Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Distinct Methylation of the Interferon γ (IFN-γ) and Interleukin 3 (IL-3) Genes in Newly Activated Primary CD8+ T Lymphocytes: Regional IFN-γ Promoter Demethylation and mRNA Expression Are Heritable in CD44highCD8+ T Cells

Differential genomic DNA methylation has the potential to influence the development of T cell cytokine production profiles. Therefore, we have conducted a clonal analysis of interferon (IFN)-γ and interleukin (IL)-3 gene methylation and messenger (m)RNA expression in primary CD8+ T cells during the early stages of activation, growth, and cytokine expression. Despite similar distributions and densities of CpG methylation sites, the IFN-γ and IL-3 promoters exhibited differential demethylation in the same T cell clone, and heterogeneity between clones. Methylation patterns and mRNA levels were correlated for both genes, but demethylation of the IFN-γ promoter was widespread across >300 basepairs in clones expressing high levels of IFN-γ mRNA, whereas demethylation of the IL-3 promoter was confined to specific CpG sites in the same clones. Conversely, the majority of clones expressing low or undetectable levels of IFN-γ mRNA exhibited symmetrical methylation of four to six of the IFN-γ promoter CpG sites. Genomic DNA methylation also has the potential to influence the maintenance or stability of T cell cytokine production profiles. Therefore, we also tested the heritability of IFN-γ gene methylation and mRNA expression in families of clones derived from resting CD44lowCD8+ T cells or from previously activated CD44highCD8+ T cells. The patterns of IFN-γ gene demethylation and mRNA expression were faithfully inherited in all clones derived from CD44high cells, but variable in clones derived from CD44low cells. Overall, these findings suggest that differential genomic DNA methylation, including differences among cytokine genes, among individual T cells, and among T cells with different activation histories, is an important feature of cytokine gene expression in primary T cells.
Imaging Arterial Wall Disease

Ultrasonographic imaging of the carotid arteries allows assessment of both early and advanced atherosclerotic disease. This noninvasive technique has played a central role in many recent epidemiological studies and is being used increasingly for evaluating the efficacy of atherosclerosis prevention trials. New developments in ultrasound equipment, the use of echocontrast agents, novel applications of three- and four-dimensional sonography and in vivo characterization of plaque constituents with high-resolution MRI have broadened the scope of imaging of arterial walls, providing both enhanced information on disease progression as well as new insights into pathomechanisms of carotid plaque embolization. This article highlights pertinent issues of imaging of arterial wall disease and discusses important areas of current and future research in this field.
A Cluster Based Replication Architecture for Load Balancing in Peer-to-Peer Content Distribution

In P2P systems, large volumes of data are declustered naturally across a large number of peers. But it is very difficult to control the initial data distribution because every user has the freedom to share any data with other users. The system scalability can be improved by distributing the load across multiple servers which is proposed by replication. The large scale content distribution systems were improved broadly using the replication techniques. The demanded contents can be brought closer to the clients by multiplying the source of information geographically, which in turn reduce both the access latency and the network traffic. In addition to this, due to the intrinsic dynamism of the P2P environment, static data distribution cannot be expected to guarantee good load balancing. If the hot peers become bottleneck, it leads to increased user response time and significant performance degradation of the system. Hence an effective load balancing mechanism is necessary in such cases and it can be attained efficiently by intelligent data replication. In this paper, we propose a cluster based replication architecture for load-balancing in peer-to-peer content distribution systems. In addition to an intelligent replica placement technique, it also consists of an effective load balancing technique. In the intelligent replica placement technique, peers are grouped into strong and weak clusters based on their weight vector which comprises available capacity, CPU speed, access latency and memory size. In order to achieve complete load balancing across the system, an intracluster and inter-cluster load balancing algorithms are proposed. We are able to show that our proposed architecture attains less latency and better throughput with reduced bandwidth usage, through the simulation results.
Psychogenic non-epileptic seizures: our video-EEG experience

