Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Direct T helper-B cell interactions induce an early B cell activation antigen

We have explored the consequences for the B cell of cognate interaction with T cells. Early expression of the B cell-restricted cell surface activation antigen, BLAST-2, has been used as an assay system to measure direct T-B cell collaboration. BLAST-2 is preferentially expressed by allogenic B cells cultured with MHC class II antigen- restricted Th clone cells matched to the DR specificity of the target B cells. B cells cultured with DR-mismatched allospecific Th cells express minimal BLAST-2. Th cell-induced BLAST-2 expression appears to be accessory cell independent and occurs as early as 8 h after initiation of culture, with peak expression at 18 h. Direct T-B cell contact, rather than Th-derived lymphokines, provides the most efficient stimulus for BLAST-2 expression. Crosslinking of sIg on B cells is a poor stimulus for BLAST-2 expression. The BLAST-2 assay permits the evaluation of early events associated with B cell activation through cognate interactions, and may facilitate subsequent studies of the mechanism of B cell differentiation.
Full abstraction for expressiveness: history, myths and facts †

What does it mean that an encoding is fully abstract? What does it not mean? In this position paper, we want to help the reader to evaluate the real benefits of using such a notion when studying the expressiveness of programming languages. Several examples and counterexamples are given. In some cases, we work at a very abstract level; in other cases, we give concrete samples taken from the field of process calculi, where the theory of expressiveness has been mostly developed in the last years.
Comparative Histologic Assessment of Proctocolectomy Specimens from Japanese and American Patients with Ulcerative Colitis with or Without Dysplasia

There have been no reports of histologic differences in ulcerative colitis (UC) between Japanese and American patients. We therefore compared histology in proctocolectomy resection specimens between Japanese patients with UC (19 cases with and 21 without dysplasia) at the Kitasato University East Hospital and American patients with UC (21 cases with and 24 without dysplasia) at the University of Washington Medical Center. In cases of UC with, but not without dysplasia, cryptitis (p = 0.010) and epithelial apoptosis (p < 0.001) in the nondysplastic mucosa were more frequently observed in Japanese than in American cases, whereas lamina propria fibrosis was more prominent in American counterparts (p = 0.008). In patients with UC with dysplasia, the duration of disease was significantly longer in American than in Japanese patients (median, 17 vs 14 years, respectively; p = 0.038). This might, in part, explain the histologic variation. Another possibility for the differences is that the preoperative medications may have differed in the populations.
Excimer laser ophthalmic system optical coherence tomography

The excimer laser ophthalmic system Medilex including the ArF (193-nm) excimer laser with optical delivery system and optical coherence tomograph (OCT) for correction of the refraction anomalies is presented. The new optical system has been developed. The possibility of the controlling the corneal surface with micron accuracy by OCT apparatus during the process of UV laser ablation is shown. OCT device is able to measure surface profile, thickness of the cornea and depth of removed tissue during process of UV ablation. Preliminary results on the determination of the surface profile and thickness of the non-modified by UV laser cornea of the alive human eye performed by OCT device with accuracy about 5 micrometers is shown. The results of the experiments on the measurement of the removed material depth on polymer film and cadaverous human eyes simultaneously with ablation process are described.
Long-term effect of simvastatin on the improvement of impaired myocardial flow reserve in patients with familial hypercholesterolemia without gender variance

