Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Long-term tricuspid valve prosthesis-related complications in patients with congenital heart disease.

OBJECTIVES In patients with acquired valvar disease, morbidity and mortality rates after tricuspid valve replacement (TVR) are high. However, in adult patients with congenital heart disease, though data concerning outcome after TVR are scarce, even poorer results are suggested in patients with Ebstein anomaly. To investigate the applicability of these results to a broader array of congenital heart disease patients, we report the long-term follow-up of prosthesis-related complications, including re-replacement of patients with a tricuspid valve prosthesis and congenital heart disease. METHODS From the Dutch Congenital Corvitia (CONCOR) registry, we identified 20 patients with a biological or mechanical tricuspid valve prosthesis implanted between 1977 and 2012 (total of 31 prostheses). We analysed the tricuspid valve-related complications and mortality. RESULTS Ten patients with a median age of 16.2 years at the time of surgery (interquartile range 13.2-28.2 years) received a bioprosthesis while 10 patients with a median age of 36.4 years (interquartile range 14.0-47.0) at the time of surgery received a mechanical prosthesis (P = 0.28). During a mean follow-up of 14 years, 50% needed a re-replacement because of valve-related complications (e.g. valve degeneration or valve thrombosis). The yearly percentage of patients with valve-related complications was 4.2% in patients with a bioprosthesis and 2.7% in those with a mechanical prosthesis. Within 20 years of implantation, the median duration of event-free survival was significantly shorter in 3 patients with a prosthesis-patient mismatch (PPM; 1.0 year; interquartile range 0.01-2.6), compared with 7 without mismatch (8.0 years; interquartile range 5.1-12.3; P = 0.02). CONCLUSIONS Compared with previous literature on acquired valvar disease, we found a higher incidence of valve-related complications in patients with congenital heart disease that was unrelated to prosthesis material. Our data suggest that PPM may have a negative effect on the event-free interval.
On the entrainment of sediment and initiation of bed defects: insights from recent developments within turbulent boundary layer research

Sediment entrainment and the initiation of bed defects has commonly been ascribed to the impact of high velocity sweeps upon mobile sand beds. Results of visualization experiments suggest that these sweep impacts are grouped and may define ‘patches’of entrainment upon a mobile bed that may be wider than an individual sweep impact. Additionally, the presence of longitudinal ribs of sediment generated by sweep impacts may stabilize the position of sweeps and low speed streaks. These observations are interpreted in the light of recent boundary layer research which suggests the formation of multiple hairpin shaped vortices within turbulent flows: these are postulated to generate multiple sweeps that manifest themselves as entrainment patches on a mobile bed. These features of the turbulent boundary layer and its modification by sweep generated sediment ridges can be used to propose a model for bed defect formation and the subsequent development of current ripples.
Syndecan-1 Is Required to Maintain Intradermal Fat and Prevent Cold Stress

Homeostatic temperature regulation is fundamental to mammalian physiology and is controlled by acute and chronic responses of local, endocrine and nervous regulators. Here, we report that loss of the heparan sulfate proteoglycan, syndecan-1, causes a profoundly depleted intradermal fat layer, which provides crucial thermogenic insulation for mammals. Mice without syndecan-1 enter torpor upon fasting and show multiple indicators of cold stress, including activation of the stress checkpoint p38α in brown adipose tissue, liver and lung. The metabolic phenotype in mutant mice, including reduced liver glycogen, is rescued by housing at thermoneutrality, suggesting that reduced insulation in cool temperatures underlies the observed phenotypes. We find that syndecan-1, which functions as a facultative lipoprotein uptake receptor, is required for adipocyte differentiation in vitro. Intradermal fat shows highly dynamic differentiation, continuously expanding and involuting in response to hair cycle and ambient temperature. This physiology probably confers a unique role for Sdc1 in this adipocyte sub-type. The PPARγ agonist rosiglitazone rescues Sdc1−/− intradermal adipose tissue, placing PPARγ downstream of Sdc1 in triggering adipocyte differentiation. Our study indicates that disruption of intradermal adipose tissue development results in cold stress and complex metabolic pathology.
Clinical outcomes of GBR procedures to correct peri-implant dehiscences and fenestrations: a systematic review.

