Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Characterization of phosphodiesterase 2A in human malignant melanoma PMP cells

The prognosis for malignant melanoma is poor; therefore, new diagnostic methods and treatment strategies are urgently needed. Phosphodiesterase 2 (PDE2) is one of 21 phosphodiesterases, which are divided into 11 families (PDE1-PDE11). PDE2 hydrolyzes cyclic AMP (cAMP) and cyclic GMP (cGMP), and its binding to cGMP enhances the hydrolysis of cAMP. We previously reported the expression of PDE1, PDE3 and PDE5 in human malignant melanoma cells. However, the expression of PDE2 in these cells has not been investigated. Herein, we examined the expression of PDE2A and its role in human oral malignant melanoma PMP cells. Sequencing of RT-PCR products revealed that PDE2A2 was the only variant expressed in PMP cells. Four point mutations were detected; one missense mutation at nucleotide position 734 (from C to T) resulted in the substitution of threonine with isoleucine at amino acid position 214. The other three were silent mutations. An in vitro migration assay and a terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick end-labeling assay revealed that suppressing PDE2 activity with its specific inhibitor, erythro-9-(2-hydroxy-3-nonyl)-adenine (EHNA), had no impact on cell motility or apoptosis. Furthermore, the cytotoxicity of EHNA, assessed using a trypan blue exclusion assay, was negligible. On the other hand, assessment of cell proliferation by BrdU incorporation and cell cycle analysis by flow cytometry revealed that EHNA treatment inhibited DNA synthesis and increased the percentage of G2/M-arrested cells. Furthermore, cyclin A mRNA expression was downregulated, while cyclin E mRNA expression was upregulated in EHNA-treated cells. Our results demonstrated that the PDE2A2 variant carrying point mutations is expressed in PMP cells and may affect cell cycle progression by modulating cyclin A expression. Thus, PDE2A2 is a possible new molecular target for the treatment of malignant melanoma.
New topology of three phase soft switching inverter using a dual auxiliary circuit

In current paper it is described a new topology of a three phase soft switching inverter. The aim is to develop a robust and practical soft switching inverter used in high power and high switching frequency applications. The presented topology is using coupled inductors and gives significant practical advantages when compared with similar topologies. The circuit can provide a mechanism by which the magnetization current passing the coupled inductor is reset. The new topology is also preventing the flow of free-wheeling currents generated in the main inverter into the auxiliary soft switching cell. These two parasitic effects can cause saturation of the magnetic core used for coupling the inductors. This mechanism is described on the steady-state stages and also simulations are provided to confirm the theoretical assumptions. The circuit has been simulated in SABER but also implemented in a prototype, while its performance is evaluated by test.
Diagnosis and treatment of HIV-associated manifestations in otolaryngology

Almost 30 years after its first description, HIV still remains a global pandemic. The present paper aims to review the current knowledge on the ear, nose and throat (ENT) manifestations of HIV infection, and present the available diagnostic and treatment options. A literature review was conducted in Medline and other available database sources. Information from related books was also included in the data analysis. It is well acknowledged that up to 80% of HIV-infected patients eventually develop ENT manifestations; among which, oral disease appears to be the most common. Oro-pharyngeal manifestations include candidiasis, periodontal and gingival disease, HSV and HPV infection, oral hairy leucoplakia, Kaposi's sarcoma, and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. ENT manifestations in the neck can present as cervical lymphadenopathy or parotid gland enlargement. Respective nasal manifestations include sinusitis (often due to atypical bacteria), and allergic rhinitis. Finally, otological manifestations include otitis (externa, or media), inner ear involvement (sensorineural hearing loss, disequilibrium), and facial nerve palsy (up to 100 times more frequently compared to the general population). Although ENT symptoms are not diagnostic of the disease, they might be suggestive of HIV infection, or related to its progression and the respective treatment failure. ENT doctors should be aware of the ENT manifestations associated with HIV disease, and the respective diagnosis and treatment. A multi-disciplinary approach may be required to provide the appropriate level of care to HIV patients.
Clinical significance of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and vancomycin-resistant enterococci colonization in liver transplant recipients