BackgroundImpaired myocardial flow reserve (MFR) in patients with familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) without evidence of ischemia has been reported. However, it has not been clarified whether diminished MFR in such male or female patients with FH can be reversed by simvastatin.Methods and ResultsSixteen patients with FH and 16 age-matched control subjects were studied. All patients were proved to have no evidence of exercise stress-induced myocardial ischemia. Baseline myocardial blood flow (MBF) and MBF during dipyridamole administration (MBF [DP]) were measured with positron emission tomography and nitrogen 13 ammonia; MFR was then calculated before and 9 to 15 months after therapy with simvastatin (5-10 mg/day). Total cholesterol level was significantly higher in patients with FH (277 ± 49.0) than in control subjects (190 ± 14.9) but was normalized after lipid-lowering therapy (205 ± 40.3). Baseline MBF was comparable among FH patients before (77.6 ± 11.6 mL/min/100 g) and after therapy (74.5 ± 9.62 mL/min/100 g) and control subjects (78.5 ± 29.9 mL/min/100 g). However, MBF (DP) in FH patients before therapy (178 ± 50.9 mL/min/100 g) was significantly lower than that in control subjects (282 ± 148 mL/min/100 g) and was significantly improved after therapy (228 ± 91.6 mL/min/100 g, P < .05). In fact, there was no statistically significant difference in the MBF (DP) value in FH patients after therapy compared with that in control subjects (P = .09). MFR significantly improved after therapy in patients with FH (3.33 ± 1.19 vs 2.27 ± 0.625, P < .01) and was then statistically comparable to that in control subjects (3.54 ± 1.11). Improvement of MFR was observed whether MBF (DP) before therapy was greater than or less than 200 mL/min/100 g. MFR was improved in both male and female patients with FH. There was a significant relationship between percent change in plasma total cholesterol concentration and percent change in MFR before and after lipid-lowering therapy (r = -0.57, P < .05). ConclusionsDiminished MFR in patients with FH without evidence of ischemia can be reversed by moderate- to long-term simvastatin therapy without gender variance.
Case of drug‐induced hypersensitivity syndrome involving multiple‐drug hypersensitivity

Dear Editor, Drug-induced hypersensitivity syndrome (DIHS) is a life-threatening adverse reaction characterized by skin rashes, fever, leukocytosis with eosinophilia and ⁄ or atypical lymphocytosis, lymph node enlargement, and liver and ⁄ or renal dysfunction. DIHS usually occurs 3 weeks to 3 months after the start of therapy with certain drugs. Shiohara et al. and Hashimoto et al. reported that there is a close relationship between human herpes virus-6 (HHV-6) reactivation and the development of this syndrome. A 31-year-old man with lung tuberculosis and hyperuricemia developed a fever of 38.8 C and a maculopapular rash over his face, trunk and extremities (Fig. 1) at 2, 4 and 6 weeks, respectively, after the initiation of therapy involving ethambutol (EB), allopurinol, isoniazid (INH), rifampicin (RFP) and pyrazinamide (PZA) (Fig. 2). Laboratory studies showed leukocytosis (15 400 ⁄ lL) with eosinophilia (19.4%) and liver dysfunction (aspartate aminotransferase, 218 U ⁄ L; alanine aminotransferase, 287 U ⁄ L). On the 16th day of onset, real-time polymerase chain reaction detected HHV-6 DNA in his whole blood. We diagnosed him with DIHS and oral prednisolone (60 mg ⁄ day) was effective. However, the skin eruption relapsed on day 32, 1 day after the restart of the anti-tuberculosis drug therapy (INH, RFP, EB and PZA). The skin eruption subsequently disappeared 1 week after treatment with discontinuation of these anti-tuberculosis drugs. The patch test and lymphocyte transformation test (LTT) demonstrated positive reactions to INH. We changed the patient’s anti-tuberculosis treatment to RFP, EB and levofloxacin (LVX) on day 47, but itching appeared 1 month later. We again changed anti-
Long-run learning in games of cooperation

Cooperation in repeated games has been widely studied in experimental settings; however, the duration over which players participate in such experiments is typically confined to at most hours, and often to a single game. Given that in real world settings people may have years of experience, it is natural to ask how behavior in cooperative games evolves over the long run. Here we analyze behavioral data from three distinct games involving 571 individual experiments conducted over a two-year interval. First, in the case of a standard linear public goods game we show that as players gain experience, they become less generous both on average and in particular towards the end of each game. Second, we analyze a multiplayer prisoner's dilemma where players are also allowed to make and break ties with their neighbors, finding that experienced players show an increase in cooperativeness early on in the game, but exhibit sharper "endgame" effects. Third, and finally, we analyze a collaborative search game in which players can choose to act selfishly or cooperatively, finding again that experienced players exhibit more cooperative behavior as well as sharper endgame effects. Together these results show consistent evidence of long-run learning, but also highlight directions for future theoretical work that may account for the observed direction and magnitude of the effects.
A Systematic Review and Head-to-Head Meta-Analysis of Outcomes following Direct-to-Implant versus Conventional Two-Stage Implant Reconstruction

