Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Characteristics of the biphasic action of androgens and of the potent antiproliferative effects of the new pure antiestrogen EM-139 on cell cycle kinetic parameters in LNCaP human prostatic cancer cells.

The most potent steroid in human prostatic carcinoma LNCaP cells, i.e., dihydrotestosterone (DHT), has a biphasic stimulatory effect on cell proliferation. At the maximal stimulatory concentration of 0.1 nM DHT, analysis of cell kinetic parameters shows a decrease of the G0-G1 fraction with a corresponding increase of the S and G2 + M fractions. In contrast, concentrations of 1 nM DHT or higher induce a return of cell proliferation to control levels, reflected by an increase in the G0-G1 fraction at the expense of the S and especially the G2 + M fractions. Continuous labeling for 144 h with the nucleotide analogue 5'-bromodeoxyuridine shows that the percentage of cycling LNCaP cells rises more than 90% after treatment with stimulatory concentrations of DHT, whereas in control cells as well as in cells treated with high concentrations of the androgen, this value remains below 50%. Although LNCaP cells do not contain detectable estrogen receptors, the new pure steroidal antiestrogen EM-139 not only reversed the stimulation of cell proliferation and cell kinetics induced by stimulatory doses of DHT but also inhibited basal cell proliferation.
Defining Core Metabolic and Transcriptomic Responses to Oxygen Availability in Rice Embryos and Young Seedlings1[W][OA]

Analysis reveals that there is limited overlap in the sets of transcripts that show significant changes in abundance during anaerobiosis in different plant species. This may be due to the fact that a combination of primary effects, changes due to the presence or absence of oxygen, and secondary effects, responses to primary changes or tissue and developmental responses, are measured together and not differentiated from each other. In order to dissect out these responses, the effect of the presence or absence of oxygen was investigated using three different experimental designs using rice (Oryza sativa) as a model system. A total of 110 metabolites and 9,596 transcripts were found to change significantly in response to oxygen availability in at least one experiment. However, only one-quarter of these showed complementary responses to oxygen in all three experiments, allowing the core response to oxygen availability to be defined. A total of 10 metabolites and 1,136 genes could be defined as aerobic responders (up-regulated in the presence of oxygen and down-regulated in its absence), and 13 metabolites and 730 genes could be defined as anaerobic responders (up-regulated in the absence of oxygen and down-regulated in its presence). Defining core sets of transcripts that were sensitive to oxygen provided insights into alterations in metabolism, specifically carbohydrate and lipid metabolism and the putative regulatory mechanisms that allow rice to grow under anaerobic conditions. Transcript abundance of a specific set of transcription factors was sensitive to oxygen availability during all of the different experiments conducted, putatively identifying primary regulators of gene expression under anaerobic conditions. Combined with the possibility of selective transcript degradation, these transcriptional processes are involved in the core response of rice to anaerobiosis.
Delayed entry into health care for women with HIV disease.

OBJECTIVE The primary objective was to evaluate factors that might influence delayed entry into health care for women with HIV. Implications of time of diagnosis for early medical intervention was a focused aspect. PROCEDURE Structured clinical interviews were conducted with HIV-positive women (n = 48); these data were supplemented by medical chart reviews. MEASURES Delayed entry into health care was operationalized as a difference of more than 3 months between diagnosis and entry into care. Measures of race, social class, risk behavior circumstances of HIV testing, and health status were included. RESULTS Of women, 58% delayed entry into care following an HIV diagnosis. Upon entry into health care, 65% of women were symptomatic and 40% were severely immunocompromised (CD4 cells/mm3 < 200). Results from the logistic regression indicated that those who learned their HIV status prenatally were four times more likely to delay entry into care compared to those who self-referred for HIV testing, even after controlling for symptom status. CONCLUSIONS HIV diagnosis is not enough to ensure that women with HIV will get adequate and timely health care. Counseling and testing recommendations should highlight the intrinsic value of early diagnosis.
Dynamic Changes in Superior Temporal Sulcus Connectivity during Perception of Noisy Audiovisual Speech

