Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Microenvironment and Immunology CD 73-Deficient Mice Have Increased Antitumor Immunity and Are Resistant to Experimental Metastasis

CD73 is a cell-surface enzyme that suppresses immune responses by producing extracellular adenosine. In this study, we employed CD73 gene-targeted mice to investigate the role of host-derived CD73 on antitumor immunity and tumor cell metastasis. We found that CD73 ablation significantly suppressed the growth of ovalbumin-expressing MC38 colon cancer, EG7 lymphoma, AT-3 mammary tumors, and B16F10 melanoma. The protective effect of CD73 deficiency on primary tumors was dependent on CD8þ T cells and associated with an increased frequency of antigen-specific CD8þ T cells in peripheral blood and tumors and increased antigenspecific IFN-g production. Replicate studies in bone marrow chimeras established that both hematopoietic and nonhematopoietic expression of CD73 was important to promote tumor immune escape. Using adoptive reconstitution of T regulatory cell (Treg)–depleted DEREG (depletion of regulatory T cells) mice, we demonstrated that part of the protumorigenic effect of Tregs was dependent on their expression of CD73. CD73-deficient mice were also protected against pulmonary metastasis of B16F10 melanoma cells after intravenous injection. Unexpectedly, we found that the prometastatic effect of host-derived CD73 was dependent on CD73 expression on nonhematopoietic cells. CD73 expression on nonhematopoietic cells, most likely endothelial cells, was critical for promoting lung metastasis in a manner independent from immunosuppressive effects. Notably, in vivo blockade of CD73 with a selective inhibitor or anti-CD73 monoclonal antibody significantly reduced tumor growth and metastasis of CD73-negative tumors. Taken together, our findings indicate that CD73 may be targeted at multiple levels to induce anticancer effects including at the level of tumor cells, Tregs, and nonhematopoietic cells. Cancer Res; 71(8); 2892–900. 2011 AACR.
Descartes' error: emotion, reason, and the human brain. avon books

Descartes' Error offers the scientific basis for ending the division between mind and body. Antonio Damasio contends that rational decisions are not the product of logic alone - they require the support of emotion and feeling. Drawing on his experience with neurological patients affected with brain damage, Dr Damasio shows how absence of emotions and feelings can break down rationality. He also offers a new perspective on what emotions and feelings actually are: a direct view of our own body states; a link between the body and its survival-oriented regulation on the one hand, and consciousness on the other. Written as a conversation between the author and an imaginary listener, Descartes' Error leads us to conclude that human organisms are endowed from their very beginning with a spirited passion for making choices, which the social mind can then use to build rational behaviour.
Schemata: The Concept of Schema in the History of Logic

Abstract Schemata have played important roles in logic since Aristotle's Prior Analytics. The syllogistic figures and moods can be taken to be argument schemata as can the rules of the Stoic propositional logic. Sentence schemata have been used in axiomatizations of logic only since the landmark 1927 von Neumann paper [31]. Modern philosophers know the role of schemata in explications of the semantic conception of truth through Tarski's 1933 Convention T [42]. Mathematical logicians recognize the role of schemata in first-order number theory where Peano's second-order Induction Axiom is approximated by Herbrand's Induction-Axiom Schema [23]. Similarly, in first-order set theory, Zermelo's second-order Separation Axiom is approximated by Fraenkel's first-order Separation Schema [17]. In some of several closely related senses, a schema is a complex system having multiple components one of which is a template-text or scheme-template, a syntactic string composed of one or more “blanks” and also possibly significant words and/or symbols. In accordance with a side condition the template-text of a schema is used as a “template” to specify a multitude, often infinite, of linguistic expressions such as phrases, sentences, or argument-texts, called instances of the schema. The side condition is a second component. The collection of instances may but need not be regarded as a third component. The instances are almost always considered to come from a previously identified language (whether formal or natural), which is often considered to be another component. This article reviews the often-conflicting uses of the expressions ‘schema’ and ‘scheme’ in the literature of logic. It discusses the different definitions presupposed by those uses. And it examines the ontological and epistemic presuppositions circumvented or mooted by the use of schemata, as well as the ontological and epistemic presuppositions engendered by their use. In short, this paper is an introduction to the history and philosophy of schemata.
Suicidality in adjustment disorder--clinical characteristics of adolescent outpatients.