Background: Innovative approaches to reconstruction have ushered in an era of breast reconstruction in which direct-to-implant procedures can provide an immediately reconstructed breast. Balancing the benefits against its technical challenges is vital. The authors evaluated the safety and efficacy of using direct-to-implant versus conventional two-stage reconstruction through a systematic meta-analysis. Methods: A literature search identified all articles published after 1999 involving prosthetic-based breast reconstruction as a two-stage tissue expander/implant or direct-to-implant technique. The primary outcomes of interest, including implant loss, capsular contracture, reoperation, and infection, were analyzed by means of head-to-head meta-analysis. Results: Thirteen studies involving 5216 breast reconstructions were included. The average patient age was 47.2 ± 1.0 years, the average body mass index was 24.9 ± 0.8 mg/k2, and the average follow-up was 40.8 months. Wound infection, seroma, and capsular contracture risk were similar between groups. However, direct-to-implant reconstruction was associated with a higher risk for skin flap necrosis (OR, 1.43; p = 0.01; I2 = 51 percent) and reoperation (OR, 1.25; p = 0.04; I2 = 43 percent). Ultimately, the risk for implant loss was nearly two-fold higher with direct-to-implant reconstruction compared with tissue expander/implant reconstruction (OR, 1.87; p = 0.04; I2 = 33 percent). Conclusions: Although direct-to-implant and two-stage tissue expander/implant reconstruction are successful approaches, this meta-analysis demonstrates significantly greater risk of flap necrosis and implant failure with direct-to-implant reconstruction. The authors’ findings suggest that the critical component of patient selection is judgment of mastectomy flap tissue quality. These findings can enhance the risk counseling process and highlight the need for additional investigations to optimize outcomes. CLINICAL QUESTION/LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Therapeutic, III.
A spatial econometric analysis of well-being using a geographical information systems approach

In recent years, economists have being using socio-economic and socio-demographic characteristics to explain self-reported individual happiness or satisfaction with life. Using Geographical Information Systems (GIS), we employ data disaggregated at the individual and local level to show that while these variables are important, consideration of amenities such as climate, environmental and urban conditions is critical when analyzing subjective well-being. Location-specific factors are shown to have a direct impact on life satisfaction. Most importantly, however, the explanatory power of our happiness function substantially increases when the spatial variables are included, highlighting the importance of the role of the spatial dimension in determining well-being. This may have potentially important implications for setting priorities for public policy as, in essence, improving well-being could be considered to be the ultimate goal of public policy.
Joint routing, scheduling and power control for large interference wireless networks

We consider the problem of joint routing, scheduling and power control in multi-hop wireless networks. We use a linear relation between link capacity and signal to interference noise ratio in our formulation. In a previous work, using a duality approach, the optimal link scheduling and power control that minimizes the total average transmission power is found. We formulate this problem as a linear programming problem with exponential number of constraints. To cope with the exponential number of constraints, we propose an iterative algorithm based on the cutting plane method. The separation oracle for the cutting plane algorithm turns out to be an element-wise concave optimization problem that can be effectively solved using branch and bound algorithm. We extend the same method to find the optimal routing scheduling and power control. Simulation results show that this methodology is more efficient and scalable compare to the previously proposed algorithm.
Ultra-High-Strength Concrete-Filled FRP Tubes: Compression Tests on Square and Rectangular Columns

This paper presents the partial results of an experimental program undertaken to investigate the behavior of square and rectangular ultra-high-strength concrete (UHSC)-filled fiber reinforced polymer (FRP) tubes (UHSCFFTs) under axial compression. The effects of the amount of confinement, cross-sectional aspect ratio and corner radius were investigated experimentally through the tests of 24 concrete-filled FRP tubes (CFFTs) that were manufactured using unidirectional carbon fiber sheets and UHSC with 108 MPa average compressive strength. Test results indicate that sufficiently confined square and rectangular UHSCFFTs can exhibit highly ductile behavior. The results also indicate that HSCFFTs having tubes of low confinement effectiveness may experience a significant strength loss at the point of transition on their stress-strain curves. Examination of the test results have led to a number of important observations on the influence of corner radius and sectional aspect ratio, which are presented and discussed in the paper.
Apoptosis and Its Relation to the Cell Cycle in the Developing Cerebral Cortex