Abstract Objective: The aim of our study was to assess the number of psychogenic non-epileptic seizures (PNES) in our patients with a refractory seizure disorder, to determine the ‘typical’ PNES semiology using video-EEG monitoring and describe other PNES parameters. Methods: We evaluated prospectively 596 patients with pharmacoresistant seizures. All these patients underwent continuous video-EEG monitoring. In consenting patients, we used suggestive seizure provocation. We assessed seizure semiology, interictal EEG, brain MRI, psychiatric co-morbidities, personality profiles, and seizure outcome. Results: In the sample of 596 monitored patients, we detected 111 (19·3%) patients with PNES. Of the 111 patients with PNES, 86·5% had spontaneous and 76·5% had provoked seizures. The five most typical symptoms were: initially closed eyelids (67·6%), rapid tremor (47·7%), asynchronous limb movement (37·8%), preictal pseudosleep (33·3%), and side-to-side head movement (32·4%). Interictal EEG was rated as abnormal in 46·2% and with epileptiform abnormality in 9%. Brain MRI was abnormal in 32 (28·8%) patients. Personality disorders (46·8%), anxiety (39·6%), and depression (12·6%) were the most frequent additional psychiatric co-morbidities. PNES outcome after at least 2 years is reported; 22·5% patients was seizure-free; one-third had markedly reduced seizure frequency. We have not seen any negative impact of the provocative testing on the seizure outcome. Discussion: Video-EEG monitoring with suggestive seizure provocation supported by clinical psychiatric and psychological evaluation significantly contributes to the correct PNES diagnosis, while interictal EEG and brain MRI are frequently abnormal. Symptoms typical for PNES, as opposed to epileptic seizures, could be distinguished.
Recurrent competition explains temporal effects of attention in MSTd

Navigation in a static environment along straight paths without eye movements produces radial optic flow fields. A singularity called the focus of expansion (FoE) specifies the direction of travel (heading) of the observer. Cells in primate dorsal medial superior temporal area (MSTd) respond to radial fields and are therefore thought to be heading-sensitive. Humans frequently shift their focus of attention while navigating, for example, depending on the favorable or threatening context of approaching independently moving objects. Recent neurophysiological studies show that the spatial tuning curves of primate MSTd neurons change based on the difference in visual angle between an attentional prime and the FoE. Moreover, the peak mean population activity in MSTd retreats linearly in time as the distance between the attentional prime and FoE increases. We present a dynamical neural circuit model that demonstrates the same linear temporal peak shift observed electrophysiologically. The model qualitatively matches the neuron tuning curves and population activation profiles. After model MT dynamically pools short-range motion, model MSTd incorporates recurrent competition between units tuned to different radial optic flow templates, and integrates attentional signals from model area frontal eye fields (FEF). In the model, population activity peaks occur when the recurrent competition is most active and uncertainty is greatest about the relative position of the FoE. The nature of attention, multiplicative or non-multiplicative, is largely irrelevant, so long as attention has a Gaussian-like profile. Using an appropriately tuned sigmoidal signal function to modulate recurrent feedback affords qualitative fits of deflections in the population activity that otherwise appear to be low-frequency noise. We predict that these deflections mark changes in the balance of attention between the priming and FoE locations.
Hydrodynamics of the Matter Reinserted within Super Stellar Clusters

We present semianalytic and numerical models that take into account the effect of radiative cooling on the hydrodynamics of the matter reinserted by strong stellar winds and supernovae within the volume occupied by young, massive, and compact super stellar clusters. We first corroborate the location of the threshold line in the plane of mechanical energy input rate versus cluster size found by Silich et al. This line separates clusters that are able to drive a quasi-adiabatic or strongly radiative wind from those in which catastrophic cooling occurs within the cluster volume. Then we show that clusters above the threshold line exhibit a bimodal behavior in which the central, densest zones cool rapidly and accumulate the injected matter to eventually feed further generations of star formation, while the outer zones are still able to drive a stationary wind. The results are presented as a series of universal dimensionless diagrams, from which one can infer the sizes of the two zones, the fraction of the deposited mass that goes into each, and the mechanical luminosity of the resultant winds for clusters of all sizes and energy input rates, regardless the assumed adiabatic terminal speed (VA,∞).
Sustained Unresponsiveness to Peanut in Subjects Who Have Completed Peanut Oral Immunotherapy

