Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Epicutaneous Immunotherapy (EPIT) Blocks the Allergic Esophago-Gastro-Enteropathy Induced by Sustained Oral Exposure to Peanuts in Sensitized Mice

Background Food allergy may affect the gastrointestinal tract and eosinophilia is often associated with allergic gastrointestinal disorders. Allergy to peanuts is a life-threatening condition and effective and safe treatments still need to be developed. The present study aimed to evaluate the effects of sustained oral exposure to peanuts on the esophageal and jejunal mucosa in sensitized mice. We also evaluated the effects of desensitization with epicutaneous immunotherapy (EPIT) on these processes. Methods Mice were sensitized by gavages with whole peanut protein extract (PPE) given with cholera toxin. Sensitized mice were subsequently exposed to peanuts via a specific regimen and were then analysed for eosinophilia in the esophagus and gut. We also assessed mRNA expression in the esophagus, antibody levels, and peripheral T-cell response. The effects of EPIT were tested when intercalated with sensitization and sustained oral peanut exposure. Results Sustained oral exposure to peanuts in sensitized mice led to severe esophageal eosinophilia and intestinal villus sub-atrophia, i.e. significantly increased influx of eosinophils into the esophageal mucosa (136 eosinophils/mm2) and reduced villus/crypt ratios (1.6±0.15). In the sera, specific IgE levels significantly increased as did secretion of Th2 cytokines by peanut-reactivated splenocytes. EPIT of sensitized mice significantly reduced Th2 immunological response (IgE response and splenocyte secretion of Th2 cytokines) as well as esophageal eosinophilia (50 eosinophils/mm2, p<0.05), mRNA expression of Th2 cytokines in tissue - eotaxin (p<0.05), IL-5 (p<0.05), and IL-13 (p<0.05) -, GATA-3 (p<0.05), and intestinal villus sub-atrophia (2.3±0.15). EPIT also increased specific IgG2a (p<0.05) and mRNA expression of Foxp3 (p<0.05) in the esophageal mucosa. Conclusions Gastro-intestinal lesions induced by sustained oral exposure in sensitized mice are efficaciously treated by allergen specific EPIT.
First trimester maternal serum AFP and total hCG in aneuploidies other than trisomy 21

Total human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) and alpha‐fetoprotein (AFP) were measured in maternal serum at 10–14 weeks of gestation from 53 pregnancies affected by trisomy 18, 42 cases with trisomy 13, 46 with Turner's syndrome and 13 with other sex aneuploides. The only significant association was the finding of reduced levels of total hCG in cases of trisomy 18 and 13. The association of increased levels of AFP in cases of trisomy 18 with ventral wall defects and the slight increase in AFP in cases of sex chromosomal anomalies other than Turner's syndrome was found. AFP and total hCG are not likely to replace the markers free β‐hCG and PAPP‐A in first trimester screening for chromosomal anomalies. Copyright © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Oats Do Not Induce Systemic or Mucosal Autoantibody Response in Children With Coeliac Disease

Objectives: A gluten-free diet omitting wheat, rye, and barley is the only effective treatment for coeliac disease. The necessity of excluding oats from the diet has remained controversial. We studied the toxicity of oats in children with coeliac disease during a 2-year follow-up by investigating jejunal transglutaminase 2 (TG2)-targeted IgA-class autoantibody deposits, a potentially more sensitive disease marker than serum antibodies or conventional histology. Patients and Methods: Twenty-three coeliac children in remission were randomized to undergo oat or gluten challenge with wheat, rye, barley, and oats. When jejunal histological relapse was evident after gluten challenge, patients excluded wheat, rye, and barley but continued with oats. Mucosal morphology and TG2-targeted autoantibody deposits were studied in jejunal biopsies taken at baseline and after 6 and 24 months. Furthermore, serum IgA-class TG2 antibodies were measured. Results: At baseline, serum TG2 antibodies were negative in all 23 patients, but 7 of them had minor mucosal deposits. In the oats group, there was no significant change in the intensity of the deposits within 2 years. In contrast, during the gluten challenge, the intensity of the deposits clearly increased and decreased again when wheat, rye, and barley were excluded but consumption of oats was continued; this was in line with serum autoantibodies. The intensity of the mucosal deposits correlated well with both villous morphology and serum autoantibody levels. Conclusions: Consumption of oats does not induce TG2 autoantibody production at mucosal level in children with coeliac disease. Measurement of small-intestinal mucosal autoantibody deposits is suitable for monitoring treatment in coeliac patients.
Effect of Dietary Fats on Oxidative-Antioxidative Status of Blood in Rats