Large numbers of dying cells are found in proliferating tissues, suggesting a link between cell death and cell division. We detected and quantified dying cells during pre- and early postnatal development of the rat cerebral cortex using in situ end labeling of DNA fragmentation [terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP-biotin nick end labeling (TUNEL)] and electron microscopy. The proliferative zones that give rise to the neuronal and glial cell types of the cortex, the ventricular and, to a larger extent, the subventricular zones showed higher incidence of cell death than other regions of the developing cortex during the period of neurogenesis. Gel electrophoresis of DNA isolated from the subventricular zone of newborn animals showed a ladder pattern that is characteristic of apoptosis. The number of apoptotic cells remained high in this zone for at least 2 weeks, during which period cells continued to divide. The correlation between cell division and cell death was studied in the subventricular zone of newborn rats; cumulative labeling with bromodeoxyuridine showed that 71% of TUNEL-labeled cells had taken up this S-phase marker before undergoing cell death. Using bromodeoxyuridine and [3H]-thymidine in succession to identify a cohort of proliferating cells, we found that the clearance time of TUNEL-positive nuclei was 2 hr and 20 min. A comparison between the number of mitotic figures and that of TUNEL-positive nuclei showed that cell death affects one in every 14 cells produced by dividing ventricular zone cells at embryonic day 16 and one in every 1.5 cells produced in the subventricular zone of newborn rats. In addition, we found that most of TUNEL-positive cells were in the G1 phase of their cell cycle. We conclude that apoptosis is prominent in the proliferating neuroepithelium of the developing rat cerebral cortex and that it is related to the progression of the cell cycle.
Comparative Study of Predictive Computational Models for Nanoparticle‐Induced Cytotoxicity

With the increasing use of nanomaterials incorporated into consumer products, there is a need for developing approaches to establish “quantitative structure‐activity relationships” (QSARs). These relationships could be used to predict various biological responses after exposure to nanomaterials for the purposes of risk analysis. This risk analysis is applicable to manufacturers of nanomaterials in an effort to determine potential hazards. Because metal oxide materials are some of the most widely applicable and studied nanoparticle types for incorporation into cosmetics, food packaging, and paints and coatings, we focused on comparing different approaches for establishing QSARs for this class of materials. Metal oxide nanoparticles are believed, by some, to cause alterations in cellular function due to their size and/or surface area. Others have said that these nanomaterials, because of the oxidized state of the metal, do not induce stress in biological tests systems. This controversy highlights the need to systematically develop structure‐activity relationships (i.e., the relationship between physicochemical features to the cellular responses) and tools for predicting potential biological effects after a metal oxide nanomaterial exposure. Here, we attempt to identify a set of properties of two specific metal oxide nanomaterials—TiO2 and ZnO—that could be used to characterize and predict the induced cellular membrane damage of immortalized human lung epithelial cells. We adopt a mathematical modeling approach that uses the engineered nanomaterial size characterized as a dry nanopowder and the nanomaterial behavior in ultrapure water, phosphate buffer, and cell culture media to predict nanomaterial‐induced cellular membrane damage (via lactate dehydrogenase release). Results of these studies provide insights on how engineered nanomaterial features influence cellular responses and thereby outline possible approaches for developing and applying predictive computational models for biological responses caused by exposure to nanomaterials.
Maximum Entropy Models, Dynamic Games, and Robust Output Feedback Control for Automata

In this paper, we develop a framework for designing controllers for automata which are robust with respect to uncertainties. A deterministic model for uncertainties is introduced, leading to a dynamic game formulation of the robust control problem. This problem is solved using an appropriate information state. We derive a Hidden Markov Model as the maximum entropy stochastic model for the automaton. A risk-sensitive stochastic control problem is formulated and solved for this Hidden Markov Model. The two problems are related using small noise limits.
A dynamic graph algorithm for the highly dynamic network problem