Background/Aims: Liver transplant patients are at high risk for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) colonization. We evaluated patients before and after liver transplant using active surveillance culture (ASC) to assess the prevalence of MRSA and VRE and to determine the effect of bacterial colonization on patient outcome. Methods: We performed ASC on 162 liver transplant recipients at the time of transplantation and 7 days posttransplantation to monitor the prevalence of MRSA and VRE. Results: A total of 142 patients had both nasal and rectal ASCs. Of these patients, MRSA was isolated from 12 (7.4%) at the time of transplantation (group 1a), 9 (6.9%) acquired MRSA posttransplantation (group 2a), and 121 did not test positive for MRSA at either time (group 3a). Among the three groups, group 1a patients had the highest frequency of developing a MRSA infection (p < 0.01); however, group 2a patients had the highest mortality rate associated with MRSA infection (p = 0.05). Of the 142 patients, VRE colonization was detected in 37 patients (22.8%) at the time of transplantation (group 1b), 21 patients (20%) acquired VRE posttransplantation (group 2b), and 84 patients did not test positive for VRE at either time (group 3b). Among these three groups, group 2b patients had the highest frequency of VRE infections (p < 0.01) and mortality (p = 0.04). Conclusions: Patients that acquired VRE or MRSA posttransplantation had higher mortality rates than did those who were colonized pre-transplantation or those who never acquired the pathogens. Our findings highlight the importance of preventing the acquisition of MRSA and VRE posttransplantation to reduce infections and mortality among liver transplant recipients.
Fuzzy Contrast Improvement for Low Altitude Aerial Images

Precision agriculture is becoming very important in improving food security. Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) have higher possibilities in this way, improving real time data gathered with aerial sensors. Fuzzy techniques have proved to be highly effective in managing vagueness and ambiguity. The unmanned helicopters are highly valuable due to the level of maneuverability that they possess. We believe that many different degrees of autonomy and functionalities of UAVs will be useful in agriculture. We present a new process to extract data from aerial images that comes from low altitude UAVs. We combined NDVI algorithm output with the RSWHE-M method on grey scaled images. Primary results show that our method extracts images that are visually acceptable to human eye and have a natural appearance.
Non-Linear Numerical Analysis of Earthquake- Induced Deformation of Earth-Fill Dams

From January 2010 to March 2011, eight major earthquakes of magnitude 6.1 or greater, one of which was 9.0, have shaken the globe. These destructive events, such as January 2010 Haiti earthquake and March 2011 Tohoku Japan earthquake, have resulted in numerous impacts on different lifeline facilities such as dams (Takewaki, 2010; Eberhard et al., 2010; Rathje, 2010; Ashford et al., 2011; Harder et al., 2011; Matsumoto et al., 2011). During these recent earthquakes as well as the past strong ones, numerous earth-fill dams have failed and enormous loss of life and significant property damage have been caused (Sherard et al., 1963; Pinto, 1993; Ozkan, 1998; Krinitzsky & Hynes, 2002; Basudhar et al., 2010; Matsumoto et al., 2011). Therefore, evaluation of stability conditions of earth-fill dams is a major issue of concern in seismic areas. Earthquake-induced deformations in an earth-fill dam may lead to overtopping and consequently to severe losses in terms of property and human lives. Hence, an accurate evaluation of seismic stability of earth-fill dam should be employed to guarantee safer conditions for dams during earthquakes.
Comparison of Teachers and Pre-Service Teachers with Respect to Personality Traits and Career Adaptability