Humans are remarkably adept at understanding speech, even when it is contaminated by noise. Multisensory integration may explain some of this ability: combining independent information from the auditory modality (vocalizations) and the visual modality (mouth movements) reduces noise and increases accuracy. Converging evidence suggests that the superior temporal sulcus (STS) is a critical brain area for multisensory integration, but little is known about its role in the perception of noisy speech. Behavioral studies have shown that perceptual judgments are weighted by the reliability of the sensory modality: more reliable modalities are weighted more strongly, even if the reliability changes rapidly. We hypothesized that changes in the functional connectivity of STS with auditory and visual cortex could provide a neural mechanism for perceptual reliability weighting. To test this idea, we performed five blood oxygenation level-dependent functional magnetic resonance imaging and behavioral experiments in 34 healthy subjects. We found increased functional connectivity between the STS and auditory cortex when the auditory modality was more reliable (less noisy) and increased functional connectivity between the STS and visual cortex when the visual modality was more reliable, even when the reliability changed rapidly during presentation of successive words. This finding matched the results of a behavioral experiment in which the perception of incongruent audiovisual syllables was biased toward the more reliable modality, even with rapidly changing reliability. Changes in STS functional connectivity may be an important neural mechanism underlying the perception of noisy speech.
Single intracisternal bolus of recombinant tissue plasminogen activator in patients with aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage: preliminary assessment of efficacy and safety in an open clinical study.

Intracisternal thrombolysis with recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (rtPA) was performed in 20 patients with aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage. All patients had blood accumulations in the basal cisterns according to Fisher's Grade III, thus being at a high risk for the development of posthemorrhagic delayed ischemic deficits (DID). All patients underwent an operation within 72 hours after aneurysm rupture. After the aneurysm had been excluded from the cerebral circulation, a single bolus of 10 mg of rtPA was injected into the basal cisterns. Postoperatively, serial computed tomographic examinations demonstrated radical blood clot removal in all patients. Daily transcranial Doppler examinations revealed accelerated blood flow velocities in 16 of 20 patients. The postoperative results according to the Glasgow Outcome Scale were as follows: 16 patients were Grades I and II, 2 patients were Grade III. Two patients died postoperatively, 1 because of a bowel perforation, and 1 from DID attributable to the development of a cerebral vasospasm. No postoperative bleeding complications occurred. It is concluded that pharmacological removal of subarachnoid blood accumulations can be achieved in a safe and effective way by an intrathecal single bolus of 10 mg of rtPA instilled into the basal cisterns after aneurysm clipping. The acceleration of blood flow velocities in a number of patients indicated that posthemorrhagic arterial narrowing was not completely prevented by this treatment, but this remained asymptomatic in 19 of 20 patients. Although extensive blood clot removal can be achieved by a single bolus of rtPA, more radical or complete blood removal probably requires the use of higher drug concentrations or additional postoperative intracisternal or intraventricular rtPA injections, for which further studies are needed. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
When can ecological speciation be detected with neutral loci?

It is not yet clear under what conditions empirical studies can reliably detect progress toward ecological speciation through the analysis of allelic variation at neutral loci. We use a simulation approach to investigate the range of parameter space under which such detection is, and is not, likely. We specifically test for the conditions under which divergent natural selection can cause a ‘generalized barrier to gene flow’ that is present across the genome. Our individual‐based numerical simulations focus on how population divergence at neutral loci varies in relation to recombination rate with a selected locus, divergent selection on that locus, migration rate and population size. We specifically test whether genetic differences at neutral markers are greater between populations in different environments than between populations in similar environments. We find that this expected signature of ecological speciation can be detected under part of the parameter space, most consistently when divergent selection is strong and migration is intermediate. By contrast, the expected signature of ecological speciation is not reliably detected when divergent selection is weak or migration is low or high. These findings provide insights into the strengths and weaknesses of using neutral markers to infer ecological speciation in natural systems.
Variational inference for Dirichlet process mixtures

Dirichlet process (DP) mixture models are the cornerstone of non- parametric Bayesian statistics, and the development of Monte-Carlo Markov chain (MCMC) sampling methods for DP mixtures has enabled the application of non- parametric Bayesian methods to a variety of practical data analysis problems. However, MCMC sampling can be prohibitively slow, and it is important to ex- plore alternatives. One class of alternatives is provided by variational methods, a class of deterministic algorithms that convert inference problems into optimization problems (Opper and Saad 2001; Wainwright and Jordan 2003). Thus far, varia- tional methods have mainly been explored in the parametric setting, in particular within the formalism of the exponential family (Attias 2000; Ghahramani and Beal 2001; Blei et al. 2003). In this paper, we present a variational inference algorithm for DP mixtures. We present experiments that compare the algorithm to Gibbs sampling algorithms for DP mixtures of Gaussians and present an application to a large-scale image analysis problem.
A complete frontier-based exploration method for Pose-SLAM

In this paper we propose a complete frontier-based exploration method for Pose SLAM. The goal of current frontier-based exploration methods is to eliminate all frontiers in the environment map. This approach, however, does not meet the requirements of Pose SLAM mapping: besides arriving at a frontier free map, there is the need to close the loops in the environment. In fact, loop closing is instrumental to Pose SLAM, since the major corrections to the map result from adding place revisiting constraints. The exploration method we propose is said to be complete in the sense that all loops are guaranteed to be closed. In this paper, we also describe a hybrid map that supports our exploration scheme and detail all the mechanisms required to maintain it during exploration. The validity of the approach is demonstrated on a widely used dataset.
Modulation of asymmetric dimethylarginine in critically ill patients receiving intensive insulin treatment: A possible explanation of reduced morbidity and mortality?*