A recent flooding algorithm (R. O'Dell and R. Wattenhofer, 2005) guaranteed correctness for networks with dynamic edges and fixed nodes. The algorithm provided a partial answer to the highly dynamic network (HDN) problem, defined as the problem of devising a reliable message-passing algorithm over a HDN, which is a network - or a network mobility model - where edges and nodes can enter and leave the network almost arbitrarily. In this paper, we relax the flooding algorithms' assumptions by removing the requirement that the network stays connected at all time, and extend the algorithm to solve the HDN problem where dynamic nodes are also involved. The extended algorithm is reliable: it guarantees message-passing to all the destination nodes and terminates within a time bounded by a polynomial function of the maximum message transit time between adjacent nodes, and the maximum number of nodes in the network
Neuropilin-1 regulates platelet-derived growth factor receptor signalling in mesenchymal stem cells

Using human MSCs (mesenchymal stem cells) lacking VEGF (vascular endothelial growth factor) receptors, we show that the pro-angiogenic receptor neuropilin-1 associates with phosphorylated PDGFRs [PDGF (platelet-derived growth factor) receptors], thereby regulating cell signalling, migration, proliferation and network assembly. Neuropilin-1 co-immunoprecipitated and co-localized with phosphorylated PDGFRs in the presence of growth factors. Neuropilin-1 knockdown blocked PDGF-AA-induced PDGFRα phosphorylation and migration, reduced PDGF-BB-induced PDGFRβ activation and migration, blocked VEGF-A activation of both PDGFRs, and attenuated proliferation. Neuropilin-1 prominently co-localized with both PDGFRs within MSC networks assembled in Matrigel™ and in the chorioallantoic membrane vasculature microenvironment, and its knockdown grossly disrupted network assembly and decreased PDGFR signalling. Thus neuropilin-1 regulates MSCs by forming ligand-specific receptor complexes that direct PDGFR signalling, especially the PDGFRα homodimer. This receptor cross-talk may control the mobilization of MSCs in neovascularization and tissue remodelling.
Chemoprevention of prostate cancer.

Are we making progress in the chemoprevention of prostate cancer? The disease is an ideal target: not only is it the most common cancer among men in the United States, it has the highest age-specific incidence of any cancer. If we could prevent the disease or delay its progression, many men could be spared the burden of diagnostic procedures and treatments, and costs to the health care system could be reduced substantially. Because we lack a complete understanding of the pathophysiology of prostate cancer, chemopreventive strategies have empirically focused on two approaches: treatment with antioxidants to reduce damage to DNA .
Intercommunity relationships and community growth in China's high technology industries 1988-2000

In this study, we examine how intercommunity relationships affect the growth of organizational communities. Using a unique panel dataset on 53 technology development communities in China spanning 1988–2000, we found that regional community density, a community's geographic proximity to the nearest community and its domain overlap with the nearest community have an inverted U-shaped relationship with the community's growth. These non-monotonic results suggest that adjacent communities have both mutualistic and competitive effects on each other. Theoretical and managerial implications are discussed. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
A Nonlinear Dynamics Perspective of Wolfram's New Kind of Science Part VII: ISLES of Eden

This paper continues our quest to develop a rigorous analytical theory of 1-D cellular automata via a nonlinear dynamics perspective. The 18 yet uncharacterized local rules are henceforth partitioned into ten complex Bernoulliστ-shift rules and eight hyper Bernoulliστ-shift rules, the latter including such famous rules $\kern.5pt{\fboxsep2pt\fbox{30}}\kern.5pt\xspace$ and $\kern.5pt{\fboxsep2pt\fbox{110}}\kern.5pt\xspace$. All exhibit a bizarre composite wave dynamics with arbitrarily large Bernoulli velocity σ and Bernoulli return time τ as the length L → ∞. Basin tree diagrams of all ten complex Bernoulli στ-shift rules are exhibited for lengths L = 3, 4, …, 8. Superficial as it may seem, these basin tree diagrams suggest general qualitative properties which have since been proved to be true in general. Two such properties form the main results of this paper; namely, Explicit global state transition formulas are given for local rules $\kern.5pt{\fboxsep2pt\fbox{90}}\kern.5pt\xspace$, $\kern.5pt{\fboxsep.