The aim of the study is to compare teachers and pre-service teachers in terms of personality traits and career adaptability. The relationships between personality traits and career adaptability are also investigated. A total of 176 pre-service teachers took part in the study, including 90 men and 76 women, and a total of 204 teachers took part in the study, including 98 men and 106 women. The data collected included items from the Big Five Inventory and the Scale of Career Adaptability. The relationship between variables was examined by using independent t-tests for gender differences and multiple regression analysis techniques. According to the results, the level of career adaptability is higher in teachers than in pre-service teachers. Additionally, career exploration and plans were related to certain personality traits. The results of the present study might be used in career counselling, and also teacher profession development.
Orbit Functions

In the paper, properties of orbit functions are reviewed and further developed. Orbit functions on the Euclidean space En are symmetrized exponential functions. The symmetrization is fulfilled by a Weyl group corresponding to a Coxeter–Dynkin diagram. Properties of such functions will be described. An orbit function is the contribution to an irreducible character of a compact semisimple Lie group G of rank n from one of its Weyl group orbits. It is shown that values of orbit functions are repeated on copies of the fundamental domain F of the affine Weyl group (determined by the initial Weyl group) in the entire Euclidean space En. Orbit functions are solutions of the corresponding Laplace equation in En, satisfying the Neumann condition on the boundary of F . Orbit functions determine a symmetrized Fourier transform and a transform on a finite set of points.
Development of serotonin-containing neurons in Drosophila mutants unable to synthesize serotonin

We have initiated a study of the CNS of mutant Drosophila melanogaster larvae carrying a genetic deletion of the gene Ddc that encodes the enzyme dopa decarboxylase (DDC). The two major objectives of this study were (1) to ascertain that the DDC encoded by the gene Ddc was the only decarboxylase utilized in serotonin (5HT)-containing neurons and (2) to determine the effect of DDC deficiency on the development of 5HT- immunoreactive neurons. CNSs of wild-type larvae and of larvae genetically deficient for the gene Ddc were processed for serotonin immunocytochemistry using a monoclonal antibody against 5HT. The pattern of 5HT immunoreactivity in the wild-type and the Ddc-deficient CNS is compared. In contrast to the wild-type, 5HT immunoreactivity is absent in the Ddc-deficient CNSs. The lack of immunocytochemically detectable 5HT in the mutant CNSs is consistent with the idea that the DDC encoded by the gene Ddc is utilized in 5HT-containing neurons. To study the development of neurons committed to the 5HT differentiation pathway in the absence of 5HT, we used a second biochemical property characteristic of 5HT-containing neurons, the ability to take up 5HT. CNSs from mutant animals were incubated in exogenous 5HT and the accumulated 5HT detected immunocytochemically. Neurons capable of selective 5HT uptake were present in the mutant CNSs in the same pattern as the 5HT-immunoreactive neurons in the wild-type CNS. This result suggests that the presumed inability to synthesize 5HT does not preclude differentiation of other normal biochemical properties of 5HT- containing neurons.
LIQUIDITY CONSTRAINTS AND INCENTIVE CONTRACTS

Are firms and households constrained in the use of a productive input? Theoretical approaches to this question range from exogenously imposed credit allocation rules to endogenous market failures stemming from some sort of limited-commitment or moral-hazard problem. However, when testing for constraints, researchers often simply ask firms or households if they would wish to borrow more at the current interest rate and/or test for suboptimal use of inputs in production functions relative to a full-information, full-commitment benchmark. We demonstrate that if credit is part of a much larger information-constrained (or limited-commitment) incentive scheme, then input use may very well be distorted away from the first-best. Further, households and firms, in certain well-defined circumstances, may, at the true interest rate or opportunity cost of credit, desire to borrow more (or less) than the assigned level of credit. In other, more constrained, contractual regimes, firms and households would say that they do not want to borrow more (or less), but these regimes are decidedly suboptimal, although the magnitude of the loss does depend on parameter values. We conclude with empirical methods that, in principle, could allow researchers armed with enough data to estimate parameters and distinguish regimes. Researchers then could see if firms and households are truly constrained and, if so, what the welfare loss might be.
Behavioral dissociation between emotional and non-emotional facial expressions in congenital prosopagnosia