OBJECTIVE To analyze the clinical outcomes of endosseous implants following guided bone regeneration (GBR) procedures to correct dehiscence/fenestration defects associated with implant placement. METHODS/SEARCH STRATEGY: A Medline search was performed for human studies published in English focusing on GBR procedures for the correction of dehiscence/fenestration defects associated with the placement of screw-shaped titanium implants. The selected studies had to include at least 10 consecutively treated patients with a minimum follow-up of 12 months after the start of prosthetic loading. The clinical outcomes in terms of the complication rate of the GBR procedure, implant survival, and stability of marginal soft tissues around implants were evaluated. RESULTS Seven publications were included in this review. A total of 238 patients received 374 implants. Defects were treated with resorbable or non-resorbable membranes, in association with or without graft materials. Patients were followed for 1-10 years after the start of prosthetic loading. In the postoperative period, 20% of the non-resorbable membranes and 5% of the resorbable ones underwent exposure/infection. However, in the majority of cases, a complete or an almost complete coverage of the initial defect was obtained. The overall survival rate of implants, irrespective of the type of membrane and grafting materials, was 95.7% (range: 84.7-100%). No significant modifications of probing depth and/or variation of clinical attachment level around implants were observed during the follow-up period. CONCLUSION Despite the favorable results obtained, it was difficult to draw a significant conclusion as far as the more reliable grafting material and membrane barrier for the correction of dehiscence/fenestration defects are concerned, due to the limited sample of patients and the wide variety of grafting materials and membranes, used alone or in combination. Moreover, due to the lack of randomized clinical trials, it was impossible to demonstrate that such augmentation procedures are actually needed to allow the long-term survival of implants.
Novel squalene-producing thraustochytrids found in mangrove water

On extended screening of squalene-producing strains in Okinawa mangrove water, we identified 14 novel squalene-producing thraustochytrids from 172 unialgal clonal isolates. The novel thraustochytrids produced 13.9–7.54 mg squalene/g dry cell weight. Eight isolates were found to belong to potentially novel squalene-producing genera, forming a monophyletic cluster independent from any known thraustochytrids.
Le rôle des connaissances dans l'identification automatique d'icones. Une comparaison avec des humains

Les interfaces des logiciels recents font un usage intensif d'icones, censees representer des objets proches du modele mental de l'utilisateur, et eviter le rappel des fonctions ou de la syntaxe. Mais selon quelles modalites et avec quelles connaissances se realise l'appariement entre l'objet represente par l'icone et la fonctionnalite du logiciel ? Les info-bulles le facilitent-elles ? Cet article repond a ces questions : – en simulant, avec LSA, un logiciel d'analyse factorielle de grands corpus textuels, le processus d'appariement entre l'objet represente par l'icone et la fonctionnalite de cette derniere ; – en comparant ces resultats aux performances de 74 participants humains (novices et experts) face a une tâche similaire. Si nous ne sommes pas parvenus a reproduire les performances en identification d'icones des participants humains, nous montrons qu'ajouter l'information des info-bulles a celle des icones ameliore les performances de la simulation. Enfin, les performances humaines vont dans le sens de la simulation : les participants experts identifient correctement significativement plus d'icones que les novices, et les deux groupes en identifient correctement plus avec l'aide de l'info-bulle que sans.
Nerve Growth Factor Regulates Transient Receptor Potential Vanilloid 2 via Extracellular Signal-Regulated Kinase Signaling To Enhance Neurite Outgrowth in Developing Neurons