This study was performed to examine the effect of different fat sources, lard, sunflower oil (SO), and fish oil (FO) in high-fat and low-fat diet on reactive oxygen species generation by blood phagocytes, glutathione redox status in erythrocytes, and total plasma antioxidant ability in rats. Whole blood chemiluminescence (CL) did not differ between three low-fat fed groups. However, baseline and phorbol myristate acetate (PMA)-stimulated CL in blood of high-lard fed rats were lower than in low-lard and high-SO fed animals. Phagocyte-stimulated oxidative burst was higher in rats fed high-SO diet than in those fed low-SO and high-FO diets. The highest level of oxidize glutathione (GSSH), the lowest reduce glutathione (GSH)/GSSG ratio in erythrocytes, and the highest plasma activity to reduce ferric ions were observed in rats fed both diets contaning linoleic acid-rich sunflower oil compared to animals fed the corresponding energy from other fats. 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl radical scavenging activity of plasma was lower in high-lard and high-FO fed rats compared to the corresponding low-fat diets, and the lowest in low-FO fed rats among low-fat fed animals. We presume from our results that linoleic acid may have dual effect, prooxidative in blood cells but maintaining total antioxidant plasma ability.
A potential role for tetranectin in mineralization during osteogenesis

Tetranectin is a protein shared by the blood and the extracellular matrix. Tetranectin is composed of four identical, noncovalently bound polypeptides each with a molecular mass of approximately 21 kD. There is some evidence that tetranectin may be involved in fibrinolysis and proteolysis during tissue remodeling, but its precise biological function is not known. Tetranectin is enriched in the cartilage of the shark, but the gene expression pattern in the mammalian skeletal system has not been determined. In the present study we have examined the expression pattern and putative function of tetranectin during osteogenesis. In the newborn mouse, strong tetranectin immunoreactivity was found in the newly formed woven bone around the cartilage anlage in the future bone marrow and along the periosteum forming the cortex. No tetranectin immunoreactivity was found in the proliferating and hypertrophic cartilage or in the surrounding skeletal muscle. Using an in vitro mineralizing system, we examined osteoblastic cells at different times during their growth and differentiation. Tetranectin mRNA appeared in the cultured osteoblastic cells in parallel with mineralization, in a pattern similar to that of bone sialoprotein, which is regarded as one of the late bone differentiation markers. To explore the putative biological role of tetranectin in osteogenesis we established stably transfected cell lines (PC12-tet) overexpressing recombinant tetranectin as evidenced by Northern and Western blot analysis and immunoprecipitation. Both control PC12 cells and PC12-tet cells injected into nude mice produced tumors containing bone material, as evidenced by von Kossa staining for calcium and immunostaining with bone sialoprotein and alkaline phosphatase antiserum. Nude mice tumors established from PC12-tet cells contained approximately fivefold more bone material than those produced by the untransfected PC12 cell line or by the PC12 cells transfected with the expression vector with no insert (Mann Whitney rank sum test, p < 0.01), supporting the notion that tetranectin may play an important direct and/or indirect role during osteogenesis. In conclusion, we have established a potential role for tetranectin as a bone matrix protein expressed in time and space coincident with mineralization in vivo and in vitro.
The (In)Completeness of the Observed Internet AS-level Structure

Despite significant efforts to obtain an accurate picture of the Internet's connectivity structure at the level of individual autonomous systems (ASes), much has remained unknown in terms of the quality of the inferred AS maps that have been widely used by the research community. In this paper, we assess the quality of the inferred Internet maps through case studies of a sample set of ASes. These case studies allow us to establish the ground truth of connectivity between this set of ASes and their directly connected neighbors. A direct comparison between the ground truth and inferred topology maps yield insights into questions such as which parts of the actual topology are adequately captured by the inferred maps, which parts are missing and why, and what is the percentage of missing links in these parts. This information is critical in assessing, for each class of real-world networking problems, whether the use of currently inferred AS maps or proposed AS topology models is, or is not, appropriate. More importantly, our newly gained insights also point to new directions towards building realistic and economically viable Internet topology maps.
Molecular Interaction and Cellular Location of RecA and CheW Proteins in Salmonella enterica during SOS Response and Their Implication in Swarming

In addition to its role in DNA damage repair and recombination, the RecA protein, through its interaction with CheW, is involved in swarming motility, a form of flagella-dependent movement across surfaces. In order to better understand how SOS response modulates swarming, in this work the location of RecA and CheW proteins within the swarming cells has been studied by using super-resolution microscopy. Further, and after in silico docking studies, the specific RecA and CheW regions associated with the RecA-CheW interaction have also been confirmed by site-directed mutagenesis and immunoprecipitation techniques. Our results point out that the CheW distribution changes, from the cell poles to foci distributed in a helical pattern along the cell axis when SOS response is activated or RecA protein is overexpressed. In this situation, the CheW presents the same subcellular location as that of RecA, pointing out that the previously described RecA storage structures may be modulators of swarming motility. Data reported herein not only confirmed that the RecA-CheW pair is essential for swarming motility but it is directly involved in the CheW distribution change associated to SOS response activation. A model explaining not only the mechanism by which DNA damage modulates swarming but also how both the lack and the excess of RecA protein impair this motility is proposed.
Novel RPE65 mutations associated with Leber congenital amaurosis in Chinese patients

