Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Tamoxifen and ATP synergistically activate Cl− release by cultured bovine pigmented ciliary epithelial cells

1 Purines alter aqueous humour secretion by the bilayered ciliary epithelium. Adenosine but not ATP shrinks non‐pigmented ciliary epithelial (NPE) cells by activating Cl− channels. We now report effects of ATP on pigmented ciliary epithelial (PE) cells. 2 Cultured bovine PE cells were studied volumetrically by electronic cell sorting. ATP and tamoxifen acted synergistically to shrink PE cells. Neither ATP nor tamoxifen alone had a consistent effect on cell volume. 3 The tamoxifen, ATP‐activated shrinkage required Cl− release since the response was blocked by removing Cl− and was inhibited by the Cl− channel blockers 5‐nitro‐2‐(3‐phenylpropylamino)‐benzoate and 4,4′‐diisothiocyano‐2,2′‐disulfonic acid. 4 The modulating effect of tamoxifen could have reflected many actions of tamoxifen. Our data do not support the suggestion that tamoxifen inhibits protein kinase C (PKC) or calcium‐calmodulin, or that it acts on histamine or carbachol receptors. 5 The shrinkage produced by ATP and tamoxifen was blocked by 17β‐oestradiol, but not 17α‐oestradiol. 6 The cooperative interaction between tamoxifen and ATP was not mediated by an enhanced rise in [Ca2+]i. 7 The results indicate that tamoxifen interacts synergistically with ATP to activate Cl− release by the PE cells.
Characterisation of Large Deformation Behaviour of Starch Gels Using Compression and Indentation Techniques

Two types of starch gel have been studied in terms of their mechanical behaviour using compression and indentation tests. The stress‐strain curves obtained from compression tests were non‐linear elastic and were rate independent for both gels. However, the stress and strain at failure increased considerably with strain rate. The indentation tests also revealed a rate independent load‐deflection response. An inverse analysis based on the Marquardt‐Levenberg optimisation algorithm was used to predict the stress‐strain behaviour from the indentation data. Inverse predictions of stress‐strain curves from indentation data agreed well with the direct measurements from the compression tests. It is proposed to use the method for both rigid and non self supporting gels, i.e. those that were made with very low starch content. This indentation characterisation method can be used as a fast way of evaluating and/or monitoring the gels' behaviour.
α7 Neuronal Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptors Are Negatively Regulated by Tyrosine Phosphorylation and Src-Family Kinases

Nicotine, a component of tobacco, is highly addictive but possesses beneficial properties such as cognitive improvements and memory maintenance. Involved in these processes is the neuronal nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR) α7, whose activation triggers depolarization, intracellular signaling cascades, and synaptic plasticity underlying addiction and cognition. It is therefore important to investigate intracellular mechanisms by which a cell regulates α7 nAChR activity. We have examined the role of phosphorylation by combining molecular biology, biochemistry, and electrophysiology in SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cells, Xenopus oocytes, rat hippocampal interneurons, and neurons from the supraoptic nucleus, and we found tyrosine phosphorylation of α7 nAChRs. Tyrosine kinase inhibition by genistein decreased α7 nAChR phosphorylation but strongly increased acetylcholine-evoked currents, whereas tyrosine phosphatase inhibition by pervanadate produced opposite effects. Src-family kinases (SFKs) directly interacted with the cytoplasmic loop of α7 nAChRs and phosphorylated the receptors at the plasma membrane. SFK inhibition by PP2 [4-amino-5-(4-chlorophenyl)-7-(t-butyl)pyrazolo[3,4-d]pyrimidine] or SU6656 (2,3-dihydro-N,N-dimethyl-2-oxo-3-[(4,5,6,7-tetrahydro-1H-indol-2-yl)methylene]-1H-indole-5-sulfonamide) increased α7 nAChR-mediated responses, whereas expression of active Src reduced α7 nAChR activity. Mutant α7 nAChRs lacking cytoplasmic loop tyrosine residues because of alanine replacement of Tyr-386 and Tyr-442 were more active than wild-type receptors and insensitive to kinase or phosphatase inhibition. Because the amount of surface α7 receptors was not affected by kinase or phosphatase inhibitors, these data show that functional properties of α7 nAChRs depend on the tyrosine phosphorylation status of the receptor and are the result of a balance between SFKs and tyrosine phosphatases. These findings reveal novel regulatory mechanisms that may help to understand nicotinic receptor-dependent plasticity, addiction, and pathology.
Rice endosperm protein slows progression of fatty liver and diabetic nephropathy in Zucker diabetic fatty rats