OBJECTIVE Although a remarkable proportion of adolescents suffering from adjustment disorder (AD) are suicidal, few studies have documented the characteristics of suicidal AD patients. We examined background, psychopathology and treatment-related factors among suicidal adolescent AD outpatients. METHOD Data on 302 consecutively referred psychiatric outpatient adolescents, aged 12-22 years, were collected. DSM-III-R diagnoses were assigned at the end of treatment based on all available data. Of the patients 89 received a diagnosis of AD, 25% of whom showed suicide attempts, suicidal threats or ideation. RESULTS Compared with non-suicidal AD patients, suicidal AD patients were characterized by previous psychiatric treatment (OR = 6.1), poor psychosocial functioning at treatment entry (OR = 16.2), suicide as a stressor (OR = 33.3), dysphoric mood (OR = 6.9) and psychomotor restlessness (OR = 3.7). CONCLUSIONS Common risk factors for suicidality in major psychiatric disorders characterized suicidal AD patients. Psychiatric assessment of AD patients should include careful monitoring of both symptomatology and exposure to suicide of significant others.
Which senses matter more? The impact of our senses on team identity and team loyalty

For the development of team identity and team loyalty, an understanding of how consumers experience the stadium through their senses is crucial, as the stadium is seen as the primary sensory space. The purpose of this study was to examine the relative impacts of the five senses on team identity and team loyalty. The study found that sight, sound, touch, and smell positively affected the team identity, while sight, touch, and smell positively affected the team loyalty. In addition, team identity positively affected team loyalty. This study provides the first empirical evidence of the effects of our senses on team identity and team loyalty. In order for marketers to maximize team identity and team loyalty, they need to develop specific sensory strategies that affect the game-day experience
Wheel running during chronic nicotine exposure is protective against mecamylamine‐precipitated withdrawal and up‐regulates hippocampal α7 nACh receptors in mice

Evidence suggests that exercise decreases nicotine withdrawal symptoms in humans; however, the mechanisms mediating this effect are unclear. We investigated, in a mouse model, the effect of exercise intensity during chronic nicotine exposure on nicotine withdrawal severity, binding of α4β2*, α7 nicotinic acetylcholine (nAChR), μ‐opioid (μ receptors) and D2 dopamine receptors and on brain‐derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and plasma corticosterone levels.
Is Deterministic Deployment Worse than Random Deployment for Wireless Sensor Networks?

Before a sensor network is deployed, it is important to determine how many sensors are required to achieve a certain coverage degree. The number of sensor required for maintaining k-coverage depends on the area of the monitored region, the probability that a node fails or powers off (to save energy), and the deployment strategy. In this paper, we derive the density required to maintain k-coverage under three deployment strategies: (i) nodes are deployed as a Poisson point process, (ii) nodes are uniformly randomly distributed, (iii) nodes are deployed on regular grids. Our results show that under most circumstances, grid deployment renders asymptotically lower node density than random deployment. These results override a previous conclusion that grid deployment may render higher node density than random node distributions.
Molecular Characterization of the 14-3-3 Gene Family in Brachypodium distachyon L. Reveals High Evolutionary Conservation and Diverse Responses to Abiotic Stresses