Purpose Retinal pigment epithelium-specific protein 65 kDa (RPE65) plays an essential role in vitamin A metabolism necessary for synthesizing the visual pigment 11-cis-retinal chromophore. Mutations in RPE65 cause the childhood blindness disorder known as Leber congenital amaurosis (LCA), as well as autosomal recessive retinitis pigmentosa (RP). The purpose of this study was to identify RPE65 mutations in Chinese patients with LCA, determine the prevalence of RPE65 mutations in this cohort, and assess the clinical features of those patients with RPE65 mutations. Methods Detailed ocular examinations were performed, and genomic DNA was isolated with standard methods for genetic diagnosis. All 14 exons of RPE65 were amplified with PCR and screened for mutation with direct DNA sequencing. Two hundred unrelated healthy Chinese subjects were screened to exclude nonpathogenic polymorphisms. Multiple alignments of eight eukaryotic RPE65 orthologs were performed. Results A total of 101 LCA patients, drawn from 100 unrelated families, were selected for mutation screening in the RPE65 gene. Compound heterozygous missense mutations Leu67Arg and Tyr368Cys were identified in two affected sisters and segregated with their family. Four previously reported polymorphisms were identified in this study. No other disease-related mutation was detected. The frequency spectrum of variations in the RPE65 gene was estimated to be 1% (1/100) in this cohort of Chinese patients with LCA. The two patients showed classical signs of LCA with relatively preserved central vision and retinal structure. Conclusions The RPE65 mutation is a rare cause of LCA in the Chinese population. Compound heterozygous missense mutations Leu67Arg and Tyr368Cys are related to a relatively mild LCA phenotype. Genetic characterization of patients with RPE65 mutations is important for future rational therapies.
Decreased density of benzodiazepine receptors in lymphocytes of anxious patients: reversal after chronic diazepam treatment

Peripheral‐type benzodiazepine receptors were measured in human circulating lymphocytes using 3H‐PK 11195 as specific ligand. In a group of outpatients with anxiety disorders a significant decrease of receptor density (– 37%) was found compared with age‐matched controls. In these patients long‐term diazepam treatment restored binding density to normal levels: the effect persisted after drug withdrawal. Acute i.v. diazepam administration did not change receptor density. The observed receptor changes could reflect a down‐regulation phenomenon and indicate that lymphocyte function reflect central nervous events.
A new controller architecture for high performance, robust, and fault-tolerant control

We propose a new feedback controller architecture. The distinguished feature of our new controller architecture is that it shows structurally how the controller design for performance and robustness may be done separately which has the potential to overcome the conflict between performance and robustness in the traditional feedback framework. The controller architecture includes two parts: one part for performance and the other part for robustness. The controller architecture works in such a way that the feedback control system can be solely controlled by the performance controller when there is no model uncertainties and external disturbances and the robustification controller can only be active when there are model uncertainties or external disturbances.
Comprehensive Study of Emitter-Ledge Thickness of InGaP/GaAs HBTs

A comprehensive study of emitter-ledge thickness of InGaP/GaAs heterojunction bipolar transistors (HBTs) has been undertaken. It is shown that the recombination rate and electron densities are drastically increased near the exposed base surface between the base contact and the emitter ledge. In contrast, the corresponding hole densities are decreased. If the emitter ledge is too thick, current will flow through the undepleted ledge, which increases the emitter-size effect. In contrast, if the emitter ledge is too thin, it may not effectively passivate the surface. Therefore, the thickness of the emitter ledge is a crucial issue and should be carefully considered. It is shown that, from simulated and experimental results, the optimum emitter-ledge thickness of InGaP/GaAs HBT is 100-200 Aring
An Update on the Self-care of Heart Failure Index

Background:The Self-care of Heart Failure Index (SCHFI) is a measure of self-care defined as a naturalistic decision-making process involving the choice of behaviors that maintain physiological stability (maintenance) and the response to symptoms when they occur (management). In the 5 years since the SCHFI was published, we have added items, refined the response format of the maintenance scale and the SCHFI scoring procedure, and modified our advice about how to use the scores. Objective:The objective of this article was to update users on these changes. Methods:In this article, we address 8 specific questions about reliability, item difficulty, frequency of administration, learning effects, social desirability, validity, judgments of self-care adequacy, clinically relevant change, and comparability of the various versions. Results:The addition of items to the self-care maintenance scale did not significantly change the coefficient &agr;, providing evidence that the structure of the instrument is more powerful than the individual items. No learning effect is associated with repeated administration. Social desirability is minimal. More evidence is provided of the validity of the SCHFI. A score of 70 or greater can be used as the cut-point to judge self-care adequacy, although evidence is provided that benefit occurs at even lower levels of self-care. A change in a scale score more than one-half of an SD is considered clinically relevant. Because of the standardized scores, results obtained with prior versions can be compared with those from later versions. Conclusion:The SCHFI v.6 is ready to be used by investigators. By publication in this format, we are putting the instrument in the public domain; permission is not required to use the SCHFI.
Predicting Code Change by Using Static Metrics

