR imaging available for review and were included in our analysis. Chordoid meningioma MR imaging characteristics, including ADC values and normalized ADC ratios, were compared with those of 80 consecutive cases of WHO grade I meningioma, 21 consecutive cases of nonchordoid WHO grade II meningioma, and 1 case of WHO grade III meningioma. RESULTS: Preoperative MR imaging revealed no significant differences in size, location, signal characteristics, or contrast enhancement between chordoid meningiomas and other meningiomas. There were, however, clear differences in the ADC values and normalized ADC ratios, with a mean absolute ADC value of 1.62 ± 0.33 × 10−3 mm2/s and a mean normalized ADC ratio of 2.22 ± 0.47 × 10−3 mm2/s in chordoid meningiomas compared with mean ADC and normalized ADC values, respectively, of 0.88 ± 0.13 × 10−3 mm2/s and 1.17 ± 0.16 × 10−3 mm2/s in benign WHO grade I meningiomas, 0.84 ± 0.11 × 10−3 mm2/s and 1.11 ± 0.15 × 10−3 mm2/s in nonchordoid WHO grade II meningiomas, and 0.57 × 10−3 mm2/s and 0.75 × 10−3 mm2/s in the 1 WHO grade III meningioma. CONCLUSIONS: Chordoid meningiomas have statistically significant elevations of ADC and normalized ADC values when compared with all other WHO grade I, II, and III subtypes, which enables reliable preoperative prediction of this atypical histopathologic diagnosis.
Effect of White Matter Changes on Cognitive Impairment in Patients With Lacunar Infarcts

Background and Purpose— Cerebral white matter changes (WMC) and lacunar infarct are both believed to be consequence of small vessel disease. Whether the extent of WMC affect the type and degree of cognitive impairment in patients with lacunar infarct is not clear. The study was undertaken to determine if WMC influences cognition in patients with lacunar infarcts. Methods— We recruited consecutive patients who were admitted to the acute stroke unit because of acute lacunar infarcts, mainly documented by diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging. WMC were measured qualitatively and quantitatively. Patients were divided into quartiles according to the distribution of the volume of WMC. Cognition was assessed 12 weeks after stroke by psychometric tests (Chinese version of Mini-Mental State Examination [MMSE], Alzheimer’s Disease Assessment Scale-cognition [ADAS-cog], Mattis Dementia Rating Scale-Initiation/ Perseveration subscale [MDRS I/P]) and was compared between patients with varying severity of WMC. Multivariate linear regression analysis was performed to find variables that influenced performance in the psychometric tests. Results— Among the 94 included patients with acute lacunar infarcts, those patients (n=25) within the highest quartile of WMC were older, had more lacunar infarcts, more severe stroke, and lower prestroke cognitive function compared with those with less WMC. In addition, their performances in psychometric tests were significantly more impaired. Multivariate linear regression analysis revealed that WMC significantly influenced performance in MDRS I/P. WMC did not independently influence performance in MMSE and ADAS-cog. Conclusions— Extent of WMC appears to be associated with executive dysfunction in stroke patients with lacunar infarcts. Further large prospective studies with extensive scales of executive function testing are required to confirm this issue.
Mesenchymal stem cells derived from human induced pluripotent stem cells modulate T-cell phenotypes in allergic rhinitis

Human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) possess remarkable self‐renewal capacity and the potential to differentiate into novel cell types, such as mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs). iPSC‐MSCs have been shown to enhance tissue regeneration and attenuate tissue ischaemia; however, their contribution to the immune regulation of Th2‐skewed allergic rhinitis (AR) and asthma remains unclear.