Abstract We previously reported that rice endosperm protein (REP) has renoprotective effects in Goto–Kakizaki rats, a non-obese diabetic model. However, whether these effects occur in obese diabetes remains unclear. This study aimed to clarify the effects of REP on obese diabetes, especially on fatty liver and diabetic nephropathy, using the obese diabetic model Zucker diabetic fatty (ZDF) rats. In total, 7-week-old male ZDF rats were fed diets containing 20 % REP or casein (C) for 8 weeks. Changes in fasting blood glucose levels and urinary markers were monitored during the experimental period. Hepatic lipids and metabolites were measured and renal glomeruli were observed morphologically. HbA1c levels were significantly lower in rats fed REP, compared with C (P<0·05). Compared with C in the liver, REP prevented lipid accumulation (total lipid, TAG and total cholesterol, P<0·01). Liver metabolome analysis indicated that levels of metabolites associated with glycolysis, the pentose phosphate pathway and carnitine metabolism were significantly greater in the REP group than in the C group (P<0·05), suggesting activation of both glucose catabolism and fatty acid oxidation. The metabolite increases promoted by REP may contribute to suppression of liver lipid accumulation. Urinary excretion of albumin and N-acetyl-β-d-glucosaminidase was significantly reduced in rats fed REP for 8 weeks (P<0·01). In addition, there was a distinct suppression of mesangial matrix expansion and glomerular hypertrophy in response to REP (P<0·01). Thus, REP had preventive effects on obese diabetes, fatty liver and diabetic nephropathy.
A Phylogenomic Analysis of the Bacterial Phylum Fibrobacteres

The Fibrobacteres has been recognized as a bacterial phylum for over a decade, but little is known about the group beyond its environmental distribution, and characterization of its sole cultured representative genus, Fibrobacter, after which the phylum was named. Based on these incomplete data, it is thought that cellulose hydrolysis, anaerobic metabolism, and lack of motility are unifying features of the phylum. There are also contradicting views as to whether an uncultured sister lineage, candidate phylum TG3, should be included in the Fibrobacteres. Recently, chitin-degrading cultured representatives of TG3 were isolated from a hypersaline soda lake, and the genome of one species, Chitinivibrio alkaliphilus, sequenced and described in detail. Here, we performed a comparative analysis of Fibrobacter succinogenes, C. alkaliphilus and eight near or substantially complete Fibrobacteres/TG3 genomes of environmental populations recovered from termite gut, anaerobic digester, and sheep rumen metagenomes. We propose that TG3 should be amalgamated with the Fibrobacteres phylum based on robust monophyly of the two lineages and shared character traits. Polymer hydrolysis, using a distinctive set of glycoside hydrolases and binding domains, appears to be a prominent feature of members of the Fibrobacteres. Not all members of this phylum are strictly anaerobic as some termite gut Fibrobacteres have respiratory chains adapted to the microaerophilic conditions found in this habitat. Contrary to expectations, flagella-based motility is predicted to be an ancestral and common trait in this phylum and has only recently been lost in F. succinogenes and its relatives based on phylogenetic distribution of flagellar genes. Our findings extend current understanding of the Fibrobacteres and provide an improved basis for further investigation of this phylum.
8‐BuS‐ATP derivatives as specific NTPDase1 inhibitors

Ectonucleotidases control extracellular nucleotide levels and consequently, their (patho)physiological responses. Among these enzymes, nucleoside triphosphate diphosphohydrolase‐1 (NTPDase1), −2, −3 and −8 are the major ectonucleotidases responsible for nucleotide hydrolysis at the cell surface under physiological conditions, and NTPDase1 is predominantly located at the surface of vascular endothelial cells and leukocytes. Efficacious inhibitors of NTPDase1 are required to modulate responses induced by nucleotides in a number of pathological situations such as thrombosis, inflammation and cancer.
Lung imaging using oxygen-enhanced MRI in small animals