The 14-3-3 gene family identified in all eukaryotic organisms is involved in a wide range of biological processes, particularly in resistance to various abiotic stresses. Here, we performed the first comprehensive study on the molecular characterization, phylogenetics, and responses to various abiotic stresses of the 14-3-3 gene family in Brachypodium distachyon L. A total of seven 14-3-3 genes from B. distachyon and 120 from five main lineages among 12 species were identified, which were divided into five well-conserved subfamilies. The molecular structure analysis showed that the plant 14-3-3 gene family is highly evolutionarily conserved, although certain divergence had occurred in different subfamilies. The duplication event investigation revealed that segmental duplication seemed to be the predominant form by which the 14-3-3 gene family had expanded. Moreover, seven critical amino acids were detected, which may contribute to functional divergence. Expression profiling analysis showed that BdGF14 genes were abundantly expressed in the roots, but showed low expression in the meristems. All seven BdGF14 genes showed significant expression changes under various abiotic stresses, including heavy metal, phytohormone, osmotic, and temperature stresses, which might play important roles in responses to multiple abiotic stresses mainly through participating in ABA-dependent signaling and reactive oxygen species-mediated MAPK cascade signaling pathways. In particular, BdGF14 genes generally showed upregulated expression in response to multiple stresses of high temperature, heavy metal, abscisic acid (ABA), and salicylic acid (SA), but downregulated expression under H2O2, NaCl, and polyethylene glycol (PEG) stresses. Meanwhile, dynamic transcriptional expression analysis of BdGF14 genes under longer treatments with heavy metals (Cd2+, Cr3+, Cu2+, and Zn2+) and phytohormone (ABA) and recovery revealed two main expression trends in both roots and leaves: up-down and up-down-up expression from stress treatments to recovery. This study provides new insights into the structures and functions of plant 14-3-3 genes.
Vision loss in Australia

OBJECTIVE To assess the prevalence and causes of vision loss in Australia and to project these data into the future. DESIGN Synthesis of data from two cross-sectional population-based cohort studies--the Melbourne Visual Impairment Project and the Blue Mountains Eye Study--and extrapolation to the entire Australian population. SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS 8376 community and 533 nursing home residents recruited between 1992 and 1996 in urban and rural Victoria and New South Wales. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Age-standardised prevalence of low vision (visual acuity < 6/12) and blindness (visual acuity < 6/60) (both measured in the best eye, with spectacles if usually worn for distance vision), and their causes for the Australian population for 2000 to 2024, projected from Australian Bureau of Statistics population data. RESULTS In 2004, 480,300 Australians were estimated to have low vision, including 50,600 with blindness. The most common causes of low vision were undercorrected refractive error (62%), cataract (14%) and age-related macular degeneration (10%). The latter was responsible for almost half of all cases of blindness. The numbers of people with low vision and blindness are projected to almost double by 2024. CONCLUSIONS Vision loss in Australia is a much bigger problem than is usually recognised; 76% of low vision is caused by uncorrected refractive error or cataract, both readily treatable. However, the prevention and treatment of macular degeneration poses a major challenge.
Guidelines to identify abnormalities after childhood urinary tract infections: a prospective audit

Objective To compare the childhood urinary tract infection (UTI) guidelines from the Royal College of Physicians (RCP) in 1991 and from National Institute of Health and Care Excellence (NICE) (CG54) in 2007 by measuring their efficiency at detecting urinary tract abnormalities. Design Children with UTIs within the Newcastle Primary Care Trust (population 70 800 children) were referred and imaged according to the RCP guidelines during 2008, and these were compared to the activity that would have been undertaken if we had implemented the CG54 guidelines, including following them through 2011 to identify those with recurrent UTIs. Main outcome measures The numbers of children imaged, the imaging burden and efficiency, and urinary tract abnormalities detected by each guideline. Results Fewer children would have been imaged by CG54 than RCP (150 vs 427), but its sensitivity was lower, at 44% for detecting scarring, 10% for identifying vesicoureteric reflux and 40% for other abnormalities. Overall, it would have only detected one-quarter of the abnormal cases (8 vs 32) and would have missed five of nine children with scarring, including three with multiple lesions and one with renal impairment. Imposing an age restriction of <8 years to the RCP guidelines would reduce its screening rate by 20% and still detect 90% of the abnormalities. Interpretation The CG54 guidelines do not alter the imaging efficiency compared to the RCP guidelines, but they are considerably less sensitive.
Adaptive Modeling of Hysteretic Magnetometers