Maintenance of software is risky, potentially expensive – and inevitable. The main objective of this study is to examine the relationship of code change, referred to as maintenance effort, with source-level software metrics. This approach varies from the typical approach of evaluating software metrics against failure data and provides a different angle on the validation of software metrics. The goal of this study is to show through exhaustive data mining that a relation between software metrics and code change exists. Once this connection is established, a set of software metrics is identified, which will be used in further studies to predict code change in problematic modules identified by the software metrics at an early development stage.
Automatic Camera Calibration Applied to Medical Endoscopy

The paper proposes a new calibration algorithm for cameras with lens distortion, that uses a single image of a planar chessboard pattern acquired in general position. The radial distortion is modeled using the first order division model, and the method provides a closed form estimation of the intrinsic parameters and distortion coefficient. The experimental evaluation shows that the calibration accuracy is comparable to state-of-the-art algorithms requiring multiple input images. We believe that our approach is particularly well suited for the the calibration of medical endoscopes in computer aided surgery. Since the lens is mounted on the camera before each usage in the OR, the calibration procedure must be performed by the clinical practitioner with minimum effort. We solve this problem by proposing a fully automatic procedure that requires no human intervention other than acquiring a single calibration image.
MGNREGA in Tamil Nadu: A Story of Success and Transformation?

Social protection has emerged as a key driver of development policy at the beginning of the twenty-first century. It is widely considered a ‘good thing’ that has the potential not only to alleviate poverty and vulnerability, but also to generate more transformative outcomes in terms of empowerment and social justice. Based on an ethnographic study of the implementation of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), India's flagship social protection policy, this paper takes a critical look at what this policy's ‘success’ consists of. The study was carried out in Tamil Nadu, a state widely presented as a ‘success’ in terms of MGNREGA's implementation, and describes who participates in the scheme and how success is understood and expressed at different social and bureaucratic levels. In terms of MGNREGA's outcomes, we conclude that the scheme is benefitting the poorest households – and Dalits and women in particular – especially in terms of providing a safety net and as a tool for poverty alleviation. But the scheme does more than that. It has also produced significant transformative outcomes for rural labourers, such as pushing up rural wage levels, enhancing low-caste workers' bargaining power in the labour market and reducing their dependency on high-caste employers. These benefits are not only substantial but also transformative in that they affect rural relations of production and contribute to the empowerment of the rural labouring poor. However, in terms of creating durable assets and promoting grassroots democracy, the scheme's outcomes are much less encouraging.
The burden of cancer risk in Canada’s indigenous population: a comparative study of known risks in a Canadian region

Background Canadian First Nations, the largest of the Aboriginal groups in Canada, have had lower cancer incidence and mortality rates than non-Aboriginal populations in the past. This pattern is changing with increased life expectancy, a growing population, and a poor social environment that influences risk behaviors, metabolic conditions, and disparities in screening uptake. These factors alone do not fully explain differences in cancer risk between populations, as genetic susceptibility and environmental factors also have significant influence. However, genetics and environment are difficult to modify. This study compared modifiable behavioral risk factors and metabolic-associated conditions for men and women, and cancer screening practices of women, between First Nations living on-reserve and a non-First Nations Manitoba rural population (Canada). Methods The study used data from the Canadian Community Health Survey and the Manitoba First Nations Regional Longitudinal Health Survey to examine smoking, binge drinking, metabolic conditions, physical activity, fruit/vegetable consumption, and cancer-screening practices. Results First Nations on-reserve had significantly higher rates of smoking (P < 0.001), binge drinking (P < 0.001), obesity (P < 0.001) and diabetes (P < 0.001), and less leisure-time physical activity (P = 0.029), and consumption of fruits and vegetables (P < 0.001). Sex differences were also apparent. In addition, First Nations women reported significantly less uptake of mammography screening (P < 0.001) but similar rates for cervical cancer screening. Conclusions Based on the findings of this retrospective study, the future cancer burden is expected to be high in the First Nations on-reserve population. Interventions, utilizing existing and new health and social authorities, and long-term institutional partnerships, are required to combat cancer risk disparities, while governments address economic disparities.