BP Vickery, AM Scurlock, M Kulis. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2014;133(2):468–475 The goal of this study was to determine if long-term treatment with oral immunotherapy (OIT) will result in sustained unresponsiveness to peanut. The study enrolled 39 children, ages 1 to 16 years, with peanut allergy defined as a clinical history of a reaction to peanut within 60 minutes of ingestion, a positive peanut skin prick test (SPT) result ≥3 mm, and peanut-specific immunoglobulin (Ig)E ≥15 kU/L or with a positive SPT result and peanut IgE ≥7 kU/L and a clinical reaction within the previous 6 months. Subjects with poorly controlled …
The chromosome partitioning proteins Soj (ParA) and Spo0J (ParB) contribute to accurate chromosome partitioning, separation of replicated sister origins, and regulation of replication initiation in Bacillus subtilis

Soj (ParA) and Spo0J (ParB) of Bacillus subtilis belong to a conserved family of proteins required for efficient plasmid and chromosome partitioning in many bacterial species. Unlike most Par systems, for which intact copies of both parA and parB are required for the Par system to function, inactivating soj does not cause a detectable chromosome partitioning phenotype whereas inactivating spo0J leads to a 100‐fold increase in the production of anucleate cells. This suggested either that Soj does not function like other ParA homologues, or that a cellular factor might compensate for the absence of soj. We found that inactivating smc, the gene encoding the structural maintenance of chromosomes (SMC) protein, unmasked a role for Soj in chromosome partitioning. A soj null mutation dramatically enhanced production of anucleate cells in an smc null mutant. To look for effects of a soj null on other phenotypes perturbed in a spo0J null mutant, we analysed replication initiation and origin positioning in (soj‐spo0J)+, Δsoj, Δspo0J and Δ(soj‐spo0J) cells. All of the mutations caused increased initiation of replication and, to varying extents, affected origin positioning. Using a new assay to measure separation of the chromosomal origins, we found that inactivating soj, spo0J or both led to a significant defect in separating replicated sister origins, such that the origins remain too close to be spatially resolved. Separation of a region outside the origin was not affected. These results indicate that there are probably factors helping to pair sister origin regions for part of the replication cycle, and that Soj and Spo0J may antagonize this pairing to contribute to timely separation of replicated origins. The effects of Δsoj, Δspo0J and Δ(soj‐spo0J) mutations on origin positioning, chromosome partitioning and replication initiation may be a secondary consequence of a defect in separating replicated origins.
DNA-damaging activity in vivo and bacterial mutagenicity of sixteen hydrazine derivatives as related quantitatively to their carcinogenicity.