BACKGROUND Oxygen enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (OE-MRI) is a novel method of assessing regional ventilation and oxygen diffusion from the alveoli into the capillaries of the lung. The paramagnetic nature of oxygen and deoxyhemoglobin in blood shortens the T1 of the oxygenated tissues. MRI can visualize the effect by a signal increase on T1 weighted images acquired with subjects during breathing of increased oxygen concentration compared ata on the utility of this technique in rodents are limited. to room air. D S To develop a protocol for OE-MRI on freely breathing live rodents. OBJECTIVE METHODS A T1-measurement protocol for the lung was established. Measurements on both Nickel-doped agarose gel phantoms and living rat lungs for optimization with respect to repetition time/inversion time/echo train length at a 4.7 T MRI scanner were performed. An optimized cardiac triggered inversion recovery RARE imaging sequence was developed. In order to achieve adequate signal from the lung parenchyma, maintaining practical acquisition ompensating for rapid physiological motion. times, and c RESULTS The optimized parameters from the phantom studies were: repetition time of 6000 ms, 6 inversion time values and an echo train length of 6. The mean T1 was measured with ardiac triggering to 1682 ± 203 ms (12 %) and 1769 ± 188 ms (11 %) in the right and left y. c lung, respectivel CONCLUSIONS An optimized T1-measurement protocol was established for OE-MRI in rodents. Due to hardware problems that affected the images with ghosting artifacts no conclusions can be drawn about the oxygen-induced changes.
Understanding the predictive power of social media

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to consolidate existing knowledge and provide a deeper understanding of the use of social media (SM) data for predictions in various areas, such as disease outbreaks, product sales, stock market volatility and elections outcome predictions. Design/methodology/approach – The scientific literature was systematically reviewed to identify relevant empirical studies. These studies were analysed and synthesized in the form of a proposed conceptual framework, which was thereafter applied to further analyse this literature, hence gaining new insights into the field. Findings – The proposed framework reveals that all relevant studies can be decomposed into a small number of steps, and different approaches can be followed in each step. The application of the framework resulted in interesting findings. For example, most studies support SM predictive power, however, more than one-third of these studies infer predictive power without employing predictive analytics. In addition, a.
Perfusion CT in Patients with Acute Ischemic Stroke Treated with Intra-Arterial Thrombolysis: Predictive Value of Infarct Core Size on Clinical Outcome

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: A potential role of perfusion CT (PCT) in selecting patients with stroke for reperfusion therapies has been recently advocated. The purpose of the study was to assess the reliability of PCT in predicting clinical outcome of patients with acute ischemic stroke treated with intra-arterial thrombolysis (IAT). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Twenty-seven patients with acute hemispheric ischemic stroke were investigated with PCT and treated with IAT between 3 and 6 hours of stroke onset. The infarct core was outlined on cerebral blood volume (CBV) maps by using accepted viability thresholds. The penumbra was defined as time-to-peak (TTP)-CBV mismatch. Clinical outcome was assessed by modified Rankin Scale (mRS) scores at 3 months and dichotomized into favorable (mRS score, 0–2) and unfavorable (mRS score, 3–6). Data were retrospectively analyzed by multiple regression to identify predictors of clinical outcome among the following variables: age, sex, National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score, serum glucose level, thrombolytic agent, infarct core and mismatch size, collateral circulation, time to recanalization, and recanalization rate after IAT. RESULTS: Patients with favorable outcome had smaller cores (P = .03), increased mismatch ratios (P = .03), smaller final infarct sizes (P < .01), higher recanalization rates (P = .03), and reduced infarct growth rates (P < .01), compared with patients with unfavorable outcome. The core size was the strongest predictor of clinical outcome in an “all subset” model search (P = .01; 0.96 point increase in mRS score per any increment of 1 SD; 95% confidence interval, +0.17 to +1.75). CONCLUSIONS: PCT is a reliable tool for the identification of irreversibly damaged brain tissue and for the prediction of clinical outcome of patients with acute stroke treated with IAT.
CD10 is a characteristic marker of tumours forming morules with biotin‐rich, optically clear nuclei that occur in different organs

rather than inverse correlation. Our kinetic analysis supports a non-progressive biology for low-grade AMN. In conclusion, regression in AMN correlates inversely with the severity of melanocytic dysplasia, suggesting that regression of inflammation is unlikely to be secondary to neoplastic progression. Histological regression observed in mild and moderate AMN certainly contributes to the atypical clinical picture and is confirmed by a distinctive kinetic profile (low proliferation ⁄ apoptotic ratio in the dermal compartment) that suggests a nonprogressive lesion; the potential for neoplastic progression in these AMN cannot be predicted on histological grounds alone.
First Human Chronic Experience with Cardiac Contractility Modulation by Nonexcitatory Electrical Currents for Treating Systolic Heart Failure:

Introduction: Conventional electrical therapies for heart failure (HF) encompass defibrillation and ventricular resynchronization for patients at high risk for lethal arrhythmias and/or with inhomogeneous ventricular contraction. Cardiac contractility modulation (CCM) by means of nonexcitatory electrical currents delivered during the action potential plateau has been shown to acutely enhance systolic function in humans with HF. The aim of this multicenter study was to assess the chronic safety and preliminary efficacy of an implantable device delivering this novel form of electrical therapy.
Identification of a novel HLA-A*02:01-restricted cytotoxic T lymphocyte epitope derived from the EML4-ALK fusion gene

Cancer immunotherapy is a promising new approach to cancer treatment. It has been demonstrated that a high number of tumor-specific cytotoxic T cells (CTLs) is associated with increased disease-specific survival in lung cancer patients. Identification of superior CTL epitopes from tumor antigens is essential for the development of immunotherapy for malignant tumors. The EML4-ALK fusion gene was recently identified in a subset of non-small cell lung cancers (NSCLCs). In this study we searched for HLA-A*02:01- and HLA-A*24:02-restricted epitopes derived from EML4-ALK by screening predicted EML4-ALK-derived candidate peptides for the induction of tumor-reactive CTLs. Nine EML4-ALK-derived peptides were selected by a computer algorithm based on a permissive HLA-A*02:01 or HLA-A*24:02 binding motif. One of the nine peptides induced peptide-specific CTLs from human peripheral blood mononuclear cells. We were able to generate a peptide-specific CTL clone. This CTL clone specifically recognized peptide-pulsed T2 cells and H2228 cells expressing HLA-A*02:01 and EML4-ALK that had been treated with IFN-γ 48 h prior to examination. CTL activity was inhibited by an anti-HLA-class I monoclonal antibody (W6/32), consistent with a class I-restricted mechanism of cytotoxicity. These results suggest that this peptide (RLSALESRV) is a novel HLA-A*02:01-restricted CTL epitope and that it may be a new target for antigen-specific immunotherapy against EML4-ALK-positive cancers.
Novel Aspects of Degradation of T Cell Receptor Subunits from the Endoplasmic Reticulum (ER) in T Cells: Importance of Oligosaccharide Processing, Ubiquitination, and Proteasome-dependent Removal from ER Membranes

Expression of the T cell antigen receptor (TCR) on the surface of thymocytes and mature T cells is dependent on the assembly of receptor subunits into TCRs in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and their successful traversal of the secretory pathway to the plasma membrane. TCR subunits that fail to exit the ER for the Golgi complex are degraded by nonlysosomal processes that have been referred to as “ER degradation”. The molecular basis for the loss of the TCR CD3-δ and TCR-α subunits from the ER was investigated in lymphocytes. For CD3-δ, we describe a process leading to its degradation that includes trimming of mannose residues from asparagine-linked (N-linked) oligosaccharides, generation of ubiquitinated membrane-bound intermediates, and proteasome-dependent removal from the ER membrane. When either mannosidase activity or the catalytic activity of proteasomes was inhibited, loss of CD3-δ was markedly curtailed and CD3-δ remained membrane bound in a complex with CD3-ε. TCR-α was also found to be degraded in a proteasome-dependent manner with ubiquitinated intermediates. However, no evidence of a role for mannosidases was found for TCR-α, and significant retrograde movement through the ER membrane took place even when proteasome function was inhibited. These findings provide new insights into mechanisms employed to regulate levels of TCRs, and underscore that cells use multiple mechanisms to target proteins from the ER to the cytosol for degradation.
Mixture of linear mixed models for clustering gene expression profiles from repeated microarray experiments