Neuropsychological and neuroimaging studies have shown that facial recognition and emotional expressions are dissociable. However, it is unknown if a single system supports the processing of emotional and non-emotional facial expressions. We aimed to understand if individuals with impairment in face recognition from birth (congenital prosopagnosia, CP) can use non-emotional facial expressions to recognize a face as an already seen one, and thus, process this facial dimension independently from features (which are impaired in CP), and basic emotional expressions. To this end, we carried out a behavioral study in which we compared the performance of 6 CP individuals to that of typical development individuals, using upright and inverted faces. Four avatar faces with a neutral expression were presented in the initial phase. The target faces presented in the recognition phase, in which a recognition task was requested (2AFC paradigm), could be identical (neutral) to those of the initial phase or present biologically plausible changes to features, non-emotional expressions, or emotional expressions. After this task, a second task was performed, in which the participants had to detect whether or not the recognized face exactly matched the study face or showed any difference. The results confirmed the CPs' impairment in the configural processing of the invariant aspects of the face, but also showed a spared configural processing of non-emotional facial expression (task 1). Interestingly and unlike the non-emotional expressions, the configural processing of emotional expressions was compromised in CPs and did not improve their change detection ability (task 2). These new results have theoretical implications for face perception models since they suggest that, at least in CPs, non-emotional expressions are processed configurally, can be dissociated from other facial dimensions, and may serve as a compensatory strategy to achieve face recognition.
Heme Oxygenase-1 Regulates the Progression of K/BxN Serum Transfer Arthritis

Background Heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) is induced in many cell types as a defense mechanism against stress. We have investigated the possible role of endogenous HO-1 in the effector phase of arthritis using the K/BxN serum transfer model of arthritis in HO-1 heterozygous and homozygous knock-out mice. Methodology/Principal Findings Arthritis was induced in C57/Black-6 xFVB (HO-1+/+, HO-1+/− and HO-1−/−) mice by intraperitoneal injection of 150 µl serum from arthritic K/BxN mice at days 0 and 2. Blood was collected and animals were sacrificed at day 10. Histological analysis was performed in ankle sections. The levels of inflammatory mediators were measured in serum and paw homogenates by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay or Multiplex technology. The incidence of arthritis was higher in HO-1+/− and HO-1−/− groups compared with HO-1+/+. The inflammatory response was aggravated in HO-1+/− mice as shown by arthritic score and the migration of inflammatory cells that could be related to the enhancement of CXCL-1 production. In addition, the HO-1+/− group showed proteoglycan depletion significantly higher than HO-1+/+ mice. Serum levels of matrix metalloproteinase-3, monocyte chemotactic protein-1, plasminogen activator inhibitor-1, E-selectin and intercellular adhesion molecule-1 were increased in arthritic HO-1−/− mice, whereas vascular endothelial growth factor and some cytokines such as interferon-γ showed a reduction compared to HO-1+/+ or HO-1+/− mice. In addition, down-regulated gene expression of ferritin, glutathione S-reductase A1 and superoxide dismutase-2 was observed in the livers of arthritic HO-1+/− animals. Conclusion/Significance Endogenous HO-1 regulates the production of systemic and local inflammatory mediators and plays a protective role in K/BxN serum transfer arthritis.
The contingencies of person-organization fit perceptions

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to build on previous studies on the link between objective and subjective person-organization fit (P-O fit) and argue that the strength between objective and subjective fit is contingent on advertisement attractiveness and organizational image. Accordingly, the authors observe if advertisement attractiveness and organizational image help to strengthen the objective-subjective P-O fit relation. Design/methodology/approach – The authors conduct a survey among 942 individuals and compare between prospective jobseeker (n=629) and actual jobseeker (n=313) subsamples. Findings – Generally, the authors show that ad advertisements positively moderates the relation between objective and subjective fit. Moreover, the authors show that advertisement attractiveness moderates the relationship between objective and subjective fit for prospective jobseekers while the moderating influence of advertisement attractiveness is not significant for actual jobseekers. Organizational image,.
Partitioning schemes for object oriented databases