Sixteen hydrazine derivatives (hydrazine, 1,1-dimethylhydrazine, 1,2-dimethylhydrazine, phenylhydrazine, procarbazine, isoniazid, isocarboxazid, nialamide, 2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazine, phenelzine, hydralazine, dihydralazine, carbamylhydrazine, mebanazine, iproniazid, and 1-carbamyl-2-phenylhydrazine) were tested for DNA-damaging activity by the alkaline elution technique and for mutagenic activity in the Salmonella-microsome (Ames) test. The first nine compounds listed (56%) were found to induce a significant DNA fragmentation in the liver and/or in the lung of i.p.-treated male Swiss mice. The DNA-damaging potency varied over an approximately 30-fold range. Thirteen of the first 14 compounds listed (81% of the total), isocarboxazid being inactive, were positive in the Ames test, with a broad range of activity towards the five bacterial strains of Salmonella typhimurium used (TA1535, TA100, TA1537. TA1538, and TA98) and of metabolic behavior in the presence of S-9 mix containing rat liver, mouse liver, or mouse lung postmitochondrial preparations from Aroclor-treated animals. The mutagenic potency varied over an almost 7000-fold range. For 11 of the 16 hydrazine derivatives tested, homogeneous carcinogenicity data (induction of pulmonary tumors in mice chronically treated p.o.) were available from literature. Elaboration of these data showed that carcinogenic potency varied over an approximately 1900-fold range. The five most potent carcinogens were all positive in the DNA damage test. Their carcinogenic potency varied over a 130-fold rage and their DNA-damaging potency varied over a 22-fold range. DNA-damaging potency seemed to vary on a more compressed scale, but regression analysis indicated the existence of a strong positive correlation between in vivo DNA-damaging and carcinogenic potencies, while a lack of correlation was found between mutagenic and carcinogenic potencies. There was no correlation between DNA-damaging and mutagenic potencies.
Media Coverage of FDA Drug Safety Communications about Zolpidem: A Quantitative and Qualitative Analysis

FDA issues Drug Safety Communications (DSCs) to alert health care professionals and the public about emerging safety information affecting prescription and over-the-counter drugs. News media may amplify DSCs, but it is unclear how DSC messaging is transmitted through the media. We conducted a content analysis of the lay media coverage reaching the broadest audience to characterize the amount and content of media coverage of two zolpidem DSCs from 2013. After the first DSC, zolpidem news stories increased from 19 stories/week in the preceding 3 months to 153 following its release. Most (81%) appeared in the lay media, and 64% focused on the DSC content. After the second DSC, news stories increased from 24 stories/week in the preceding 3 months to 39 following. Among the 100 unique lay media news stories, at least half correctly reported three key DSC messages: next-day impairment and drowsiness as common safety hazards, lower doses for some but not all zolpidem products, and women’s higher risk for impairment. Other DSC messages were reported in fewer than one-third of stories, such as the warning that impairment can happen even when people feel fully awake. The first—but not the second—zolpidem DSC generated high-profile news coverage. The finding that some messages were widely reported but others were not emphasizes the importance of ensuring translation of key DSC content.
DYNAMIC CHANGES OF THE ANTERIOR CHAMBER ANGLE PRODUCED BY INTRAVITREAL ANTI-VASCULAR GROWTH FACTOR INJECTIONS

Purpose: To use anterior segment optical coherence tomography (AS-OCT) to evaluate the anterior chamber after intravitreal anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF) injections. Methods: Preinjection and immediate postinjection AS-OCT images were taken and measurements were compared including angle opening distance (AOD) and trabeculo-iris space area (TISA) at 500 &mgr;m and 750 &mgr;m from the scleral spur (AOD500, AOD750, TISA500 and TISA750, respectively), and the scleral spur angle. Results: Twenty-one eyes from 21 patients were studied. There was significant narrowing of the temporal AOD500, AOD750, and temporal angle after injection (P = 0.03, 0.01, and 0.02, respectively). The percentage of narrowing of the nasal TISA500 and TISA750 was significantly greater in phakic versus pseudophakic eyes (P = 0.03 and 0.02, respectively). A higher postinjection IOP was correlated with increased narrowing of the nasal AOD500, TISA500, TISA750, and nasal angle (R2 = 0.22, 0.28, 0.34 and 0.20; P = 0.03, 0.01, 0.005 and 0.04, respectively) and a smaller preinjection anterior chamber depth in phakic eyes (R2 = 0.53, P = 0.01). Conclusion: After an anti-vascular endothelial growth factor injection, there is significant narrowing of the temporal anterior chamber angle in all eyes and increased narrowing of the nasal angle in phakic compared with pseudophakic eyes. Physicians performing intravitreal injections should be aware of these associations as they may contribute to our understanding of prolonged elevation of IOP after injections.
Transcriptome Analysis of Portunus trituberculatus in Response to Salinity Stress Provides Insights into the Molecular Basis of Osmoregulation