ABSTRACT Neurite outgrowth is key to the formation of functional circuits during neuronal development. Neurotrophins, including nerve growth factor (NGF), increase neurite outgrowth in part by altering the function and expression of Ca2+-permeable cation channels. Here we report that transient receptor potential vanilloid 2 (TRPV2) is an intracellular Ca2+-permeable TRPV channel upregulated by NGF via the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathway to augment neurite outgrowth. TRPV2 colocalized with Rab7, a late endosome protein, in addition to TrkA and activated extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) in neurites, indicating that the channel is closely associated with signaling endosomes. In line with these results, we showed that TRPV2 acts as an ERK substrate and identified the motifs necessary for phosphorylation of TRPV2 by ERK. Furthermore, neurite length, TRPV2 expression, and TRPV2-mediated Ca2+ signals were reduced by mutagenesis of these key ERK phosphorylation sites. Based on these findings, we identified a previously uncharacterized mechanism by which ERK controls TRPV2-mediated Ca2+ signals in developing neurons and further establish TRPV2 as a critical intracellular ion channel in neuronal function.
Pharmaceutical Emulsions and Suspensions

Basic Concepts Main Surfactants Used in the Pharmaceutical Field Gilberte Marti-Mestres and Francoise Nielloud Formulation Concepts for the Emulsion Maker Jean-Louis Salager Emulsion Properties and Related Know-how to Attain Them Jean-Louis Salager Suspensions Formulation Fernando Gonzalez-Caballero and Juan de Dios Garcia Lopez-Duran Health Applications Emulsions as Drug Delivery Systems Katrin Buszello and Bernd W. Muller Parenteral Fat Emulsions: Structure, Stability, and Applications Jorn-Stefan Lucks, Bernd W. Muller, and Karsten Klutsch The Use of Topical Emulsions as Drug Delivery Systems Eric W. Smith, Christian Surber, and Howard I. Maibach Vesicles as a Tool for Dermal and Transdermal Drug Delivery J. A. Bouwstra Ophthalmic Emulsions and Suspensions M. Fabrizio Saettone, Boris Giannaccini, and Daniela Monti Administration of Emulsions to the Gastrointestinal Tract Duncan Q. M. Craig, Manisha J. Patel, and Marianne Ashford Dry Adsorbed Emulsions Michel Rollet and Jolle Bardon Nanosuspensions for the Formulation of Poorly Soluble Drugs R. H. Muller, C. Jacobs, and O. Kayser Pharmaceutical Suspensions and Their Applications V. Gallardo, M. A. Ruiz, and A. V. Delgado Tools and Methods for Experiments and Measurements Experimental Design in Emulsion and Suspension Formulations' Theocritical Aspects Roger Phan-Tan-Luu and Didier Mathieu Applications of Experimental Methodology to Emulsions and Suspensions Francoise Nielloud, Gilberte Marti-Mestres, and Helene Maillols Rheology of Suspensions and Emulsions Maria Isabel Briceno Determination of Size Distributions of Sub-Micron Particle Dispersions by Photon Correlation Spectroscopy E. R. Pike
Atherosclerosis-Driven Treg Plasticity Results in Formation of a Dysfunctional Subset of Plastic IFNγ+ Th1/Tregs.

RATIONALE Forkhead box P3+ T regulatory cells (Tregs) are key players in maintaining immune homeostasis. Evidence suggests that Tregs respond to environmental cues to permit or suppress inflammation. In atherosclerosis, Th1-driven inflammation affects Treg homeostasis, but the mechanisms governing this phenomenon are unclear. OBJECTIVE Here, we address whether atherosclerosis impacts Treg plasticity and functionality in Apoe-/- mice, and what effect Treg plasticity might have on the pathology of atherosclerosis. METHODS AND RESULTS We demonstrate that atherosclerosis promotes Treg plasticity, resulting in the reduction of CXCR3+ Tregs and the accumulation of an intermediate Th1-like interferon (IFN)-γ+CCR5+ Treg subset (Th1/Tregs) within the aorta. Importantly, Th1/Tregs arise in atherosclerosis from bona fide Tregs, rather than from T-effector cells. We show that Th1/Tregs recovered from atherosclerotic mice are dysfunctional in suppression assays. Using an adoptive transfer system and plasticity-prone Mir146a-/- Tregs, we demonstrate that elevated IFNγ+ Mir146a-/- Th1/Tregs are unable to adequately reduce atherosclerosis, arterial Th1, or macrophage content within Apoe-/- mice, in comparison to Mir146a+/+ Tregs. Finally, via single-cell RNA-sequencing and real-time -polymerase chain reaction, we show that Th1/Tregs possess a unique transcriptional phenotype characterized by coexpression of Treg and Th1 lineage genes and a downregulation of Treg-related genes, including Ikzf2, Ikzf4, Tigit, Lilrb4, and Il10. In addition, an ingenuity pathway analysis further implicates IFNγ, IFNα, interleukin-2, interleukin-7, CTLA-4 (cytotoxic T-lymphocyte-associated protein 4), T-cell receptor, and Csnk2b-related pathways in regulating Treg plasticity. CONCLUSIONS Atherosclerosis drives Treg plasticity, resulting in the accumulation of dysfunctional IFNγ+ Th1/Tregs that may permit further arterial inflammation and atherogenesis.
Approach to the Singularity in Spatially Inhomogeneous Cosmologies