Objective:Asymmetric dimethylarginine, which inhibits production of nitric oxide, has been shown to be a strong and independent predictor of mortality in critically ill patients with clinical evidence of organ dysfunction. Interestingly, intensive insulin therapy in critically ill patients improved morbidity and mortality, but the exact mechanisms by which these beneficial effects are brought about remain unknown. Therefore, we aimed to investigate whether modulation of asymmetric dimethylarginine concentrations by intensive insulin therapy is involved in these effects. Design:A prospective, randomized, controlled trial. Setting:A 56-bed predominantly surgical intensive care unit in a tertiary teaching hospital. Patients:From a study of 1,548 critically ill patients who were randomized to receive either conventional or intensive insulin therapy, we included 79 patients who were admitted to the intensive care unit after complicated pulmonary and esophageal surgery and required prolonged (≥7 days) intensive care. Interventions:Determination of asymmetric dimethylarginine concentrations. Measurements and Main Results:Asymmetric dimethylarginine concentrations were determined with high-performance liquid chromatography on the day of admission, on day 2, on day 7, and on the last day at the intensive care unit. Although the asymmetric dimethylarginine levels did not change between day 0 and day 2 in patients receiving intensive insulin treatment, there was a significant increase during this period in the conventionally treated patients (p = .043). Interestingly, the mean daily insulin dose was inversely associated with the asymmetric dimethylarginine concentration on the last day (r = −.23, p = .042), and the asymmetric dimethylarginine concentration on the last day at the intensive care unit was significantly lower in the intensive insulin treatment group (p = .048). Furthermore, asymmetric dimethylarginine was positively associated with duration of intensive care unit stay, duration of ventilatory support, duration of inotropic and vasopressor treatment, number of red cell transfusions, duration of antibiotic treatment, presence of critical illness polyneuropathy, mean Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II score, and cumulative Therapeutic Intervention Scoring System-28 score. In addition, asymmetric dimethylarginine levels in patients who died were significantly higher compared with survivors, and changes in the course of asymmetric dimethylarginine plasma concentrations were predictive for adverse intensive care unit outcome. Conclusions:Modulation of asymmetric dimethylarginine concentration by insulin at least partly explains the beneficial effects found in critically ill patients receiving intensive insulin therapy.
Information systems outsourcing: a survey and analysis of the literature

In the last fifteen years, academic research on information systems (IS) outsourcing has evolved rapidly. Indeed the field of outsourcing research has grown so fast that there has been scant opportunity for the research community to take a collective breath, and complete a global assessment of research activities to date. This paper seeks to address this need by exploring and synthesizing the academic literature on IS outsourcing. It offers a roadmap of the IS outsourcing literature, highlighting what has been done so far, how the work fits together under a common umbrella, and what the future directions might be. In order to adequately address the immense diversity of research on IS outsourcing and outsourcing in general, we develop a conceptual framework that helps us to categorize the literature. In particular, we look at the research objectives, methods used and theoretical foundations of the papers. In identifying the major research objectives, we view outsourcing as an organizational decision process and adapt Simon's stage model of decision making. This allows us to identify five major sourcing issues, from which at least one is covered by each academic article. These are the questions of <i>why</i> to outsource, <i>what</i> to outsource, <i>which</i> decision process to take, <i>how</i> to implement the sourcing decision, and what is the outcome of the sourcing decision. In analyzing the literature, we identify and structure the main explanatory factors and theoretical relationships within each of these sourcing stages. Based on our discussion of the research objectives, theoretical foundations and research approaches taken in the literature, we show how the various research streams hang together and we come up with a number of implications for research. Moreover, we identify a number of emerging sourcing issues. We believe that research on these "new" phenomena such as offshore outsourcing, application service providing and business process outsourcing would benefit from 'standing on the shoulders' of what has already been accomplished in the field of IS outsourcing.
Inhibition of Major Histocompatibility Complex Class I Antigen Presentation in Pig and Primate Cells by Herpes Simplex Virus Type 1 and 2 ICP47