Magnetic hysteresis is one example of the nonlinearity that underpins many practical applications, particularly in the field of magnetic sensors such as fluxgate magnetometers. The aim of this paper is to present a behavioral model that is suitable for the circuital simulation of fluxgate magnetometers in standard simulators like Simulation Program with Integrated Circuit Emphasis (SPICE). The main advantage of the proposed methodology, vis-a-vis the traditional model, is the efficiency in predicting the behavior of amorphous materials with sharp hysteresis loops. Moreover, the developed model is easily implementable in any SPICE-like simulator and can be adopted for a wide range of operating conditions. The modeling strategy has been assessed by the comparison of predicted and observed behaviors of fluxgate magnetometers.
The morphology of optic tract axons arborizing in the superior colliculus of the hamster

Single axons innervating the superficial layers of the hamster's superior colliculus (SC) were visualized using an HRP‐filling technique. Five types of axons were distinguished. Experiments involving the removal of retinal and/or cortical input showed that three of these axon types originated in the contralateral retina with the fourth type most likely originating in the visual cortex. The origin of the fifth type, a widely branched varicose axon, is apparently subcortical.
Can GABAA conductances explain the fast oscillation frequency of absence seizures in rodents ?

Rodent models of absence epilepsy generate spike-and-wave oscillations at relatively fast frequency (5±10 Hz) compared with humans (» 3 Hz). Possible mechanisms for these oscillations were investigated by computational models that included the complex intrinsic ®ring properties of thalamic and cortical neurons, as well as the multiple types of synaptic receptors mediating their interactions. The model indicates that oscillations with spike-and-wave ®eld potentials can be generated by thalamocortical circuits. The frequency of these oscillations critically depended on GABAergic conductances in thalamic relay cells, ranging from 2±4 Hz for strong GABAB conductances to 5±10 Hz when GABAA conductances were dominant. This model therefore suggests that thalamocortical circuits can generate two types of spike-and-wave oscillations, whose frequency is determined by the receptor type mediating inhibition in thalamic relay cells. Experiments are proposed to test this mechanism.
Permeability of frog mesenteric capillaries after partial pronase digestion of the endothelial glycocalyx.

1. The proteolytic enzyme pronase, which degrades the endothelial cell glycocalyx, was perfused through single capillaries of frog mesentery. Hydraulic conductivity (Lp) of each vessel was determined before and after pronase perfusion. In three vessels in which Lp increased, the ultrastructure of interendothelial clefts was examined. In a separate group of frogs the effect of pronase on the endothelial glycocalyx was assessed by using cationized ferritin to label the capillary luminal surface. 2. Control Lp was 2.0 x 10(‐7) cm s‐1 cmH2O‐1 (10 mg ml‐1 bovine serum albumin, BSA, in frog Ringer solution). Vessels were then perfused with a solution containing 0.1 mg ml‐1 pronase and 10 mg ml‐1 BSA for 1 min. Lp measured in the same eleven vessels increased to 4.9 x 10(‐7) cm s‐1 cmH2O‐1 (P less than 0.005). 3. Transverse sections of three of these vessels were examined by transmission electron microscopy at eight sites along each vessel. In these sections a total of 156 interendothelial cell clefts were found and photographed. No morphological features, such as fenestrations, transendothelial channels, or intercellular gaps associated with inflammation, were found which might account for the increases in Lp. 4. Measurement of cleft dimensions yielded a harmonic mean cleft depth (delta x) of 0.32 microns and an arithmetic mean cleft depth of 0.64 microns. Mean width (w) of the clefts outside the tight regions was 0.012 microns and the cleft length per unit area (L) was 1330 cm‐1. The mean fractional pore area of vessel wall per unit cleft depth, Ap/delta x, calculated as Lw/delta x, was 48.7 cm‐1. 5. There was less cationic ferritin (CF) labelling of the luminal glycocalyx in pronase‐perfused than in control capillaries. On average, the proportion of the luminal surface covered by CF was 85% in controls and 42% in pronase‐treated capillaries (P less than 0.01). In some vessels the CF pattern was greatly disrupted, indicating large changes in the glycocalyx structure. 6. It is concluded that the moderate increases in Lp induced by pronase perfusion are associated with partial digestion of the endothelial glycocalyx but are not accompanied by changes in the dimensions of the intercellular cleft. These observations support the fibre matrix hypothesis of capillary permeability and suggest that the endothelial glycocalyx contributes as much as 60% of the hydraulic resistance of the capillary wall.
Stable Self-Assembled Atomic-Switch Networks for Neuromorphic Applications