A combination of analytic and numerical methods has yielded a clear understanding of the approach to the singularity in spatially inhomogeneous cosmologies. Strong support is found for the longstanding claim by Belinskii, Khalatnikov, and Lifshitz that the collapse is dominated by local Kasner or Mixmaster behavior. The Method of Consistent Potentials is used to establish the consistency of asymptotic velocity term dominance (AVTD) (local Kasner behavior) in that no terms in Einstein's equations will grow exponentially when the VTD solution, obtained by neglecting all terms containing spatial derivatives, is substituted into the full equations. When the VTD solution is inconsistent, the exponential terms act dynamically as potentials either to drive the system into a consistent AVTD regime or to maintain an oscillatory approach to the singularity.
First in situ temperature measurements at the Antarctic summer mesopause

The Arctic summer mesopause at ∼88 km is the coldest‐known place (∼130 K) in the terrestrial atmosphere and is ∼60 K colder in summer than winter. Indirect evidence has suggested that the summer mesopause temperatures in the Antarctic are a few Kelvin warmer than in the Arctic. However, reliable measurements have not been available at southern high latitudes to verify this. We report the very first in situ temperature observations in the summer mesosphere from Antarctica based on rocket‐borne falling spheres launched from Rothera (68°S, 68°W). The first of 24 successful launches, on 5 January 1998, showed a mesopause temperature of 129 K at 87 km, surprisingly close to northern hemisphere (NH) mean summer values. During January the mesospheric temperatures are similar to the northern summer, but the difference increases to several Kelvin in February.
Temporal aspects of the abrasion of microphytic crusts under grain impact

Wind‐tunnel simulations of the response of two moss crusts to grain impact indicate that, given sufficient time, these surfaces will deteriorate under very low wind velocities only slightly above u*t for the loose, saltating grains. In parallel with these experiments, the frequency distributions of ultimate strength and penetration energy were determined for each of the two crust types via penetrometry. Pohlia was found to be stronger than Tortula; but, even so, both of these crusts had ultimate strengths 20–350 times higher than the force delivered by a single grain impacting each surface at a velocity of 1 ms−1. In comparison, the modulus of deformation and penetration energy data were very similar for the two surface types, especially for the weakest areas of crust development. This observation is in accord with the wind‐tunnel simulations that also found no consistent difference in the response of these two crust types to impact. In comparison with crusts formed by clay and salt, fibrous microphytic crusts are morphologically complex and typically weak. The notable elasticity of these surfaces does reduce the force of grain impact, and thereby provides some protection against rupture. One of the central conclusions of this study suggests that not only is the particle kinetic energy at impact important in crust breakdown, but also tiny fractures at points of localized stress concentration contribute to a progressive reduction in the integrity of the filament net. In some of the experiments conducted as part of this study, up to 50 or more minutes of constant bombardment was required to produce small abrasion marks on selected areas of the microphytic crust. This study prepares a foundation for future experiments needed to examine the breakdown of complex crusts formed in nature. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Cost-effective hiring in US high schools: estimating optimal teacher quantity and quality decisions