Background The swimming crab, Portunus trituberculatus, which is naturally distributed in the coastal waters of Asia-Pacific countries, is an important farmed species in China. Salinity is one of the most important abiotic factors that influence not only the distribution and abundance of crustaceans, it is also an important factor for artificial propagation of the crab. To better understand the interaction between salinity stress and osmoregulation, we performed a transcriptome analysis in the gills of Portunus trituberculatus challenged with salinity stress, using the Illumina Deep Sequencing technology. Results We obtained 27,696,835, 28,268,353 and 33,901,271 qualified Illumina read pairs from low salinity challenged (LC), non-challenged (NC), and high salinity challenged (HC) Portunus trituberculatus cDNA libraries, respectively. The overall de novo assembly of cDNA sequence data generated 94,511 unigenes, with an average length of 644 bp. Comparative genomic analysis revealed that 1,705 genes differentially expressed in salinity stress compared to the controls, including 615 and 1,516 unigenes in NC vs LC and NC vs HC respectively. GO functional enrichment analysis results showed some differentially expressed genes were involved in crucial processes related to osmoregulation, such as ion transport processes, amino acid metabolism and synthesis processes, proteolysis process and chitin metabolic process. Conclusion This work represents the first report of the utilization of the next generation sequencing techniques for transcriptome analysis in Portunus trituberculatus and provides valuable information on salinity adaptation mechanism. Results reveal a substantial number of genes modified by salinity stress and a few important salinity acclimation pathways, which will serve as an invaluable resource for revealing the molecular basis of osmoregulation in Portunus trituberculatus. In addition, the most comprehensive sequences of transcripts reported in this study provide a rich source for identification of novel genes in the crab.
Toward a New Measure of Intrinsic Motivation, Extrinsic Motivation, and Amotivation in Sports: The Sport Motivation Scale (SMS)

A new measure of motivation toward sport has been developed in French, namely the Echelle de Motivation vis-a-vis les Sports. Two studies were conducted to translate and validate this new measure in English. The Sport Motivation Scale (SMS) consists of seven subscales that measure three types of Intrinsic Motivation (IM; IM to Know, IM to Accomplish Things, and IM to Experience Stimulation), three forms of regulation for Extrinsic Motivation (Identified, Introjected, and External), and Amotivation. The first study confirmed the factor structure of the scale and revealed a satisfactory level of internal consistency. Correlations among the subscales revealed a simplex pattern confirming the self-determination continuum and the construct validity of the scale. Gender differences were similar to those obtained with the French-Canadian version. The more self-determined forms of motivation were associated with more positive responses on related consequences. In a second study, the SMS was administered on two oc.
Potential Games for Energy-Efficient Power Control and Subcarrier Allocation in Uplink Multicell OFDMA Systems

The problem of noncooperative resource allocation in multicell uplink orthogonal frequency division multiple access (OFDMA) systems is considered in this paper. Noncooperative games for subcarrier allocation and transmit power control are considered, aiming at maximizing the users' SINRs and, most notably, the users' energy efficiency, measured in bit/Joule and representing the number of error-free delivered bits for each Joule of energy used for transmission. The theory of potential games is used to come up with several noncooperative games admitting Nash equilibrium points. Since the proposed resource allocation games exhibit a computational complexity that may be in some cases prohibitive, approximate, reduced-complexity, implementations are also considered. For comparison purposes, some considerations on social-optimum solutions are also discussed. Numerical results confirm that the proposed resource allocation schemes are effective in increasing the network energy efficiency (as compared to rate-maximizing schemes), thus permitting to optimize the use of the energy stored in the battery. Moreover, the proposed approximate implementations exhibit a performance very close to that of the exact procedures.