In order to support homogeneous distributed object oriented database systems we need to have a clear understanding of what is meant by partitioning a class and what are the different ways of doing so. In this paper, we concentrate an studying the different types of class partitioning schemes that can arise in object oriented databases. By laying down the foundation, by articulating the concepts, representation, and implementation approaches for partitioning object databases, we facilitate further work on partitioning algorithms, query decomposition, optimization and transaction management for distributed OODBMS. <<ETX>>
MULTI-SEGMENT KINEMATIC AND KINETIC FOOT MODEL OUTCOMES FOR PLANOVALGUS FEET

INTRODUCTION Planovalgus (PV), a combination of pes planus (flat foot) and hindfoot eversion (valgus), is the most common foot deformity in ambulatory cerebral palsy (CP) patients and accounts for between 25-30% of all surgical procedures in children with CP. Despite the prevalence little research has been undertaken to quantify the extent of deviation in foot pathology compared to normal. Quantification of deviations in planovalgus feet may help understand pathologic foot function and assist in designing clinical interventions.
Predictors of pneumococcal conjugate vaccine immunogenicity among infants and toddlers in an American Indian PnCRM7 efficacy trial.

BACKGROUND Pneumococcal conjugate vaccines are important for the prevention of serious illness and death among infants. Factors associated with pneumococcal conjugate vaccine immunogenicity have not been explored. METHODS Children <24 months of age received 2, 3, or 4 doses of 7-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PnCRM7) or control vaccine depending on age at enrollment. Serum samples were tested for serotype-specific antibodies by enzyme-linked immunosorbant assay. Multiple linear regression was used to determine predictors of immunogenicity. RESULTS Among 315 PnCRM7-vaccinated subjects and 295 control subjects enrolled at <7 months of age, geometric mean concentrations (GMCs) of antibodies were significantly higher after dose 3 than after dose 2 for all serotypes except type 4. The proportion of subjects with antibody concentrations > or =5.0 micro g/mL was higher for all serotypes, but the proportion with concentrations > or =0.35 micro g/mL was higher only for types 6B and 23F. Three-dose and 2-dose regimens for those 7-11 and 12-23 months of age, respectively, were highly immunogenic. Increased maternal antibody concentrations were associated with reduced responses to dose 1 and 3 but not to dose 4 of PnCRM7. CONCLUSIONS Maternal antibody is associated with a reduced infant response to PnCRM7 but does not interfere with immune memory. In infants, a third priming dose increases the antibody GMC and the proportion achieving an antibody concentration > or =5.0 micro g/mL but has little impact on the proportion achieving a concentration > or =0.35 micro g/mL.
FACTS: Fast analytical continuum treatment of solvation

An efficient method for calculating the free energy of solvation of a (macro)molecule embedded in a continuum solvent is presented. It is based on the fully analytical evaluation of the volume and spatial symmetry of the solvent that is displaced from around a solute atom by its neighboring atoms. The two measures of solvent displacement are combined in empirical equations to approximate the atomic (or self) electrostatic solvation energy and the solvent accessible surface area. The former directly yields the effective Born radius, which is used in the generalized Born (GB) formula to calculate the solvent‐screened electrostatic interaction energy. A comparison with finite‐difference Poisson data shows that atomic solvation energies, pair interaction energies, and their sums are evaluated with a precision comparable to the most accurate GB implementations. Furthermore, solvation energies of a large set of protein conformations have an error of only 1.5%. The solvent accessible surface area is used to approximate the nonpolar contribution to solvation. The empirical approach, called FACTS (Fast Analytical Continuum Treatment of Solvation), is only four times slower than using the vacuum energy in molecular dynamics simulations of proteins. Notably, the folded state of structured peptides and proteins is stable at room temperature in 100‐ns molecular dynamics simulations using FACTS and the CHARMM force field. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Comput Chem, 2008