ABSTRACT Herpes simplex virus types 1 and 2 (HSV-1 and HSV-2) express an immediate-early protein, ICP47, that effectively inhibits the human transporter associated with antigen presentation (TAP), blocking major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I antigen presentation to CD8+ T cells. Previous work indicated that the mouse TAP is relatively resistant to inhibition by the HSV-1 and HSV-2 ICP47 proteins (ICP47-1 and ICP47-2) and that mouse cells infected with HSV-1 are lysed by anti-HSV CD8+ cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL). Therefore, mice are apparently not suitable animals in which to study the in vivo effects of ICP47. In order to find an animal model, we introduced ICP47-1 and ICP47-2 into cells from various animal species—mice, rats, guinea pigs, rabbits, dogs, pigs, cows, monkeys, and humans—and measured TAP activity in the cells. Both proteins were unable to inhibit TAP in mouse, rat, guinea pig, and rabbit cells. In contrast, ICP47-1 and ICP47-2 inhibited TAP in pig, dog, cow, and monkey cells, and the TAP in pig and dog fibroblasts was often more sensitive to both proteins than TAP in human fibroblasts. These results were extended by measuring CD8+-T-cell recognition (CTL lysis) of cells from various species. Cells were infected with recombinant HSV-1 constructed to express murine MHC class I proteins so that the cells would be recognized and lysed by well-characterized murine anti-HSV CTL unless antigen presentation was blocked by ICP47. Anti-HSV CD8+ CTL effectively lysed pig and primate cells infected with a recombinant HSV-1 ICP47− mutant but were unable to lyse pig or primate cells infected with a recombinant HSV-1 that expressed ICP47. Therefore, pigs, dogs, and monkeys may be useful animal models in which to test the effects of ICP47 on HSV pathogenesis or the use of ICP47 as a selective immunosuppressive agent.
Primitive mesodermal cells with a neural crest stem cell phenotype predominate proliferating infantile haemangioma

Aims Infantile haemangioma is a tumour of the microvasculature characterised by aggressive angiogenesis during infancy and spontaneously gradual involution, often leaving a fibro-fatty residuum. The segmental distribution of a subgroup of infantile haemangioma, especially those associated with midline structural anomalies that constitute posterior fossa malformations–hemangiomas–arterial anomalies–cardiac defects–eye abnormalities–sternal cleft and supraumbilical raphe syndrome (PHACES), led us to investigate whether neural crest cells might be involved in the aetiology of this tumour. Methods Immunohistochemical staining on paraffin embedded infantile haemangioma sections and immunocytochemical staining on cells derived from proliferating haemangioma cultures were performed. Results The endothelium of proliferating infantile haemangioma contains abundant cells that express the neurotrophin receptor (p75), a cell surface marker that identifies neural crest cells, and also for brachyury, a transcription factor expressed in cells of the primitive mesoderm. The endothelium is also immunoreactive for the haematopoietic stem cell marker, CD133; the endothelial-haematopoietic stem/progenitor marker, CD34; the endothelial cell markers, CD31 and VEGFR-2; and the mesenchymal stem cell markers, CD29 and vimentin. Additionally, immunoreactivity for the transcription factors, Sox 9 and Sox 10, that are expressed by prospective neural crest cells was also observed. Cells from microvessel-like structures were isolated from in vitro cultured haemangioma tissue explants embedded in a fibrin matrix. Immunostaining of these cells showed that they retained expression of the same lineage-specific markers that are detected on the paraffin embedded tissue sections. Conclusions These data infer that infantile haemangioma is derived from primitive mesoderm and that the cells within the lesion have a neural crest stem cell phenotype, and they express proteins associated with haematopoietic, endothelial, neural crest and mesenchymal lineages. The authors propose a model to account for the natural progression of infantile haemangioma based upon the multipotent expression profile of the primitive mesoderm and their neural crest stem cell phenotype to form all the cell lineages detected during infantile haemangioma proliferation and involution.
APPL/A: a language for software process programming

Software process programming is the coding of software processes inexecutable programming languages. Process programming offers manypotential benefits, but their realization has been hampered by a lack ofexperience in the design and use of process programming languages.APPL/A is a prototype software process programming language developed tohelp gain this experience. It is intended for the coding of programs torepresent and support software processes including process, product, andproject management. APPL/A is defined as an extension to Ada, to whichit adds persistent programmable relations, concurrent triggers onrelation operations (for reactive control), optionally and dynamicallyenforceable predicates on relations (which may serve as constraints),and composite statements that provide alternative combinations ofserializability, atomicity, and consistency enforcement (for programminghigh-level transactions). APPL/A has been used to codeengineering-oriented applications, like requirements specification anddesign, as well as management-related activities, such as personnelassignment, task scheduling, and project monitoring. APPL/A has alsoenabled us to experiment with process program design techniques andarchitectures, including process state reification, intermittent (orpersistent) processes, reflexive and metaprocesses, and multiple-processsystems. Our ability to address a wide range of software processes andprocess characteristics indicates that the APPL/A constructs representimportant and general capabilities for software processprogramming. —Authors' Abstract