Nature-inspired neuromorphic architectures are being explored as an alternative to imminent limitations of conventional complementary metal-oxide semiconductor architectures. Utilization of such architectures for practical applications like advanced pattern recognition tasks will require synaptic connections that are both reconfigurable and stable. Here, we report realization of stable atomic-switch networks (ASNs), with inherent complex connectivity, self-assembled from percolating metal nanoparticles (NPs). The device conductance reflects the configuration of synapses, which can be modulated via voltage stimulus. By controlling Relative Humidity and oxygen partial-pressure during NP deposition, we obtain stochastic conductance switching that is stable over several months. Detailed characterization reveals signatures of electric-field-induced atomic-wire formation within the tunnel-gaps of the oxidized percolating network. Finally, we show that the synaptic structure can be reconfigured by stimulating at different repetition rates, which can be utilized as short-term to long-term memory conversion. This demonstration of stable stochastic switching in ASNs provides a promising route to hardware implementation of biological neuronal models and, as an example, we highlight possible applications in reservoir computing.
Update on the use of defibrotide

Introduction: Defibrotide is a polydisperse oligonucleotide obtained from porcine intestinal mucosa and prepared by controlled depolymerization of DNA. It is a nucleic acid polymer, predominantly single-stranded, which has anti-ischemic and anti-thrombotic properties. Areas covered: The efficacy and safety of defibrotide in the treatment of veno-occlusive disease (VOD) occurring after high-dose chemotherapy and hematopoietic stem-cell transplantation is now well established in Phase II – III trials. A recent randomized, Phase III trial in pediatric patients has also demonstrated its role in the prevention of VOD. Preclinical studies reported the inhibitory effects of defibrotide on myeloma cells' growth through an antiangiogenic action and a regulation of the tumor–microenvironment interactions. A recent Phase II trial underlines the efficacy and safety of defibrotide–thalidomide–melphalan combination in the treatment of relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma. Expert opinion: Defibrotide may be effective in the prophylaxis and the treatment of veno-occlusive disease. Recent experimental results suggest that defibrotide may belong to the new generation of anti-cancer drugs that can prevent tumor angiogenesis. In multiple myeloma, defibrotide may overcome the prothrombotic effect of thalidomide on endothelial cells. Further preclinical and clinical investigations are needed to assess the precise role of defibrotide in the treatment of patients with multiple myeloma.
Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco Working Paper Series Examining the Bond Premium Puzzle with a Dsge Model Examining the Bond Premium Puzzle with a Dsge Model *

The views in this paper are solely the responsibility of the authors and should not be interpreted as reflecting the views of the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco or the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System. Abstract The basic inability of standard theoretical models to generate a sufficiently large and variable nominal bond risk premium has been termed the " bond premium puzzle. " We show that the term premium on long-term bonds in the canonical dynamic stochastic general equilibrium (DSGE) model used in macroeconomics is too small and stable relative to the data. We find that introducing long-memory habits in consumption as well as labor market frictions can help fit the term premium, but only by seriously distorting the DSGE model's ability to fit other macroeconomic variables, such as the real wage; therefore, the bond premium puzzle remains. 2008 London School of Economics conference on macroeconomics, as well as many colleagues in the Federal Reserve System. Anjali Upadhyay provided excellent research assistance. The views expressed in this paper are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of other individuals within the Federal Reserve System.
Kernel region approximation blocks for indexing heterogonous databases

This paper presents a new indexing method for visual features in high dimensional vector space using region approximation approach. The proposed method is designed to combine the values of the heterogeneous features in the same index structure; it determines nonlinear relationship between features so that more accurate similarity comparison between vectors can be supported. The basic idea is to map the data vectors into a feature space via a nonlinear kernel; the feature space is partitioned into regions. An efficient approach to approximate regions is proposed with the corresponding upper and lower distance bounds. To evaluate our technique, we conducted several experiments for searching the nearest K neighbours. The obtained results show the interest of our method.