Data variability can be important in microarray data analysis. Thus, when clustering gene expression profiles, it could be judicious to make use of repeated data. In this paper, the problem of analysing repeated data in the model-based cluster analysis context is considered. Linear mixed models are chosen to take into account data variability and mixture of these models are considered. This leads to a large range of possible models depending on the assumptions made on both the covariance structure of the observations and the mixture model. The maximum likelihood estimation of this family of models through the EM algorithm is presented. The problem of selecting a particular mixture of linear mixed models is considered using penalized likelihood criteria. Illustrative Monte Carlo experiments are presented and an application to the clustering of gene expression profiles is detailed. All those experiments highlight the interest of linear mixed model mixtures to take into account data variability in a cluster analysis context.
Face/core mixed mode debond fracture toughness characterization using the modified TSD test method

The modified tilted sandwich debond (TSD) test method is used to examine face/core debond fracture toughness of sandwich specimens with glass/polyester face sheets and PVC H45 and H100 foam cores over a large range of mode-mixities. The modification was achieved by reinforcing the loaded face sheet with a steel bar, and fracture testing of the test specimens was conducted over a range of tilt angles. The fracture toughness exhibited mode-mixity phase angle dependence, especially for mode II dominated loadings; although, the fracture toughness remained quite constant for mode I dominated crack loadings. The fracture process was inspected visually during and after testing. For specimens with H45 core the crack propagated in the core. For specimens with an H100 core, the crack propagated between the resin-rich layer and the face sheet.
CSMAC: A New Centralized Scheduling-Based MAC Protocol for Wireless LAN

Medium Access Control (MAC) is a key issue for the efficiency of IEEE 802.11 wireless local area network. Legacy 802.11 DCF, using CSMA/CA and a random back-off mechanism, provides a simple-to-implement solution, however it achieves very low throughput. Exploiting the existence of a central entity in the infrastructure mode of an 802.11 wireless network, we propose a new centralized scheduling-based MAC protocol which is based on the popular DCF mechanism. This simple yet efficient scheme illustrates a new paradigm for realistic medium access control protocol design for next generation wireless networks. We have evaluated the performance of the proposed protocol by extensive simulations in different scenarios of wireless networks. Simulation results show that the new protocol significantly improves the network performance in terms of throughput and medium access delay.
Video-Based Dynamic Stagger Measurement of Railway Overhead Power Lines Using Rotation-Invariant Feature Matching

In this paper we propose an effective method of assessing the reliability of railway overhead power lines by measuring the dynamic stagger of contact wires based on a video monitoring technique. Previously developed video monitoring methods may produce severe errors when applied to tilting trains due to changes in position and orientation of the pantograph. In particular, we propose to employ feature-based image matching techniques that are invariant to rotation and robust to changes in camera viewpoint. A pantograph tilting model is first developed from the video data acquired from an actual train based on the motion dynamics of the stagger behavior on moving train platform. We then evaluate the proposed method by comparing it with the conventional template matching in terms of tracking error. The experimental results confirm that the proposed method shows superior performance in all train traveling sequences, particularly over the pantograph tilting train motion segment.
On precipitates in Fe–Ni base alloys used for USC boilers

Abstract This paper overviews the effects of some precipitates in Fe–Ni base boilers materials. The volume fraction of these precipitates is usually below 10% for maintaining the microstructure stability and manufacture ability. They appear in a number of morphologies, but all of them improve the creep strength when they exist in small size. For the alloys serviced below 650°C, the strengthening precipitates disperse within the matrix and maintain their diameter below 100 nm during long time exposure. For the alloys serviced above 650°C, the strengthening precipitates are normally larger than 100 nm in equivalent diameter. They may experience long growth duration and thus keep their size below 500 nm. Meanwhile, the precipitates may improve creep strength when they are dispersed over the grain boundaries.
C1-interpolation for vector field topology visualization

An application of C/sup 1/ scalar interpolation for 2D vector field topology visualization is presented. Powell-Sabin and Nielson interpolants are considered which both make use of Nielson's Minimum Norm Network for the precomputation of the derivatives in our implementation. A comparison of their results to the commonly used linear interpolant underlines their significant improvement of singularity location and topological skeleton depiction. Evaluation is based upon the processing of polynomial vector fields with known topology containing higher order singularities.