Extensive literature has shown that student attainment outcomes are affected by student-to-teacher ratios and overall teacher aptitude levels, but offers little information about which method offers the greatest student attainment return relative to associated costs. This study provides empirical evidence that staffing policies should consider the cost-effectiveness of teacher-hiring decisions when multiple education policies are effective.
Th2-like CD8+ T cells showing B cell helper function and reduced cytolytic activity in human immunodeficiency virus type 1 infection

We analyzed at clonal level the functional profile of circulating or skin-infiltrating T lymphocytes from two individuals infected with the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1), suffering from a Job's- like syndrome (eczematous dermatitis, recurrent skin and sinopulmonary infections, and hypergammaglobulinemia E) and showing virtually no circulating CD4+ T cells. Most of the CD3+ T cell clones generated from both patients were CD4- CD8+ TCR alpha beta +. The others were CD4- CD8- TCR alpha beta + which exhibited reduced mRNA expression for the CD8 molecule or no mRNA expression for either CD4 or CD8 molecules. The great majority of both CD4- CD8+ and CD4- CD8- did not produce interferon (IFN) gamma and exhibited reduced cytolytic activity. Rather, most of them produced large amounts of both interleukin (IL) 4 and IL-5 and provided B cell helper function for IgE synthesis. These data suggest that a switch of cytolytic CD8+ T cells showing a Th1-like cytokine secretion profile to cells that make Th2-type cytokines, exhibit reduced cytolytic potential, and provide B cell helper function can occur in the course of HIV-1 infection. These cells may contribute to the reduced defense against viral infections and intracellular parasites and account for the elevated IgE serum levels, eosinophilia, and the allergic-like clinical manifestations seen in a proportion of HIV-1-infected individuals.
An One-Dimensional Asymptotic Model for Nonlinear Accoustics

We consider a simplified accoustic model to describe nonlinear phenomena occuring in loudspeakers. The simplification is that we restrict to the one–dimensional isentropic Euler equations in a slab, where on the right end a membrane is moving periodically with frequency ω and maximal displacement e  1. The asymptotic model based on the small parameter e yields hyperbolic first order systems, which are investigated numerically for two different frequencies ω.
The Range of a Random Walk on a Comb

The graph obtained from the integer grid $\mathbb{Z}\times\mathbb{Z}$ by the removal of all horizontal edges that do not belong to the $x$-axis is called a comb . In a random walk on a graph, whenever a walker is at a vertex $v$, in the next step it will visit one of the neighbors of $v$, each with probability $1/d(v)$, where $d(v)$ denotes the degree of $v$. We answer a question of Cs a ki, Cs o rg ő , F o ldes, R e v e sz, and Tusn a dy by showing that the expected number of vertices visited by a random walk on the comb after $n$ steps is $(\frac1{2\sqrt{2\pi}}+o(1))\sqrt{n}\log n. $ This contradicts a claim of Weiss and Havlin.
Performance of low-cost GNSS receiver for landslides monitoring: test and results

Italy is deeply afflicted by geo-hydrological risk, where a predominant part of its area is under risk.Recently, advanced research and sensors have played an important role in realizing automatic systems for landslide monitoring and to alerting. The cost of these systems, considering all parts, limits their use and the cost of each sensor influences the investment. Geodetic global navigation satellite system (GNSS) receivers, which are commonly used to realize these activities, are an appropriate example; however, their costs are quite high.The aim of this research was to test the actual performance of a mass-market GNSS receiver, with the purpose of verifying if such type of sensors can be used for landslide monitoring. In particular, the benefits due to the coupling between mass-market receivers and products offered by a network of GNSS permanent stations (e.g. Virtual RINEX) have been investigated.To verify the capability of these sensors to detect a deformation, under the minimum deformation detectable point of view, a special slide was built, in order to conduct a dedicated test. The support was moved both in horizontal and vertical directions with high precision, with purpose to detect correctly a three-dimensional movement.Tests were carried out considering the dependence of some factors: the most important are the acquisition time and the distance from the GNSS reference station. Interesting is the use of virtual reference station based on GNSS network, as a reference station: the performance achieved using Virtual RINEX for the control of movements and deformations are analysed. The accuracy and precision of movement determination were evaluated and compared, for each test, considering the different factors. The tests and results are described in this contribution.